The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-06-02
A GHOST STORY.
[Argosy.l

- "Aarcunont, smiling rather
Scorntully, and addressing large circle
OF friends and neighbors who, one Christ
mas evening, were seated round her hos
pitable hearth.
"Ahl you think SO? Pardon me if
cannot agree with you," said Mr.. Hen
mixer, well known Dublin barrister, of
Durly frame and jovial countenance,
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.
$50 you think all ghost stories may be
explained? What would Mrs. March
mont say to our old woman in the black
bonnet, Angela?" And the barrister
turned to his quiet little wife, who rare
ly opened her lips. Shewas eager enough
now.
II wish l could quite forget that old
woman, John, DEAR" she said with a
SILVER.
won't you tell US, dear Mrs. Hen
mixer? Please-please dol" cried the
ladies in chorus.
"Nay, John must tell that tale" said
the wife, shrinking into herself as it were
No one knew how it happened that the
conversation had turned upon mesmer-
ism, spiritualism and other themes
trenching upon the supernatural Per-
maps the season, suggesting old fashioned
tales, had something to do with it; or
maybe the whistling wind, mingling
with the pattering of hail and rattle of
CAD wheels, led the mind to brood over
uncanny legends. Anyhow, all the COM
pany spoke of ghosts; some to mock.
others to speculate; and here was the
witty lawyer prepared to tell q grave
tale of his own experience
His Jovial face grew stern. Like the
Ancient Mariner, he addressed himself
20 one in company, but all were silent
and attentive.
you say all ghost stories may be ex-
planned, Mrs. Marchmont. So would /
have said year ago; but since we last
met at your hospitable fireside my wife
and / have gone through very astonish-
ing experience. We can 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 like to reside in the same county
as her sisters and cousins and aunts"-
'Dorsetshire, believe, Mrs. Henni-
kerr" interrupted the lady of the house.
Angela nodded.
:! 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
SO happened that did leave them for a
single day during the three months of
my tenancy of the Hall. l had seen a
wonderful advertisement of a spacious
dwelling house, with Offices, gardens.
pleasure grounds-to be had for fifty
pounds per annum. Invent to the agent
to make inquiries.
"ls this fourishing advertisement
correctY asked l.
Perfectly
WHAT so many advantages are to
be had for fifty pounds year?
" Most certainly. advise you to go
and see for yourself
II 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 shut in by noble ellns
as to seem remote from the world. The
house-such a mansion as in Ireland
would be called manor house or castle
large, lofty rooms, thoroughly furnished,
every modern improvement. My wife,
as surprised as myself that 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. Take it by the quarter, or at least
by the half year, he recommended.
Il replied that it appeared such de-
sirable bargain that ! wished to take it
by the 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 tell you; but
l yielded to his evident wish without
knowing why did SO, and closed with
him for six months, not year."
"Glamor, Mr.. Hennikerp
sit would seem so, Mrs. Marchmont.
We went to the hall, and Angela was de-
lighted with it. The snowdrops lay in
snowy masses about the grounds-the
garden gave promise of beauty as the
season advanced. How the children ran
over the house! how charmed we were
with every nook and corner of It'll Our
own bedroom was a comfortable, large
room, opening into 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 sitting ROOM"
interrupted Mrs. Henniker.
"Well, for three weeks we all slept the
sleep of the just in our really splendid
suIUe OF apartments. Not a grumDle
from our notwithstanding 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."
"Angela aad Iwere sitting in the draw
ing room under the bed chamber have
described, when loud cry startled US
Mother, mother, motherr
"The little boys were in bed in the
dressing room. Angela dropped her tea
cup and dashed out of the room, forget
ting that there was no light in the rooms
above us.
81 caughtup candle and followed her
quickly. We found the children sobbing
wildly. Jacks arms were almost strang-
ling his mother, while he cried in great
excitement, ooh, the old woman in the
black bennett The old woman in tho
black bennett Oh--oh-ohr
81 thought little fatherly correction
would be beneficial, but Angela would
not suffer me to interfere. She tried to
soothe the little beggars, and in a few
minutes they were coherent enough in
their story. A frightful old woman,
wearing black bonnet, had been in the
room. She came close to them and bent
over their cribs, with her dreadful face
near to theirs
How did you see herr we asked.
There was no candle here
"She had light about her, they said;
at any rate, they saw her quite well. An
exhaustive search was made. No trace
of human being was to be found. re-
Trained from speaking to the other chill
dren, who slept in an upper story. thouob