Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-11-05
A MYSTERY SOLVED.
From the New York World.

It was called Maplewood There
were $50 acres in the estate-1OO acres
of land and fifty acres of water; and
this water was in a beautiful lake, upon
the northern shore of which, on a
gentle slope, backed by a forest OF
naples, stood the mansion.
Capt. Ralph Severn had lived in the
mansion until he died. He had never
married-or at least he had never had
Il wife in this country, and the only
members of his household whom he had
admitted to share at all in his compan-
ionship had been Seth and Hester Dab
newman and wife-the two servants
who had been with him in the begin
ming, and who had remained to the
end.
Upon his deathbed, contrary to gen.
eIal expectation, Capt. Ralph Severn
had remembered sister whom he had
not seen for years, and to this sister and
her heirs he had willed his estate. This
sister, then a widow and named Ather-
ton, had come to Maplewood, bringing
with her an only daughter. But Mrs.
Anterior did not remain at Maplewood
month. She got frightened at strange
things which had happened there and
moved away, and ere long afterward she
died.
And SO Maplewood came to be the
property of Lille Atherton the widows
daughter But Lille would not go there
to live. She let old Seth and Hester
Dabnev hold the place in charge. direct
ing Seth to find good tenants if he pos
sibly could. Parties came and hired
the mansion, but they did not re-
main.
Capt. Ralph Severn had been dead
three years and nearly score of people
had tried to live at Maplewood, and had
failed, when my attention was attracted
by the beauties of the place. | had just
come home from sea, and had promised
my wife that | would try and settle
down and become a sober landsman
NY wife and Lille Atherson were bosom
friends, and it was partly through this
friendship for the young heiress-for
Lille was only 19-that / was led to
Maplewood; but having once seen the
place and admired the beauties of its
surroundings | was anxious to make it
my home.
I found Seth Dabney to be a man of
80 or thereabOuts, and his wife of the
same age. They were meek and hum
BILE, and seemed very anxious to serve
me- In fact Seth was altogether too
meek. He was an old sea dog; and if
Capt. Ralph had ever been pirate, as
had been whispered since his death. it
was not hard for me to believe
that Seth Dabney had been his accom-
plice.
On our first night at Maplewood we
kept up until rather lare. 1t was al
most midnight, and my wife Molly
and myself worked at arranging our
library The clock had just struck -
when Peters wife--her name was
Lucy-looked in and informed us that
the bedchamber was arranged. | was
hanging picture, and wished to finish
it before [ left it. Molly's dressing
case was in a small dressing room up
stairs, and she said she would run and
get it while [ hung the picture. She
took lighted candle and went. | had
finished nay work to my satisfaction, and
had just folded up my stepladder when
my wife came rushing in with her
candle extinguished, and as she
dropped her dressing case upon the
floor | caught her in my arms She was
pale and frightened, and looked over
her shoulder as though expecting that
something had followed her. AS soon
as she could speak | heard her story.
She had gone to the dressing room
and got her case, and as she reached
the head of the broad staircase on her
return she had seen upon the landing
at her right female figure robed in
white. WITH DlOOu upon 1lS dSuou 1dCO
and with dabs of blood upon its snowy
drapery.
''Oh, it was dreadful ~ said my wife
s'The specter waved its hand in threat
ening manner, and said to me, in an
awful whisper, Woman, there is curse
upon this house, and upon all who fol-
low In the footsteps of Ralph Severn ?
And then she pointed to a gaping wound
upon her forehead and with cry of
terror I fed down the stairs"
Surely this was not pleasant open
ing but / urged it upon my wife that
she had not been hurt, and further
more that a respectable ghost would
have appeared to me rather than to
her.
It was half an hour after midnight
when we retired. The chamber which
we had selected was the pleasantest
room in the mansion-a large square
room, with deep bay window looking
down upon the lake. The hangings
were of green velvet, heavily fringed
with gold, and the curtains, though
slightly yellow from time, were clean
and of finest lace. | left small lamp
burning upon the dressing table, and
being very tired / fell asleep soon after
touching the pillow.
How long | slept [ cannot say, but it
could not have been an hour, when |
was awakened by my wife, who was
clinging to me in fright, and as ! awoke
/ heard a low moaning sound as OF
some one in deep distress, and present
ly a whisper as though the speaker
were close to my cara whisper awful
and distinct-and these were the words
that were spoken: "a curse there is
upon this house and upon all who would
follow in the footsteps of Ralph
Severn 20
The lamp had been extinguished, and
while the foregoing words were being
whispered the apartment was peryaded
by ghostly light-a sulphurous, death
~, waving glare; and presently female
figure appeared at the foot of the bed
the same which my wife had seen upon
the landing It was robed in white,
the face pale and ghostly, and dark
spots were upon the brow and upon the
robes. 1t was surely nothing of human
mold, for it stood upon the air, and as
cot M, Gould GOO ire feet trpadiDp on ~