The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-27
THE MYSTERY OF a
HAUNTED HOUSE.
BIZ WALTER l. HAwLEY.


While spending a winter vacation in a
delightfully."- rural little village hidden away
In the pine forests Of North Carolina, I
found the haunted house, and solved the
the mystery that had enveloped it for more
than century. Ir had been many years
since human footsteps had crossed the
threshold Of the ghost inhabited place, and
the only companions Of the spooks had been
bats, owls, and such vermin as feed on
decay.
The old ruins no longer deserved the name
1 OF house. 1t was little more than a con-
4 fused mass of crumbling stone and rotten
timber. overgrown by briars and creepers.
with true southern hospitality the peo-
pie of the village had welcomed me among
them, and with due regard to my safety
they warned me to keep away from the
haunted house. They told me of its exist
once with an air Of pride, for it was the one
| object OF interest In the vicinity.
us the place really hauntedn l asked a
score OF the villagers.
With awkward shrugs OF their shoulders
and shakings of their heads they answered;
| There 5e them a livin' as has seen the
ghosti OF the old man and his pretty
bridel"
There are only two Of themw
Ihey walk arm In arm as il they was
lovers agin. The ghost Of the young man
never comes atween 'em now as he did in
| lifeln
An old man, a pretty bride, young man,
perhaps loveri The foundation for a
| tragedy, out OF tragedies grow mysteries.
L must learn the legend of the place.
ITS old Donald Thurston you want to
bear a-tellin' It." said the villagers when [
asked them for particulars of the mystery.
lies the Waterman on the place for the
owners, who never come a-nigh it; an
wan IL bis grandfather 'at was head over
seer for the old ghost manm
A queer old man found Donald Thurs.
ton, aud a fit guardian for haunted ruin.
he lived alone in small cabin on the place
| and added something TO his pay bv cuIti-
waiting small garden rent free. At first
be was disposed TO guard the ghosts aud the
mystery as part OF a sacred trust to be
concealed from strangers, but as our &C
munioasive.
Most OF the people hereabouts know the
story well, !" said the old man, "for its been
| told by father to son these hundred wears
aud many's the crying child as has been
frightened to sleep by tales of the ghost of
the pretty lady. It was my grandfather
wrote It all down, and the papers have in
laid untouched these twenty Years
last past. The old man blamed himself for
the part he had to do with it, but then he
| thought he was only doing his duty in
warning the master, little dreaming that
murder, IL murder it was, would grow out
OF 1t. You may read the papers one of
these days If you wish. They tell the story
better than ever could tell It,"
A few days later Thurston brought out
| the old tin box and then watched me in
silence while read the story of the mys.
terry of the haunted house. l will o1ly
| give a synopsis Of the story here, for it was
long one as written out by Allen Thurs.
on q century ago.
Twenty years before the revolution Mar
tin Brewer, an old and wealthy Englishman,
| came over TO Carolina, aud by grant aud
| purchase obtained a large tract of land
| lying along the Cape Fear river. On a
high bluff overlooking the river he built a
| big stone house modelled after the castles of
the Normans He purchased slaves.
who cleared lands, and in a few
years large farm was under cultivation.
Then English and Scotch servants were
brought over, the big house was furnished
and made the ideal country home of al
English gentleman. Among the Scotch
servants was Allen Thurston, who was
made overseer and manager of the place.
He 1t was who after ward wrote the story of
| the subsequent mystery.
When the castle-like house was arranged
| for year, leaving the place in the care of
his servants and slaves When he came
| home he brought with him a beautiful
| young bride. She seemed very much in
| love with him and quite contented in her
lew home. He appeared fond of her, but
even The servants noticed that at times he
seemed distrustful and suspicious of his
| pretty Wife, But there was no one for him
| to be Jealous of. for none of the few neigh
bors were ever invited to the house. Except
| for the servants and the slaves the couple
were entire alone.
The servants talked in whispers among
| themselves and said that trouble would
| come of such mating, but for a time all
went we'll and the old man and bis pretty
young wife were happy enough SO far as
| appearances indicated. Then the husband
| and master suddenly sailed away to
| England, on important business he said,
| leaving bis wife and the servants in the
| care OF his confidential manager, Allen
| Thurston.
| Before the ship that was carrying Martin
| Brewer to England was out of sight of
land Thurston discovered that the young
| wife, who had been left in his care was not
alone in the big house. As silently and
mysteriously as shadow of evil stranger
had come and taken up his abode there.
| The old servant and manager met him face
to face in the hall one day. He only had
| Time TO see that the stranger was
| young and handsome, when the lat.
ter disappeared through a doorway
| Thurston was startled, but said nothing,
| He would watch and wait awhile He
might have been dreaming, and tried to
believe that he had seen only a shadow. A
| few days later, as he approached the apart.
! ments of his young mistress, Thurston heard
| voices within. One was the voice OF a man,
The old servant listened, but he could not
make out what they were saying. In few
moments the door of the apartment opened.
and the stranger came out. He disappeared
into another room, leaving Thurston
shocked and speechless.
The old man kept the secret of the stran-
| gers presence in the house from the other
servants, but few days later he went to
| his mistress aud asked her who the man
was and what he was doing there. She be-
came strangely embarrassed, and answered,
II cannot tell you now, but, believe me.
there is no wrong in bis presence here, and
for my sake say nothing about itn
Ihe old man shook his head. His 1rst
duty was to his master. The next mail to
England carried to the address of Brewers
solicitor In London long letter from Thurs
ton telling his master all about the presence
OF the stranger. Three months later the
master came home. He had received the
letter, and to the faithful old servant he said.
SIMPLY: II thank you'll You at least have
been faithful"
Thnrston tram hlad Sor tba aoFotx, - A.