, 1886-10-05

phenomenon. At last the hour began to
Dound AT the first stroke my brother
rose and took up the candle. / had pro
ydied myself with a second candle on my
own account. We examined the rooms on
the ground floor, without success. We
a-cended the stairs, and paused outside
the haunted chamber. The passages and
the stairs above us were thick with
shadow. My brother turned the handle
and the weird sound died away as we
entered.
In a moment it came again. 1t rose and
swelled and died sorrowfully away. 1t
was singularly human. Yet 1t was beyond
all description unearthly. No banshee
could wall in sadder or more thrilling
tones. We stood there like Dante and
Virgil; except hat the author of the an
ferno" and his guide did not wear carpet
slippers or carry brass candlesticks
Neither had they such extraordinarily
tough heads of hair as we had. l fe.t
mine going gray fast. And a COLI stream
OF terror trickled down my back. Ny
brother stood still and listened intently.
The ghost groaned again, and yet again.
In act he kept on groaning. 1t was
frightful. The wall began in a wnispe';
IL sweled to an acute pitch; it died away
In a note OF woe that thrilled ones heart.
1t was awful to stand there, waiting for
the sound TO come again. My matter-of-
fact brother spoke.
Hes In good voice tonight said he,
approvin ely. "A bit hoarse, but | don't
wonder at that. Still. l wish he try an
other key. He's been at this long enough.
and he might get him self tu~nel-husnl'
] quite expected some supernatural vi,i-
taJion to rebuke this ill Imed levity.
None came. My brother, having politely
waited until the gnost had finished. be-
gan again:
All these groans are exactly alike" he
said, considering. That's odd, isn't its"
Will, I'll tell you nat The ghosts up
the chimney" Once more tle sound
came. AS though to affirm his words. And
1t cer; ainly did appear to proceed from
the region of the fireplace.
STILL" resumed my brother. thought
fully, u ghost in a chimney is an uncom-
Portable sort of thing. VIII, we'd have
that chimney swept. Fancy a ghost
coming down with the soor. Well see
about 1t the first thing tomorrow"
This awful threat appeared too much
for our uneartnly visitor, for he gave
tongue no more that night. We went to
bed, and dreamed that the spirit OF a
chimney-sweep appeared to me and CON
fessed TO the murder of one of the little
boys, who were still empioyed In those
days in his probe ssion. However, / got
some sleep. l got none the previous
night.
We left the Office early in the afternoon.
We secured the services of an intelligent
sweep and a sharp little brighteyed boy.
The chimney was amply wide for the
youngster 10 climb, and up he went We
waited in suspense.
When he came down, he reported that
he had found nothing. We questioned
him eagerly, but he had seen no ghost or
anything belonging to one. We sent him
up again. This time he found out some
thing. This chimney communicated with
the one next door.
THAT will be the kitchen chimney next
door," said my brother. "We must ex-
plore that" Our l~andlady was consider
ably amazed when we presented ourselves
and asked to be allowed to explore. After
a little demur, however, she consented.
There was bnt a small fire in the CRATE,
and thisw was taken out.
~ don't make it up until IL O'Clock at
night she explained. Not until my
master comes home tired after his days
work Then we have our bit of supper
and drink our grog. and we like to see a
cheerful blaze. But in the day / don't
trouble about it." The boy went up
smartly and shortly re-appeared.
"Why, you've got a smoke-iack up there,
missis," said he.
Whats a smoke-jacki" said my brother
hastily. TIL sweep X aimed.
Its a h-apparatus for roasting meat,
fixed in the chimbley- 1t has little sails
like, just like a windmill, only they are
laid flat instead Of being upright. The hot
air comes up from the fire and blows
these sails round. Then there's a cog
wheel that communicates the motion to a
hy-wheel. A chain passes round the fly
wheel, coming down to the CRATE, and
turns the spit"
But where are the chainsY'
"Oh, they've been k of, I suppose.
1t Isn't used now"
81 didn't know it WAS there" said our
landlady.
Doesn't it make a nolses' asked my
brother, with a quick look at me.
w don't hear It," replied the landlady
indifferent.y.
"Will, " said my brother. "just run back
to the bedroom and listen. | believe
we've got it. am going to send the boy
aB ~ - nv thihS. hA Us hc 10
quested. When l got into the room, the
ghost was groaning in splendid form. He
was going far faster tnan | had ever
heard him before.
The mystery was solved.
During the day the current of hot air
was not strong enough to act on the
blades and set the revolving portion OF
the machine in motion. But when the
CRATE fire was made up ut night the force
was ample. The revolving portion OF
n jack is raised to a small extent from
the frame and bearing OF the privot on
which it revolves. Reduce the force OF
the current by letting the fire go out and
the blades of the jack descend. The revo-
buttons become gradually slower and
slower. The pivot bearing had no lubri-
sation, and consequently made the groan-
ing noise.
We kept our secret. We were the ad-
miration of every one who knew the
story of the house. And for a very sub
stantial reduction in the rent Of a very
comfortable house we ha to thank the
Groaning Ghost. -Belgravia.