Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1886-09-08
THE GROANING GHOST.

check. We we're many in family, and
the expenses 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 and my
father 10 and from the city. The most
important articles In our scheme of re-
trenchment were our horses and car
riages. For all these reasons we
resolved to move eastward to within
easy reach of our place of business.
My brother and myself we're commits
stoned to find suitable house.
After long search we selected a
house that stood at the corner of a
:qu;et, sober-looking, very old-fashion-
ed square. Being the corner house it
was larger than the other houses, and
appeared just suited to the wants of
our family.
The next day was luncning at my
usual chop-house along with two or
three acquaintance. !
Still house-hunting, Denion?' said
one of these.
mo, thank heaven said. "We've
got a house at last. In-square.
''-*q'are, echoed he. thought
fully. "Why-square is tho.
Which number have you go:?'
mo. 49, I said. He threw his
head back and burst into fit Of laugh
ter. The other men laughed, too. l
looked from one to another for ex-
PLANTATION.
when you've done,'' said I with
| dignity.
''Why. don't you know" said my
friend, recovering his gravity, mo.
45-squarc is haunted?' saw the
other men looking at me, so l put on
Il bold front.
AS if every one didn't know that,"
said composedly. lie wa. somewhat
taken aback, but returned to the
charge.
We'll, you'll have plenty of COM
pany therc,' he said. We shall have
you appearing in tho city with a fine
mead OF snow-white hair. acquired in a
single night, Poor old boy!'
don't you be afraid" I retorted.
| "Ihere are enough OF us to brighten
| any ghost. We shall crowd him out"
Il bet you a new hat you don't stop
| there week." said he.
"Done with you,' said pro mptly.
las often Of e4 as you like. Anyone else
No one volunteered and the subject
dropped. But I was extremely M
comfortable. In the course of the
afternoon took my brother aside and
told him.
''Phew!' SAID he. '.That explains
the low rent. But its serious. The
governor cant stand anything of I, y
sort. You know how nervous he js.'*
Yes, ] know" I said. And it
strikes me that the best thing we can
do is to move into the house ourselves,
so we can tell him the story is a myth
and L.
''Right," said he. 1--WE have taken
the house and we can't afford to lose
the money. Besides, it, such capital
place.
The whole family were to move in
about three weeks time We had no
difficulty in finding pretext for pre-
ceding them, and it was arranged that
some of the bedroom furniture should
be Immediately sent in to our new
domicile. We were going to sell most
of our furniture in our West End house,
and the new furniture could be bought
Immediately, and placed in number 45
So at about 10 o'clock one evening,
after substantial dinner in town. we
let ourselves into our new abode by
means of tho key, and took possession.
a bright tire, lit by our landlady, was
blazing in the kitchen. We had a
plentiful supply of whiskey and to-
oacco, and we made ourselves CON-
Portable with our slippers and lounging
coats. and prepared for a night Of it.
''Uncommonly comfortable said my
brother, approvingly. ''Glad, the old
lady knows how to make a tire!'
''And what a CRATE! And chimney
as big as 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 uf
men he had to deal with.
well take the ghost by the horns."
said my brother. Il only hope we
shan't have to take the devil by his
was not quite so complacent, for I in
herited something of my fathers ner.
Gus temperament. However, T had |
company, and there was Dutch cour-
age in the whiskey bottle. So kept up
a stout heart. We were very cheerful |
and light 10 "rted st FIRST. We talked
over various boyish escapa.les; we crit
icised the characters of our friends and
relations; we got the tdgets; We found
that We )uld not smoke forever with
out burning our mouths Einally the
fumes of the whiskey and the heat of
the fire hal their Inevitable effect and
we began to ,ltze. I do not know how
lony / had been asleed, but suddenly
awoke with 9 violent start A cold
shudder ran through me from head 10
foot. Ihad an indefnable sensation of
something strange ami terrible. lrose
anl stretched myself and tried to feel
at my ease: Blu: could not. touch
eli nj, brother AMI he awoke.
"llellr!' he said. whats the
M alter? Whv. I've been asleep!
What the tiMea'
Two o'clock" sail 7. So
Just the time for u ghost" said he
with un<eemly levity. do you know,
Will, l don't think he'll come hore.
Ghosts are uncomfortable things and
dom like good fires. Get too much of
them where they are, l suppose. Let's
50 aud look for him.
''Anything for change said 1, al
though the thought of perambulating
hat great lonely msnsion in the dead
# the night was anything but agree
able. II am wide awake
k.C Al |