Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-10
THE GROANING GHOST.

come nVe-anO-JnTJy years 6SOy
was q young man, my fathers business
experienced q sudden and severe CHECK
We were many in family and the ex-
penses of education were heavy. IL was
necessary to retrench. Ny fathers place
Of business lay in the heart OF the CITY
We had to keep horses, if only 10 take
myself and my father to and from the
city. The most important articles In our
scheme of retrenchment were u horses
and carriages. For all these reasons we
resolved to move eastward to within easy
each of our place of business. Ny
brother and myself were commissioned
to find a suitable house.
Time drew on and we were still unsuc-
Cessful.
We passed from house agent to house
agent; we inserted advertisements; we
answered advertisements. But to no pur-
pose. In the autumn evenings my brother
and l used to prowl about the streets
and squares, hoping to hit upon a hKeiy
h~abitation.. We had given notice TO quit
our own house, and matters were getting
pressing. 1t would be a perfect catas-
trophe if so large a family as ours touhd
itself homeless. But late on saturday
afternoon we were investigating a quar-
ter TO which we had not hitherto pene-
trated, and we came on the very thlng'
A simultaneous exclamation burst from
both OF us. The house stood at the cor
ner Of a quiet, sober-looking, very Old
fashioned square. Being the corner
house, it was larger than the other
houses. We had gained som ex-
perience by this time, and we saw
at q glance that the place was almost
certain to suit US.
A bill in one of the numerous windows
announced that the house was to let:
apply next door," We applied. Thu
door was opened by a tidy, gr~ay-halred
elderly
GCan we look over the house next door,"
1 said. A rather queer look crossed the
woman's face for a moment, but she an
swered civilly:
Certainly, sir. But it is rather dark
now"
$50 it is" said L ave may come in
daylight if the place Is likely to suit us.
Can you tell us the PARTICULARS" The
woman enumerated the rooms and the
various features of the mansion. All were
most suitable.
And the rent" / inquired, n~erving my
celt for a disappointment. She named SO
low a figure that l uttered an involuntary
exclamation.
@You see we've had it on our hands for
some time, she explained, "and we would
offer easy terms to a good tenant"
"And when can we look over itY' l
asked. ais it your W property
mo, sir. But we have the letting OF 1t.
| Ny husband would show you over to-
morrow, sir, if you didn't mind. He Is
always away all day and until very late
at night"
rs he u house agent"
No, sir. He's employed behind the
scenes at one of the theatres. He Is a
master carpenter" We thanked her,
made an appointment for Sunday morn
ing, and went home delighted. As we
turned out of the square, l said:
Did you notice now odd that woman
looked when l spoke to her? What did
that look mean
Surprise" said my brother, vino was
AN obSerYant fellow.
Il suppos she thought we were too
great swells for the neighborhOod," said l
laughing.
Cad. | like the look of the place.
Quiet, respectable and old-faSh ioned."
W Z dllLlOALNCN Jul SACCCoo ~ AAOlAO, ~
the great relief oi everybody. Next
morning we kept oar appointment and
were received by the landlord himself.
He was a staid, responsible looking man
of some 60 years, and we were taYOrably
impressed with him. He took us over
tae house, and answered u questions
freely and fully. Everything was salts
factory. l was delighted. But my
brother, who was of a cautious tempera-
ment, kept on asking questions until l got
fairly augry. First he got on to the mat
ter Of drains, and when he had been re,
duced to silence ON this head, he was
most ~pertinacious on the subject of damp.
At last he said:
You don't ask a very high rent. How's
thatg
Why" said the landlord deliberately
and turning his cap in his hands, you
see this neighborhCod is out Of fashion
now. 1t isn't what it once was. We've
had this house vacant for some time, and
we're anxious TO let it. You can see
there's nothing wrong about the place.
If 1t were in the West End, you'd pay six
or seven times the rent" His eXplana.
ton seemed perfectly straightforward,
and certainly the house bore the closest
scrutiny. Eventually we close the
bargain.
The next day l was lunching at my
usual chop house along with two or three
acquaintance.
Still L~ouse-hunting Denton?" said one
of these.
mo, thank heaven, / said. "We've got
a house at last. Iu-Square.'
"-SgUage." ecnCcd lie thCughtfully.
WHY, Square - the - Which
number nave you gut:'
Number H." | said. He threw his
head back AMI burst into a fit Of laughter.
The other men laughed too. | locked
from one Il the other for explanation.
when you've GUIe," said with
dignity.
Why, don't you kaow, said my friend,
recovering his gravity. "Numo"r II
Siuare, is hauutud:' ! SAW the Other
men looking Ut me, 81 | put Oh Il bold
front.
As il every one didn't know that" said
I coryCSedly. lie wGS soniv"ht taken
aOacS. but returned - TIE caarGr.
We'll, youli have p enty 81 yonJiay
thcr,," he said. we >:al have You ap-
re. ring in the city " Ia = fac ':eat Il
snUw-whiCe hair, acquired IN Il singh
night. Poor old boy
Don't you be afraid, ! ietorted There
are enough of us to :rEnteu auy ahos;.
We shall crowd him oa'.'
Il bet you n new mat you cont stop
there Il week" said he.
Done vita you" said l promptly. A
ottca as you like. Any one else want &c
bets"
Ne one volunteered, and the subject
dropped. But ! was extremely uncou-
foriable. In the course of the afternoon
| took my bro;he: aside and told him.
"PhewlD said he. That explaineS the
low rent But it's rather serious. The
governor can't stand anything Of the sort.
You know how nervous lie is"
Yes, l know" l 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 a myth, if any
one lets it out to him. Just you and l."
Right said he. ave have taken tn
house aud we can't afford To lose the
- D.rflo, if'a Srrh a ranilpl