The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-10-21
In A HAUNTED CHAMBER.
NIGHT TIE HORROR OF WHICH
WAS NEVER REVEALED.

Soldier Wants to Prove That He Is
Not a Coward and Decides to Pass a
Night Within q Spscter-Haunted
RoOm-Whst Came OF II.
From the PHILADELPHIA Times.
Returning to my native town of Wilton
after a decade or more, was glad to find
/ that the recent boom which awakened the
| Old Dominion from It's Rip Van Wrinkle
| slumber had aroused it, too, from its state
/ Of lethargy. The barren fields surrounding
| the village had been laid out in building
lots. and large barn on its outskirts, the
focus Of many a merry gathering Of young
/ people, had been fired and from its ashes,
phGnix-like. fourishing hotel had arisen.
Pretentlous boulevards stretched themselves
where the humble homes OF the villagers
| once reared their modest heads, aud
gloomy building, the object of shuddering
terror TO me as a child, lay IN ruins-a heap
of plaster, broken brick and moldering
beams
Many years before my recollection one Of
its upper chambers had been the scene Of a
CHASTITY murder and the floor OF the apart
ment was still dyed with the blood OF the
woman thus touIly dealt with. Since then
IL hao been tenRntless, and weird stories
were current among the negroes of a light
| that cleaned from that awful cham Der
upon stormy nights and OF ghostly 6p-
| partition that fitted about the premises and
den banished out o. sight" MANY q night /
have lain awake to hear my colored mani
my tell how her mother had gone to the
| haunted house resolved TO eradicate the
guilty stains. Armed with soap and sand
| she had gotten upon her knees and scrubbed
| with might and main, but, like the blood
| upon Bluebeard's enchanted key, they dis
appeared for an instant only to return with
| greater vividness.
Sometimes our school, fred with a spirit
of adventure, would 90 en- masse to the
! haunted building, and clinglng to each
! others garments, we would push back the
| door upon its grating hinges and advance
| with cautious step down the hall, then,
| overcome with sudden terror, would rush
shrieking into the street. The belle among
US 10 those early days was Mary Minton, a
tall, graceful girl, with delicate wild rose
| complexion and violet eyes. We We'd with
! each other in showing hsr boyish alton
ttons, bringing her downy-6heeked peaches
and early wild flowers, and mauy bitter
! words and much heartburniug among
those whose friendship would otherwise
have been undisturbed was Mary answera-
| BILE for.
There was one of our companions. how
| ever, a frail ear-sighted boy, who, although
| Mary's favorite among US all, never excitad
! anything in us resembling jealousy; and,
| indeed, there was In Mark Eton's gentle
nature such an absence Of self-sssertion that
| Wouid have disaFmed resentment in the
most mslevOlent He never brought Der
| early fruit or flowers, for he had no skill ia
| climbing or strength in mountain ramhles;
but he explained her lessons TO her, and
| helped her to solve knotty problems, for
| Mark was the clever boy in our school. He
stood always first in his classes until a
teacher more discerning than his predeces-
sors took charge Of US, who discovered that
| he was too far above the average in intelu-
| gence TO be classed with other boys; and
thus given the rein, be had bounded forward
| upon the road to knowledge, leaving us
miles behind him,
AT the commencement Of the OWL war.
| Mary, just budding into womanhood was
| even lovelier than before, and many a
| soldier lad who marched away from Wilton
| to join the army of the oonfederacy was In
spired 20 deeds Of daring by his love for her.
| Patriotism had spread like nights coRfia-
grafton through the south, firing the least
| inhammable nature, and tears gathered In
| Mark Eton'S geHtle eyes, aud answering
drops rose TO my own when we wrunR each
| others hands at parting, for the examining
| physician had pronounced him unf1t for
| service and be, of all the boys who had at
tended the old Wilton school, was to be left
| at home.
I was wounded soon after entering the
army, and can never forget Marks untir-
| Ing attentions 90 me- He was with me night
and day and nursed me with woman's
! tenderness. AS l became better and less
absorbed with my own feelings l observed
how thin he bad grown and what a sad,
wistful look there was in his great, near
sighted eyes, aud little by little | drew from
| ho ~ hnv
strength and courage were the shrines at
which women had learned to worship, and
Mary Minton, whose affection he had ono @
been assured of, no longer cared for him.
Nonsense, Mark, said, "she liked YOU
better than all of us put together when we
were at school"
YES" he said; "but the arena was a diff
ferent one them. l was first uDon that
| field you won't mind my saying that. will
| you o and now--now am soorned cow
ard.
tried to comfort him as best could. and
not altogether without success, for he was
more cheerful when we parted
| returned 10 Wilton again after that
| when our regiment was encsmped near the
| town in winter quarters. Youthful spirits
| are very elastic, and it was no doubt the re-
| bound from the unnatural pressure TO which
| ours had been subjected that made that win
Ter at Wilton the very gaysst upon its ans
| mails. The houses OF tue citizens were thrown
| open TO US, and with the company's band ar
our disposal we spent a part of each even
ing in dancing.
The browning entertainment of the season,
however, was q ball given by our regiment
in the old barn near the outskirts Of the
| town. Tho building was gay with flags and
evergreens. and innumeTeble tallow Candles
shone upon the uniformed men and lovely
women. Mark Elton was Mary's escort, and
l eau never forget his look Of hopeless II isery
as he sat apart for dancing, TOO, was pro
hibited HIM and saw her borne along in
the arms Of other men. I walked home with
Walter Hale, a former classmats, that
evening, and as we approached the haunted
house, standing grim and care in the moon
light, we came upon Mark and Mary walk
ing arm in are just ahead Of US.
How glad l am that you have caught up
with u.s." she said, looking back with a
pretty smile. II have never gotten over
my childish terror Of this place. Whew!"
soc calculated, shuddering, az would rather
face every soldier at the north than to pass
one night in that dreadful chamber"
A quarter Of an hour after this as Walter
and drew near camp we heard a uuick
step behind us, aod turning, / saw Mark
Elton standing before us in the moonlight.
his eyes and cheeks bright with excitement
ARTHUR" he said, laying his HAND upon
my arm and PAINTING for breath from rapid
walking, 1--WE come to ask a favor OF