, 1891-05-20
A GHOST STORY.

n u1UDl DlOh1,
IAN ghost stories may be explained
said Mrs. Marchmont, smiling rather
s%cornfully, and addressing a large circle
Of f~riendsand neighbors who, one Christ
mas evening, were seated round her hos
pitable hearth.
"Ahl you think so? Pardon me if 1
cannot agree with you, " said Mr.. Hen
mixer, a well known Dublin barrister, Of
burly frame and jovial c-ountenance,
famed for his wit and flow of anecdote.
The ladies Of the party uttered exclA-
nations in various keys, while the men
looked attentive and interested. All
that Mr.. Henniker pleased to say was
wont to command attention, in Dublin
at least.
80 you think all ghost stories may be
explained? What would Mrs. March
mont say to our old woman in the black
bonnet, AngelaY' And the barrister
turned to his quiet little wife, who rare
ly opened her lips. She was eage enough
low.
II wish | could quite forget that old
woman, John, dear" she said with a
shiver.
Won't you tell us, dear Mrs. Hen
niker2 P~lease-please dol" cried the
ladies in chorus.
Nay, John must tell that tale" said
the wife, shrinking into herself as il were
No one knew how it happened that the
conversation had turned upon mesmer-
ism, s~piritualism and other themes
trenching upon the supernatural. Per
haps the season. suggesting old fashioned
tales, had something to do with il; or
maybe the whistling wind, minglinR
with the pattering Of hail and rattle OF
cab wheels, led the mind to brood over
~uncanny legends. Anyhow, all the com.
pany spoke Of ghosts; some 10 mock,
others to speculate; and here was the
witty lawyer prepared to tell a grave
tale of his own experience.
His jovial face grew stern. Like the
Ancient Mariner, he addressed himself
to one in company. but all were silent
and attentive.
You say all ghost stories may be ex-
planned, Mrs. Marchmont. So would l
have said a year ago; but since we last
met Mt your hospitable fireside my wife
and have gone through a very astonish-
ing experience. We can a tale unfold
No man was better inclined to laugh at
ghost stories than l.
well, to begin my true tale. We
wished for a complete change of scene
last February, and Angela thought she
would ike to reside in the same county
rs her sisters and cousins and aunts"-
"Dorsetshire, l believe, Mrs. Henni-
kerr interrupted the lady of the house.
Angela nodded.
Il intended TO take a house for my
family, leave them comfortably settled
in 1t, and run backward and forward be-
tween Dorsetshire and Dublin. Well. it
80 happened that | did leave them for A
single day during the three months of
my tenancy Of the Hall. | had seen a
wonderful advertisement of a spacious
dwelling house, with offices, gardens,
pleasure grounds-to be had for fifty
pounds per annum. went to the agent
to make inquiries.
Is this ho~urishing advertisement
correctS asked L
Perfectly
What so many advantages are to
be had for fifty pounds a YEAR,
Most certainly. advise you to 20
and see for yourself
81 took the agents advice, and Angela
was enchanted with the description |
was able to give her on my return. A
charming little park, beautifully planted
with rare shrubs and trees-a bowery,
secluded spot, SO hut in by noble elms
as to seem remote from the world. The
house-such a manslo as in Ireland
would be called manor house or castle
arva lnFf-r lam
every modern improvements Ny wife,
as surprised as myself that a place of the
kind should be going for a mere song,
begged me to see the agent again, and
close with him. 1t was done at once.
would have taken the hall for a year,
but Mr. Harold advised me not to do
so. a it by the quarter, or at least
by the half year, he recommended.
81 replied that it appeared such a de-
sirable bargain that | wished to take it
by h year. His answer to this was a
reiteration Of his first advice. | can't
tell you how he Influenced me. for he
really said no more than l tell you; but
| yielded to his evident wish without
knowing why | did so, and | closed with
him for six months, not a year"
"Glamor, Mr.. Hennikerg"
at would seem SO, Mrs. Marchmont.
We went to the hall, and Angela was de-
lighted with it. The snowdrops Law in
snowy masses about the grounds-the
garden gave promise of beauty as the
season advanced. How the children ran
over the housed how charmed we were
with every nook and corner Of It'll Our
own bedroom was a comfortable, large
room, opening into a very roomy dress
ing room, in which my wife placed two
cribs for our youngest boys, Hal and
jack
Don't forget to say that our bed
chamber opened from a sitting room"
interrupted Mrs. Henniker.
We'll, for three weeks we all slept the
sleep of the just in our really splendid
suite of apartments. Not a grumble
from our servants-nothing but satisfac-
ton with our rare bargain. | was on the
point of returning to dear, dirty Dublin
and the -Four Courts, when"-
When We are all attention. Mr.
Henniker.n