The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-08-03

other people live In II nor to let II 60 10 racl
and ruin, and would not live In It myself 4
there were not another roof In the wid'
world for me to shelter under. But there, 4
Ii all over and done with, and we will finf
something pleasanter to talk about"
It was about midsummer, to the best OF my
recollection, this little conversation tool
place, and not long afterward our house, Of
which we had only the half yearly tenancy
was sold over our heads-a circumstance
which would have concerned US very little
had not the new owner required 1t for hi
own occupation. Conceive my astonish
ment when, under these circumstances, Mr.
Van Deckermann offered me the long unin
habited Cedars! say advisedly offered me-
for the proposition was only submitted to my
wife after it had been talked over at consid'
cradle length between us.
The fact was, Mr. Van Deckermann frankly
admitted, the house during its years OF dis
use had acquired bad name, and though he
believed me to have no more belief In the ST.
pernatural than he had himself, he had no
wish to withhold from me the knowledge OF
what would, it must be confessed, from the
vulgar point Of view, constitute drawback
to the very substantial kindness he talked OF
comforting upon me.
"You are welcome to the house." he said,
"rent free, and l will have it done up for you
from top to bottom. 1t shall not cost you
penny piece so long as live, and when am
dead and gone you will be your own land
lord, but am not going to saddle you with
it under any false pretenses The people who
take care Of it say it is haunted. 1t is to their
interest to keep others out of it, and they
have contrived to live there themselves a
good many years in spite of it; but you may
take what they say for whatever you think
it is worth. I am not afraid of you, but
women are weak upon these points, and there
is your wife to consider"
was obliged to confess that my wife was
not in this respect superior to the rest OF her
sex. She might face burglar-she would
certainly not Willingly run the risk OF col
lision with ghost.
~ suspected as much," he said equally,
land that is why thought it better to in
troduce the subject in her absence. should
be sorry for her to stand in her own light and
in yours, if it can be helped, and the chances
are she would Now my own belief with re-
gard to the Cedars is that there has been
some sort of knavery carried on there for
years. and my object is to get at the bottom
of it and to do you good turn at the same
time We can't offer Mrs. Thurnell the house
with the ghost attached to it, with any req
sonable hope of her acceptance of it--so
much we may take for granted. The ques-
ton is, is it worth your while to try and
clear the coast of it before anything is said
to her about itl"
The proposition was an odd one, to say the
least of it, but the game seemed worth
the candle, and felt, moreover, how
poor a figure I should cut in the
old mans eyes were l to decline it.
What it was he wished me to do precisely, he
was either undecided himself or did not choose
to tell me, but consoled myself with the re-
Fiction that impostures of the sort he sus-
pected were, as rule, of the clumsiest, and,
to make long story short, I accepted the
Cedars on his own conditions. My wife, who
was told nothing to disquiet her, and who
therefore, was overcome by the
generosity which was being shown us, ac-
Mr. Van Deckermann over the
house and was charmed with it, with the
style in which he proposed doing it up, even
with the old furniture slowed away in the
atties, and which was to sapple4ffe.St
own, and it was finally arranged we were 10
take possession at Lady day.
1t was not, however, until close upon
Christmas week, which we were going to
spend, as usual, with my wife's father down
in Sussex, anything more was said of the
private understanding between my new land
lord and myself; had been trying to over
come Mary's scruples about remaining be-
hind with the children. after was compelled
TO return to the Office, and as there was an
nually the same little discussion between lis,
my unselfish little woman generally get
ting the better Of it, l was not sur
prised to find that our shrewd old
friend had reckoned upon this, and was
with suggestion in his own inter
EST. Mrs. Thurnell might, he said, make her.
self quite happy about me and do him ia
vor at the same time by allowing me to he
,ome his guest for the few evenings lshould
have to spend by myself. The
onger change could not but be beneficial to
1er and to the children, and why should she
lot have it, Besides, it was necessary for the
carrying out of what he called our innocent
conspiracy against her that some such ar
should be made. To Mary it
'eemed only further proof of his kindness
md consideration, and the invitation, tine
'urious circumstances of which were known
'nly to him and to me, was accepted accord
ngly. It was not, however, until had dined
or the first time, tete-a-tete, with Mr. Van
l was made aware Of what was
expected of me, and shall confess that the
did detract somewhat from my
Enjoyment Of the best glass of Madeira had
'yer been privileged to taste2
The proposition my host had to make to
ne was simply this: In all respects but one l
vas to be, as my wife had been led tosup-
'ose. his guest in his own house; that Is to
ny, l was to breakfast with him before |
went cityward in the morning, and |
o return to Woodlands to dine and spend |
he evening, but my sleeping quarters were
o be at the Cedarsl l should thus be in a |
POSITION to satisfy myself as to the fitness of |
he house for the accommodation of my fam
ly, and the absurdity of the reports which |
lad been circulated respecting it. We both
new the folly and credulity in which such
tories originated, but we knew too the ras-
atty which not unfrequently took advan-e
age of such weakness to answer it's own pun
'ose, and it would be well to ascertain that
here had been no such agency at work in
he present instance, or if there had, to dis
over it.
81 do not say that have reason to distrust
ither old Minchin or his wife," added Mr.