The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1886-04-17

ITStS AOhStS sA~ss AAtsN
caught the habits of their master and
had fallen or were staggering to their
fall. gates hanging by one hinge, plows
with broken handles and carts with
broken wheels, manure accumulated
about the barns instead of making the
crops look '.lush and Justly" The
barns themselves, ventilated by loss of
boards, in the shed Old Pauls wagon,
and tied to post his old horse, appar-
emily looking mournfully forward to
his future prospects in the hands of the
jockey who had bought him for ten dol
lars on speculation.
"Going, going at ten cents, / heard
in harsh. husky voice, ''all this lot of
pans, once the pride of Aunt Polly's
heart, bran new orJy twenty years ago,
going, going and gone to Patrick Nc
Fadden for ten cents"
Ten cents, then, was the public valu-
alton of what had occupied the thoughts
of Old Paul's wife. to the exclusion OF
all the tender memories of fifty years, as
she returned to her old home.
At length the house was all cleared
except one room.
This room Old Paul had kept locked
for twenty years, never permitting any
one to enter it but himself. A jury of
neighboring gossips had more than
once had the subject under advisement,
and had brought unanimous verdict
of strange and very mysterious.
As no one knew anything about it.
every one felt free to say just what her
busy fancy suggested. Some said it
was haunted, and one cadaverous old
maid, who had dried up in single bless
edness, threw out dark hints about a
peddler who had mysteriously disap-
peared. Some said lights had been
seen and strangely sweet music heard
there more than once at the dead OF
night.
The children caught the infection,
and, if possible, avoided passing Old
Paul's house in the night, but, if at any
time benighted, their fear would add
wings to their feet and eyes to their
imaginations, and ghost story was
sure to be the result, especially if Old
Paul's white horse was feeding near
the house. This room also seemed to
possess strange power over Old Paul
himself He seldom visited it, and al
ways left it greatly agitated and COM
monty in tears. and after such visits he
had been known to be sober for weeks
together.
This mystery, whatever it might be.
was now about to be cleared up. A
group of eager gossips had already
gathered about the door. which had to
be forced. as the key could not be found.
One of the shutters, which Old Paul
always kept closed, was opened to let
in the light of day, and with it all that
mystery vanished. Instead of a haunt
for the revels of spirits of darkness or
murder spots that ''would not out, we
saw only large square room, furnished
with an air of gentility and taste that
the dust of twenty years could not hide,
and in strange contrast with the rest
of the house.
The mystery had vanished, and with
it all that coarse hilarity. Even the
rollicking auctioneer stood mute, his
coarse features covered with a shade of
thoughtful sadness.
More than one lip quivered. and more
than one hard hand brushed away an
obtrusive tear, as this dusty old room
called up from its oblivious slumber
some touching memory of the past.
There was one old woman who, in
the midst of the hustle, had seemed
busy with her own thoughts, and more
than once her heart had seemed full as
some little article was sold. I had no
ticed her, and inquired who she was;
and they told me that her husband had
once been drunkard worse even than
Old Paul, but that he had suddenly re-
formed and became a respectable man;
that they had been miserably poor,
with large family, but after his
reformation became quite comfortable
livers, and all agreed that she was as
good woman as lived this side of
heaven.
As she entered the room her feelings
quite overcame her. The tears coursed
each other down the deep burrows on
her cheeks.
yes" at length she said, this is
Nelly's room, just as she left it. What
q sweet creature that was! She was
an angel to me in my poverty and
suffering. Hardly day passed with
out her bringing over some nice little
things for poor little Willy. who was
sick so long. But he is well now.
thank God, and they are both in heaven
together. And then she had such
kind way to give anything that it would
make brown crust taste good. It was
different times in this house when she
was in it. always hoped she would
be able to save poor Paul, for she could
do anything with him; but she saved
my poor husband, for he never drank a
drop after she talked to him-so like
an angel as she was just before she
died. He could never speak of her to
the day of his death without crying.
She wasn't quite eighteen when she
went away. always told him she
didn't belong in this world. but was
only here on visit. What time that