The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-09-08
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THE HAUNTED And THE HAUNTERS,
BY E. BULwER LYTTON.


A friend of mine, who is a man of let
tiers and a philosopher, said to me one day,
as if between Jest and earnest Clancy F!
since we last met 1 have discovered
haunted house in the midst of London"
REALLY haunted =? and by what
ghosts ?"
"Well, | can't answer these questions;
all [ know is this: Six weeks ago L and
nv wife were in search of furnished
apartment Passing quiet street, we saw
on the window of one of the houses bill,
Apartments Furnished" The situation
suited us; we entered the house, liked the
rooms, engaged them by the week, and left
them the third day. No power on earth
could have reconciled my wife to stay lon
ger; and l don't wonder at it"
"What did you see?'
4sExcuse me; | have no desire to be
ridiculed as superstitious dreamer, nor
ON the other hand, could l ask you to ac-
eept on my affirmation what you would
hold to be incredible, without the evidence
of your own senses. Let me only say this:
it was not so much what We saw or heard
lin which you might fairly suppose that
we were the dupes of our own excited
fancy, or the victims of imposture in others
that drove us away, as 1T was an undefina-
BILE terror which seized both of us whenever
we passed by the door of certain unfur-
nished room, in which We neither saw nor
heard anything and the strangest marvel
of all was, that for once in my life agreed
with my wife, silly woman though she be,
and allowed after the third night it was
impossible to stay fourth in that house.
Accordingly, on the fourth morning sum-
moned the woman who kept the house and
attended ON us, and told her that the
rooms did not quite suit us, and we would
not stay out our week. She said dryly,
Il know why; you have stayed longer than
ANY other lodger. Few ever stayed sec
ond night, none before you third. But
i takeit they have been very kind to you
'They-who?' I asked, affecting
smile
"'Why, they who haunt the house,
whoever they are; | don't mind them; l
remember them many years ago, when L
lived in this house not as servant; but /
know they will be the death of me some
day. don't care-Tam old and must
die soon anyhow; and then l shall be with
them, and in this house STILL The woman
spoke with so dreary calmness, that really
it was a sort of awe that prevented my
conversing with her further. | paid for
my week, and too happy were l and my
wife to get off so cheaply."
"You excite my curiosity said l;
s'nothing l should like better than to sleep
in haunted house. Pray give me the
address of the one which you left so igno-
miniously."
My friend gave me the address; and
when we parted walked straigh: toward
the house thus indicated.
1t is situated on the north side Of Ok
ford street, in dull but respectable thor
oughfare. found the house shut up, no
bill at the window, and no response to my
knock. As l was turning away, a beer
boy, collecting pewter pots at the neighbor-
ing areas, said 10 me, "Do you want any
one at that house, sir p
eyes, heard it was to be let"
''Let? Why, the woman who kept it is
dead; has been dead these three weeks;
and no one can be found to stay there,
though Mr.. J-offered ever so much.
He offered mother, who chars for him, Fl
week just to open and shut the windows,
and she would not.
AWould not and why?''
AThe house is haaafed, and the old We
man who kept it was found dead in bed
with her eyes wide open. They say the
Devil strangled her."
aPooh! You speak of Mr.. j. Is
he the owner of the house?"
eyes"
"Where does he live ?"
sIn C. Street, Mo-"
aWhat is he Pin any business p
aNo. sir; nothing particular; single
gentleman.
/ gave the pot boy the gratuity earned
by his liberal information, and proceeded
to Mr.. jim c. Street, which was
close by the street that boosted the haunted
house. was lucky enough TO find Mr..
J. at home; N elderly man with intel
ligent countenance and prepossessing man
ners.
communicated my name and my bus
mess frankly | said I heard the house
was considered to be haunted; that / had
n strong desire to examine house with SO
eouiyocal reputation; that | should be
greatly obliged if he would allow me to
hire ii, though only fora night Twas will
ing to pay for that privilege whatever he
miot. be inclined to ask. Sir said Mr..
With great courtesy, ''the house is