St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-29
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dropped. But was extremely uncomfort-
able. In the course of the afternoon l
took my brother aside and told him.
''Phew' said he. That explains the
low rent. But it's rather curious. The
governor can't stand anything of the sort.
You know how nervous he is?'
Yes; l know" said. "And it strikes
me that the best thing we can do is to move
into the house ourselves. so that we can tell
him the story is myth. if any one lets it
out to him. Just you and l."
Right" said he. 1--WE have taken the
house, and we can't afford to lose the
money. Besides. it's such capital place. !"
Inc whole family was to move in about
three weeks time. We had no difficulty in
tndlng pretext for preceding them, and it
was arranged that some Of the bedroom
furniture should be Immediately sent in to
our new dOmicile. We were going to sci
most of our furniture in our West End
house, and the new furniture could be
bought Immediately and placed in No, As.
80, at about 10 o'clock one evening, after
substantial dinner in town, we let our
selves into our new abode by means of the
key, and took possession. A bright fire,
lit by our landlady, was blazing in the
Kitchen. we had a plentiful supply Of
WHISKY aud tobacco. and we made ourselves
comfortable with our slippers and lounging
coats, and prepared for night of it,
''UncommOnly comfortable" said my
brother, approvingly. Cad, the old lady
knows how to make frer
And what gratel And chimney as
big as a blast furnace. There is nothing
like one of these old-fashioned kitchens for
comfort"
Ensconced in our chimney corners, we
passed the time luxuriously enough. We
had made up our minds to sit up all night
and show the ghost what manner of men he
had to deal with.
"We'll take the ghost by the horns" said
my brother. II only hope we shan't have
to take the devil by his"
was not quite so cOmplacent. for in
herited something of my fathers nervous
temperament However l had company.
and there was Dutch courage in the whisky
bottle, so kept upa stout heart.
We were very cheerful and light-hearted
at first. We talked over various boyiSh
escapades; we criticised the characters of
our friends and relations; we got the tid-
gets; we found we could not smoke forever
without burning our mouths. Finally, the
fumes of whisky and the heat of the fire
had their inevitable effect, and we began to
dOze.
do not know how long 1 had bee n
asleep, but I suddenly awoke with a violent
start. A cold Shudder ran through me from
head to foot. had an indetinable sensa-
ton of something strange and terrible.
rose and stretched myself, and tried to feel
at my ease. But could not. l touched
my brother and he awOke.
"Ha lon' he said. Whats the matter?
Why. I've been asleep! What's the timer"
1.-TWO O'clock" SAID l.
''Just the time for ghost" said he, with
unseemly levity. do you know, Will.
don't think he'll come here? Ghosts are
uncomfortable things. and don't like good
fires. Got too much of them where they
are. l suppose. Let's go and look for him."
Anything for change" said l, although
the thought of perambulating that great,
lonely mansion in the dead of night was
anything but agreeable. Il am wide
awake"
$50 am l." said he: and taking up the
brass candlestick. he went towards the
door. | followed him close. We passed
along the passage, our stealthy footballs
making a faint sound on the uncarpeted
floor. We examined the rooms on the
ground floor. We heard and saw nothing.
We assembled the stairs. Every Individual
stair creaked horribly but that was all. No
ghost.
My brother suddenly opened the door of
bedroom on the first floor. Instantly a
gust of air blew the candle out. And as we
stood there in the icy cold, we distinctly
heard-a grOan.
1t was no fancy. 1t was a long drawn.
wailing moan of inexpressible horror and
pathos. 1t died away in despairing
cadence. 1t seemed like the sorrowful la
ment of a soul in torment.
AS we stood there graspng each others
hands. with our hearts throbbing in great
pulSations it came again. Oh, the horror
oft! 1t seemed to be in the room and
close to US. The cold was deathly, the
silence broken only by that weird and aW-
full moan. Once more it rose and fell
aud, somehow or other. the next moment
we found ourselves in the kitchen, with
shaking limbs and ashen faces. relighting
our eXtingushed candle. Then we looked
at each other.
THAT was no fancy, WILL" said my
brother.
"Fancy-no." replied. my teeth chat
tering in my head. "What are you going
to do?"
For my brother had reIit the candle and
was moving away.
Pm going to have another look, he
said.
But perhaps" I suggested. 'the-the
ghost eXtinguiShes the light
''I'll give him another chance" said my
brother coolly. Come along, you chatter
ing IDIOT"
was too shattered to resent this unf1at-
tering description, and with a quaking
heart followed his foolhardy footsteps.
This time he opened the door more eau
tiously, and we entered with every nerve
strung to it's utmost tension. Holding the
candle on high, we looked around. Pure
vacuity. And the sound came not again.
Poor old chap!' said my brother. He
can't stand the light. Shall L blow it out
again?"
IF you do" said l. "But joking apart.
who is going to sleep in this room? I'm
not, for one And this would naturally be
the governors ROOM"
NV brother was struck.
you're right" he said. "We must get
to the bottom of this. Well find out some
how. And now think we may go to bed
I'll just look round"
He examined the room carefully, but
there was nothing to be seen, neither was
there anything to be heard. SO we gave up
TIC uiiilg Aoi 'i4'' 'i'Sh' anu "ohc W oeu'
could not sleep wink. My nerves
were completely unstrung. After night
of tossing and fever, awoke unre1reshed
and nightly pleased to find myself in broad
daylight.
At lunch that day had to run the gaunt
let of my friends. And, l am bound to
say. lied like Ananias. AS the day drew
OH grew more and more uncomfortable
and fairly dreaded the ordeal of the en-
suing night.
As before, we dined in town. It was
fine night, and we took walk round the