Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-07-09
[From the Richmond Times. June Goth. :
MORE REAL GHOST STORIES.
FELIX'S SECOND ABLE ARTICLE
ABOUT SPOOKS.

FACE OF sAD-EYED HOODED NUN SEEN AT
HOUSE ON FIFTH STREET.-THE INvEsTI-
GATIoN-DEsERTED HOUSE sEARC6ED-A
DYING FRIENDS VOICE HEARD.
The contagion of ghost story lore is
rapidly spreading, fresh cases and new
symptoms of the uncanny mania are daily
developing; but so long as the sensation
produced is that of chills creeping down the
back, and an imaginary clutching of icy
fingers, it is not an unwelcome seizure, in
this time of SO degrees, Fahrenheit. The
truth is that a certain amount of ghost
stories circulated in the air, may in time
create the chilliness of atmosphere, that
may reduce the cost of ice and make re-
trigerating stock go down. We had but to
wait and the inevitable Richmond story
would break out, and the vision of a
haunted house in our own immediate To-
cality rise up.
Ghosts, ss meddlesome, prying and ILL
omened class, have no more rampant enemy
than the real estate agents, with, perhaps,
daylight excepted, SO for fear of sharing
the disfavor along with the ghost, for
subtle injury of property, of those who
have vacant houses on their hands, we
would refrain from too precise description
of the locality. But certes it was that some
five or six years ago that superstition was
broadcast throughout this Richmond land,
and excitement ran high over an alleged
ghost.
SAD EYED NUN.
Late upon a shadowy evening at that
time young man was walking out Fifth
street, when some uncertain distance be-
yond Leigh, where the horses are all grey
and tottering with unkept old age, he alb
sently turned his gaze upon vacant and
silent looking house. At an upper window
his astonished eyes discerned the solemn
face of a sad-eyed, hooded nun peering out.
He stopped and looked long and carefully,
but no closer scrutiny proved an error in
his sight or impression, unmoved and with
melancholy steadiness the solemn eyes OF
the nun looked down at him from out their
frame of black yelling, looked beseechingly
and lopgingly until he was conscious of no
| impulse but to release a prisoner, who
or accident, SO he bounded up the dust
Iadened, trackless steps, to try the front
door in vain. A yellow, rain-smealed card,
tackled upon the wall, told that it was
s.For Sale" the ragged, overgrown weeds
choked the side entrance to the yard, but
forcing that, he bravely tried to get in the
back way, but the locks, at least, were still
on duty and resisted his efforts. 1t was
growing late then, so he again walked
around and looked up at the window, to
see in the gathering darkness the same face
of the beseeching, saint-like nun at the
window.
SOUGHT THE AGENT.
1 lo IL.
prisoned, he sought the agent of the de-
| found ap incredulous listener, who assured
him that it was nonsense, that that was
| ssone of the most desirable houses in town,
nice and quiet, away from the hustle and
noise, yet convenient to business" Hav-
ing thundered out this formula of his busi-
ness, which is kept in readiness like a
ready-loaded cartridge to fire off at what
ever rises in the field, he thought the mat
ter ended. But the young man was i'm
Fortunate, and finally persuaded him to
get the keys of the house and to go with
him, and if he confessed to seeing the face
there they both would go in and make a
search.
CARRIED HIM IN.
Even by the stingy, pale light of the
moon and fitful lantern they carried, the
agent, too, could not help seeing that in
verify there was the face of nun pressed
close to the glass and looking out. They
entered bravely, with the heavy, forward
tread which marched over the carpetless
floor and rickety stairs and resounded in
all the empty space with some sound akin
to echo, but the heart of each futtered with
an unmanly nervousness that neither oi
them would have liked to confess. They,
however, came to the room from whose
window the face peered, confidently ex
pecting to there find miserable, frightened
woman for them to release and remove te
some more cheerful quarters. They en-
tered, and the ray of the lantern fell direct
ly upon the window they came to search
but it only fell upon vacant, cobwebbee
sill, and lit with a sickly, paid chine the
empty, glaring window-panes.
NOT EVEN A SHADOW.
Not SO much as a shadow did the lanterr
there reveal, but only the weird shine o
the dim, smoky-light on the glass. Their
seemed an insufferabe silence in the room
and something more dread than frigh
Seemed to male it impossible for either o
them to speak word. They moved abou
the room, but even their foot. treads had
smothered, distant, far-away sound, ant
while neither of them could discern tn
faintest trace of any object in the room
however, after they turned the lantern il
its corners and around its walls, there wa
strong feeling with each that there wa
something underlined, which moved aroun'
with them just sufficiently to disturb th
waves of air that came in contact with thei
bodies. They left the house withou
further search that night, both of then
more unstrung and over-wrought than the