Sunday Washington globe., 1902-03-16


good natured argument she urging tue
names Of her people and [ being equally
solicitous in regard to mine we decided at
last upon the Misses Wells. Both of these
young ladies played musical instruments
and we expected to derive considerable
pleasure from their company.
Il was ten minutes past eleven o'clock
when we went inside, and the servants had
long since retired. They occupied the back
part of the house while we had the bed
rooms on the second floor.
don't know how long had been asleep
when was awakened by my wife giving
me a sharp blow in the side. What's the
matter?" I inquired drowsly, preparing to
resume my interrupted slumbers.
Listen" she cried excitedly do you
hear anything2"
BY this time was wide awake and sitting
up in bed The lamp had been extinguished
for some reason or other leaving the room in
utter darkness. ! wanted to get out of bed
and strike light, but 10 this my wife
would not hear; so there we sat, with our
knees up to our chins, listening for we knew
not what. 1T must have been your fancy,
my dear" / said, after we had failed to
hear ANYTHING unusual.
mo" she replied, 'I am certain it wasn't;
I thought so myself, at FIRST, but / am sure
heard something dreadful down stairs"
'Pshaw l said, trying to make light Of
the occurrence seeing that she was in a
terrible state Of excitement; let's go to
sleep again. l was trying to reason out in
my own mind, though, how it was that the
light had acted so queerly, because had
looked at it before retiring and it then ap-
peared to be alright Being unable to ar.
rive at any reasonable conclusion in the
matter, and being rather sleepy also, sunk
back upon the pillows and was just going
off into doze when my wife again aroused
me-
'Sh-h," she whispered hurriedly, do
you hear that7"
One glance at her terror-stricken face as
suTed me that it was something indeed
unusual. So as noiselessly as possible, /
reached for my revolver under the pillow,
aud sat up in bed waiting for something to
happen.
Although my life up to this time had been
uneventful. / was as cool as I am at this
moment; had feeling Of expectancy that
was entiiely new to me though, but can
truthfully swear that / was by no means
frightened.
Il couldn't have been more than thirty
seconds from the time my wife awakened
me the second time, though it seemed
longer, when / heard a curious, unearthly
sound, seemingly from directly under my
room. II was like the cry of a person in
mortal agony; the noise began in a low
monotone, gradually rising into a Shrek
not loud but piercing. This was repeated
several times, and each time it appeared to
be in different parts of the house Now il
was in the front of the house and now in
the back; once It ceased altogether, and we
we're congratulating ourselves upon that
fact when door slammed violently down
stairs, and then a most horrible noise
reached our ears II was as if someone was
being dragged across the cellar floor We
could distinctly hear the rattling of many
chains, and then a confused sound of voices
but above all we could hear that same low,
pitiful moaning that had FIRST aroused us
Suddenly everything became as still as
death; and though we sat up in bed
for good while afterward nothing further
occurred to attract our attention My wife
was trembling violently, and was surprised
upon putting my hand up to my forehead
to 6nd it covered with perspiration
When l awoke the next morning the sun
was shining brightly; we held a short con-
sultatiOn before getting out of bed as to
what course we had best pursue; both of US
were of the opinion that IL would be unwise
to let the servants know anything about the
matter, as we felt pretty certain they would
leave us If they got the slightest inkling of
such an occurrence as that Of the previous
night
At breakfast my wife asked the two girls
how they had spent their frst night in the
country They replied very we'll indeed
only, said the cook, we couldn't keep our
lamp lighted / wish you would look at it
sir she said, turning to me.
This matter of the lamp business worried
me considerably. I knew there was no
fault IN the construction Of the lamps, be.
cause not using them in the city I had
bought them new just for this occasion
But what the devil IS the trouble with them
/ asked myself a dozen times that day. In
the evening our guests arrived, bringing
with them their musical instruments. Thev
appeared charmed with the house, and
were lavish in their mpliments to me on
my selection.
Ny wife took them over the place and
they seemed delighted with everything
We had tea out under the trees and after
wards our visitors sang and played charm.
ingly; the evening passed altogether too
quickly for me, and IL was with reluctance
that we at last concluded it was time to go
in the house
We assigned the two rooms on the third
floor to the ladies. They were Immediately
above our own, and l certainly prayed that
we might be spared the repetition of last
nights performance.
This night / was again awakened by nv
wife, and on sitting up in bed, the first
thing that attracted my attention was that
same internal moaning. / tried now to see
if l could make anything of it. Once it
seemed to be under my ROOM and then
again in some other part of the house But
suddenly there came the rattling of many
chains like as If some one were heavily
ironed, and were being dragged along the
floor. FIRST located these noises in the
room below, from here it Droceedad down
the hallway growing louder and more fright
ful every minute. / listened intently to see
whether I could not catch the sound of
footsteps, but It was impossible to distin-
guish the slightest resem blance to such.
The noise continued down the hallway
until the cellar steps we're reached; then
Al &. f.f