St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-11-29
THE GROANING GHOST.
BY ARTHUR READY.

LOnOOn Belgravla.
Some five-and-thirty years ago, when L
was a young man, my fathers business
experienced sudden and severe check.
We were living at the time in an expensive
quarter of the West End. Our establish
ment was large, and we entertained
literally. We were 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. The means of communica-
ton in the metropolis were not 50 complete
as they are at the present day. Now, the
omnibus service and the underground rail-
way put man down almost in his office
arm chair. But when we lived in the West
End we had to keep horses, if only to take
myself and my father to and from the city.
The most important articles in our scheme
of retrenchment 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 my
self were commissioned to find suitable
house.
We found the greatest difficulty In suit
ing ourselves. We were thirteen in family,
and we all had to be at home. The chill
dren were to be taken from school. and the
elder girls were to teach them. Conse-
uuently, we required a large number OF
bed rooms, and house OF the description
we wanted was hard to find.
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
purpose. In the autumn evenings my
brother and l used to prowl about the
streets and squares hoping to hit upon a
likely habitatiOn We had given notice to
Quit our own house. and matters were get
ting pressing 1t would be perfect cat
astrophe if so large family as ours found
itself homeless.
The days began to grow short; the au-
tumn was unusually cold and bleak: and
our evening walks became anything but
pleasant. But late one Saturday afternoon
we were investigating quartz: to which
we had not hitherto penetrated. and we
came on the very thing.
A simultaneous exclamation burst from
both of us. The house ste I'd at the corner
of quiet. sober-looking, very Od-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 bill i'll one of the numerous windows
announced that the house was to let: ''Ap-
ply next door," We applied.
The door was opened by tidy, gray
haired elderly woman.
Can We look over the house next door?"
I said.
A rather queer look crossed the woman's
face for moment, but she answered
ciyilly:
"Certa inly, sir. But it is rather dark,
now"
so it is" said l. 1--WE may come in
daylight if the place is likely to suit u.s. Can
you tell us the particulars"
The woman enumerated the rooms and
the various features OF the mansion. All
were most suitable.
land the rent?" inquired, nerving my
self for disappointment.
She named so low figure that / uttered
an involuntary eXclamai on.
"YOu see, we've had it on our hands for
some time" she explained. land we would
offer easy terms to good tenant"
And when can we look over it?" l
asked. is it your own property?"
No, sir. But we have the letting of it.
My husband would show you over. to-mOr
row. if you didn't mind. He is always
away all day. and until very late at
night"
lis he a house agent?"
mo, sir. He's employed behind the
scenes at one of the theaterS. He is mas
ter carpenter"
We thanked her, made an appointment
for Sunday morning. and went home de-
lighted. AS we turned out of the square, l
said:
Ibid you notice how odd that woman
looked when l spoke to her? What did
that look mean?"
Surprise" said my brother. who was an
observant fellow.
Il suppose she thought we were too
great swells for the neighborhood. said l,
laughing. ''Gad! l like the look of the
place. Quiet. respectable. and old-fash-
ioned."
We announced our success at home. to
the great relief of everybody. Next
morning we kept our appointment, aud
were received by the landlord himself.
He was staid, espOnsible-lOOking man.
of some 90 years, and we were favorably
impressed with him. He took us over the
house and answered our inquiries freely and
fully. Everything was satisfactory. l was
delighted. But my brother. who was of a
cautious temperament. kept on asking
questions until l became fairly angry.
First he got on to the matter of drains and
when he had bee reduced to silence Oh
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 hand, you see.
this neighborh0od is out of fashion now
1t isn't what it once was. We've had this
house vacant for some time and we're anx-
ous to let it. You can see there's nothing
wrong about the place. If it were in the
West End you'd pay six or seven times the
rent"
Hisexplanation seemed perfectly straight
forward. and certainly the house bore the
closest scrutiny. Eventually, we closed the
bargain.
The next day was lunching at my usual
chop house, along with two or three &C
quaintances.
..StiIl house hunting, Denton?" said one
of these.
mo. thank heaven" said. "We've got
a house at last. In - square,"
- square," echoed he, thoughtfully.
"Why, - square is the Which number
have you got?"
mo. 45." said.
He threw back his head and burst into
fit of laughter. The other men laughed. too.
looked from one to the other for an expla-
nation.
when you've done," said I. with dig
nifty.
why, don't you know" said my friend,
his gravity. mo. As - square
is haunted"
l saw the other men looking at me, so I
put on bold front
las if everyone didn't know that" said
l, composedly.
He was somewhat taken aback, but re-