Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-07-20
.TheHaulted House:

SSNONONONONSNV
Twenty years ago there came to Ten
tsin ali EnglShman and mis- son. The ia
ther was a retired army officer Of some
means. and they were travelling for pleas
ure. They took a fancy to Tien-tsin and
decided to settle there for awhile. Look
ug about for a house, they were much at
tracted by one just outside the city,
which stood near the waters edge and
commanded a beautiful view of the har-
hur Their friends. and more especially
their Chinese servants, cried out aghast,
You must not think of such a thing"
The house was haunted. No one had
lived in it for years. 1t was as much as
ones life was worth even to pass it after
nigLtfall. The Englishmen, however,
were not to be frightened off by any such
silly stories.
They rented the house and moved in.
For several months all went we'll Both
father and son were delighted with the
place and finally decided to buy it. One
evening the son, who had been dining in
town. came home quite late. As he open
ed the front door he heard what seemed
to he a scuffie in his fathers room. Be
fore he could reach the top of the stairs
a soul piercing shrek rose high above the
confused din. Then all was silent Rush
ing into his fathers room, the young man
found him lying on the floor in a pool IT
blood. There was no one else in the room,
nor was there any apparent way for any
one to have left it without passing him
in the hall. a knife was sticking in the
breast Of the wounded man, a wicked
looking Malay knife, with a curiously
carved handle. The young man stepped
80 - hon 70 he 80 70, h
fathers assistance. When he stepped
back into the room a moment later, the
knife had disappeared,
The wounded man never rallied. He
lived several hours, but was not able to
speak. His face was distorted by an eX-
preston of unutterable terror, and he
died with the look still in his eyes.
The associations of the place were too
painful for his son to remain there longer.
He offered a large reward for the discov-
cry of his fathers murderer and left a
minute description OF the knife that had
so mysteriously disappeared. Then he,
packed up his belongings and returned to
England. The house stood vacant, of
course, more dreaded than ever.
Months passed, perhaps years-I do not
know-but after a certain lapse Of time
one of our men-of-war visited the harbor
were ashore one night dining with a
party Of foreign residents at the club.
Some one told the story of the haunted
house and the murdered EnGlishman,
adding that the natives said that the
murder was re-enacted every night at the
same hour. Our officers expressed a
lively interest in the narrative.
Lets visit the house some night" one
of them suggested, ''and see the show"
why, not tonight?" exclaimed a
young Dane whom we will agree TO call
A. I'VE have plenty of time, and the
steward of the club has the keys Of the
house The Englishman left them with
him when he went away"
The men were all young and keen for
adventure. Perhaps the excellent club
punch had made them even drawer than
usual. Anyhow. the suggestion was re-
ceiyed with acclamatiOns. The keys were
called for. Some one produced a lantern.
The rest filed their pockets with matches
and candle ends. When they were ready
to start, they looked about for A. He
was nowhere 10 be found. The party set
forth without him.
They reached the house at the intended
hour.
There it is" some one said at last,
and Lieutenant B., who carried the Ian
tern. looked at his watch by its light and
announced that they had just three min
utes to spare. The door was unlocked
with difficulty, for the fastenings had
grown rusty from disuse.
BY George!" cried the first man who
stopped in the hall. There's some
thing going on up stairs.
Its A." said his friend, laughing,
and they all started up stairs, Mr.. B.
walking ahead with the lantern.
A cry of agonized despair startled the
smiles from their lips and quickened their
steps to a run. B. pushed open the door
of the room from which the sounds had
come. AS he did so, and before he could
see anything. the lantern was dashed
from his hand and the door slammed be
hind him. He stood still in the darkness
for few awful, terror stricken seconds.
Then he took a step forward and tripped
over something on the floor. He stopped
over, and his hand encountered a pool of
warm, oozing liquid. 1t flashed on his
mind that this was blood and that the
thing he had stumbled over was a mans
body. His heart almost stopped beating.
He was afraid TO move, afraid to
breathe. The instants during which his
friends in the hall were striking a light
and opening the door seemed an eternity
Lieutenant r. Is now the gray haired ia
Their of a family, but he says the horror
of that moment is as fresh as though II
had all happened yesterday.
At last the door was opened. The
young men crowded in with their candles
There at their feet lay poor A, with the
Malay knife in his heart.
Explanations are always an anticlimax
but the explanation Of the foregoing
tragedy is too curious to omit, though it'
pretensiOns TO being a ghost story arr
thereby destroyed. After this second
murder the authorities were aroused to &
display OF tardy activity. The house
was carefully searched, and the discovery
made that the walls were double, contain
ing secret doors, staircases and storage
chambers. One OF these secret doors &C
counted for the murderer's escape anC
his return to get the knife, which he evi
IDENTIFY felt would be a dangerous Olew
In the secret chambers were found con
siderable supply of arms and a larg'
quantity Of valuables OF the most varie'
description. 1t was evident that the plac'
had been used as a refuge and storehous
by Chinese pirates, its proximity to tn
water making IL the more convenient