The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-06-14
APROFITABLE GHOST,

he withdrew all his mOney-some tort,
I thousand dollars-from the bank il
= which it was placed OF this money n,
trace could now be found and we CAM
to the conclusion that he had eithe
been robbed or had secreted the money
so carefully that it would be impossible
to find IT..
r We were not rich. Fathers healtf
was failing rapidly under the hard worl
he was obliged to do in order to support
his large family. So mother at last de.
cided to move down to the old house
and try farming.
When the decision was made known
we children hailed it with delight. Elk
cepting few picnic excursions, when
we made short trips outside the city
we had never been in the country, and
we looked forward to living there as the
greatest possible blessing.
One day in early spring we started on
the Journey to our new home, We ar
rived there just at nightfall tired and
sleepy, but happy,
l was up the next morning before the
rest, and started on tour of inspection.
l had noticed the night before that the
house was large square building, hav-
ing an entrance which led into a wide
hall.
As | stood in the hall facing the stairs
doors on my right opened into a sitting
room and dining room, while corre-
spending doors on my left opened into
the parlor and library Behind the
stairs one passed through a door into
the back hall the back stairs went up
at the end of this hall and a door open
ed into the garden at the other. Thro'
the hall one entered the kitchen and
shed beyond. On the second floor the
rooms were similarly arranged, while
the third floor was an enormous garret.
filled with broken furniture, chests and
old clothes. 1t was lighted by window
at each end, but the place was so large
that even on the brightest day of the
year soft gloom filled the room. While
| admired the whole house, nothing
gave me half the pleasure this old gar
ret did, l wandered about, opening the
chests and admiring the contents. AT
last reached heavy old chest clamped
with iron that stood near the front win
dow. / raised the lid and looked in. A
layer of thin paper was the first thing l
saw.
Lifting this l found white satin
| ultcb q luOt NClls i'iNNhs
yellowed with age. Before | had time
to examine them l heard my mother
call me and hurriedly closing the lid l
fastened down stairs.
After breakfast told my sister Helen
who was 1.-two years younger than
myself-of my discovery. AS soon as
my mother gave us permission we rush
ed to the garret.
Many things interested US but nothing
held half the fascination of the wedding
dress and veil put so carefully away in
the old chest.
Helen looked gravely at them, then at
me.
Do you suppose they belonged to our
grandmother, Janet?
l think they are two old for that,
answered.
Anyway, and her small head nodded,
| am sure there is a story wrapped up in
them.
Dear little Helen! everything held
some story for her Even the odor of a
rose would send her off into dream
land.
Perhaps father can tell US something
about it. said
As l spoke, father and mother came
up stairs. The lid of the chest was
thrown lack, and as they drew near
father spied the dress.
There, May. he said to mother, here
is the very dress l was just telling you
about.
told you there was a story, Janet,
cried Helen triumphantly, and dragging
father down into chair, she perched
upon his knee.
Now tell us all about it, she demanded
when she was comfortably seated,
Father laughed and did as he was bid
den.
The dress you see before you, he he
gan. was my grandmother's-cOn
quently your t-grandmother's-
wedding dress. When it was new this
house, which you find so quaint and old
fashioned, was also new, and wedding
present from loving father to an only
daughter.
My grandmother, have been told,
was very beautiful; the Ibelle of all the
country round,
However, our story has nothing to do
with her beauty or even with her wed
ding day, but with the anniversary OF
that day five years later
| III vi NhOAN
was large gathering of friends and
relatives and her husband insisted upon
her wearing her wedding dress. AT the
time they thought nothing of 1t, but
afterward they remembered that she
seemed unwilling to do so. She said
she felt presentiment that something
would happen if she wore it. Grand
father laughed at her fears and at last
persuaded her to put 1t on.
The afternoon and evening of the
eventful day passed pleasantly. Every
one was happy and. every face wore a
smile. Grandmother had forgotten her
fears and was the gayest of the gay.
The good nights were spoken, the last
guest had departed, and host and host
ess stood by the library fire talking
when the bronze knocker on the door
fell with a clang.
Oh, said grandmother, father has for
gotten his fur collar and has come back
after it.
Snatching it up from the back of a
chair, where il had hung unnoticed till
that moment, she ran to the door, threw
it open and stepped out upon the
porch.
No one was in sight, but as she step
ped down from the door bullet flew to
meet her, and with out sound she
fell upon the steps-shot through the
heart.
Her pretty dress was dabbled with
blood and one hand was wet with il
where she clutched at her dress as she
fell
No one knew why she was killed, but
as grandfather was a Wing he had many
enemies among the Tories, and it was
supposed that the bullet was intended
for him. In the sudden blaze of light
that streamed from the open door the
murderer probably did not notice, until
too late, that the wife and not the hus-
band answered the knock. They had
no police in those days, nothing but a
few constabies, and, although they did
their best, the murderer could not be
found,
Grandfather was a changed man from
that day. He left his two children, my
father and his sister. in care OF hi
brother, entered the army and waI
killed at the battle of Stony Point.
Father ceased speaking and gazeC
thoughtfully out of the window.
Helen, still watching him, waited pa
tiently. At last she spoke:
What is the rest of il it, father?
Father glanced at her in astonish
ment.
The rest of whatI he asked,
The rest of the story. I'm sure yol
haven't told it all.
, Then father looked mother.
In answer to his look she said
Neither of them is timid or supersti
II L l.. a