Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-05-10

| wrought ina ginations or something
which would in tins explain itself
naturally.
AT breakfast my cousin related my
experience to the family. We dis
cussed the matter very seriously. That
same day 10Y cousins wife heard low
cries Of distress in one of the vacant
bedrooms. Summoned by her, we
went into the room Immediately, but
found no one. On the night of that
day | was again awakened from nv
sleep by the appearance at my bed
side Of this same little woman, as 81
lent and pathetic as ever.
ION the following day the cries of
distress We're again heard in the va
cant bedroom, but no clew to them
could be discovered. OF course the
whole household was aroused and ex-
cited, and there was little rest for any
| of US. Had it not been for the ardent
feeling Of my cousin concerning the
old family house nothing could have
| held US there a day longer. Appreci-
ating his pride in this matter. we
| determined to wait awhile, and with
| the assistance Of skilled detectives see
| if the mystery could be solved.
"A week passed. Detectives came
and went, but they discovered nothing.
In the meantime, however, the little
brown woman appeared twice to me in
my room and as often to my cousins
wife. When we called Or rang for
some one, she disappeared as suddenly
and as mysteriously as she had come.
Il can give you no idea of the sensa-
ton she produced upon those who
saw her. Above everything we saw at
the time and recalled afterward those
pathetic eyes Of hers, looking beseech-
ingly into ours. Whoever she was, she
was a woman of deep sorrow, and in
some way, We all felt, she represent
ed some terrible tragedy or undying
grief.
"One evening at the end of a week
Mr.. Graves, young detective, called
and asked to see the family. He was
shown into the library, and drawing
a package Of papers from his pocket
information which he had obtained.
Somewhere in New York, it seems, is
kept record Of all the old houses in
the city. This enterprising young de-
tectiye, baffied by his investigations
at the house, was convinced from
what he had learned that the affair
Iartook of the supernatural; conse-
quently he had gone into these records
and hunted out that of this old family
house in Blocker street. What he
told us contained the only explanation
OF the little brown woman which we
have ever had, and as my cousin gave
up the house Immediately none of us
has ever seen her since"
What was itY asked in a whisper
the group of women.
After this house had passed from
my Cousins family" continued Miss
Blunt sit was occupied for some
years, it seems, by M. Grovoche, 4
French wine merchant He lived alone
in Blocker street with his servants
and was supposed to have amaSSed a
large fortune. When some years had
gone by in this way, he suddenly dis
appeared, and for many years no ex-
PLANTATION could be discovered. His
mother, a peasant woman from the
Gironde, came to this country in the
hope of finding him. She spent the
remaining years of her life in the
search, and the devotion and energy
with which she pursued her purpose
made her at one time a familiar figure
to the police Of New York, and es-
pecially to the people in Blocker
street, where she was frequently to
be seen. The poor woman died with
out obtaining any clew to the fate
of her son, and soon the whole matter
was lost sight Of by those who had
taken an interest in her. A few years
after her death man died in New
Jersey who left a confession to the
effect that the house of M. GrovOche
in Blocker street had been entered
by him one night with the intent to
rob; that M. Grovoche had discovered
him concealed in his bedroom and
had attacked him; that forthwith he
returned the attack and murdered M.
Grovoche by thrust in the side with
a dagger He knew the house very
we'll, for in planning the robbery he
had been familiarizing himself solne
months with it. He dragged the dead
body below to a cellar, which he knew
contained a drainage well, into which
he dropped it. He then made his es-
cape noiselessly, leaving the treasures
Of the house untouched. When search
was made for the body, which was
said to be buried in the well, it was
readily discovered and identified and
identified as that of M. Grovoche by
a silver chain and crucifiX which still
hung about the skeletons neck. From
that time until my cousin bought and
refitted the house it had remained
vacant, and an air of mystery had
clung about it. I have no doubt, I'M
less has been pulled down to make
way for stores or warehouses, it is
vacant today and pointed at as place
where a crime was enacted"
AS Miss Blunt finished her story
a very handsome and stately lady
entered the room. She threw off her
wrap and drew near the attentive
group. AS she did so blond young
girl rose from her seat and said to
her in a husky voice:
Mother, will you tell these ladies
what you saw in your room yester-
day?'
..Ob vaS exclaimed tho Iadv