The Sunday tatler and Jersey City express. (Jersey City, N.J.) 1883-1886, 1886-09-19
THE GROANlNG GHOST.


penses of education were heavy 1t was
necessary to retrench. My fathers place
of business lay in the heart of the city.
We had TO keep horses, if only to take
myself aud my father to and from the
city. Fhe most important articles 10 our
scheme of retrencbment were our horses
and carriages. For all these reasons we
resolved 10 move eastward to within easy
reach Of. our place of business. My brother
and myself we're commissioned to find
suitable house
We passed from house agent to house
agent; we, inserted advertisements; we
answered advertisements. Bat to no pur-
pose. nahe AutuRn evenings my brother
and I used to prowI about the streets and
squares, hoping to hit upon likely habi-
tatioA. We had given notice to quit our
own house. and matters were getting
pressing. 1t would be perfect catastro-
phe if so large 8. family as ours found
itself homeless. But late one Saturday
afternoon we were investigating quarter
10 which we had not hitherto penetrated,
and we Game ON thesvery. thing. A stimuli
taneous exclamation burst from both of
u.s. The house stood at the corner of
quiet, sober-looking, very old-fashioned
square. Being the corner house, it was
larger than the other houses We had
gained some experience by this time, and
we saw at glance that the place was
almost certain to suit us.
A Hill in one of the numerous windows
announced that the house was TO let
Apply next door" We applied. The
door WAS opened by tidy, gray-haired
elderly wOms-
Can we look over the house next door?"
said A rather queer. look crossed the
woman's face for moment, but she an
Certainly. sir. But it is rather dark
now
so 1t is, = said I. 1--WE may come in
daylight If the place is likely to suit us.
Can you tell US tie paFticulalss"
The woman eniintfAfed the rooms and
the various featnres Of the mansion. All
were most suitable. IL, al ,.,ss
and the Icaf?' { inr1ouired nervipg
my self for a Disappointment She named
so low figure that uttered an involun-
tary exclamation.
You see, we've had if an our hands for
some fine, she exp lained, and we would
offer easy terms Ia good teIiaut."
And when can we look OYER it2"
asked. Is it your own property21
No, sir. But We have the letting of 1t. /
Nv husband would show you over to-
morrow, sir. if you didn't mind. He is
always away all day, and until very late
at nfeht
ais he a house agentsT
mo. sif. He's employed behind the
scenes at one of the theatres. He is
master carpenter
We thanked her, made an appointment
for Sunday morning, and went home de-
lighted. As VIC turned out of the square.
said:
did you rotice how odd that woman
locked when / spoke TO her? What did
that look mean?"
Surprise said my brother, who was
an observant fellow.
u suppose she thought we were too
grea. swells for The neighborhood, said /.
laughing.
'sGadJ / like the looks Of The place.
Quiet, respectable and old fashioned
We announced our success. at ..oome. to- i
the grea! relief of everybody. Next morn i
ing We s-ept our appointment, and were
Scsceived by the landlord himself. He;
was staid, responsible-looking man of
scne sixty years, and we we're favorably
impressed with him. He took us over the
house, and answered our inquiries freely \
and fully. Everything was satisfactory.
was delighted. But my brother, who was
of CAUTIOUS temperament, KEEP. on ask
ing questions until got fairly angry.
First he got on TO the matter OF drains,
and when he had been reduced to silence
on this head, he was most pertinacious on
the subject of damp. At last he said:
"You don't ask very high rent. How's
that?"
why" SAID the landlord, deliberately,
and turning his cap In his hands, you see
this height orhood 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. 700 can see there's
nothing wreng about the place If it were
in the West End, you'd pay six OF seven
times the. rent .2Asa
His explanation appeared 10 be per-
fectly straightforward, and certainly the
house befR The closest scrutiny. Eventu-
ally we SSed the bargain.
Thee Hsxt day / was lunching at my
usual Dshouse along with two or three
acqnaiutspees.
sEtiIl d dase-huntiDg, Denton?" said one
pf1heSe.
thank Heaven II said. We've
Gotta house at last. In - square.
square is the -. What
4<na have you got :"
7 - s., a5,s I, ! said.
e New IFS head back and burst into
s d a. Df laughter. The other men laughed
IN looked from one 10 the other for
1 IN you'y done, said /, with dig
%ft D.
81 ), don't you know" said my
Recovering his gravity, mo. 40
Y 81 sA{e is haunted?"
Z ! 4 the other men looking at me, so |
u i<js u bold front.
q s II txfry one didn't know that,
SS 81 e OH ptsedly. He was somewhat
&. 8bark but returned TO the charge.
4fsfl S9lllU have plenty of company