The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-27

and life Strange 10 say, the broad
wooden steps were still there, but cover.
ed with debris OF bricks and earth, so that
animals could find shelter by walking up
this improvised inclined plane And 20
/ il continued 10 resist time and storms
| for almost two more generations
The haunted house" had so long
/ borne the reputation as the resort Of
[ ghosts, spectres, apparitions and the like,
/ that It became the wish of the COM
mnnity that some adventurous youth
or stnrder man would test the quail
lilies of these midnight visitors. The
place was avoided after the stars
were out by young and old No one
would venture near II after dark, and,
even from distance, the old ruin, as s.
stood, lifting up its tall, weird remains
against the horizon, was regarded with
superstitious awe by the entire commu-
nifty
At length a person was found who
gave il out that one OF the duties OF his
life should be 10 solve the mystery CON
nected with this traditional abode Of I'M
earthly things OF course there were
few educated or thoughtful people who
regarded the stories that had been handed
down from one generation 90 another
other than AZ the inventions Of the ignO-
rant and the superstitious. But these had
been repeated and enlarged upon for go
many years that any one who would
take the trouble 10 break the spell that
had fingered about the place, would 90
that extent make himself the hero OF the
hour Accordingly gentleman OF this
cty determined 10 do the public this ser
vice. He was one OF the last
men in the community who would
have been suspected of such an am
bitiOn He was remarkable for his re-
firing and modest demean0r was a cul.
tivated and accomplished gentleman. and
a learned lawyer He never said when
or how he meant 10 enter upon his inter.
esling adventure Ills friends were on
this account kept constantly Ia a stale of
expectation They knew he would not
fail 10 attempt what he had promised
Accordingly, one day he announced t0
two or three intimates, ladies, that he
had selected that very night % visit the
haunted house, because il was 90 be
very dark one. lie said nothing 10 hi-
male acQualntances because he appre
hended they would attempt sOme foolish
joke and SO destroy the object OF his
trip by dispelling the shadow features
of bis enterprise. About II O'Clock
that night, armed with q talON
candle, match or two, and an
agreeable book, he set out, wrapped up
in his warm cloth cloak. for the scene OF
action After laundering and stumbling
about the murky streets OF Manchester.
stirring up the dogs and people, he ar
rived az the old house and entered the
front opening easily by the old steps de.
scfbed above. IL was as dark ar Erebus
He was forced TO light match in order
TO find his way up the rickety and IN
certain stairw8ys They creaked and
groaned under his tread, but he
succeeded in reaching the third story
or attic. Il is always there that ghosts
prefer TO carry on their frOlics unless ihe
enchanted house be filled with old fur !
nimre This they delight 20 torture and /
twist until IL cracks and grOans with ap
parent pain. Here, however, was naughi I
but darkness and space, the damp bricks F.
and chilling air Our hero, having found F.
seat on the steps awaited In silence and t
darkness the approach of the grim com
pani0ns he expected 10 meet on .
this interesting occasion. he lis f
tened and looked in vain Nothing
disturbed the painful stiffness except .
that now and then was heard one of 4
those ineXpressible movements of decay
LfaI ffa f.Inpfrt.s 1 fs. d..
slow but certain process of disintegra
ton Just then something unseen seemed
10 float furiously by him. Was il the
whirr of bats wing, or was it the
vibrating piniOn OF some recOnnotering
spirit that had so stirred the air
He was certain he felt these or some
thing else, he knew not what There was
a painful sense OF something present,
but invisible II would have afforded
relief 10 light his candle, but as ghosts
prefer darkness, he feared lest they might
dit away Il was now getting late lie
heard the hour Of midnight toll ont from
the old Barracks bell in the tower on the
Capitol Square in Richmond Il had
rained the day before, and the decayed
hOor was still wet. Drops OF water went
down into the pool in the basement at in.
teryals with metallic tinkle like the tick
ing of big clock. Al last he grew imna-
tient He heard nothing more but what
has Just been described. and the beatings
Of his own heart. He determined To light
his candle and pass the hours between
o'clock and day-break reading The light,
dim and feeble as it was dissipated AN the
he had experienced. and he
begun 10 realize what foolish part he
was playing merely 60 satisfy his own
or the whims Of few
friends. He had been reading some
time when be heard IN the distance
the growing OF q cock, which reminded
that If the ghosts were now present
they would scent the morning ain and
retire 10 their tOmbs The thought had
crossed his brain when no was
startled by sound that feyerbemled
the ruin TWAS as IL giant
had suddenly delivered blow with some
ponderous instrument upon the lower
part of the building A pause, and
the sound was repeated with greater
effect causing the shaky timbers 20
tremble and yibrate Again and again
this was done. A sudden flaw OF wind
eKtinguished his candle. but be con
cluded not 20 relight IL, bur take the
chances OF discovering, ii possible. with
his unaided vision the shape and form 10
which the monster was about 10 appear
before him A long silence succeeded .
which was suddenly broken by the Ia
miiiar sound made BY morse when he
blows through his n0strils instead of
The feelings OF our adyenturer
may be better imagined than described
He al once lit his candle and by rs aid
cautiously descended the creaking stairs
When he bad almost reached the lower
floor, the startled animal, who had been
tho cause OF what had just occurred, was
seized With panic Of fright and rushed
out OF the house down the inclined plane
where the door once stood and made Oh
into the gloom lie had evidently mis-
taken our intruder for a ghost, while the
iatters mind had become suddenly en-
.ightened a. 10 the cause OF the noises he
had heard IL turned out that an old
horse had for some months been
allowed 10 go at large in the neighboring
fields, and that ii was his habit after
having gotten his meal of grass 10 seek
- al.