The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1894-08-24

" agree to occupy it for that
time, / did not hesitate long in MAX
ing up my mind to take it. Upon in
uuiring the reason why the place was
offered for rent on such easy terms,
the agent inform ID me that it had the
name of being haunted, and that the
owner had been so unfortunate as to
procure in succession a number OF
tenants all Of whom were superStl-
tious, and all of whom Straightway
moved out.
It had thus come to pass that the
house had won Cor itself a reputation
which had driven its owner to despair.
He determined to have it occupied long
enough to live down the belief that 1t
was haunted, and he had, therefore,
concluded to offer it as before stated.
I was pleased with the frankness of
the agent, until I afterward learned
that the owner had come to the same
conclusion a dozen years before, and
that the only tenant he had secured
since then, young batchelor like my
self, had been found dead on the draw
ing room floor the morning after the
first nights occupancy. The police
had been told to go there and look for
him by the servant, who had fled
from the house when the ghost first
put in its appearance. The c..roner's S
verdict was, "Died by heart failure" +"
I am not superstitious, nor am I even
nervous, and SO it was but a few days
before I had moved into the haunted
house; but in that time I had nearly
lost Nose, my colored servant and
standby, who had been the one thing
left me after the settling up of my
fathers estate. My father had bought
him years before UP at Fairfax Court
house, and he tried to buy his sister.
Gala Lilly, who was equally black,
but she was sold to a higher bidder
from Alexandria. After the war she
went to live in Washington with Mrs.
Lee Nelson, whom she called one of
her "chillun." Mrs. Lee Nelson lived
at No. 1705, directly across the street
from my free mansion, and thus Nose
learned all about the ''ha'nts over to
yondah house whar you'se gwine to
live at"
Poor Nose; after all he had heard of
the ghosts that had been seen there,
I can scarcely blame him for his un-
willingness to live with me in my free
quarters, and 1 do not wonder that
found him hard to persuade and -fIIat-
ly reassure. as s-Feventually did.
The day after the furniture had been
PUT in Nose and I We're hanging pic
lures, unpacking the library, and AT
the same time investigating things,
looking to see where this door went to-
and that noise came from. Most o1
all we were curious about the great
red stain on the floor in front of the
mantel in the front drawing room. II
was during this time that Nose was
telling me what LILLY dun tole'' him
"Mahsa, Lilly she say dat we-uns
gwine be scared so bad dat our tee1
gwine shaken ou.en our haid Lilly
she say dat she reckuns she knows
all bout dis yer house, cuz he know q
de young genman what commit dc
sooside yer, cuz he war engaged to
her young Missus Charlitt. what mar
ried her cousin Ricna'd Moncure. Miss
Charlitt's NANNY she insists She doar
marry no northern man, but must
marry quality people, and da1's how
de trouble hit all come about.
prince Cholly, dat's what dey al
ust to call him, cuz he war so spri'tly
in his mammals, he ust to lib yer be.
TO- de wah, an he ust to come
down to Alexandry to coat Miss
Charhtt all de time. And Lilly she say
she cain't hope but think dat he was
quality, even eff he war a northeah
Lilly say he war a powerful pretty
man, and dat Miss Charlitt cert'nly
sot heap of sto' by him De pres.
dant what war de pres 'dant befo' Mis-
tab Lincoln war de pres dant, he dur
sent Prince Chodly's pappy away tt
England to be a ininiStah, and he take
Prince Cholly's nanny along with
him. Prince Cholly he tell mis- DADDY
he come in de spring. Lilly she say
dat all dat wintah he come pow'fu
clost to libbin down to Alexandry
and Miss Charlitt she jest as smilin
as basket of chips ON a frosty mon
ing. q
When all de chairry trees and
everything was bloss'min', Prince
Cholly he tells Miss Charlitt he got to
go to England an join his pappy and
nanny TO- de sumnah, an he ex Miss
Charlitt eff she won't get married to
him then, 'sted Of wait'n nuthah yeah.
He want her to go long with him on a
honeymoon and s'prise his folks. Miss
Charlitt she mighty glad to 10 this,
cuz her nanny dun ,tryin' all de time
to get her to marry Mistah Moncure.
Lilly say her nanny just put her
feet down p'intidly, an fused to let
Miss Charlitt get married den, cuz
she ain ole nuff, and findly Prince
Cholly he have to go way by hisself,
and Lilly say she dun have de mizry
In her side fo' week, cuz he look SO
moanful when he say goodbye to
Miss Charlitt in de garden. Lilly say
dat she an all de house niggahs was
peepin', an dey could see Prince
and Miss Charlitt in de moonlight by
de lilac hedge, and den by'mby Prince
Cholly he let go his holt of her, and
mahch off down de street, Miss Char
HIT she standin' lookin' aftah him tell
he out Of sight. Den she turn, and go
into de house.
LILLY she say she CANT remembah
ever seein' Miss Charlitt smile gain
.aftah dat day. All de trouble came
den, fo' de next mo'ning var come
Mistah Moncure, an he try right
way to make Miss Charlitt marry
him. and Miss Charlitt's nanny she
hope him all she know'd how. Miss
Charlitt she wouldn't low him to coat
her at all, SO, an she tell him, eff he
don't go way she 'spise him. Mistah
Moncure he stay right thar do all de
time; and de Lawd only know how
dey do hit, but in August he an Miss
Charlitt's nanny done make her
marry him. Miss Charlitt she declare
all de time she jest hate him; an Lilly
she say she did too, cuz she seed it
in Miss Charlitt's face, she look SO
ccntemptus like. Den dey move way,
down to Fredericksburg, an amt mo-