Omaha daily bee., 1896-08-23
A TRUE GHOST STORY

BY L. w. 5.


NllAltU lNI I III lte4 "a
Cold, cold blew the wind one winter
night, and fast fell the snow. but what
cared the merry party gathered around the
blazing fire in the old oak dining room at
Ardly.
AS the fierce gusts swept by, rafting
the windows with their icy fingers, grand.
papa remarked: "How thankful we should
be, children, to be so safely sheltered to-
night. And now. what shall We do Z \
amuso ourselves-games or stories? Char
lie can choose
The old mans eyes rested lovingly on a
fine boy of 8 or 10 who nestled at his side.
"Oh. grandpapa. let us have a ghost
story" exclaimed Charlie: this is just the
night for one" and. as all seemed agreed,
the old man began:
at is now many, many years since I
was visiting in the county Tyrone, ireland,
with my friends. the st. Glars. One morn
ing at the breakfast table Henry st. Clair
remarked that he had heard a strange story
the day before. DO you remember said
he to his father, the old manor house
purchased last year by Colonel Eversham?
Yes. | remember it well. The colonel
has two daughters-the youngest as lovely
a girl as | have ever seem
Well continued Henry, you will BIO
sorry to hear that she is dead. Last year,
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were left 1000 each on the death of their
grandmother. Poor Marie did not long en-
joy her good fortune. While out riding
not long ago she was thrown from her
horse and almost instantly killed. You may |
imagine what a blow 1t was to her parents. |
Her father seemed quite heartbroken when
| met him shortly after. and. as IL to make |
matters worse, rumor has 1t her ghost can
not rest easy in the grave unless her for
tune is given to her sister Elise. Strange
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of night. Boxes are moved and the ghost
is heard to walk from room to room. Not !
a servant will stay in the house at night. =
The family does not know what to dc. /
The colonel says he is afraid he will have
to sell out, and he cannot bear to do that. /
He sat up two or three nights, but the 7
ghost could not be heard while he was
there. 1t seemed to have taken those nights
to rest
DO you really believe in ghosts said /,
speaking for the first time.
" 4 can't say that | do said he, but
there is something very strange about all
this, and l hardly know what to say. I only
wish 7 could help the colonel in any way
and l would do it,
well said 1. III tell you what we
can do. | don't believe in ghosts, so If you
will help me l think we can manage to-
lay this one. What | want you to do is
to get Colonel Eversham's permission TOT
the house after dark. No one else
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are to retire at their usual hour
Done said Henry; 4 will speah
to him this very day. Why, there he is
passing this moment and dashing out of
the house he was just in time to hail a
looking old gentleman, mounted ON a
splendid gray horse. In a few minutes
he returned in great glee, saying 1t is all
The servants will all go away for@
the night and the family will retire at the
usual hour. No one but the colonel know
inc ANYTHING of pur intended visit and theM
dining room window will be left open for
our entrance
" Splendid said /; Now we will have
a chance to cover ourselves with glory
about half past 10 O'Clock we set out for
the manor house. The night was dark and
noonless, so that we found 1t rather hard
work to steer our way through the thick
trees which surrounded the house. AT last
we came out on a broad path and saw in
front Of us an open window through which
shone a faint light. Entering as silently
as any professional burglar, we found our
selves in a large dining room. A bright fire
burned on the hearth and cast a cheerful
glow around. On the table were glasses,
and refreshments, so that we
ipent the time quite pleasantly till the clock
IN the mantel piece warned us that the
,hostly hour drew nigh. My plan was that
me of us should stay in the dining room
While the other would stand on the stairs in
he dark, down which the ghost was wont to
descend.
Which will you do said I to my
with a laugh. With a shrug of
shoulders he said he thought he had
better wait in the diling room, ready to
BRING a light If | required it. Very Well
|. Taking off my boots ! went quietly
Two or three steps up the stairs
took my stand, one hand grasping the
'ailing and the other resting against the
wall so that nothing could slip by with
Jut my knowledge. All was still as death
md | startled as midnight chimed out
rom the clock which stood at the head OF
he stairway, All was still again and re-
NAMED so for some time and | began to
ear the ghost would not put in an APP
II was chilly, too, in the cold
md l heard a far away rustic. ! did not
oelievo in ghosts, but certainly something
vas coming ] could hear a noise as OF
Ieayy boxes being moved down the
lall above; / felt something was coming
nd | could dimly see a tall, white figure
ut against the window above. A deep
roam seemed to fill the air as the spirit
anne onward, Down the stair it glided and
uddenly plump into my arms came some
hing. | grasped it tightly and in tho
truggle we both rolled to the foot of the
tairs. | called loudly for a light.
"'Oh! please, please, let me CO. whis-
erred a voice.
At this moment Henry appeared with a
light and what was his surprise to find
ny prisoner was Miss Elise, who had
bought in this way to get her sisters
money.
81 saw an agony of shame on her face.
he begged us not to let Is be known,
romising never 10 play the ghost again.
1--WE promised and II Is needless to say
he ghost was never heard again in Ever
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