Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-03-21


gree, overcame our fears. None of US had
ever come into contact with anything that
savored of the supernatural before and the SEN
sation was a novelty.
''All this had passed within two minutes at
the most. Again we listened and the whispers
on the stairs seemed louder than before. They
were clearly two voices-a mans angry tones
and the pleading accents Of a woman. You
cannot possibly imagine how fearsome thing
II was to hear all this going on up the very
flight OF steps We stood at the bottom Of and
vet to see nobody-absolutely nobody. All at
once there was audible a subdued exclamation,
followed Immediately by the startling spit and
.miauow of cat and then what sounded like
the fall of something heavy on the stairs them
selves.
We looked at one another. appalled,.
Mammals face had turned white as o sheet and
papa and Tom half carried her into the draw
ing room, where she brought around with
smelling salts. | nearly tainted myself and
even Tom looked little pale about the
giils, as he himself would have expressed it.
As quickly she felt herself again my
mother declared that she would on no
account sleep in the house another night.
was very much OF the same mind myself, and
the upshot of 1t was that We woke up some
friends of ours across the street and became
their guests until morning, while my brother
and father. disdaining TO exhibit such coward
ice. remained at home. We moved out the fol-
loving day and rented a dwelling on New
hampshire avenue. which. though somewhat
less commodious, has the great advantage that
1t contains nc resident ghosts.
THE AGENT KNEW TIE HOUSE WAS HAUNTED.
When papa went to give up his KEYS to the
house in G. street the real estate agent said that
he would not require the customary month s
rent As an equivalent of warning He regretted
TO learn that nv father had suffered annoyance
and he felt that he owed an apology. Previous
tenants had left the house for like reasons. say
ing that ii was haunted. and vet he had not
mentioned the matter to my father. This was
because he himself had understood nothing
very definite and had supposed it to be pure
nonsense. The house in question was thirty
years old. but in excellent repair. Up to within
four years 1t had been owned by an old gentle
man of eccentric and eremite habits, after
whose death it had passed by sale into other
hands, to be sold again shortly for subsequent
occupancy by several successive tenants.
Would my father be kind enough to state in
detail precisely what he had observed that was
out Of the ordinary during the term Of his own
residence in the house!
MY father complied. giving fully all the
particulars which have here related. As the
story progressed the real estate agents face be-
came more and more grave. Before it had come
TO an end he was striding up and down the room
nervonsly. At its conclusion he sat down again
ana spoke with much earnestness
THE AGENTS STORY.
You will understand he said, why your
words have occasioned me such agitation when
shall have mentioned to you few facts which
were communicated to ME by my father since
dead will be brief. Twenty-Five years ago
the eccentric old gentleman of whom I spoke.
at that time somewhat passed middle life and
well known in Washington society. lived in that
G. street house and entertained a good deal. He
had one remarkably pretty daughter. She
wished to marry young lawyer of very mod
10 rhll h., h,,, h..
hear of the match. The party he had chosen
for her was a rich friend of his own. not very
youthful. whom he brought home constantly
and encouraged to consider himself ami de Ia
maison. This did not please the girl, who dis
liked the man intensely, and there were quar-
rels. As for marrying him, she declared point
blank that she would not. One evening
this favored person had come to spend
the night and. at about IL O'Clock.
had retired to his room. leaving
his host and the hosts daughter in the parlor
down stairs. Between the two latter a colloquy
ensued upon the old subject of dispute. The
father was exasperated to the point of using
violent language and threats, SO that at length
the young lady babe him good night suddenly.
left the parlor and started up the stairs to bed.
Unfortunately. the old gentleman. who had lost
his temper entirely. followed after her to have
his say ont. and even pursued her up the steps,
causing her TO halt and listen to his remarks.
which were uttered i'll angry whispers in order
tueN not De guest.
She replied in the same tone. with appeals to
him to desist. but her final word so exasperated
her father that he either struck or pushed her
with some violence. Whichever it was she lost
her balance and stepped with all her weight
upon her pet cat. which was following her 1t
gave yell and she fell down the stairs. When
she was picked up it was found that her neck
was broken. The cat was so injured that it
died.
'''All this was learned in detail from the
testimony of the cook She had been enter
tanning company in the kitchen and was trying
to sneak upstairs without being observed by
the master, who discountenanced late hours
Waiting behind the dining room door for a
good opportunity she overheard the quarrel
and witnessed what ensued. The old gentle
man escaped a trial because of his clear ac-
counting for the occurrence accident, the
uncontested fact of the cats instrumentality
and the notoriety of the cook as a liar. How
ever. you and may be inclined to think that
in this instance she told the truth. You will
comprehend my interest in the when l
tell you that the young lawyer who loved the
murdered girl was my own father"