The morning call., 1891-07-29

moment longer. After. vanly begging me
10 fly with them to the quarters. they, weep
ing, left me to my fate. The ghostly music
was particularly loud.
l locked up the house, lit my lamp, and
laid my revolver, a small one, beside me on
the reading table l was very much
alarmed, not for myself, or because of
ghosts, but lest some accident had befallen
the train OF the carriage. The room across
the hall from my sitting-room was large,
and little used; it was the chief scene of
the ghostly manifestations. About 10
o'clock great uproar began there-clash!
bangl Some way it Infatuated me in my
nervous state.
"Pll be even with that ghost, at least" 1
cried, angrily. and catching up my lamp
and taking my revolver, went, across the
hall. The room door had latch, and |
opened it with my left hand, which held the
lamp. fierce gust from somewhere blew
the lamp out just as l made forward step
and stumbled upon an overturned arm
chair The lamp fell from my hand; as it
fell struck out wildly in the darkness, and
my cropping hand came in contact with an
other hand, not ghostly. but human flesh
and blood. l grasped it close. 1t was
1erked from me. but as this was done hred
my revolver almost mechanically toward
where this thing that | had grasped must
be. simultaneously came the report of the
revolver, cry, a blow on my head, and
fell.
1t could have been but very few minutes
before | revived rose from the floor, and
somewhat diZZlly recTossed to my sitting
room for another lamp that yet burned
there. L still held my revolver.
Returned to the haunted room," found
the furniture all Overthrown and flung
about, the lamp had first carried broken,
the oil drenchiug the white mating, and
with and beyond the ola trail of blood
Ghosts don't have red blood" said;
returned to the stting-room, locked myself
in and renovated my appearance. There
was sound of wheels and dearly loved
voices l rushed out. Thsre we're Dick,
Bob, lisa, ali safe and sound. The train had
been four hours late. My adventures formed
the theme Of our tea-table talk.
Rob had leisure and spirit OF fnvestiga-
ton. Within 4 fortnight he had unraveled
much OF 'our ghost mystery. The blood
tracks led up to neatly concealed trap in
the floor Of the big room, which trap opened
Into trench leading out OF doors and hidden
in some bushes. Here our mOlesting ghosts
had come and gone. The waiIing. musical
sounds were made by three or four pipes
and part of an old organ that had been put
within the WainSc0ting at the head Of the
stairs
Two years after that was sent for to
Simon Coles, who was dying. He told me
that, resolved to make Colonel Gresham
sell him the Tulip Tree at less than its
worth, he had seized time when it was
empty aud by few nights work arranged
the organ pipes and made trap ana the
trench. These, aided by Il little quickneSs,
and the help of nephew as bad as himself,
provided all that was needed to haunt" the
house. My shot had disabled Coles, cutting
a sinew in his leg and tanning him, and then
Bob had closed up the trap and trenches.
Colonel Gresham was IA happy man when
the mystery was unraveed. He died soon
after Simon Coles, and willed the Tulip
Tree to me, because mad given away all
my first inheritance to the children. and had
shot the ghost" BY the time | married
Dick was able to buy the Coles plantation
Of the renegade nephew, and there he lives
very happily with his family. My children
have. ben brought up in our Haunted
ouse"-Selected