The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-06-01


kitchen staircase was shut. She GER
tainly could not have had time to open
it. and don't know where she can have
gone to.
''This was Charlotte's explanation of
her mad scurry downstairs. Her down.
! right sensible face was puzzled and an.
CRY
/ so you see the little ones must have
been tor1nented by that old wretch, who
ever she is. They didn't dream it, father.
as you thought Wouldn't like to pun
ish herr"
What a brave girlr' cried Mrs. March
mont.
Brave? Oh. Charlotte's as bold as
lionl She went back to bed; and when
we followed her, in couple of hours,
she was sleeping soundly. But can't
say either of us slept so we'll If trick
was being played upon US it was carried
out in so clever a manner as to battle me
completely need not say that made
careful search of every Granny about the
handsome house and offices: and if there
was secret passage or door in the wall
anywhere it escaped me We had peace
for fortnight. and then the ANNOYANCE
recommended.
"Angela's nerve was shaken at last.
and she began to whisper, There are
more things in heaven and earth. Ho-
ratio -
John, you are making story" in
terrupted Mrs. Henniker
1T is every word true. | am coming
to an end. Angela. in spite of her dis
claimer. did believe in ghost in black
bonnet. Charlotte believed in her. but
did not care about her ghostship. The
nurse and cook and housemaid declared
they were meeting the horrible appear
ance constantly, and they were all three
in a mortal funk AS to the children.
they would not leave off clinging to
their mother. and fretting and tremb-
ling when evening came. The millzman.
the baker and the butcher all told the
servants that we would not be long at
the hall. for nobody ever remained more
than a month or two This was cheer
full and encouraging for me-
But you had never seen the charming
old woman all this timer
''No: but | saw her in the broad day
light. had agood long look at her. and
a more diabolical face never saw-no,
not even in the dock | was writing let
tiers in the study about 12 o'clock one
morning. when suddenly looked up, to
see the appearance that had excited such
turmoil in my family standing near the
table A frightful face-a short set wo-
man dressed in black-gown, shawl, bon
net-this was the impression received
But she looked quite human-uuite ey.
eryday-there was nothing ghostly in her
air-Only the evil face curdled ones blood
| stared at her. and then Itook up fold
ed newspaper and threw it at her NV
motive in SO doing was to frighten her
who had. frightened my wife so mach
Courtesy such a creature need not expect
from me. being, as her yillainous counte-
nance proved, one of the criminal class.
The newspaper fell upon the floor. after
apparently going through the figure, and
there was vacuum where it had been
was not much shaken, however al
though my theory of human trick
ster dressed like a woman seemed over
turned" - 4t-Sft 90 a't.i ~
Did you tell Mrs Henniker what you
had seeny' Eut ..t -,
Naturally l did. At this period we
talked of nothing else She saw the ap-
partition twice herself Once she entered
our dressing room and saw the figure
bending over sleeping child Gt faded as
she looked): another time she was with
me in the drawing room. when she laid
down her book and whispered See, see.
near the doOrl There, sure enough, was
the appearance that had visited me in
the study in clear daylight did not
make her out quite as distinctly now be-
cause our candles did not light up that
end Of the long room, or my older eyes
were not as good as Angela's.
What did Mrs. Henniker dor
''She started up and ran to catch the
old woman in the black bonnet"
And did she catch herr
She caught shiver-nothing more!
After this | resolved to give up the
hall at once. sacrificing four months
rent for the sake of my wife and chill
dren. whose nerves would have soon be-
come shattered had we remained
went to Mr.. Harold and told him how
disagreeable the place was to us He
was grave and very guarded in manner.
confessing that no tenant STAYED more
than couple of months at the hall
that his client certainly made consider
able in consequence-tha he had done
his utmost to find out what was wrong
with the house, but all in vain Mr.
j. would not speak about it, and
when strenuously urged to explain re-
piled emphatfcally. i shall never tell
you the story of that house.
I'VE dismissed the servants with hand
some presents at once on our return to
Dublin. so desirous were we that the
children should never be reminded of
their terror. | think they have not heard
the old woman in the black bonnet
spoken of since we left the hall, and the
younger ones have probably forgotten
her. AS to US, we can only say that the
mystery is unexplained. "-Argosy.
Whoa.