The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1888-01-12

rheumatic old clock on the kitchen-shelf,
sudden wind arose, and Sophy gently
touched her friends arm.
"Nannic," said she, "arc you awaken
eyes. Whyp
Do you hear the wind banging the
doors up stairs1"
"Hcar iti I should think l did.
Sophy we must go up stairs and shut
the garret window, or the whole house
will be blown to pieces"
Aud so, clad in blue flannel wrappers
and crochet slippers, thcy crept up
stairs, clinging nervously to each other,
especially after particularly energetic
blast had blown out the feeble fame
Of their candle.
"There's a moon, you know" said
Mamie, in slightly trcmulous voice.
ooh, ycsl" said sophy. ut isn't at
all worth while to so back after another
candle"
But the light that cleaned athwart
the dreary, gaunt floor, from the un-
curtaincd window-panes, revealed n
sight that made their flesh quake. A
tall, spectral figure stood beside the
shadowy outline of the spinning
wheel. For an instant the vivid
moonbeams, emerging from behind the
masses of black wind-clouds, threw
the apparition into strong relief, and
then all was darkness rs new rack
of clouds swept over the pallid moon.
Like flying birds the two women hur-
ricd down stairs, pale with terror,
never pausing until they reached the
kitchen, where some remains of the
evening fire yet smouldcred dimly.
"Sophy" cried Mrs. Parsons, in an
agony OF terror, ''what was thata"
'Tts ghost!" sobbed sophy. IA
ghost! Yes, I'm sure of it. I didn't tell
you before, Mamie, because I didn't
want to make you nervous; but I'm sure
the place is haunted! Such rafting of
Chains"
at isn't chains" faltered Mamie,
'it's only the window fastcnings that
have come loose, and rattle against the
side of the house. Rex says so."
"And such dreadful IN oanings through
the hall"
'It's the draught from the garret
windows"
"But how do you account for that"
cried Sophy, pointing upward with a
trembling finger.
And Mamie could only reply by hys-
terical tears and sobs.
''No wonder Rex bought the house so
cheap!' said she. ~ won't stay in it
another night, not if go out under the
apple trees to slcep!"
And she and Miss Wilkins sat up all
night, trembling at every gust of wind,
growing pale at the sound of little mice
scuilling behind the wainscoting.
"Tll never, never spend such night
again" said Mrs. Parsons, wriuging her
hands.
When Rex came homo he laughed
them to scorn.
"Such gooscs," said he jccringly.
"But VIC saw it ourselves, Rcxl' cried
Mamie.
"With our own cycsr added Sophy.
depend on it, Mr.. Parsons, there's
some dreadful secret connected with
that old spinnng-whccll Do get it out
of the house as fast as you can!"
"What nonsenser' said Rex.
But nevertheless he ran upstairs to
take, as he expressed it, "another look
at the thing"
Presently ho came down again, rath-
er flushed, and inclined to be angry.
"Why couldn't you have told MOI"
said he.
"Told you what7" questioned Nan
nc.
"That you brought that spinning
wheel down"
"Wc never touched it'll" shrieked
Sophy and Mamie, in chorus.
"Thcn, where is it?'
"Why, up in the garret, by the big
centre beam, isn't ita"
Rex stamped his foot in vcxation.
"Therc's nothing in the garret but
your grandmothcr's old set of china, that
the cxprcssman broke so badly, three
bags of hops, hanging from nails, and
an empty trunk" said he.
Sophy looked at Mamie. Mamie
broke into violent fit of shuddering.
"There's witchcraft in it," said She
II knew there was. Oh, Rex, take me
away from this horrible place! can't
breathe easily under this roof"
'Stuff p cried Rex.
Mamie began to cry.
"You-you said you loved me-" she
walled.
$50 / dow reasoned Rex. "But you
know, my darling, all this is SO utterly
unreasonable.
Nevertheless, Mamie persisted in her
unreasonableness to that degree that
Rex, with his hands thrust irately into
his pockets. and his hat balanced bellio-
erently on the back of his head, went
down to see Farmer Thaxter, who, after
parting with the homestead of his fore
fathers, had stolidly set up in the general
grocery, shoe, crockery and dry y-goods
line, about three miles down the road.
"Look here, Thaxter," said he, "this
is mean trick that you've served me. /"
esquire" said Thaxter, busting his
hands, after measuring out three pounds
of black tea for customer, 'Tm hanged