The Republican journal., 1899-11-09

in more cheerful tone, ''we shall
| zen be out late at the concerts, and it is
only just as twelve O'clock strikes that
thai strange noises are heard it
seems
In the end we yielded to the entreaties
Of our landlady-and our own necessities
and agreed to remain, and still occupy
the "haunted chamber, - the only bedroom
Mrs. Brown could offer u.s.
Strange as it may appear, We actually
became in time accustomed to our ghost
just as the Wesley family did to their
Jeffrey"
| was. perhaps, fortunate that we
were, at first, SO often late, and did not
enter our bedroom until after the fatal
hour of midnight, for we soon discovered
| that the mysterious noises which SO
puzzled and disturbed us always required
with fixed and undertaking punctuality at
TIE same hour. The last stroke of the
church clock at midnight was invariably
followed by the triple deliberate knocks
at the head of our bed and if we delayed
entering our bedroom until few minutes
past twelve O clock at night, we were safe
from the annoyance of hearing them.
For while we did this; then ''fa-
miliarity bred contempt and we did not
| trouble ourselves about our nocturnal
rapper, Jeffrey as we had named
him after the equally mysterious visitant
who had haunted Epworth parsonage in
the last century.
"Why, there's Jeffrey. l had no idea
it was SO late,' Helen would exclaim,
as the usual triple raps sounded as she
stood brushing her hair at the glass.
| think the fact of our indifference to
this certainly singular nightly occurrence
| b, tl,-o t,;b ha 20 hot
we were both at this time SO very much
occupied; and busy people are seldom
preys to supernatural terrors.
Helen's beautiful voice attracted much
attention. She was engaged to sing at
many private concerts given at local
country houses. | had obtained many
pupils through Mrs. Clayton's recon-
mendations. Altogether our prospects
were frightening, and our days were fully
and pleasantly occupied. So it was
only when the actual raps fell upon our
ears that we thought much of our
"Jetfrey.''
Some two or three months passed away.
Then a strange thing happened: the noises
suddenly ceased.
Singular, and even absurd, as it sounds,
this circumstance really made US more
uncomfortable than had the familiar
sounds to which we had long ago grown
accustomed. l think, though we never
confessed it to each other, that both my
wife and had half formed dread that
Jeffrey might be only preparing to
manifest himself in some other and less
endurable form. But days went quickly
by and we began to grow accustomed to
the absence of our raps as we had formerly
been to their presence.
pypitamant was nofipaahla in so
quiet a street as ours, and when we heard
| from Mrs. Brown that our neXt-door
neighbor, a retired military officer, with
a wooden leg, had deceased, Helen, like
most of the residents in the vicinity, paid
a visit to the house, in which sale of
the old bachelors effects was to take
place, as much, | believe, from curl
osity as from an actual intention of
purchasing any of the goods
One or two antique bits of furniture
| had caught my wife's fancy-we were
able DOW to indulge in some small eX-
/ travagances-and we both walked into
the old man S house the day before the
sale to view the tIities upon which Helen
wished to have my opinion before decid-
ing to bid fol them
The old major' h0usekeeper was still
| in charge of the premises, and ushered us
up to her former masters bedroom,
roomy apartment next to the one we oc-
cupied in the adjoining house, where
stood the antique tirescleen upon which
my wife had set her affections As l was
examining il, the housekeeper, who was
evidently mitch attached TO her former
employer, stood by talking and wiping
I her eyes.
Il feel the loss, l do" she remarked,
'.though the mai S behaved very kind
and handsome to me in his will. But one
dom part with a good master-aud its
nigh hirry years as L We served the maj
without IA wrench so to speak
kinder geutlemdu never stepped than he
was; tnd If he was bt tidgety whiles-
we'll, We all has our llttle ways, you know,
slr Punctual to the moment the major
/ was and would be-why, even in his hunt
ing tor rats. | don't think he varied
minute from months end to months
! end. -
Are there rats here, then?' l asked.
Not now, SIT, think; it's some while
since l ever set eyes on EN- in this house
But the major he d most mortal aversion
to these blutes, and once, year or more
ago, now, he seed rat run out behind
his bed right down on his pillow. There
Was tiie set ont, and | think we have
by employing OF ferrets, and stopping up
the holes-lally cleared the place of the
vermin by now; but, if you'll believe me,
Sir, up to the day of his death, the major
he never got into his bed-which twelve
o clock was his regular time for doing
summer and winter-but he first upped
with his wooden leg, and gave three good
knocks against the wall behind his bed,
to make that there wasn't no rats hiding
behind the bed hangings. do declare -
added the good woman, wiping her eyes
again, that the house do seem mortal
strange now at night without them regular
knocks of poor, dear master's.'
Helen and looked at each other; had
we at last solved the mystery of Jeffrey"
IRAN upstairs into our bedroom next
door and listen" said Helen, in low
voice, furtively picking up the poker.
l obeyed, and in few moments heard
the we'll remembered sounds which had
once SO alarmed us.
1t seemed that Mrs. Browns abode and
the majors had been originally one house,
afterwards divided into two by thin
partitions. Except when he set out upon
his nightly rat hunt, our next door neigh
Dor was SO extremely quiet that we never
heard him; but those three blows vigor-
ously delivered against the lath and