Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-05-28
Ierrupted Nrs. hennlker.

'tIt is every word true. I am coming
to an end. Angela, in spite of her dis
claimer did believe in ghost in black
bonnet. Charlotte believed in her, but
did not care about her ghostship. The
nurse and cook and housemaid declared
they were meeting the horrible appear
ance constantly, and they were all three
in mortal funk. AS to the children.
they would not leave off clinging to
their mother, and fretting and tremb-
ling when evening came The milkman
the baker and the butcher all told the
servants that we would not be long at
the hall, for nobody ever remained more
than a month or two This was cheer
full and encouraging for me-"
''But you had never seen the charming
old woman all this timer"
"No; but L saw her in the broad day
light. had agood long look at her, and
more diabolical face never saw-no,
not even in the dock. was writing let
tiers in the study about 10 o'clock one
morning. when | suddenly looked up, to
see the appearance that had excited such
turmoil in my family standing near the
table A frightful face-a short set wo-
man dressed in black-gown, shawl, bon
net-thls was the impression | received
But she looked quite human-quite ev-
eryday-there was nothing ghostly in her
air-only the evil face curdled ones blood.
[ stared at her, and then took up fold
ed newspaper and threw it at her. Ny
motive in so doing was to brighten her
who had frightened my wife so mach
Courtesy such creature need not expect
from me, being, as her villainous counte-
nance proved, one of the criminal class.
The newspaper fell upon the floor, after
apparently going through the figure, and
there was vacuum where it had been
l was not much shaken, however, al
though my theory of human trick
ster dressed like a woman seemed over
turned"
Did you tell Mrs Henniker what you
had SEEM
NATURALLY l did. At this period we
partition twice herself. Once she entered
our dressing room and saw the figure
bending over sleeping child lit faded as
she looked; another time she was with
me ia the drawing room, when she laid
down her book and whispered, See, see,
near the door, There, sure enough, was
the appearance that had visited me in
the study in clear daylight. did not
make her out quite as distinctly now be-
cause our candles did not light up that
end of the long room, or my older eyes
were not as good as Angela's."
what did Mrs. Henniker dor
''She started up and ran to catch the
old woman in the black bonnet"
"And did she catch her?'
She caught shiyer-nothing more!
After this resolved to give up the
rent for the sake of my wife and chill
dren, whose nerves would have soon be-
come shattered had we remained. /
went to Mr.. Harold and told him how
disagreeable the place was to us. He
was grave and very guarded in manner
confesslng that no tenant stayed more
than couple Of months at the hall
that his client certainly made consider
able in cOnsequence--that he had done
his utmost to finu out what was wrong
with the house, but all in vain. Mr..
j would not speak about it, and
when strenuously urged to explain re-
piled emphatically, 4 shall never tell
you the story of that house.
1--WE dismissed the servants with hand
some presents at once on our return to
Dublin, so DESTROYS were we that the
children should never be reminded Of
their terror. l think they have not heard
the old woman in the black bonnet
spoken of since we left the hall, and the
younger ones have probably forgotten
her. AS to us, we can only say that the
mystery is unexplained. "-Argosy.