The Portland daily press., 1895-04-18
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.

northern town OF some importance as
manufacturing center, there stood few
years ago a house of considerable size
which was commonly said to be haunted.
The last tenant and owner was Squire
Dudley, to whom also belonged many
broad acres in the district. At the age of
40 he married a girl of II. Incompatible
ty of temper, it was said, led to frequent
misunderstanding and quarrelings, and
angry voices and sometimes screams were
heard proceeding from the dwelling Two
sons were born to the couple. The elder,
soon after attaining his majority, went
abroad to seek his fortune Disagreelnents
with his father and an inclination for a
roaming life led to his decision. The
younger turned out good for nothing
scapegrace.
Having made serious inroads into his
fathers resources and having rendered
himself liable to penal servitude by en-
bezzlement and forgery, he fled the neigh
borhood and country. Then everything in
that household went swiftly to rack and
ruin, and one winter, about Christmas
time, Squire Dudley and his wife mystic
riously disappeared. After a brief inter
val the creditors took possession, stripped
the house of its contents, leaving only
little lumber, and from that day to the
time of which write rats, spiders and re-
puted ghosts were it's only occupants. Ac-
cording to common report, no human foot
crossed it's threshold for at least ten years.
The gossip of the neighborhood teemed
with accounts of the awful sounds that
had been heard issuing from the building
Groans, shrieks and piteous walls unlike
any that had ever come from human lips
broke upon the midnight darkness. The
bell, which seemed to sob and moan, had
scared many traveller into rapid fight.
Such was the story narrated to little
convivial party, in which I was included,
seated around thesmoking room fire of the
Crown hotel, Hollerton, on Dec 90, IS.
The party consisted of two London COM
meroials both of them friends of mine; a
rich grocer, who related the story; the lead
ing draper of the town and mysef-Tom
Smith.
The grocer thoroughly believed in the
spiritual manifestations as he termed
the doing of the ghost. The other men
were slightly skeptical. AS for myself,
utterly and emphatically poohpoohed ev-
erything attributed to the ghost.
NWell, " said the grocer, with warmth.
"Ah wouldn' t spend a neeght in that haw
some place for a thousand pump
He had been decidedly nettled at the ridi-
cule had thrown on the absurd alarms of
the people and now leaned forward in my
direction, and, with his hands firmly
grasping his knees, said: "Noo, Master
Smith, and what "a you got to say? What's
your figure, COON noo?'
''I am prepared, - answered, much to
the grocer's CONSERVATION, E'to spend to-
morrow night-Christmas eve-in that
house alone, on condition that you and the
other gentlemen guarantee that the sum of
9100 be paid me on Christmas day"
1t is needless to detail the discussion
that ensued At last document was
drawn up and signed by all present to
the effect Shat I was to receive the sum
named on carrying out my part of the
agreement, 1 bargaAad for a chair, bed
stead, bedding and blankets, parcel Of
sandwiches and flask of whisky.
arranged the bedstead in the corner of
my chamber, and, with the aid of the piece
of skirting board and two heaps of plaster
made rough stand on which to place the
candlestick.
I wet my lips with the contents of
the flask, made myself comfortable on tho
oS0t
tonic 1 know for low spirits Pickwick. -
After two or three hours reading / felt
drowsy, ate sandwich, resorted to the
flask and went off into a troubled slumber.
I awoke in fright. A moaning and
wailing greeted my ears. 1t came during
lull in the wind and sent trelnoi
through my blood.
A stray rat scudded across the floor and
H. 1,O1o
hoped deyoutly he was not a scout sent
from headquarters to reconnoiter.
Like a timid schoolgirl pulled the blan
kets over my head and tried to woo repose.
The wind increased to fitful gale. 1t
came in sudden, terrific blasts, lashing the
back of the house, shaking the foundation,
Kissing and groaning through gaping holes
and thousand crevices. Once or twice
the house seemed to rock, and plaster fell
to the floor with a thud. I began to fear
that tie whole crazy fabric would collapse,
and would be buried in the ruins. Yet
felt 1 dare not leave that room, even to
save my life.
looked at my watch. 1t was nearly IL.
Just as I took up my ''Pickwick" again
the bell rang out three sonorous, dismal
strokes. Each stroke seemed groan of
anguish. Was this my deathknel? Was
something awful about to happen to meP
Again that weird, mufded, unearthly
wailing. Was there actually some lost,
wandering spirit escaped from purgatory
inhabiting the house? ] listened for many
minutes, and then above the bowling
wind o sound reverberated through the
house which I shall never forget. 1t was
like the piteous expiring cry OF some poor
soul in direst agony. 1t was no blast of
wind or knell from the bell above nor glib
behring's and mutterings of ghosts and COB
Inns. 1t was human.
My blood ran cold. My teeth chartered.
trembled from head to foot. A PRESENT.
ment of an approaching encounter with a
creature of appalling aspect unnoryed me.
1t was now 2 o'clock. Six hours more
of this horrible susFensel
There was noise Of footsteps overhead,
followed, by an outcry like dog t,aying at
the moon. The wind at intervals still
lashed AGAINST the house. and at averv ,r11st