Evening journal., 1891-06-25
THE STORY OF A GHOST.

6lNetS ndu purchased as a summer resi-
dencn His wife had been dead many years
His family consisted Of a son and daugh
ter, q housekeeper and two other servants.
The place he had selected was somewhat
dilapidated and altogether isolated, which
exactly suited his taciturn nature, espe-
cially as the greater part Of the year he was
engaged in mercantile business in London,
and this afforded him the quiet he needed.
Mr. Rivers had the old place repaired
without changing its antique appearance
had it partly refurnished, and on a bright
day in June moved his family thither.
Laura, his daughter, was in ecstacy, and
declared again and again that she would
never more think Of Brighton and Scar
borough; for here she was at the seaside
with home and its comforts.
One room attracted her more than all the
others. 1t was large, square, with bay
window commanding altogether the finest
view of the sea- The walls were wains-
coted, Of pale blue tint, and the furni-
ture, even to the window drapery of the
same shade, was old fashioned and com
Portable, and the owner had decided to
leave everything unchanged.
The Rivers had been domiciled for about
a week in the old mansion, when one night
a most uncomfortable noise aroused the
entire household. It was like the moving
Of heavy furniture, which created queer
rumbling noise, and actually shook the
house Laura appeared in her dressing
gown IN the hall simultaneously with her
father and brother, and very soon after the
housekeeper, with the terrified Jane and
another girl clinging to her for protection,
pale and speechless
"What the dickens, Arthur can this
tN..r.
holding up his night lamp so as to com
mand the entire group.
II cannot say, father, unless some Of the
crumbing walls have fallen.n
At that moment the silence was again
broken by a renewal Of the strange sounds.
! "Ghostsl Oh, Lordw gasped Jane. cling
! ing still more closely to the trembling
I housekeeper.
Mr.. Rivers commanded her harshly to
! be silent, and requested his daughter to
| take the frightened women to her own
! room and endeavor 60 get them to listen
/ to common sense, while he and his son ex-
[ plored the grounds and house to ascertain
I the cause of the disturbance
| After half hour of watching and fruit
less endeavor to quiet the fears of the
housekeeper and maids Laura hailed the
/ return Of her father and brother who de-
clared themselves at a loss to know what
could have occasioned the weird noises
I They had found every room perfectly quiet
and in their wonted order; had also ex-
plored the garret and ruined wings of the
building but nothing unusual had oc-
CURED. AT last all appeared unchanged.
Dismissing the housekeeper and maids and
inducing Laura to retire. the father and
son went to their respective rooms, and
were not disturbed again during the night.
At the breakfast table the subject was
discussed, and Mr. Rivers declared his in
tention OF spending the night in the mys-
terious blue room.
"The strange noise" he said, 81 am GER
tain, came from that quarter. Anyhow, !
intend to sift it to the bottom; for, TO tell
you the truth, | was friendly informed by
the agent before / purchased the house
that it had the reputation of being haunted,
and no tenant could be induced to remain
for any length Of time. OF course laughed
at the idea, as do now
"That some human agency is at work 20
drive MS away l am fully convinced; and
that the little old man who had charge OF
the place, and who is still in my employ
is at the bottom of it / do not doubt
Therefore / wish you both to keep my in
tention profound secret But when you
retire, Arthur, you send for the old mar
and keep him in your room all night"
The next morning Laura hastily dressed
herself and went down to breakfast, t
find her brother alone and waiting for her
Arthur, where is papaw was her frs
, question.
"He has not come down yet, and hav,
! just sent up to tell him that breakfast i
J ready"
At that moment the housekeeper ap
! peared at the door and said "Jane daren'
/ 90 up to the blue room, sir, so / went my
! self. The door was locked, and ! called t
/ master, and raped my knuckles nearl,
I or, but couldn't get an answer, sir"
Without word Arthur sprang up tn
, stairs, followed Ly his sister and th
housekeeper, whose faces We'd with eacl
other in whiteness. At the door Of tn
: mysterious room all paused and waite,
/, for an answer to Arthur's summons. Th
> silence which followed was oppressive. No
! a sound came from the closed apartment.
Arthur was obliged to force the door /
yielded at last to his strength, and he say
his father, apparently asleep in an cas-
\ chair, with his head thrown back in a.
!, uncomfortable position. Laura steppe
forward, stretched out her hand, touche
y her father and called him by name.
Papa, dear papa" she said, wake uI
How still and cold he isl Oh, Arthur, h
= is deaa!n
She had spoken the truth. Death ha
. overtaken him in the haunted chamber
= Arthur carried the fainting form of hi
y sister to her own apartment, and dispatche
a messenger 60 the nearest town to procur
u proper assistance. The face of the dea
% man was calm, unconvulsed, showed u
70 sign Of either alarm or pain and the pos
y mortem examination showed that he ha
"a died Of heart disease.
1t was a heavy blow to his children, an
when the inanimate form of their parer
had been consigned to its last earthly res
> ing place they sat long and late talkin
, sadly over the future, when suddenly ti
s, peculiar rumbling sound grated again upo
, their ears, starting them from their so
row. 1t increased in intensity until ever
1t window and door in the house ratified.
ie Arthur and his sister had been sittin
,e by an open window with only the light
d. the moon, and al the first sound he spran
he to his feet, while Laura clung to him
ID terror ~