The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-19
THE DANCING sPOOKs
AN OLD FlDDLERS STORY OF HIS
STRANGE EXPERIENCE.

Guests ut tho G.. House Ball Tnlkcd Only
Of Things Tint Happened Before the
War-Dates ON the Musicians Notebook
and the Tombstones Correspondent.
Speaking of superstition, said An
drew Brass rs he sat in his easy chair,
"roininds me of an experience had on
wintry night few years ago. No,
am not superstitious. but my experience
of that night hos impressed mo ever
since Bong violinist l was aocus-
toned to play for all the dances that
took place In tho neighborhood in which
I lived One day received note re-
Questing my services ut q dance to be
held on that night ut the @. House, near
the site of IN old distillory. The note
was signed by Your Friends The G.
House was III old log structure and
stood along lonely lane leading from
the high road to the distillery and ut
the border of a dense forest 1t had not
been occupied since the distillory had
been torn down some II years before,
but as tho boys had been accustomed to
holding their dances In vacant houses
on several occasions l thought no moro
OF 1t, and when evening came started
for the q. House A walk of about an
hour brought INC in sight of it l saw
the windows brilliantly lighted On
came from within The night being
cold, good fro was burning III the old
fashioned fireplace A song had been i'll
progress and just ended us l entered the
door l threw off my overcoat and hat,
which were taken by a young lady whom
l did not know. seated myself noar the
fire az the set for the dance were taking
their places on the floor After having
warmed l took out my violin, and while
tuning looked around, and to my sur
prise those present We're all strangers to
me This puzzled me very much, and in
no way could account for it, but did
not even venture to ask for an explana-
ton from any of them.
After couple of hours dancing,
Waiting, etc, the party was invited to
an adjoining room for lunch, myself in
Guided l must confess the viands were
the most delicious ever tasted Vari-
GUS fruits and wines were served in
abundance The walters were obliging
and attentive l had a good opportunity
to Wow my companions as they sat down
to dine They wero fine looking young
men and pretty young women. They
seemed to be very kind, but reserved in
their attentions to each other. What
struck mo Us very strange was that their
general conversation was about events
of 1nt In. L.
won as though it was IN wartime One
would wager that Lee would surrender;
another would doubt 1t, as Sherman was
ooopod up i'll the south Lunch over,
we repaired to the dancing ROOM l felt
much refreshed, and when I played for
the next qundrille it seemed that ren-
dcrcd better music than ever before. The
dancers went through the figures with
the precision of machinery. After four
or five sets had been danced, one young
follow announced that q collection would
be taken up for me for my services us
musician which is customary, and asked
mo for my daybool1, which I handed
him All of tho party signed their names
and amounts given, also date opposite
each name, no two dates being the same,
but all antedating the time of the dance
This noticed when the money and book
were handed to me, the money being in
fractional currency, the same as was in
circulation after the war. OF course
these circumstances all put together nlys-
tilted me greatly, but L said nothing
Il looked Mt my watch. 1t was -
minutes of midnight. and all were pre-
pairing TO depart The fire burned low,
the candles i'll the brass candlesticks be-
gan to flicker, and as the hands of my
watch pointed to IL the lights, both fire
and candles, suddenly went out. was
i'll total darkness. Not one of that party
was to be seen or heard. Imadc my way
to the door. a heavy snow had fallen.
Not footprint Of any footstep could he
seen. | made for the lane with as much
speed us the deep snow would permit.
and in an hour | was home bordering
the events of the night.
II resolved next morning to further
Investigate the mysteries of the g.
House After leaving the highroad
found my homcward tracks still show
ing i'll the snow along the lane to the c.
House l now saw that it was an old
tumbledown rookcry occupied by flock
of sheep. Presently saw Farmer Freed
coming down the lane with q sack of
feed for his sheep. l explained to him
my night adventure He only shook his
head and smiled, as though my story
deserved no credcnce- produced the
money and my notebook in evidence
Why, he said. what i'll the world does
this mean? l knew all of these people,
but they have been dead for years Come