The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-01-26
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Z The Haunted House. :
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was lying stretched at fun length
on the long sofa in the library. l was
drowsy afternoon in spring, as J. had
been asleep. Even after ! awakened
the sweet drowsiness of slumber was
on me, and lay for some time with
closed lids in that thoughtless, dream
less state between sleep and waking.
Suddenly became aware of q presence
in the room and opened my eyes, ex-
pecting to see my aunt. Instead | saw
a fash of black before my eyes. a
flash that shimmered and quaNered
like superheated air and disappeared
while I was blinking my eyes to see
what it all meant, but / was alone In
the room. The thing gave me queer
sensation, and l lay quite still for some
minutes, shutting and opening my eyes.
10 see if the black fash rNlppeared.
But it did not: there was only a sort
of tired feeling back of my eyes.
Malaria" 7 said resignedly, and 1
went to look for Amelia to get her to
make me a lemonade.
! found the little maid watering the
flowers down in the paved court. l
leaned over the banister, with my face
i'm my hands, lazily watching her swab
the dusty aloe, her deft little hands
glistening like copper where the sun
touched their wet brown fingers.
DO you believe in ghosts, Amelia?"
! asked wcarily.
ooh, yes. mamzelle," said the little
maid in her pretty French, as she
turned her sacred brown face up to
look at me. Don't you?"
"Of course not" answered. "but I'm
thirsty. Amelia"
Then she flickered the water from
her coppery fingers and went away to
mix me the cool drink of lemon and
lime juice which no one could make so
well.
When the little maid was gone Aunt
'Cillia poked her big white kerchiefed
head from the kitchen door, nodded at
me a moment and then came toiling
up the steps.
You been sleep in de lbr'y, amt you,
honey, she said, when she had wad-
died quite close to me.
Yes" ! answered, wonderingly.
"Das a mighty po' place to sleep,
chile" she said.
why Aunty 'Cilla?' asked
case 'tis," she answered laconical-
ly, noddng her head backward toward
Amelia, who was coming up the steps
behind her.
rs jess telln' mamzelle she better
mex you get de fether duster and
bresh de dust off'n dem bananas and
dat palm f. you sprinkles 'em, 'Mela,"
said the old woman as she waddled
away.
'All right, Aunt CHA" said the lit
tie maid, as she left me to my lemon
ade and to wondering what the old
woman meant.
But whatever she meant she would
not tell me- For days. in the eagerness
of my thoroughly aroused curiosity, 1
besought the old woman, and finally
offered to bribe her if she would tell
till at the last the poor old thing threw
herself down her knees at my feet.
Don't mex me tell YOU, honey chile"
she said. "'Taint nothin gwine to hurt
you; if dere was I'd tell you ef it kill
me. But tain't nothin' I all gwine to
hurt you, only done been conjured an
eff l tell de hoodoo would git me. Das
de truth honey" and there were tears
rolling down the old woman's black
cheeks.
OF course this served to excite ~
fancy all the more concerning the
shimmering black spot in the library,
and in the meantime | had a second
experience of it.
| had told my aunt upon the first day
of our possession that the house we
took was worthy to be haunted. | have
always wondered why my aunt selected
1t. 1t was, in many respects, the least
prepossessing of any that the agent
showed us, yet to be sure il had q
grandeur about IT, a sort of stately,
succeed, Creole grandeur that was al
together charming in our eyes that
heheld New orleans for the first time.
My aunt said she selected the house
beause of its location, because from
the upper balcony she could see the old
cathedral and lower down the shipping
wharf, the big smoke putting steamers
and even the red sails of the tiny fish
ing smacks showing their bright flare
Of color on the breast of the duh water
! frankly confess that the ghostIy
spot in the library set me to think
ing that ronlances may be much bet
ter dreamed than realized, particularly
as ] could not speak to my aunt about
it. We had come South for her health
and it became my constant care to
keep herfror; knowing about the spot.
Nevertheless set myself to find