Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1893-03-23
the HAUNTED CHIMNEY.


occasion which presented itself to
run down to Meade's on the NORTH
Shore, for few days, to try il pos
sible to obtain little rest.
Arriving there very late in the
afternoon and feeling tired after my
journey, asked to be shown to q
front chamber overlooking the sea.
that / might from my bed watch
the majestic flow of the ocean. |
have always had yearning for the
-. What thoughts. both sad aui
tender. the sight of this fathomless
gulf can not help stirring in any
feeling breast! And how, too, this
grand lake resembles the destiny
which underlies our lives; bearing
its litter now up, now down, now
far away from all sight and hearing.
The appearance of my room
pleased me instantly. The old
fashioned settings had a certain
romantic air about them that |
could not help admire. The lat
ticed windows on the ocean side
reached from floor to ceiling.
Pushing the heavy draperies aside,
| stepped out upon rustic balcony
The sea seemed rolling beneath me-
A cool moist breeze from the ocean
bathed my forehead. Far out near
the horizon snowy sail blushed
beneath the glorious rays of the
setting sun. To my left a rocky
cliff projected like an immens,
breakwater into the sea. noticed
that an old house occupied most of
the available space on it. But how
1ilapidated it was! surely it could
not be occupied. The windows
were boarded, the clapboards were
gone, and even the clinging vine
which at one time budded freely
was now wilted and sere. The one
hing which took my eye more than
anything else about the house was
lgreat old-fashioned chimney which
projected for many feet above the
sinking roof at the end of the build
ing. There was hardly a brick
missing from its top, and the chin
ney must have been strongly built
TO have withstood the gales of un-
doubtedly a century.
Casting another look across the
sea, which was black as ink, for
night had settled down, re-entered
my chamber. drew the curtains, and
while preparing for bed made up
my mind to explore the old house
IN the cliff at some convenient timt
during my stay.
Awakened next morning by tn,
boisterous roll of the breakers along
the beach, | could hardly distin-
guished objects at ten feet distant.
On going down stairs ! paused u
moment in the reading-room to see
he morning papers. The landlord
introduced me to few guests, "a
mong them being a Mr.. Wendell. a
well-built, middle-aged man, with
a heavy gray mustache and bright
piercing dark eyes. There was
something about the man that at
tracted me instantly. The topic
of conversation during breakfast
seemed to run on a certain distur-
bance that had deprived most of the
guests of sleep for a portion of the
night.
Mr.. Wendell, who sat next to
me, asked if had heard noise OF
any kind during the night before.
| told him that having travelled ali
of the preceding day i had sep,
soundly, which fact undoubtedl }
deprived me of hearing anything
during the night.
Meanwhile the fog had partly
cleared away, but the rain was fall
ing in torrents. After putting a
few questions to the landlord about
the old house on the cliff, which he
answered with a peculiar glance.
which at the time | did not notice,
but now remember, | found that
the house had not been occupied
for years and was owned by a man
OF in some distant city, who seemed
not to care whether it was entirely
demolished or not.
On questioning the colored por-
ter about the house, he rolled his
eyes and said that strange tales had
been told about it and the surround
ings; and ended with calculating
that it was haunted, and advising
me to keep as far from it as posi-
ble.
Returning to my room after these