The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-04-07
BREWERS REVENGE.

away in the pine forests of North Caro-
lina found the haunted house and solved
the mystery that had enveloped it fol
more than a century. It, had been many
years since human footsteps had crossed
the threshold of the ghost inhabited place,
and the only companions of the spooks had
been bats, owls and such vermin as feed
on decay, says the Pittsburg Leader.
is the place really haunted?" | asked
score of villagers.
With awkward shrugs of their shoulders
and shaking of heads they answered,
There be them Twin as has seen the ghosts
of the old man and his pretty bridey'
There are only two of them?"
They walk arm and arm as if they was
lovers agin. The ghost of the young man
never comes atween 'em now as he did in
life!"
An old man, pretty bride, young
tragedy; out Of tragedies grow mysteries
must learn the legend of the place.
tits old Donald Thurston you want to
year a-tellin it," said the villagers when l
asked them for particulars of this mys-
terry. "He's the Waterman ON the place
for the owners, who never come a-nigh it,
an WANT it his grandfather 'at was head
overseer for the old ghost manr'
A queer old man found Donald Thurs
ton and fit guardian for haunted ruin
He lived alone in small cabin on the
place and added something to his pay by
cultivating a small garden rent free. At
first he was disposed to guard the ghost
and mystery as part of a sacred trust to
be concealed from strangers, but as our
acquaintance progressed he grew more
communicative.
'Most of the people hereabouts know
the story well, said the old man, ''for it's
been told by father to son these hundreds
years, and many's the crying child as has
been frightened to sleep by tales Of the
ghost of the pretty lady. 1t was my grand
father who wrote it all down, and the pa
pers have in my tin box, where they have
laid untouched these twenty years last
past. The old man blamed himself for the
part he had to do with it, but then he
thought he was only doing his duty in
warning the master, little dreaming that
murder, if murder it was, would grow out
of it. You may read the papers one of
these days if you wish. They tell the story
better than ever could tell it."
|
the old tin box and then watched me in
silence while read the story of the mys-
terry of the haunted house. l will only
give synopsis of the story here, for it was
a long one as written out by Allen Thurs
4 ton century ago.
Twenty years before the Revolution Mar
tin Brewer, an old and wealthy English
man, came over to Car olina,, and by grant
and purchase obtained large tract of land
| lying along the Cape Fear river. On a
high bluff overlooking the river he built
big stone house, modelled after the castles
of the Normans. He purchased slaves,
who cleared land, and in few years a
large farm was under cultivation.
Then English and Scotch servants were
brought over, the big house was furnished
and made the ideal country home of an
! English gentleman. Among the Scotch
servants was Allen Thurston, who was
made overseer and manager of the place.
He it was who afterward wrote the story
of the subsequent mystery.
| When the castlelike house was arranged
to his taste, Brewer returned to Europe for
a year, leaving the place in charge of his
servants and slaves
When he came home he brought with
him beautiful young bride. She seemed
very much in love with him and quite con.
tented in her new home He appeared
fond of her, but even the servants noticed
that at times he seemed distrustful and
suspicious Of his pretty wife. But there
was no one for him to be jealous of, fol-
none of the few neighbors were ever invit-
ed to the house. Except for the servants
and the slaves the couple were entirely
alone.
The servants talked in whispers among
themselves, and said that trouble would
come of such mating, but for the time
all went WELL and the old man and the
pretty young wife were happy enough so
far as appearances indicated. Then the
husband and master suddenly sailed away
to England on important business, he said,
leaving his wife and the servants in the
care of his confidential manager, Allen
Thurston.
Before the ship that was carrying Mar.
tin Brewer to England was out of sight of
land Thurston discovered that the young
wife who had been left in his care was not
alone in the big house. AS silently and
mysteriously as a shadow of evil, a stran-
BCI udu COHlc anu Udhcl up dDOuc
there. The old servant and manager met
him face to face in the hall one day. He
had only time to see that the stranger
was young and handsome, when the latter
disappeared through doorway. Thurs
ton was startled, but said nothing. He
would watch and wait awhile.
He might have been dreaming and tried
to believe that he had seen only shadow.
A few days later, as he approached the
apartment of his young mistress, Thurston
heard voices within. One was the voice of
a man. The old servant listened, but he
could not make out what they were say
ing. In few moments the door Of the
apartment opened, and the stranger came
out. He disappeared into another room,
leaving Thurston shocked and speeches..
The old man kept the secret Of the stran-
gers presence in the house from the other
servants, but few days later he went to
his mistress and asked her who the man
was and what he was doing there. She
became strangely embarrassed and an
swered, 81 cannot tell you now, but believe
me there is no wrong in his presence here,
and for my sake say nothing about it,"
The old man shook his head. His first
duty was to his master. The next mail to
England carried to the address of Brewers
| Ill III InNk Ton FVfV