Middletown transcript., 1896-06-13
HAUNTED BY A RAT.
The Ghostly Rodent Scared All the Other
Rats and Mice AWAY

UNONtCG OF n nall
The Ghostly Rodent Scared All the Otlher
| Rats and Mice Away.
II learned something new about
ghosts and haunted houses the last
time l. was down east,' said the
newly arrived travelling man to the
group of friends gathered round
him.
Years ago this house I speak of
was occupied by o family of three.
First there was the father, a moody
man of about 80 years, who could
see no pleasure in life since his wife
had died. He had pretty daughter,
who felt the restraint put upon her
by the stern father. The third mem-
Der of the family was an old serv.
ant, who had been SO long employed
In the house that she thought she
was boss Of everything, including
the girl.
"The young girl fell in love with
a handsome young fellow in her fa-
theirs employ. The old man was en-
gagged in the East India trade. He
often sent the lad to the house on er-
rands, with the result that he and
the girl got well acquainted. The old
servant, with eyes and ears always
open, soon suspected something was
in the wind, and finally she manag-
ed to find out that the two thought
a great deal of each other. She went
with great elation to the father and
told him what she had learned. That
was the end Of the happy days of the
young couple. A couple of days aft
or the young clerk was sent down to-
the harbor to deliver papers to the.
skipper Of vessel which was lying3
in wait for favorable wind and tide. !
He was enticed below matches and
kept there for awhile. His bitter
protests were of no avail. The cap
tain had received the orders from
his employer, and he carried them
out. By the time the young fellow
was allowed to go on deck the ship
was out of sight of land, bound for
the west coast of Africa. The young
girl ran away from home and was
never seen again in those parts. As
for the young man, he died soon aft
er the vessel touched the African
shore
"But to return to my story. The
old man gave up business and lived
the life Of reoluse. He brooded
over his troubles till he grew to bea
skeleton. One day the old servant
found her master lying dead on the
floor of his daughters room. The
blood had ceased flowing from the
terrible wound in his neck, caused
by the razor still clutohed in his
stiffened fingers. The old servant
told the story afterward, that while
she gazed in horror she saw some-
Thing of light, airy nature begin
% take form upon the dead mans
breast. AS she stared there she saw
it take the semblanoe of a big gray
rat. Those she told the story to look -
ID upon it as simply the croaking of
IN aged imbeoile. But there were
some who changed their minds
hortly afterward, for the watchers
" the body claimed that they saw
he specter of gray rat hopping
bout upon the lid of the coffin. Un-
the rat did not go with
he coffin. If 1t had, that house
night be pleasant home for some
ne now. But the ghost rat some.
low or other came to the conclusion
hat it would be good thing to
tay, and it did. So the house is va
ant now. Many different families
ave occupied it since the old man
illed himself, but the rat proved
% much for all of them. It was an
npossibility to get rid of the ghost
? intruder. Neither dogs DOR cats
ared to run up against it. The best
alters that could be obtained were
fraid of it and always kept at re-
3ectable distance. Sticks, stones,
atirons, hammers, axes. hatohets,
ovo covers and various other handy
.ticles were sent in the direction of
10 creature. Oftentimes they would
lem to hit the mark, but the rat
ould keep moving leisurely along
J If nothing had happened. At first
,w tenants would rather enjoy the
'ort, but 1t got too monotonous and
eepy after awhile, and the invaria-
Q end of it oil in each case was that
le family would move out.
There was but one redeeming
ature to his ratship-all other rats
ID mice kept out of sight. There
sro many of both in the house un-
the old man died, but they were
'ver seen afterward. Buffalo Ex-
ess.
Boys Know Their Seasons.
L A