Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-10-13
A Midnight Spectre.

IN graveyard, and otter this circumstance
as proof that I was not nervous or super
stitious person. Had been either, would
have selected less gruesome dwelling
place.
do not pretend that preferred grave
yard to any other place of residence. On
the contrary, if had been questi oned on
the subject, l would have said that a
cemetery was a good enough place for a
dead man, but that it was not good enough
for live one; nevertheless there were con-
siderations strong enough to induce me to
60 there to live.
l knew the sexton of the village church
This man and his good wife lived in a cot
tage in the cemetery, and they suggested
that should have my board and lodgings
under their roof. 1 was young barrister
then, without much practice or income, and
l was obliged to econOmize. owned a very
large library, and required more room than
the hall-bedroom that is the usual habi-
tation of the ''single gentleman" in lodging
houses. The sexton offered me two roomy
apartments and my board at 30 low flg-
ure that was glad to accept his terms
/ had an almost overwhelming desire to
save money. Not that I was naturally
penurious, but had strong incentive in
MISS Ethel Hartley. ! lad beeu engaged
to Miss hartley for many months, but had
not yet been able to offer her a home. All
of my energies were devoted to one object
| i. e., to earning home for the woman
| who was to be my wife. I reflected that
my cheap lodgings would help me accom-
pllsh this object, and I would have cheerfully
consented to live in charnel- house, if by
| so doing could have hastened my wedding
day.
| 1t was the sections duty to dig the graves,
to keep the grounds in order, and to protect
| them from vandalism. In order to facilitate
his labors, his cottage had been built in the
| middle of the cemetery, and was on a little
knoll, from which he could command view
| of the surrounding premises. 1t was built
of gray stone, and externally was SO like a
| mausoleum that it would be difficult to dis
| tinguish the one from the other. 1t was
| certainly not cheerful place, and the vaults
| and graves about it gave it an air of lone
some solemnity that will not attempt to
describe.
had suspicion that Ethel would dis
approve of my removal to the sections cot
tage, so did not mention the matter to her
until all my arrangements had been made.
did not wish to be persuaded to abandon
it.
The sexton had assured me that would
find his ''a nice, quiet place." where
could read and study without being dis
turbed by any noise or any visits from my
| neighbers. He made an effort to be jocose,
and assured me that l would s'find 'em a
heap less troublesome than any other
neighbors."
l was indisposed to be critical of my new
quarters. My rooms were large, clean and
airy my food was abundant and W holesome,
and mine host and hostess were thorough
ly respectable. But there was one thing
about the cottage that seriously disliked,
and that was its name. | do not mean it's
reputation, for that was above reproach; /;
but it had been named Deaths Lodge"
l cannot imagine why this name bad been
given to the only place in the cemetery,
where Death was not present and where
living creatures existed.
AS had feared Miss Hartley disaprov-
ed of the change had made in my lodgings.
l recited all the advantages to be derived
from it, but she could not be convinced of
the advisability of such a move.
"Your sexton is not the only respectable
person who takes charge of lodges" shes
insisted, when I gave his good character as
one of the reasons why I had entered his
house. "There are other landlords as re-
putable as he.'
81 DO not dispute that" l answered.
"But are there other landlords whose
houses are as well kept and whose terms
are SO moderate? This man lives in a
graveyard, Edith, and he knows there is a
popular prejudice against such habitation
as his. He realizel that his rooms must
consequently bring low prices. l am not
afraid of graves or ghosts, and l mean to
profit by the unpopularity of his house."
'Are you quite sure you are not afraid of
ghostsP' she asked, with true feminine per-
sistency. "It is quite easy, in this cheerful
room and in house filled with living
people, to believe we are without super
stition. But will it be SO easy, Herbert,
in an almost deserted dwelling that is apart
from all other human habitations, and that
is surrounded by graves? There are dismal
stories told of that cemetery, and of the
spirits lowering about it. We don't believe
in them, and we laugh at them here. But
will they appear so ridiculous to you when
you are in that dreary place? May they not
occur to you unpleasantly when you are
alone some night, and have nothing to look
at but those melancholy graves?"
l laughed at her questions.
81 am quite certain that l will not be
troubled by any fears or imaginings,"
told her. 81 mean to spend my evenings
in work and study, and my nights in sleep.
have no time to think of death, or of any
thing else that is gloomy and unwelcome.
l shall think of life of the life I am going
to live with you-of the life that shall well
be worth the living.'
For a time she said no more about
"Death's Lodge" but noticed that she
was nervous, and wanted me to leave her at
an early hour. When asked her banter
ingly if she was already tired of my society,
she confessed that she dreaded having me
enter the cemetery after dark. There was
nothing heroic about my little girl. Nothing
less than miracle would have induced her
to enter the cemetery at night.
Occasionally she had entered it by day
light, and had been interested in one por-
ton of it that was owned by the Holland
ers in our town. When they buried child
there they laid his toys upon bis grave, and
it is supposed that he occasionally left his
melancholy resting place and came upon
earth and amused himself with these play
things that were placed like offerings before
shrine. One or two Of the Dutch settlers
had asserted positively that at midnight, on
moonlight nights, group of little Holland
ghosts veutured out of their graves and in
dulged in all sorts of pleasing pastimes
Ethel referred to this superstitious belief
rather shamfacedly.
Il don't suppose that you'll ever see
ghost Herbert" she said; ''but you may
imagine that you see one, and that will be
quite as bad. If you see white dog in the
distance, you may imagine that it is some
little Hollander sitting upon his grave and
playing at mum blety-peg.
She was smiling now, but could see that
her eyes looked troubled. / fancied that
| she wished l was safely at home.
II will take myself off," l said, "although
| can see no cause for haste. When you
want to frighten me away you must pro-
duce a ghost of my own size. for l don't
mean to be terrified by any number of little
| Hollanders nor their game of mumblety-
peg
took her in my arms then, and bade
her good night
"Don't find fault with my londgings."
told her. "Fhey are going to help us pro-
cure home, aud afterward we will be too
happy to think of anything that is unwhole-
some and uncannvH