Connecticut western news., 1891-07-23

figure appeared at the foot of the bed the same which my wife had seen upon the landing. It was robed in white, the face pale and ghostly, and dark spots were upon the brow and upon the robes. It was surely nothing of human mold, for it stood upon the air. and as sat up could see it's feet treading empty space on level with the bed frame! With a threatening wave of the hand the fig ure bowed it's head, and melted away into thin air-melted away with sor- rowing sigh-and the ghostly glare faded out, leaving only the pale glimmer of the starbeams to break the midnight gloom
 As soon as 1 could collect my scattered senses broke from my wife's grasp and leaped out upon the floor. and very quickly lighted the lamp. The doors were fast-locked, as had left them; the windows had not been touched; the hangings were all intact, and nowhere, after the strictest search, could I find the slightest trace of any method of in- gress or egress to a material body.
 In the morning, Seth Dabney made it his business to ask me how had rested I told him had been seriously disturbed; and gave him to understand that if the spirits of Ralph Severn's departed vic tims wished to inhabit the place should leave could see by the old mans face as he turned away that he was we'll satisfied.
 When left to myself I went up into our chamber, taking with me hammer and chisel. Around the chamber was high oaken wainscot, and this pro- very soon 1 found a place opposite the foot of the bed which gave back hol- low sound. A critical examination re- vealed to me the fact that at this point panel feet long by 3 feet high was loose, and could detect slight abrasions upon it's surface, as though it had been slid behind the casing; but I could not move it without breaking it, as it ap- peared to be fastened upon the other side. But that was good beginning.
 Upon going outside I found that the wall in which was the loose panel was toward chamber which we had as yet appropriated to no particular use, as it's single small window left 1t far from EIOu tu1S Cl1duDcI, u0AG IO the outer wall of the building and tow ard my own chamber, opened closet, occupying not more than four feet of the division partition, so that from this closet to the opposite wall there was left space of at least three feet between the two rooms-and this space was sealed up and it was into this space that the slid ing panel opened.
 My next field of examination was be- low, andsI was not long in discovering that the space directly beneath the nov able panel, and occupying half the un- derlying area of the dark chamber, was also sealed up, but so adroitly cut into by closets and cupboards that only a we'll directed examination could have re- vealed the fact. Never mind the details of my persistent search. It occupied time; but 1 succeeded in the end. found an entrance into this last named sealed up space from the cellar, and there found what I had anticipated. l found a powerful argand lamp, with polished concave reflector, and also two large mirrors set at a proper angle for throwing 8 reflection upward; and di- rectly in the line of this reflection was the sliding panel in the wainscot of my chamber.
 also found here a long white robe; and it was no longer mystery how the ghostly spectacle had been produced. The reflection of the operator below had been thrown up through the open panel upon the white curtains at the foot of the bed, and those curtains had been carefully arranged to perform their part in the optical illusion. And one other thing found in this secret place; found speaking tubes leading upward, and upon returning to my chamber I found point at the head of the bed where the wall paper was perforated, and upon putting my finger through l found the end of the tube. And thus the dreadful whispers were accounted for.
 Seth Dabney had spent both time and money in perfecting his arrangement for frightening tenants away from Maple wood, and he had hoped that for mere nominal sum he might in time be able to purchase the estate; but his hopes were crushed when appeared before him with the proofs of his wickedness in my possession.
 To save himself from a public trial and certain condemnation he finally con- fessed to me all his iniquity. He showed me how he had arranged wooden troughs under the caves and deep down in the cellar in which to roll cannon balls for the production of thunder, and he show ed me other speaking tubes leading from single point below to various points above, by means of which he could cause the same voice to sound in differ ent parts of the mansion at the same time. He confessed also that his wife and his sons wife often appeared to fe- male guests in ghostly guise, which ac- counted for my wife's fright upon the landing.
 I sent for Lillie Atherton, and in the depth of her gratitude for the regained estate, she allowed Seth Dabney and his family to depart free of justice, and we heard of them no more.-New York World.
 A Woman Attacked by Hogs. Mrs. Edward Tracey, the wife of @ fo iH;r ,1vvC