The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-21

various other noises"
"Well, it's funny
eyes"
1t may seem strange to you that l al
once decided that l had located Kelly
again. 1t was quite probable that he had
known of the haunted house for years,
as its fame was widespread, and the fact
of a new ghost showing up just at this
time made me suspicious. That night al
10 o'clock, accompanied by local de-
tectivc, | visited the place. 1t was a
rambling big farmhouse. situated twenty
rods from the highway, and the ground
around was grown up to weeds ard
bushes. All the windows were broken,
and some of the doors stood open, and o
more gloomy place | never saw. We
entered by rear door and found the
floors rotting away and the plastering
crumbling off. We pushed on to the
sitting room, where the young men had
stationed themselves the night before,
and here found some blocks of wood to
sit down On. There was a doorway
leading into the front hall, but the door
was gone. There was doorway to the
parlor, and the door was partly open.
As we looked into the parlor I swung the
door to and fro, and knew from the
movement that the hinges had been
freshly oiled.
When we came to inspect the cellar
we found little but cobwebs and dust.
Each cf us had lantern, and each in
spectcd for himself. At one corner of
the cellar found an old oyster can IN a
queer position. 1t seemed to be stick
ing to the floor above, but after close
examination, without, however, touch
ing it with my hands, I made up my
mind tha' 1t was held up there by a
cord. said nothing to my companion
about this, nor about another discovery
made in the front hall. At one spot,
where the plaster was off from base to
ceiling, caught sight of wire behind
the laths. This led up and down, and
the lower end was probably attached to
some object. We did not go up stairs.
The front stairs had never been finished,
and the back ones were so dilapidated
that we hesitated to trust them with our
weight. By II o'clock we had taken
our seats in the sitting-room, eyes and
ears alert, and ready for an emergency.
There was no lock or catch on the door
opening into the parlor, but 1t was shut.
The two windows looking out of the
room had been boarded up. We placed
our lanterns in q corner, and as we
watched and waited the room was in
mi-darkncss, and the house as still as
death.
It must have been near midnight when
the performance opened. We suddenly
caught the faint notes of music, and the
sounds lasted for two or three minutes.
| was satisfied that the sounds came
from jewsharp. My companion whisp-
pered that two female voices were sing
ing, while guitar played an accompani-
ment. The music had scarcely died
away when the parlor door opened as
noiselessly as the swing of coffin lid. l
was perfectly satisfied that it was the
work of human hands, but was startled.
l had not told the detective that ex-
pected to find Kelly in the house. had
simply said that expected to make an
important discovery. When the door
swung open the man started up in alarm
and whispered:
"Great heavens! Let US be gone2"
put my hand on his arm and waited
for the next move. In about a minute
we heard a tunk! funk! funk. on the
cellar stairs. l knew that the sound was
made by the oyster can being lowered
few inches from the floor and drawn
up again by the string, but my compan-
ion rose to his feet, wheeled half around
and whispered:
"Look out for yourself! The cursed
thing is coming up out of the cellar"
"Keep still-listen l replied, and
when the can had 'stunked" cne for each
step The sound ceased. Then the parlor
door slowly and silently swung to. AS |
have tod you, I was dead sure that all
these things were caused by human
agency, and yet I felt creeping of my
flesh, and my forehead was damp with
perspiration. The detective with me
was as brave a man as ever took up a
trail, but such was the effect upon him
that his face was as white as snow, his
teeth chattcred, and he clutched me and
pleadingly exclaimed:
IF we stay here another minute we
are both dead men"
I sat down and drew him down beside
me, and as 1 did so the parlor door
opened again, and from the front hall
came groans and signs and dull sounds
of struggle. l knew that the wire l
had seen was being worked behind the
laths, but my companion could stand no
more. He seized both lanterns and
started out, aud l had to 60 along or be
left in the dark. When clear of the house
he made a run for the highway, and l
found him on the further side of it when
came up.
What's the matter2" I asked.
"Good God, man, but my nerves are
all gone" he gaspcd. 81 wouldn't stop
in that house another five minutes for all
the money in the State"
/ was satisfied that all the noises had
been made by human agency. Some one
had taken possession of the house, and l
had feeling that it was Kelly. It was
just in line with his other sharp tricks.
did not tell my companion what l sus-
pectcd nor what intended to do, but l
had all my plans laid before morning.
The old house was two and half stories,
and whoever was hiding there was likely
to be in the garret. 1t was also likely
that this garrct was reached from the
second story by ladder. If the person
was Kelly or any other sharp fellow, the
ladder would be drawn up, or any one
showing his head above the scuttle would
receive rap. If | got a squad of men
and surrounded the house the occupant
might get off by some unknown way, or
find hiding place unknown to us. If