Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1901-04-19

meath the tall trees, that bent before
the gale. lay heaps of faded yellow
leaves, trodden out of all shape and
beauty by the feet that were contin-
ually trayersing the narrow village
paths.
Upon the hills, and out on the broad
highway, the scene was dreary enough.
But the little village of Banley, with
it's red-tiled roofs and latticed win
dows, all aglow with the blaze of fire.
light, wore a look of cheerful comfort,
which the wintry aspect of the day
rather heightened than diminished.
Banley, lying far inland, was one OF
those primitive little places where the
sound of the railway whistle had never
come There was a branch line, 1t is
true. some twelve miles away, but few
of its passengers ever found their way
across the hills. and few of the inhab-
itants of Banley had seen the station,
Or tested the capabilities of the won
drous iron horse. Those who had
done so, having returned in safety, be-
came Oracles among their neighbors,
as people of deep experience. and one
word of theirs outweighed a score
from others, who had not seen the
world"
The village like most of the kind,
consisted of a struggling street of cot
tage3, with gay flowers gardens in front
and an enclosure or Kitchen. vegeta-
bleS and few fruit trees, at the back.
There was a church and a parsonage.
ii is true, but the vicar was non-reSi-
dent. being more deeply interested in
the conversion of Irish Catholics than
IN the religious state of English Pro.
testants. albeit they were OF his own
flock. Consequently the vicarage was
shut up. and a consumptive curate
with sickly wife and a family of seven
children. living in a cottage at the up
per end of the village. keeping up ap.
pearances-by means known only to
curates and their wives on the pitifu.
salary of one hundred pounds year.
Anxious and careworn enough the
pair often looked, but they loved each
other dearly. and were beloved by ev-
cry one around. so it may be that their
fate was not hard one. after all.
The curate and his wife, poor
though they might be. were the only
people in the village who could prop
erely be designated "gentlefolks.' The
Lord of the Manor was nonresident.
the Manor House itself being anything
but desirable home If all was true
that was told of the sights and sounds
That mad been seen and heard there at
different times by different people the
poor man was very wise in not coming
70 look after his property in person.
Hollow Ash Hall was a haunted
house.
1t stood at some distance from the
village. upon a green and fertile emf
hence, shut out from the common APP
proach. though not from common view,
by a high stone wall and a lofty pair
Of iron gates. There were a porter's
lodge, untenanted, of course, and a
small cottage within the grounds,
which had once been occupied by some
humble dependent of the family. in
the day when that family was numer-
Gus and happy, and strongly united by
the thousand sweet ties that bind a
loving heart to home.
Seen from the public road, the Hall
was simply a square, brick-fronted
English mansion, of the ordinary type,
comfortably and conveniently built,
with stables, green houses, gardens
and Conservatives, enough TO satisfy
all the requirements of modern polite
society The yew trees at the back,
and the long, bare lawn in front. gave
it a melancholy appearance; but no
one would have dreamed of calling il
a haunted house had they not been told
that it had an undoubted right to the
name. There was not even a hollow
ash tree in view. to account for it's un-
disable title. But the villagers. when
questioned upon the subject. would
look wise, and lead you to the top of
a narrow, damp lane. where grew a
solitary tree, that had been touched
by the scathing finger of the lightning
or its mission of destruction and
death. That was Hollow Ash" and
that was the Burnt Ash Lane" down
which lane, as a sort of short CUT to
the scene of their uncanny reyels. it
may be, strange figures were said to
fit as soon as the clock from the neigh
boring church had tolled the hour OF
twelve.
Not only one ghost haunted the place
there were at least three or four;
and their names were more familiar
to the persons who owned the manor
than to any curious stranger who
sought to pry into its secrets. But il
must have been a bold man or woman
who would have dared to ask a Yer
non a question. They were a silent
naughty, reserved race. by no means
addicted to the foolish practice OF
wearing their hearts upon their
sleeves" And if there was one sub
ject upon which they were more silent
and reserved than another, it was that
of the haunted manor. They left it;
they could not bear to talk of it: and
so the mystery grew by feeding upon
itself, till stories were told of the
place that would have mace the hair
of the bravest and wisest listeners
stand upon end with horror.
IL may easily be imagined what a
commotion Banley was in, one day
when the tidings spread abroad that
a gentleman direct from London was
about to rent the Hall. People stared
at their neighbors and shook their
heads. 1t could not be: unless the
newcomers hailed from Colney Hatch