The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-12-15

| III PA lllllHH illp ttttillS VI IIcltll Coll-
cert: our friend kept us to dine with
her: we returned late to our room, and
hal entirely FORGOTTEN the strange
sounds heard the previous evening,
until
Helen had already retired to bed,
and was making leisurely prepara-
tions to follow her, standing chatting
as | finished my last toilet operations.
| Midnight chimed from the old church
tower, and then, Immediately following
| the last stroke, came the same three
slow, distinct knocks, apparently struck
by an invisible hand, just above the
pillow on which my wite's golden head
was resting. Helen is a brave little
woman; but was scarcely surprised
to see her leap out of bed with a cry
| of terror.
This time there could be no fancy
about the sounds.
| am not very imaginative person,
and have, perhaps, known too much of
the practical cares anil struggles oflife
to have been tempted to indulge in
fanciful fears; but there was something
decidedly unpleasant in this mysteri-
Gus knocking. We were both broad
awake; the room was bright with fire
and candle light-nothing was visible
to account for that strange noise-and
yet our ears had assuredly not played
US false on this occasion.
turned to the window, pulled aside
| the blind, and looked out into the
empty, silent street.
lit was not outside-it was there" "
said Helen, in quavering voice.
"A rat must have got behind the
bed said resolutely; and, with my
wifc's help, pulled away the heavy
bedstead from the wall; but no such
animal appeared. We minutely exam
ined the bedstead, the wall, the flooring,
there was absolutely nothing to ac-
count for the sound of those mysterious
blows.
"Some one walking overhead" was
the lame and impotent conclusion we
tried to arrive at at length; but We
both resolved to speak to our landlady
next day uIon the subject Of these
curious noises.
When interrogated, Mrs. Brown was
visibly disturbed, and changed color,
fenced about for awhile, and finally
burst into tears.
IL may as well speak the truth at
once she sobbed, ''but do hope, sir,
and ma a'am,-as I've considered this
little trouble in the rent, and tried in
everyway to please rs regards cooking
and the rest, that it won't part us; for
| I'll be truly sorry to lose such good
dodgers. But the fact is. sir, that noise
in the house
But what causes it?''
The heavens above knows. for I'm
sure l don't" said Mrs. Brown, wiping
her eyes. i've only been i'll this house
six months myself, and would never
have taken it if''-here the good woman
checked herself, and went on more
briskly-'there's nothing, really moth
ing, sir, wrong anywhere. only just
that knockiDg,-which you d soon get
used to as | did myself; for I've slept
in that bed, to keep it aired, for nights
thing but just that-little noise--as
you noticed.
1t was very singular; there was, rs
far as we could ascertain, no grim
legend connected with the house, no
tale Of murder or suicide to explain
why restless spirit should thus play
the part of a ''rapper.
AL the former occupants OF the abode
appeared to have been commonplace,
highly respectable folk without trace
of 4 romance or Il tragedy in their un-
evcntful histories.
But we must look out for other
rooms" said Helen, with little shud
der.
In this world, however, it is often
easier to seek than to find. a days
wandering about FallowlieId showed
us that apartments Of any description
were scarce in that respectable town;
while rooms approaching Mrs. Browns
in comfort were priced far beyond our
slender means. Hclen's cnya cement
could not be given up; we were bound
to remain in FallowGeld for some
months to come; and when we returned
to our c"zV quarters, after Il weary day
spent in climbing othel sets of stairs,
anl interviewing landIades of a very
different type to kindly Mrs. Brown,
W" began to reconsider the question of
our removal.
a Iter all, W. are 50 comfortable
here said II lien; and with a little
shiver, Mrs. Brown assures us that
nothing is ever seen in that room.
And besides" in more cheerful tone,
1--WE shall often be out late at the con-
certs, and 1t Is only just as twelve
o'clock strikes that-that strange
noises are heard, it seems"
In the end we yielded to the en-
treaties of our landlady-and our own
necessities-and agreed to remain, and