Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-29
AT THE END OF THE PASSAGE.
BY GEORGE II. LEE, FORMERLY OF
C~LARKsBURG, W. VA.

CLARKsBURG, W. VA.
"Never waste time in choosing be-
tween two courses" said my pessimistic
grandfather; "you are sure TO regret 1t
whenever you do"
So l came to a decision at once, and
purchased the Gather house, because IL
was nearer the mill.
1t was a large, square brick, contain
ing a dozen rooms, and was surrounded
by extensive grounds. 1t had been
built some years before by a gentleman
of wealth, who formerly spent his sum-
mrers in our village and it was a house
with a history, for there had been a
suicide within it's walls. The house
had been closed after this incident and
the family never returned because OF
the painful associations connected with
the place.
Host no time in furnishing as many
rooms as we should require and n
rainy day in April l took possession with
my young wife and one servant. The
latter, an Irish girl, was a newcomer
in the village and apparently had not
heard the weird stories hat were told
of the house, or possibly she would have
declined the place. As it was, she went
to work with q will, and on the first day
of our upan she turned out large
washing which she hung on lines in the
uafurnished rooms. She proved a first
class cook as well, and that evening
after our 6 o'clock supper my wife and
I were f~elicitating ourselves upon secur-
ing such an excellent girl.
but am afraid she will leave us
when she hears that the house is haunt
ed" said the little matron.
"a queer way to express It," replied.
''You speak asif you actually believed
those absurd stories"
'I do not believe Them" said my wife,
shivering slightly, "but l think 1t
would be Just as well to keep that room
locked If you know which one it Is"
s'That would be difficult" said /, 'for
Il is the room at the end Of the passage,
and we must pass through it in order to
reach the apartment you have selected
for our bedroom"
This statement evidently produced
something like a panic, and my wife re-
marked very emphatically that she
would alter this arrangement in the
morning.
felt that it would BIZ necessary to
drive her notions from her mind at
once or she would have no comfort in
the house, so took up the subject OF
sp nerstition and discussed it exhaustive
". citing many cases to prove that
wherever so-called supernatural phe-
nomena had been intelligently investi-
| gated an origin in natural sources had
heen discovered. She listened with
the manner Of one who would fam be
convinced, and to prove her courage
she insisted upon going alone to our
bedroom, telling me that l might follow
in ten minutes.
sat alone in the parlor and listened
TO her footsteps as she assembled the
stairs and 1 Thought she faltered a little
near the top. The suicides room was
at the end Of the hallway, but / heard
the click Of the lock when she turned
| the knob of the door. The banging Of
the door and a piercing scream from
nv wife followed in Quick succession
and l rushed up the stairway, meeting
nv wife half way. / placed my arm
around her and supported her to the
parlor. while she chung TO me in
terror. When she had recovered some
| what she explained that she had tried
to opeu the door, but the knob had
| been jerked from her hand and the door
was slammed ia her face. / suggested
| that this had been due TO q draft
from an opposite window, but she re-
fused 10 accept this explanation and