The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-01-20
HOW CAME IT THERE.

NOW 1OrE MALL
HOW CAME IT There.
BY MARGERY DEANE.
But one thing marred the home
Kate and l made for ourselves IN
Belleville, just after we were married,
and that one thing married it very lit
tie in the first years. 1t was tritle-
merely that the next house was
reputed haunted, and being empty
presented rather q desolate appear.
ance. Neither Kate or I took much
stock in the villagetales ofghosts who
dwelt there; yet we often wished for
neighbours and would have been glad
for somo life at the blinded windows.
The two houses stood a little back
from the village street in pleasant
grounds. and were not a hundred feet
apart. The haunted house was large
and handsome. The place was IN the
care OF a trusty gardener, who kept
the keys, entering at intervals the
rear door to see that the elements
we're kept out. He cared for the
grounds and cultivated for himself
the large garden behind it.
Kate had more than once coniided
to me that the place gave her the
creeps," and Ihad comforted her by
the assurance that since the house
showed no decay and the grounds
were well kept up no neighbors were
vastly better than bad ones.
The house had been vacated many
years before we came to Belleville.
The story ran that stranger bought
it of its builder for q summer residence.
Except that this stranger ''looked like
a lord" and was very austerein man.
ner, nobody could describe him, for
nobody could have the courage to up.
proach him. His young vile was a
very beautiful Polish woman, who
spoke not a word of English. The two
usually talked in French. and as they
walked down the village street, con-
versed SO earnestly together as to
seem unconscious of any one whom
they met or passed. Often there were
tears in the great, black eyes OF the
lovely Pole. and frequently she had
been seen to burst into a fit OF weep
ing while sitting on her veranda and
to 60 quickly into the house, her hand.
kerchief pressed against her face.
] can well understand the effect OF
this mysterious sorrow upon certain
people in the village. whose neighbours
Joys and woes are to them even great.
er than their own. Unfortunately for
Belleville gossips, neither the man SER
want nor the maid servant who came
with this couple could speak word
OF English, This indeed was cruel.
It was said by a workingman who
made some repairs to the furniture
which had been brought in huge,
foreign-looking cases, that such fur.
nishing had never been seen i'll Belle.
vile; that there were rooms whose
walls were hung with silk damask with
huge flowers wrought upon it, and
that the bed hangings were of the same
rich stuff. The iuriture new, all for.
eign and carved. While people yet
wondered about the interior, it was
suddenly stripped of all its adorn-
ment, and the big cases went of. The
gentleman and servants left town at
midnight, but it has been asserted
that the beautiful Polish lady never
was known to go away. She certain.
ly was not left in the house, for hall
the villagers trooped through it to
satisfy their curiosity, and then it
was shut up and thegardener kept the
keys.
How the story started that the
house was haunted do not know.
Possibly had l known all this, /
might have hesitated u little before
buying our home, for Kate is bit
nervous, and being a physician l had
to leave her often at night. Thought.
less persons told her tales of the
haunted house, only one of which l
recall, and that said that the Polish
lady had been seen ut night to pass
in and out OF the locked, closed door,
it Offering no resistance to her.
It was late one night when our door.
bell rang and answered it myself. A
strange gentleman-Ik knew every ma,
by sight in the villase-asked me to
come and see q very sick lady. I beg.
ged him to enter and sit down, while ]
made preparations to accompany
him, during which / Asked
"Where is the patient?"
"She is in the next house." he re-
piled.
"Surely, not in the next house."
answered. '"That is empty. No one
lives there!"
"She is in the next house, SIR"
81 beg your pardon. did not know
that anyone had moved in"
Kate, overhearing US, entered the
room and remarked little excitedly.
"There iscertainly no one next door.
The house is wholly unfinished"
"Look!" said the stranger, drawing
aside the curtain. and pointing to the
second story, where III the middle oil
the house were two brilliantly lighted
windows.
Kate was pale. 1t did not seem
possible that even q footstep on the
gravel path could be have fallen un.
needed by her; that even lamp could
have been conveyed into the house
and she not know iJ.
The stranger was tall, fne.looking
and gave the impression OF tremen
dous reserve force. His manner was
genial and exceedingly courteous; but
he spoke as ono accustomed to com
mand, and with few words. Telling
Kate that it was undoubtedly the
owner of the place just arrived, and
that ] must obey q professional call
left her with her little womanly fears
and all her womanly curiosity Great.
ing quite turmoil within her.
We passed out of my gate and into
that OF the next enclosure. Thestr
ger led the way up the steps and easily
opened the door. Re had the name,
of a man entering his own house. The
hall and all the lower rooms were
empty and desolate. A light stream.
ed from door of the upper room
flooding the staircase, up which / fol.
lowed my guide, who, without q word
led me into the lighted apartment. 1t
was midwinter and the lower part