Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-04-22
THE STORY OF A GHOST.


overlooking the sea, that Mr. Leonard
Rivers had purchased as a summer resi-
qence his wife had been dead many years
| MS family consisted of son and daugh-
| ter, housekeeper and two other servants
Inc place he had selected was somewhat
dllapldated and altogether isolated which
exactly suited his taciturn nature, espe-
cialiy 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 1t partly refurnished, and on 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
week IN the old mansion when one night
a most uncomfortable noise aroused the
entire household. 1t was like the moving
OIL heavy furniture, which created queer
Tumollng noise, and actually shook the
mouse. 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.
Nv hat the dickens, Arthur can this
mean" questioned the old gentleman.
holding up his night lamp so as to COM
mand the entire group.
Il cannot say, father, unless some of the
crumbling walls have fallen"
AT that moment the silence was again
broken by a renewal of the strange sounds.
Ghosts. Oh, Lord"' gasped Jane. cling
ing still more closely to the trembling
housekeeper.
Mr.. Rivers commanded her harshlv to
be silent, and requested his daughter to
take the frightened women to her own
room and endeavor to get them to listen
to common sense, while he and his son ex-
plored the grounds and house to ascertain
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
clared themselves at a loss to know what
could have occasioned the weird noises.
They had found every room perfectly quiet
and in their wonted order; had also ex-
plored the garrett 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-
FERROUS 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, 1 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. or course laughed
at the idea, as | do now.
THAT some human agency is at work to
drive us away 1 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 l do not doubt
Therefore wish you both to keep my in
tention profound secret. But when you
retire, Arthur, you send for the old man
and Keep him in your room all night"
The next morning Laura hastily dressed
herself and went down to breakfast, to
ind her brother alone and waiting for her.
Arthur, where is papa?'' was her first
question.
He has not come down yet, and 1 have
just sent up To tell him that breakfast is
ready"
a mo la
peared at the door and said: Jane daren,t
go up to the blue room, sir so I went nv
self. The door was locked, and l called to
master, and raped my knuckles nearly
| off, but couldn't get an answer, SIR
Without word Arthur sprang up the
stairs followed by his sister and the
housekeeper, whose faces We'd with each
| other in whiteness. At the door of the
mysterious room all paused and waited
for an answer to Arthur's summons. The
silence which followed was oppressive Not
q sound came from the closed apartment
Arthur was obliged to force the door 1t
yielded at last to his strength, and he saw
his father, apparently asleep in an easy
chair, with his head thrown back in an
uncomfortable position. Laura stepped
forward, stretched out her hand touched
her father and called him by name.
Papa dear papa" she said, awake upl
| How still and cold he is Oh, Arthur, he
| is dead!'
She had spoken the truth. Death had
overtaken him in the haunted chamber.
Arthur carried the fainting form of his
| sister to her own apartment, and dispatched
O messenger to the nearest town to procure
| proper assistance The face of the dead
| man was calm, uncouvulsed, showed no
sign of either alarm or pain, and the post
! norton examination showed that he had
| died of heart disease.
| 1t was heavy blow to his children, and
when the inanimate form of their parent
| had been consigned to its last earthly rest
| ing place they sat long and late talking
sadly over the future, when suddenly the
peculiar rumbling sound grated again upon
| their ears, starting them from their sor-
| -, I+ ;,,croacad in iptauSitv until evprv