The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-12-31

OF retaining servants. but one night ABOUT
twelve O'Clock, nay mother. who had &c
tired sometime before. called me as /
passed her door, every one i'm the mouse
was asleep except MS. ana not sound
broke the stiffness save the louu llch'"s
o. the ball clock. an heirloom OF my great
grandfather's time, and hitting settlhs
for the wide hall and winding stair. In a
subdued tone she told me that for a long
time she had been hearing each night
about the same hour peculiar knocking;
that at frst she paid no attention to IT,,
not being supersttlous, but its constant
recurrence at a certain time was grad
ually telling on her nerves.
THREE SLOW TAPS
Even AS she spoke there came three
slow. distinct taps; there was 40 accom-
parving sound 10 form clue as 10 their
origin. and in the stiffness OF the hlsht u
v8s weird indeed; however beheNlhs
that all so-called ghostiy demonstrations
are due TO natural caus s. 4 uelelIiileu 20
Investigate tho matter ana for that ptf-
pose went TO my mothers room AGAIN Oh
the midnight following
As I sat there in the dimy-liehted
room. INV thoughts, in spite o. my skep-
,lciem. turned to TIE supernatural anu
tbare anne 10 my mind the story. often
told me when child. OF a former daugh-
Ter OF tie house. who fen desperately lh
love with a dissoiute young man. Wn'h
her father forbade her seeing but she wa
v.,uful and many were the clandeillne
meetings of the two. BY prearransea
sional he would come TO the garden wan
ana ran three times. and she. while the
rest of the house slept. would steal our
to Ter lover
They eventually planned an elopement
and she. true 10 her promise. was rednt
md waiting al The appointed hour, but
when .he answered the SUNNI ons, instead
of her lover. a messenger stood there WIN
a note
A CRUEL MESSAGE.
II Was a cruel message. saying that the
man for whom she was risking all hld
deserted her. had gone 10 sea; no wore
of love. none OF regret. She, proud
bcautv. never told of thee things. nor
complained: but fer all her pride, she Wos
beortbroyen and gradually faded and
nassed AWAY like a flower touched by
winters blasts the story Of her hapless
love was told I'm letter she let. letter
admitting her wrong. and pleading am
oyer-powering love i'm eXtenuauon, ana
teIig Of the sad ending OF her nllShi
Young dreams and the hopeless misery Of
it al ,
The faithless lover was killed in dfun-
ken brawI not long afterwards, and the
story had il. that his spirit was often
ecen in the motherhood ana his rappin1
heard. and hen how she. as Of ola. would
be- seen walking quietly just beyond the
garden wall.
RAP, RAP RAPM
was noddmg. my eyeids heavy win
sleep. when ] sat up with a start; there
4 was aeain. rap-rap -rap-tn same e.. TO
knocking his summons perhaps: this time
the sound came in 400 a.. open window
and tn-toeing 20 90. ] strained my eyes
olt into IT, threatening nlrh.-Was it o.
man saw standing I'm the shadow OF the
wall on was 30 an image coniured up By
the story OF which + had been thinking
As I looked I heard a sound as OF a
heavy door turned slowly Oh its rusty
hinges. and then appeared a second APP
parition. clothed IN dull white robes n
moved slowly as 81 uncertain OF It's wei
come and when it reached the wall, IL
paused moment and than. as the cloud
lifted a little--I saw q scuttle OF Goa.
handed over the wall.
We changed the lock on our cellar
door.