The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-01-14
:sTORY OF THE SP0OKERU
81 MRS. u. coRBET-sEYMoUR.
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Spook being the Flemish word for
ghost, it will he seen at once that l
am going to tell the story of house
given up to that very unpopular kind
Of tenant.
The visitor to West Flanders will
not find the SpookerI without little
painstaking. It stands far back from
the road running between the ancient
city OF Bruges and the modern water
ing place of Blankenberghe. It will
be reached by first following the
course of the canal and then as sud
denly abandoning it for q short cut
across several potato and cabbage
fields.
The spookerij is not colored, ac-
cording to local custom, either pale
:. green, boiled shrimp FOR light blue
8 tint it is only dirty white. A low
pitched, rambling dwelling it is : just
four or FIVE rooms on the ground floor,
the same on the floor above, and a
grenier at the top. In England it
would be a little farmhouse F.; in Elan
ders it ranks as chateau--or it did so
rank. before the spooks came into pos
session.
We, who were old residents, knew
it as Chateau Rosendael. Nowadays,
should chance visitor pass that way
and make inquiries, he will be told
that it IS. the Spookerii.
The tall, spare form of an English
man named Geofrey Langdale used to
be seen in the garden which separated
the house from the fields that sur
round it upon three sides, but only
after sunset. BE did not court the
sunshine; it was kept ont of the house
by venetian blinds DUNG spring and
summer.
The two elderly servants who were
Mr.. Langaale's sole attendants said
that ''the Master" shut himself up
with his books for companions, and
only cane forth into the air for an
hour or so of an evening and in all
Teathers.
Why he had chosen to expatriate
himself and settle in this solitary
corner of West Flanders, no one pre-
tended to know. Every one was at
liberty to hazard guess, bat there
was absolutely no means Of ascertain
ing if such 4 guess was right.
Therefore Il was settled that Geof-
frey Langdale had reasons of his ow2
for loving this absolute retirement,
and would never probably reveal what
those reasons might be. After renting
the place for one year, he purchased
it a. very low price.
The servants, man and wife, frankly
admitted having taken the situation
~ for the sake of the high wages offered
otherwise they would have preferred
lie in England.
They knew nothing whatever of Mr..
Langla!e's previous history; they an
swered ~ advertisement which had
appeared in the Daily Telegraph, and
at 4 subsequent interview the matter
vas arranged.
Let.ers-so they said when Ques-
tioned-never came for Mr.. Langdale
i'll general way; there was always
one. however, which arrived upon the
fifth day of every month, and bore the
hondoa postmark.
After its receipt, Coulson or his
wife were sent with a check to the
English bank, which has existed for
many long year in Bruges for the
convenience OF residents and passing
visitors
There was no stint in the domestic
arrangements of the little household,
but neither was there any eXtrava-
gaacs, Godfrey Langdale was himself
an a5stainer and very frugal eater;
lie Gid not entertain guests aud he
. re'er gave anything in charity. Some
ploney slipped through his fingers in
The purchase OF books, for he was
continually adding to his library;
otherwise, Coulson could not imagine
what he did with those monthly
cLe>k$.
Not that these servants were spe-
cially given to gossip concerning their
master: indeed, there was but little
cnauce OF II IN country Wne:e tneE
could not speak more than a word or
two OF the language.
But on market days, i'll Bruges,
Mrs. Coulson had some chance of con-
:versation in one or other shop where
English is spoken; her husband, also,
Ead just few intimates in the town
with whom to exchange few harmless
condolences. In this way, then, some
ot the peculiarities Of Geof:ev Lang
. dale became known.
Two or three OF his compatriots
p,ncked upthe courage to call on him,
bit to. all guests entrance seemed
: strictly prohibited. Coulson could
pnly shake his gray head regretfully,
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