The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1893-09-19
Halls CH0S4LY ENCOUNTER.

81 wish to go over to your Aunt
Ruth's and stay over night, said Mrs.
Manly to her daughter Celaine, q
bright girl of 13. "Your father can
take the horse and drive over, and it
will be much more pleasant than for
me to take the cars, and may be have
to walk over from the station, full
mile and half, as there is only one
horse and buggy to take people, and
sometimes several to be taken: l
thought now as your cousin Philip was
here for company for you and Hal, 1t
would be a good time for US to get
away" ;,
"Oh, I am so glad you are going.
said Celaine, clapplng her hands. "Iou
never allowed me to keep house alone
before. Won't it be fun"
"I hope you'll be steady, child, and
See to things good-'tend to the milk,
as it's good time to make butter, IN
October.
"I'll try to d. my very best, mother,
You surely can trust me?'
81 think I can, or should not 60.
I think I'll tend to the churning to:
morrow, do up a lot Of baking, and
we'll 60 the next morning..
Celaine stood in the kitchen door as
her father and mother were lcavlng,
and her mother said: ''There's q jar
of seed cookies and plate of cold
tongue in the cellar cupboard, and you
can have some peach preserves for
supper. Take good care Of the fire, so
the house will not burn," and by the
time all this was said, the horse had
taken Mr.. Manly and wife so for down
the road Celaine could no longer hear.
well have lots OF fun," said Hal.
from the wood shed door, where he
was preparing kindlings.
II expect you are old enough to be-
have YOURSELF" answered Celaine, as
she was clearing the table of dishes.
"1'm only year younger than your,
SELF" replied Hal. ''You are not Il
until next month, remember"
sNo quarreling," spoke up Philip
RAYMOND. "Remember l an 1t, then
the three laughed. Everything moved
as clock work within the Manly home
during tho day; but when night drew
near. q spice of mischief grew within
the brain OF Hal, and he said to Philip
as they were going in with the milk:
"Less us scare Celalne little. We'll
do ourselves up IN sheets. and groan a
little. and sec what she will do"
"That would not be right, answered
Philip.
ut isn't so very wrong, either, if We
don't extend the time OF frightening her
very long. Celalne always prIded her
self on being courageous, and not be-
Iieyinq one bit in ghosts. Now [ do,
aud she is always laughing at me" and
Hal, who had often smarted under his
sisters sueers at his foolish belief,
thought he would geteVen with her for
once. -,
Did you ever hear any of Us tell
that this house was said to be haunted?'
asked Hal.
"Not that remember"
"Well, tie Morses, who lived here
b,fore we did, say it was. An o!d man
by tae Dame of Boole built the house,
ana he and his wife died very suddenly,
and q good many thought there must
have been foul play, and it was said
thev were sometimes seen at night,
dressed in white, while a blue light
made the room look very strange.
"But we've lived here quite a num-
her Of wears, and never once seen any
thing Of the kind"
"You can do as you like about scar
ing your sister, HUI, but l snail have
nothing to do about it.
"Oh, all | wanted of you was not to
let on about it, and stand by and hear
Celaine screech."
Hal went into the bouse with his
hands in his pockets, and stood
whistling pretty loud while Celaine
commenced stralning the milk, and
then he suddenly disappeared up the
back stairs, and going into his bed
room took one Of the sheets of his
neatly made bed, threw it out of the
window. and went down stairs whist
ling again as unconcernedly as posi-
BILE.
Going out ir the orchard back Of
the house, Hal proceeded to make his
unusual toilet, wondering all the while
where Phil could be. As the wind
blew rather cool, and the would-pe
ghost was somewhat afraid Of real
ghosts, he concluded to reconnoi!re
for a few moments, and then perhaps
60 in.
Listening for time. Hal heard no
noise and concluded CeIaine was read
ing, and that perhaps Phil had gone to
the postofce, mile away, as he often
did. Going to the door, Hal rapped,
when instead of Celaine coming to the
door, as he expected, strange voice
said: s'come in.
Opening the door, Hal witnessed a
strange scene, and one which made his
hair stand upright, if the barber had
left enough of it to do so. The room
was filed with a ghostly blue light,
revealing . white form within the
bedroom door, and another tall, white
robcd form advancing toward him with
long, rapid strides. Hal waited to see
nothing more, but screaming at the
a., ~ L;o f,,oorc lord hare mercy on