The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1888-06-08

LuGS HdQ OCGuEEGu SOOu hlISE SuuuO"l
but this time thev did not occur till
late. Taking a loaded pistol with ME,
| went upstairs, resolved to find
the cause of the mysterious sounds,
leaving my wife and the children be-
low, where the bright light OF a lamp
served to keep up their courage. !
took no light with me, thinking that
could solve the mystery just as well, il
not better in the dark. 1t was seven
o'clock when | took my position in
the room overhead OF the parlor,
where | noticed the sounds always
came from. | sat in the dark for two
hours, waiting to hear the strange
noise. 1t did not occur very soon,
and l thought it would not come at
all, but just as the clock below in the
kitchen was striking nine it suddenly
broke out. 1t sounded quite near me-,
though | could not make out from
what direction OF the room
portunity to hear it. 1t was a low,
moaning sound, lnexpressibly mourn
full to listen to. 1t seemed to be a
woman who was in deep griei, and she
appeared to be grieving and moaning
about something. ] strained my eyes
through the darkness, with my weapon
ready to shoot any object which pre-.
sented itself, but as before l could see
nothing. | telt my hands carefully
along the walls OF the room, but no
door or opening OF any kind reward
ed my patient search. AS before l
was completely puzzled by the queer
sounds, which had now ceased as
abruptly as they had began. Before
l could pursue my investigation
further, piercing creams from down
stairs caused me to hurriediy run
below, where | found that the bump
ing noise had commenced on the Gel
lar-stairs, Bump-bump, 1t went
down to the foot of the stair case,
where, as before it finished with the
sound Of a heavy blow followed by a
smothered scream, and it frightened
the children so that they screamed
with terror, while my wife was so
worked up that she tainted dead
away.
There was now no further use in
closing our eyes to the plain truth.
Hawthorne Farm was haunted. The
AoSb "aS PA1AnlS dpLh1LChC' "1HG
caused the strange noises if not dis.
embodied spirits? Next day l remov-
ed my family to a cottage some dis
tanCe from the haunted farmhouse
which | hired for their temporary re.
ception. then went back to Haw.
thorne Farm, determined to give thu
place a final examination before !
left it forever. l searched every room
from the garnet to the bottom thor.
oughly, but daylight revealed no
more to unravel the mystery than
lamplight. The farmhouse was a two
story building with two rooms Of
each floor, including Two garrets,
front and back. The garrets were
dreary places, with sloping ceiling,
partly lit by a scuttle overhead. l ex
plored them thoroughly, but they con
tanned nothing but dust and cobwebs.
/ then examined the other rooms,
especially the one where the crying
sounds occurred, but no discovery re-
warded my quest. Ispent hall a day
exploring the rooms but TO no pur-
pose. Nothing could be found to
throw any light on the mystery. /
then descended to the cellar and ex-
amined 1t tor several hours. / found
nothing peculiar about the cellar. 1t
was like the cellars in most farm
houses, ex~cellently built. The walls
which composed the foundation of
the house were OF strong masonry,
closely cemented together so that not
even d mouse could squeeze through.
The floor was composed OF stout
planking, and two or three small
windows in the walls admitted a
meagre light into the cellar through
their dusty and cobwebby panes.
The cellar contained nothing but a few
old boxes and earthenware jars.
Thinking that the explanation OF the
strange affair could be found buried
at the foot OF the cellar. stairs, | had
the ground dug up TO the depth Of
several feet, but nothing was found.
was dumbiounded; it was the most
puzzling affair I had ever encountered.
| kept tile matter as quiet as possible,
but it gradually leaked out, as such
things will, and crowds ofcurious peo.
pie came from the surrounding coun.
try to gaze at the haunted farm and
CLEAN what information they could in
regard to it. questioned the neigh.
bors about the matter, but none of
them knew anything about the farm,
as they did not live very near it. All
] could learn was that the last family
occupying it had moved away some
months ago, since which time it had
remained vacant until l had taken it.
Nobody could see why it should be-
come the scene Of supernatural mani-
festations, as there vas no record of
any terrible occurrence happening
there. Nevertheless, Hawthorne
Farm was haunted if ever a place
was, and ] had heen shamefully swim
died BY a rascally real estate agent.
The latter must have known the stig-
ma on the farm, when he disposed Of
the ;arm to me at such a cheap figure.
/ tried to hunt him up, but he had
left for rarts unknown. The farm
was D q white elephant on my
hands, for Icould not occupy it my
sell, and I could not dispose OF il to
anybody, knowing the strange mys-
terry connected with it. But while 1
was debating what to do with the
place, the matter was settled for me
In a manner unite unexnecked. Al