The herald., 1894-10-11
FOR RENT FREE.

IL WIS al i@llSUOCFdtlC lOOkIIB IIls.u-
sion in the most aristocratic neighbor.
hood Of the aristocratio city of Wash
ington, and inasmuch as it was offered
rent free for one year to any one who
would agree to occupy it for that time
did not hesitate long in making up
my mind to take it. Upon inquiring the
reason why the place was offered for
rent on such easy terms the agent in
formed me that it had the name Of be-
ing haunted, and that the owner had
been go unfortunate as to procure in
succession a humber Of tenants all Of
whom were superstitious and all Of
whom straightvay moved out.
Twas pleased with the frankness Of the
agent until l afterward learned that
the owner had come to the same conolu-
sion dozen years before, and that the
only tenant he had secured since then,
young bachelor like myself, had been
found dead on the drawing room floor
the morning after the first nights oo-
cupancy. The police had been told to so
there and look for him by the servant,
who had fed from the house when the
ghost first put in its appearance. The
coroner verdict was, ''Died from heart
failure - l am not superstitious nor
am even nervous, and so it was but
few days before moved into the haunt
ed house, but in that time / had nearly
lost Nose, my old colored servant and
standby, who had been the one thing
Feft me after the settling up Of my fa-
ker's estate. My father had bought
IN years before up at Fairfax Court
E)use, and he tried to buy his sister,
8alla Lilly, who was equally black, but
ie was sold to a higher bidder from
alexandria. After the war she went to
8ive in Washington with Mrs. Lee Mel
&on, whom she called one of her
9'chil il'un. " Mrs Lee Nelson lived at
s1705, directly across the street from my
free mansion, and thus Nose learned all
fabout the ska 'nts over to yondah house
whar you Sc gwine to live at.
Poor Mosel After all he had heard of
the ghosts that had been seen there
can scarcely blame him for his unwill-
ingness to live with me in my free
quarters, and l do not wonder that /
found him hard to persuade and finally
Ireassure, as l eventually did.
= The day after the furniture had been
put in Nose and l were hanging pic
tures, unpaclnng the library and at the
same time investigating things, looking
to see where this door went to and that
\ ncise came from. Most of all we were
Ncurious aIoont the grsist rcd stain ON the
floor il front of tho mantel in the front
drawing room. It WIS during this time
that Nose was telling ne what Lilly
dun tole'' him.
'fMahsa4, Lilly she say dat we uns
gwine be skeered SO bad dat our teef
gwine shake outen our head. Lilly she
say dat she reckuns she knows all bout
dis yer honse, Gus she EnoW'd de young
gen man what commit do sooside yer,
Gu he WAL engaged to her young Mistus
Charlitt, what married her cousin
Richa'd Moncure. Miss Charlitt's
NANNY she insists she doan' marry 10
porthe'n man, but must marry quality
people, and dat's how de trouble hit all
come erbont.
'Prince Cholly, dat's what dey all
nst to call him, Gus he war so sprit'ly
in his mammals, he ust to lib yer long
befo' de wah, and he ust to come down
to AlexandIy to cot Miss Charlitt all
dc time. And Lilly she say she CANT
hope but think dat he was quail 'ty, even
ef he war q northe'nah. Lilly say ho
war pow w'fui pretty man, and dat Miss
Charlitt cert'nly sot heap of sto' by
him. DE pres 'dant what war de pres'-
dant befo' Misaah Lincoln war de pres
dant he dun sent Prince Cholly's pappy
away to England to be o minstah, and
he take Prince Cholly's nanny along
with him. Prince Cholly, he tell his
pappy he come in de spring. Lilly she
say dat wintah ne come pow full clost to
1ibbin down to Alexandry, and Miss
Charlitt she Jest as smilin as basket
of chips on a frosty mo'nin.
"When all de chairry trees and ev-
erythin was bloss'min, Prince Cholly
he tells Miss Charlitt he got to so to
, England and join his pappy and nanny
TO- do summah, and he ak Miss Charlitt
ef she won't get married to him then,
'sted Of wait'n nutha yeah. He want
her to go 'long with him on honey
moon and s'prize his folks. Miss Char
lit she mighty glad to do this, Gus her
nanny dun tryin all dc time to get her
to marry Mistah Moncure. Lilly say
her nanny jest put her feet down
p'intidly and fused to let Miss Charlitt
get married den, Gus she ain ole nuff,
and fndly Prince Cholly he have to go
way by hisseif, and Lilly say she dun
had de mizry in her side fo' week, Gus
he look so moanful when he say goodby
to Miss Charlitt in de gyrden. Lilly say
dat she and all the house niggahs was
peepin, and dey could see Prince Cholly
and Miss Charlitt in do moonlight by
de lilac hedge, and den bymby Prince
Cholly he let go his holt of her and
mahch off down de street, Miss Charltt
she standin lookin aftah him tell he out
of sight.
LILLY she say she oain't reme,nbah
ever seein Miss Charlitt smile gain
aftah dat day. All de trouble came den,
TO- de next mo'nin yer come Mistah
Moncure, and he try right way to mako
Miss Oharlitt marry him, and Miss
tCharlitt's NANNY she hope him all she
Enow'd hoM. Miss Charlitt sho
wouldn't 'loy him to cot her at all,
doh, and she tell him ef he don't go
way she'd s'pize him. Mistah Moncure
he stay right thar, doh, all de time, and
do Lawd only lsnoWs how dey do hit,
but in August hs and Miss Charlitt's
lnamny dun make her marry him. Miss