Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-12-06
ANNAPOLIS, MD, SATURDAY EVENING. DECEMBER s, 1890
THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

IN the 1afi uI 1900 L WAS liNfnE IN
Philadelphia, occupying bachelors
quarters, but congratulatirfg myself
upon the fact that my boarding-house
existence would soon be changed into
living in a home. The partner Of my
joys, who was to occupy that home
with me. was young lady born in
the city of Penn. whom il is not neces-
Sary TO describe, as she is now looking
over my shoulder at the lines | am
writing.
We were to be married the day
after Christmas, and the wedding was
to be double one. for my old friend,
Fred Doolittle, was to marry the sis
ter of my Ella.
Where was the home to be located
This was the question / was trying to
answer at the time of which | am
writing. | did not want to rent.
wanted the home TO be our home by
title as well as by occupancy. had
few thousands of dollars, but not
enough to buy in the city in a good
neighborhood. We-that is, Ella and
I-had talked the matter over and con-
cluded we could be very happy in a
modest home with couple of acres
of ground attached. and not more than
an hours ride by cars from the city.
Every day for several weeks | looked
for such a place. | read the closely
printed columns of the Ledger under
but saw nothing | thought would suit
us, until one Friday | read glowing
description of the very place we
wanted-only the house was larger
than neceSSary~-and ] was greatly sur
- a1&s
tisement referred for further partiou-
lars to- Mr.. SmallS, on Walnut street,
near Fourth.
| at once went to Mr.. SmalFs office,
and learned he had gone out a few
minutes before ! called. l made my
business known TO a tall clerk in
charge, who seemed to smile when |
mentioned the house, and said:
am very sorry, but Mr.: Smalls has
gone out to show a house TO a Gus
toner, and the keys to the house you
want TO see are in the bunch with the
ones he has taken"
want to see the house to-day if
possible" ! answered. "A train will
start in an hour, and | would like to
go by it.n
If you are very anxious,n replied
the clerk with very apparent grin,
think you can get the back-door
key from the owner, who lives out
Arch street, almost on your way to
the station
got the owners name and adj
dress, and entering the first passing
car, rode out to Twentieth street. and
then walked three squares TO Arch,
and ringing the bell at the proper num-
Der, was shown into a handsomely
furnished drawing-room, where the
owner of the house soon entered.
When ! stated my business, he smiled
as the clerk had done, and asked !:
Do you think you would like the
house ?''
If it is according to the descrip-
tion, / think / will,'' ! answered.
Have you heard anything about
it ~
Nothing but what the paper says
Then / may as well be frank with
you," he said. and tell you the house
has the name of being haunted"
/ didn't like the idea of living in a
haunted house, for | wanted to enjoy
my wife's society without ghOstly in
terference. But / was not believer
in spi its, and accounted fOn all the So
called manifestations as the theory of
simple mental action on the part of
the person affected. Besides, think
ing it would be sport to show the
Gwner how foolish and unfounded was
the belief that the house was haunted,
at once answered. Il don't believe
itn
"All right said the gentleman,
here are the keys. You may go
and sleep night or two in the house
if you wish. There are two chambers
provided with beds, one on the second
and the other on the third floor
Take your choice.v
| didn't hesitate. and took the keys.
Why should / fear ghosts There
were no such things, and / felt | was
match for any one who might at
tempt to play ghost. In fact. rather
prided myself on my physical develop
ment, and | was considered as brave
as the ordinary man.
As some preparation was necessary,
/ abandoned the idea of taking the
next train, and concluded to wait until
s o'clock in the evening. When that
hour came / was in the cars, with
some matches, candles and two re-
volvers in my pockets and heavy
cudgel in my hand. If there was any
one about the house anxious to play
ghost, | proposed giving him the OPP
portunity of being one in earnest.
had calculated on being at the haunted
house at o'clock, but on account of
a delay, caused by a derailed freight
train, it was two hours past that time
when reached the station. [ had
but quarter of a mile to walk, and,
after being directed by the station
master, who looked suspiciously at
the cudgel. / started off at a brisk
pace, and in less than four minutes
came to a house which stood kmong
the trees, three rods from the road.
As saw a light in one of the win
dows. / thought it could not be the
house wanted. and walked to the
adjoining dwelling. few hundred
feet farther on, which was perfectly
dark. There was nothing suspicious
looking about the place, and at once
went to the back door and inserted
the key. which did not appear to fit
very well. While / was at work with
the key in one hand and the knob IN
the other, an upper window, imme-
diately over my head. was opened
and a white figure appeared. I
stepped back, and drawing a revolver,
said You needn't play ghost with
me- Come down here or / viii fire. ?,
The answer was a scream, .un-
earthly. but not ghostly, sounding
very much as If It came from the
throat ~ n mortal 1vor1au Th..