The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-08-27
O RENT FREE.

sion in the most aristocratic neighbor-
hood of the aristocratic city of Wash
ington, and inasmuch as 1t was offered
rent free for m year to any one who
would agree TO occupy it for that time
/ did not hesitate long in making no
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 1t had the name Of be-
ing haunted, and that the owner had
been SO unfortunate as Il procure i'm
succession a number Of tenants, ali Of
whom were superstitious and all of
whom straightway moved out.
Twas pleased with the frankness or the
agent until / afterward learned that
the owner had come to the same conolu-
sion o dozen years before, and that the
only tenant he had secured since then.
q young bachelor like myself, had been
found dead ON the drawing room floor
the morning after the first nights oc-
cupancy. The police had been told To no
there and look for him by the servant,
who had fed from the house when the
ghost first put In it's appearance. The
coroner's verdict was, 'tDied from heart
failure" I ann mot superstitious, nor
ann ] even nervous, and 30 lie was but q
few days before I moved into the haunt
cd house, but In that time I had nearly
lost Nose, my old colored servant and
standby, who had been the one thing
left mi after the settling mp Of my IA
TIERS estate. My father had bought
him years before mp nc Fairfax Court
house, and he tried to buy his sister,
Gala Lilly, who wa equally black, but
she was sold to o higher bidder from
Alexandria After the war she went to
live in Washington with Mrs. Lee Mel
son, whom she called one OF her
"chil'un. Mrs. Lee Nelson lived at
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 Mosel After all he had heard of
the ghosts that had been seen there I
can scarcely blame him for hts unwill-
ingness to live with me i'm my free
quarters, and I do not wonder that /
found him hard to persuade and finally
r~eassure, as ! eventually did.
The day after the furniture had been
put In Nose and / were hanging nic-
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 Of all we were
curious about the great red stain on she
floor In front OF the mantel In the front
drawing room. 1t wa during this time
that Nose was telling me what LILLY
dun tole'' him.
"Mahsas Lilly she say dat we INNS
gwine be skeered so bad dat our keef
gwine shake outen q head. Lilly me
say dat she reckuns she knows all boat
dis yer house, Gus she know'd de Young
gen'man what commit do sooaide wer,
Gu he war engaged to her young MfAkns
Charlitt, what married her Couain
Richa'd Moncure. Miss Charlittas
nanny she insists she doan' marry no
northern man, but must marry quality
people, and dat's how de trouble hit all
come erbout
prince Cholly, dat's what dey all
ust to call him, Gus he war 10 sprit'ly
in his mammals he ust to. lib yer long
befo' de wah, and he ust to come down
to Alexandry TO cot Miss Charlitt all
de time. And Lilly she say she CANT
hope but think dat he was quality, even
eft he war q northe'nah. Lilly q he
war q pow full pretty man, and dat Miss
Charlitt cert'nly sot q heap of sto' by
him. De pres'dant what war de pres-
dant befo' Mistah Lincoln war de pres'-
dant he dun sent Prince Cholly's pappy
away to England to be q 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 he come pow ful clost to
libbin down to Alexandry, and Miss
Charlitt she jest as smilin al o 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 go to
England and join his pappy and NANNY
TO- de summah, and he AK Miss Charlitt
ct she won't get married to him then,
'sted of wait'n nutha yeah. He want
her to go long with him on q honey
moon and s'prize his folks. Miss Char
lit she mighty glad to do this, Gus her
nanny dun tryin all de 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 indly Prince Cholly he have TO 40
way by hisself, and Lilly say she dun
had de mixry in her side TO- o week, Gus
he look 30 moanful when he say goodby
10 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 I'm de moonlight by
de lilac hedge, and den bymby Prince
Cholly he let 60 his holt Of her and
mahch or down de street, Miss Charlitt
she standin lookin aftah him tell he ont
Of sight
Lilly she say she CANT remembah
even seein Miss Charlitt smile gain
aftah dat day. All de trouble came den.
TO- dc next mo'nin yer come Mistah
Moncure. and he Try right way to make
Mssa rhnrlfxk rnarrv him ana Msua