The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1886-07-17

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under the impressions which forced
themselves upon me, l should have
turned Seth Dabney and his family
out before / moved in; but that could
not be done, as it had been a condi-
ton Of Capt. Ralph's will that Seth
and Hester should find home be-
meath the roof while they lived, un-
less they chose, of their own accord;
to depart. So the Dabneys were
permanent fixtures. But the man.
sion was large enough, and they had
their own living rooms and dormi-
tory in an attacked wing.
On our first night at Maplewood
we were kept up until very late. 1t
was almost midnight before our beds
had been set up, and while the SER
wants were at work in that depart
ment my wife Molly and myself
worked at arranging our library.
The clock had just struck twelve
when Peters wife-her name was
Lucy-looked in and informed us
that the chamber was arranged. was
hanging picture and wished to
finish it before / left it. Molly's
dressing-case was in a small tiring-
room upstairs and she said she
would run and get it while l hung
the picture. She took Il lighted
candle and went I had finised my
work to my satisfaction, and had
just folded up my stepladder, when
my wife came rushing in with her
candle extinguished, and as she
dropped her dressing-case upon the
floor l caught her in my arms. She
was pale and frightened, and looked
over her sooulder as though expect
ing that something had followed
her AS soon as she could speak l
heard her story.
She had gone to the tiring-room
and got her case, and as she reached
the head of the broad staircase on
her return she had seen, upon the
landing at her right, female figure,
robed in white, with blood upon its
ashen face, and with dabs of blood
upon its snowy drapery.
ooh, it was dreadful" said my
wife "The spectre waved its hands
in threatening manner, and said
to mein an awful whisper woman
there is a curse upon this house, and
upon all who follow in the footsteps
of Ralph Severnsp And then she
pointed to gaping woundupon her
forehead, and with a cry of terror I
fled down the stairs"
Surely this was not a pleasant
opening; but l urged it upon my
wife that she had not been harmed,
and furthermore that a respectable
ghost would appeared to me rather
than to her.
at was cowardly," l told her, "to
frighten a woman when there was a
strong man in the house, who was
aloneresponsible for the interruption
of strangers upon the solitude of her
ghostship." And l kissed her, and
E asked her if she would wait until
had seen the spectre. She said she
should not fear while was near her,
and Of her own thought she declar-
cd that if the goblins had not harm
ed Seth Dabney, Or any ofhis family
in all these months, they could not
possibly have cause to harm us who
were innocent of all thought of Of
fence.
1t was half an hour after mid.
night when we retired. The cham
Der which we had selected was the
pleasantest one in the mansion-a
large elsGT2re sS,T.2re room, with deep bay
window looking down upon thelake
The hangings were OF gicen velvet
, heavily fringed with gold, and 1RRe
! curtains, though slightly yellow from
time, were clean and of finest lace
| left small lamp burning upor
the dressing-table and, being very
tired, l fell asleep soon after touch
, ing the pillow
How long had slept cannot say
f but it could not have been an hour
when I was awakened by wife. who
was clinging to me in fright; and as
I l awoke l heard a low moaning
sound as ofsome one in deep distress
, and presently a whisper, as though
the speaker was close to my ear--G
whisper awful and distinct-anC
these were the words that were
spoken:
"a curse there is upon this house
and upon all who follow in the foot
steps of Ralph Severnsl-BEwAREl'
} The lamp had been distinguished
and while the foregoing words wert
being whispered the apartment wa,
| prevaded by ghostly light-a sui
+ phurous, deathly, waving glare-ant
d presently female figure appeareC