The times., 1897-09-05
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Cause it stood on land purchased by
syndicate for the coal which had been
discovered there. The purchase took in
800 acres OF land, and that included a
two-story brick farmhouse and out-build-
ings. As secretary OF the company, gave
the house d looking over before we closed
t.iat deal 1t was an old house, so far as
years went, in good repair and IL was de-
cided chat tie superintendent of the mine
should occupy IL with his family. The
house had not been occupie lor three or
four years. the widow who owned it and OF
whom we bought, living several hundred
miles away. 1t gives one a lonesome feel
ing to 90 over house which has stood
tenaDtltss for years, and though all the
rooms in this house were full OF sunst ne.
Thought had never been through more
lonely building Itneeded paint ana paper,
as ycu would naturally suppose, but it
wasn't this which pre1udiced me.
couldn't nave really defined my prejudice
nor given any reasonable explanation. tut
when / left the house felt that there was
something uncanny about it,
| sent four men down from the city 20
paint and paper, and as tie place was
tl4itC iIOill tDt ntdltSt NltSEP, a
stove, bctlding. and other furniture were
sent with the orkmen, that they might
cook their own meals aud pass The night
there l went down on th= secon day Jf
their stay tc. look after other matters, and
had only got out of my buggy when the
men announced that they were going back
to town Their excuses We're vague and
unsatisfactory, but / finally pinned them
81
queer When asked TO define this term
they all agreed that certain strange noises
tad kept them awake most of tine night.
The season was May, and some OF the
windows had been left open The noises.
they said. consisted of walls and groans,
with the sound of footsteps crossing the
floor. laid it TO cat proving about,
and argued with them SO succe ssfuily that
they finally agreed TO try 1t another night.
II was ridiculous that four grown men
should let queer noises'' frIghten them
off, and before / left The place / had them
very much assumed of themselves l was
To he dofrn again next day, and 10 my
surprise and Indignation I met the men at
the railroad station. We Were in d hurry
10 complete the renovation, and l went
for them pretty hot about leaving the job.
The oldest and most inteIlig mt man of tine
tour acted as spokes man for the rest, and
humbly swallowing the dose l gave hini,
he replied:
! have got as much courage as the aver
age man. but tell you that there is some
tliins queer about that house something
SO queer that l would lot pass another
night there for $500 in cash. Ycu may
ridicule and laugh, but do you think al
four of US would throw up that Job unless
we had heard things TO upset us? There's
been murder done in that house and there's
hoodoo on it. II gives one u creepy
feeling 10 enter any OF the rooms in broad
daylight
] was vexed with the men for leaving
their work, and spoke harshlys and at this
they retorted that if I would remain in tn.
house alone that night they would return
in the taornIng and work week without
pay. This led TO more angry tiiscussioh
aud 1t length / told them that had made
up my mind TO stop for the night. None
OF them offered u keep me company, ncr
did | want their companionship / left
then, at tie village, warning them not 10
gossip and make fools of themselves, anu
drove over to the mine and the house.
went all Though the building from
cellar to garret, Ia wing no hopes of making
any discoveries. and certa inly making none,
and finally Iuat lie up III mind that the gang
of Iaen in the sbanty halfa mile away had
been responsible for he alarms. There were
ten OF these men. and they Were clearing
off the land, and as they We're a rollick-
ing set. they might have felt like play
ing joke ON the men in the house.
spoke 10 the foreman about it, but lie as
sured me that none of the men had left the
shanty after dark. / did not tell him that
l proposed to pass the night in the house
and was sure that none of the gang had any
idea Of my intention. l was about the
place all day, having plenty to do, and half
an honr before sunset drove away if for
the village. At farm house half a mile
away got supper and left the horse and
buggy, and it was dark when got back to
the IS yn dicate House There Were
two lamps and three or four candles, and
as soon as had shutdown the windows AMI
closed the blinds lightedOp and went owe.
the house again. taking care to look into
every corner and make sure that no one
was in hiding.
l frankly confess to you that had no
more than secured myself in the house
than 1 began to wish had com-
penion. l had no weapons, and was
surprised and irritated to find myself
in a nervous condition The cellar was
the length and width of the house, and
without partition, while the garret
was the same On the first floor was a
parlor, sitting room, dining room and
q pantry off the Kitchen The cham
ber floor contained three bedrooms,
with a closet for each, and on the lower
floor was d hall running almost the
length of the house The workmen
had papered one room and partly painted
two Others. After going through the house
took u seat in the kitchen. and ex
tinguished all the lights save a single
lamp The workmen had left couple of
novels on the table, and l began read
ing, and thus put in the time until IL
O'Clock, but even DIS read / had ner-
vous, uneasy feeling 1t WASH t fear,
but it ate at my nerves until ! finally
threw down the book and opened the back
| door and passed out. 1t was still,
| quiet night, inoouless, but not 50 very
dark, and as / smoked a cigar | heard
| several wagons pass along the highway
/ remained outdoors about quarter of
an hour and then re-entered the kitchen
to finish the book.
AsI opened the door found the room
| il darkness. 1 had left a bright light
on the table, and there was not draught
| enough TO flare candle. / stood for a
moment undecided, having no feeling
| bnt surprise, and of a sudden l heard
| soft footsteps retreating into the sitting
| room. 1t was the echo of slippered feet,
| or of one walking on tip-toe, and l traced
| feet. My first thought was to step
outside and close the door after me