The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-06-08
The Hawthorne Farm Mys-
terry.
az IEREMIAH l.. M'CARTHY.

The truth, these lines would never
Nave been written, and the strange
story of which they form a part, would
b. locked fast in my heart just as it
has been locked for seventeen years,
aDd not exposed to the sneers and
soOfts OF a doubling world. Though,
Hhen l think the matter over, I come
20 the conclusion that the doubling
world is not to be blamed so much
alter all, for my story certainly does
seem mere like the offspring Of vivid
imagination than the plain, truthful
narrative that | declare it to be. Still
Is il annoying to feel that a state,
ment which you make in good faith,
and which you know to be the un,
vanished truth. not in any way
adorned with the trappinGs OF fancy,
will be received as the merest false
hood, and the maker OF it an inten-
SIOnal deceiver. 1t is not pleasant, |
repeat, to know this. and, therefore,
L have hesitated long about giving
my story to g. skeptiCal world. How
ever, | am now resolved to relate my
strange experience, be it believed or
not. / believe 1t to be my duty to do
DO. My story will prOveto the reader,
he il not OF a doubling disposition,
bow true is the saying that truth is
stranger than fiction, and it will show
what strange mysteries exist conceal
cd from our knowledge in this very
queer world OF ours.
Hanyone is qualified by experience
20 write about the qneer sights and
adventures OF this life, | think / am
shs person, for no man, | am sure,
has had a larger experience of both
than the writer of these lines. Like
many a man before me, who has set
out to seek his fortune, | have
Travelled extensively in my time,
and seen life in many phases
and aspects. have sought the tickle
jade, fortune, in Europe and Austria.
da, and IN far off Africa and Indis, as
we'll as in my native country. have
seen strange things, indeed, and met
with stranger adventures, while wrest.
ing fortune from mother earth IN the
gold mines of California and Austria.
la, among the rough molly adven.
lures OF the one, and the convicts and
bushrangers Of the other. l have
sought fortune in the diamond mines
81 Africa, and have seen queer things
Ehere, both among the miners, and
the weird savages of that benighted
region; and ] have met with adven-
sures in India-that paradise of muir
der and superstition-among the thugs
and other tanatical demons Of that
sccursed cline, which if related would
sause people to stamp me as a ro-
mancer-not to use a stronger term
81 the first water. But the strangest
experience OF my life was met with, mot
among the rough miners of California
and Australia, nor among the
SERGE savages white and black
Df the South African diamond
Eelds, nor yet the merciless
Phansigars OF the land Of the Hindoo.
n Was IN a plain. commonplace farm
@Ouse, in a dull prosaic New England
village, that the weird experience,
Which al truly say is the strangest
and most mysterious / have ever met
with in all my eyentiul life, and which
-EAAte JIG SupJSSb VI Ills sbOEgt YVES
encountered.
II happened this way. Seventeen
years ago, when ] vas q much young
q man than / am at present, I was
mgaged in farming in the little town
Ms in Massachusetts,. The farm
On which | had lived was not q desir.
able one in some respects. The build
ngs on il we're good enough, but the
hand was poor, being rocky and i'll.
adapted to agricultural purposes. l
aad rented 1t by an arrangement /
had made with the owner, but I did
not intend to settle on it permanent.
y And was looking aroundfor a more
suitable location. One day, / heard
81 = iarm which was offered at figure
which I considered very cheap. This
arm was situated in the town OF
& about ten miles from the
psace was living in. It
MAS called Hawthorne Farm, owing
% the profusion of hawthorne
BUSHES growing about It, and when /
examined It, in company with the
ngent who had charge of it, / vas very
much pleased with it. The farmhouse
Mnd the out-buildings connected with
8 we're In excellent condition, aud res
qHircd but little repairing, while the
hand surrounding them vas, as we'll
ns ! could Judge, greatly superior to
ehGt Of the farm / was occupying. I
HAS surprised at the price which I
ihought extremely cheap for such q
Raace, and without further talk on
w subject purchased the farm. pay
pg the price down. In the light Of
Subsequent occurrences. / can see now
vby the place was disposed Of so.
Nbeaply, but knew nothing about ii
Bhens and grasped eagerly at what /
considered q bargain. 1 brought my
wae to see iG and she vas as pleased
SIGH the farm as I was, and approved
AAo purchase. A day OF two after
w. moved into Hawthorne Farm.
Is was u warn day IN
June on which We moved, and
Me ail such work, especially IN tha
eouutryt il was q tsrcsome job, 1T
mas aiInoBt dark when the last OF our
khings Was conveyed into orr new
8on,icsle and We we're tired enough.
- sitter supper was eaten we retired
once 10 bed and were sound asleep
~ ; Few minutes. We arose early
morning much refreshed br our