Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-11-20
In the Bridal !
Chamber. !
A TWENTIETH CENTURY J
GHOST STORY.
BY Claude Roberts,

brought into my Office that COPY OF
The Sunny South containing the ar
ucle True Stories of Ghosts In
Southern Homes" and our little
weekly paper with this notice down
among the personals, "For Sale
The Brown lot on Main street" for
the only real ghosts, we claim, have
their headquarters in a handsome
old fashioned mahogany wardrobe in
a certain chamber of that house.
And now the place was doomed. I
laid the paper down with a sigh and
strolled up to look at the familiar
spot. | found zone of the boys" of
other days, gray headed man now,
leaning on the gate with a far
away look in his eyes, and together
we stood in silence listening to the
Ginning Of the bells of memory.
A low, rambling house, standing
far back from the street, shaded by
tall magnolias and water oaks; the
deep porch, back and front; the long,
wide hall, where the young folks
in the old days danced by the music
of Uncle Eph's fddle-the whole
structure was on one floor. Meath
the shade Of the trees and the shad-
ows of closing day the massive white
pillars stood out like grim scntinels
guarding the spot from all intrud-
ers, and the last ravs of the setting
sun pierced the gloom, and a soften
ed light, as of fading glory, rested
for a moment over all. Then we
were standing in the twilight.
"To think of the colonel's home,
with all its sweet associations, pass
ing into the hands of strangersl7
said my companion, breaking the
silence. 81 am glad that he cannot
know it. Take alone that right hand
front room. Why, almost every cou-
pie that have married here since the
war have spent their honeymoon
there. That was the way the colo
nel's widow kept the place together
as long as she did = boarded the
young folks until they were ready
to set up housekeeping for them
selves"
and that is the room, too, that
is haunted" said l.
eyes, that is it, and strange,
strange it is"
"Of course you do not believe it p.
! asked, surprised by his earnest
tone.
"When have you slept there?" he
replied, answering my question By
another.
"Not since my honeymoon, 25
years ago"
600 and try night there now"
he said.
81 will. ] promise you that I will.
But you have aroused my curiosity
and must tell me what you mean"
''Only this-that |, too, thought
of ii as an idle tale until had sub
stantial proof to the contrary. One
night during the year Captain Wade
and his wife occupied that room we
were down at Thomas Office, sitting
around a big hghtwood knot fire in
the happy afterglow of a possum
supper, when the captain, leaning
over and dropping the ashes from
his cigar, said: 4 tell you, you fell
lows are lucky to have a place in
which to rest after we leave here to-
night AS for me, / can have no
peace for those darn noises, and last
night they were worse than ever be-
forep
Owe were in that happy mood
when we were willing to humor any
within or listen to any tale, so We
looked at him indulgently through
the blue mist curling upward from
our cigars and cried to him to tell
us about it; that it was just the
night for ghost story.
"'There is nothing to tell that
you have not already heard said he
-'just the same loud, distinct rap
ping on that wardrobe door and
nothing after the usual desperate
search to account for it. / am not
going TO stand it much longer and
have given warning that we must be
moved into new quarters
although we listened so politely,
we believed no more In the ghosts
than we had before, and it was with
no misgivings that accepted an in
vitation to keep the captain compa-
ny during the absence of his wife a
few nights later.
"'You see, am in my same quar-
ters,' said he. The landlady asked
us to give the room one more trial,
and, strange to say, since that night
of which tolc you the ghosts have
been quiet. 1t is my honest opinion
that thew exhausted their powers
and have gone for good
at was my honest opinion that
the wise landlady had put out rat
poison, but held my peace and set
tied down for long nights rest.
Suddenly | wheeled over. | must