The Portland daily press., 1893-05-22
SOME ODD STORIES.

liza and the Story of the Haunted House.
The Ghost and the Revelation.
copyright, 1893, by American Press Associa-
toni
Some years after the war as was trav-
cling through the Cumberland mountains
in eastern Kentucky | came just at sunset
in view of picturesque and deserted man.
sion nesting down in a fowery nook at
the head of beautiful but lonely valley.
I stopped my horse and sat in the saddle
regarding the old ruin, which the vanish
ing sun at that moment flooded with deli
cate rosy light. Plainly at one time it had
been the home of wealth and luxury.
Suddenly my reverie was broken by the
sound Of voice, and the head of an aged
negro appeared in the notch amid the tan
gled mass of a once well kept hedge. The
darby nodded. removing his brimless old
hat.
"How do, sab, he said ."Pears to me
yo's strangah bout heah. Which way yo'
gwine"
"Any way fancy leads me-" was my re-
ply. LAS night is so close at hand, think
I will stop over till morning at yonder
house."
The old negro ung up his hands in horror
$50 hebben's. sakes, NASSAU, dom yo' do
ftp he cried. dat place is hahntedi Oar
am spooks darl OATS why it am left to
ruin"
was curious at once, and I induced the
darby to force his way through the hedge,
after which he told me an interesting story
Of the deserted house.
At the beginning Of the war the beauti-
full mansion was the home of wealthy but
eccentric man named Morel st. Vrain. He
was the father of two beautiful daughters,
twins, one blond, the other brunette.
The blond was named Celia, the brunette
Hester. But for the difference in their COM
plexions it would have been almost i'm
possible to distinguish one from the other
One remarkable thing was that both had
dark eyes, and this made Celia rather the
more fascinating Of the two, for her eyes
and fair hair and pink whiteskin contrasted
in dazzling manner.
Twenty miles away lived Robert Stan
hope. planters son, dashing young man,
who paid great deal of attention to the
twins, although it was impossible to say
which one he preferred at first. Both the
young ladies admired Stanhope, and there
was quiet rivalry between them for his
favors.
The outbreak Of the war seemed to bring
the nlanter,s son tn q. decision for he coyno
to Hester and asked her to hacor,a BIC Yyifo
when he returned from the army If he ever
came hack. She promised and he n1aced a
handsome ring ~, bar finoar 70 soo1 az
pledge
Stanhone volnntaered in tha Confedarote
army while Moral 81 vrair Ioval 70 Az
Union. enlisted with tba Fadarala ,yo,, q
commiss,on and ,oet bis Iifa 81 Miss;o,,a,s,
Ridge All THROUGH the war Stanho1,a 70.
ceived letters from his promised bride and
onca he visited her on furlouoh The +ruo
Girls were verv lonely in the oid bo,,sa NJ
make their situation mora 1,nnl MI ' +hau
sometimes ouarralsd ovar stonbo,aa r LIS.
accusinc her sister Of secnrino . IL 1S,,no
mans affactions in treacha,o,,s -, a,,,,a .s
She even refused to see Stanhone.vvbar he
visited He fer -
When fine war was over tho no,,ne sol
der made ali haste to reach the heas,+if,,1
home in the on;at little yaI1av n ea,.ra
Hester mourning the death of her s;s+ .e.1
who. she said. had been dead and h,r;ad
two weeks The little valley was 60 d.
serted that a faithful negro had made tba
coffin and ding the Grave none If Calais
old time friends being present AT, the finer.
al and interment 30
Az Hester was left unite alona IN +ha
world the rnarriaoe was NOT deIonod 81
long az IL otherwisa would have hea1, The
home in tbe valley was closed and ~
bride was taken to live IN tbe stanho,,a
nlantation Rnber,s father bav;,,e- ,.- ~.
ished in the war -
n was NOT lone, before tbers ,,,o,.a .+,a.
s,or;as sat in c;rc,1lation coroe,.o;.n. " ~
abandonod bora r. woo soid ~ 49,
,uas haunted INV tba Ghost ~ Gil g.
Vra;n and tha co,.rtrg -oon1a .s ur01, Nv.
tho s,,nerstitiors naoroos sl,,n,,a1 ~ ~ a.
calitv Crab, a1ly 4Se ~ ba,,sa ~ 10 49, ~
to show signs Of decay ~ -'0''o 100 oee un
Robert Stanbona had not uvod honr;,v
with his vito Who bea obannad falla
LAUGHING vivsc;ons oir1 to . sa5 and u ,,a1, a
ons woman in whose dsrb oras t H. ai1r
ever a look ~ faar and dreod ~ -. 80 was
drink and the old neerro told. ne ~ ~ "
died q few weeks before NV sdvant IN 1 tha
valIav '-' -. VIC
Having hoard this story uos oil tho
more determined to spend the night in the tl,e