The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-05-03

at their neighbors aid shook their
heads. 1t. could not be; unless. the
newcomers hailed from Colney Hatch
or Hanwell. he COULD not. for a mo-
T nent;i.be thinking Of such a thing. I.
But the news was confirmed in the
afternoon by no less person than the
landlord of the Vernon Arms who
'recited to. a group of eager and thirsty
listeners his wondrous tale. The fam
lily from London We're, at that moment
| beneath his roof. So. far from being
denizens of a lunatic asylum. they
were most respectable people city
| banker, his wife and two daughters,
| who came down for a change of air,
and seeing a fine house standing
| empty, naturally enough concluded
! that it was to let. So. at the Vernon
| Arms in an after-dinner chat with
| their host. they managed to ask nu-
| merous questions about the mansion
| on the hill. He answered them truth
| fully; but he added, with a shake OF
| the head as expressive as Lord Bur
| leighs He wished no harm might
come of it, for they laughed at the
| idea of ghosts. and one of the young
| ladies begged SO, hard to live in real
| haunted house that her papa had act
ually sent for the agent
The landlord laughed. drew a long
breath, and solaced himself with a
| great draught of his own ale.
| At that moment the agent himself
| was seen descending the stairs; the
landlord. hurrying from behind the
bar, threw the door wide open, with
low bow. But Mr.. Grant declined the
polite invitation, beckoned him out
| into the passage, and closed the door
upon the gaping and disappointed
| rusticS.
81 want to speak to you a moment,
Crimes" he said, impatiently. lis
| there no private place in this house,
TO be sure-to be sure, sir" replied
the host. step this way. If you
please Becky, my love, pray go and
| mind the bar little while. We want
the parlor to ourselves just now"
| Becky who was the meek-faced mis-
tress of the establishment, being thus
addressed, took up the stocking she
was mending and went out without a
murmur. The landlord closed the
door behind her, and the agent nodded
approvingly.
Capital training you have her in.
Mr.. Grimes"
We'll. sir, ones obliged to keep the
whiphand or there's no end of kicking
over traces, you know. Now Becky
there, is the best woman in England
though l say it as shouldn't. But
should never dream of telling her so
The house would not hold the two OF
us together ten minutes afterwards.
quite right, Grimes The less you
praise a woman the better she behaves
as a general rule, 1 think. But now
let us go to business. I'm very much
bothered in my own mind, Grimes, ano
| want some advice"
Grimes, who had been busy over the
fire with some mysterious preparation
J., which the agent affected not to see
now returned to the table, bearing two
steaming tumblers of rum punch
which he put down with an air of tri
umphant dissatisfaction.
81 do believe, the very best / eve
made yet, Mr.. Grant" he observed, a
: he placed one cosy armchair befor
= the fire for his visitor, and ensconcet
/ his own plump person comfortabl.
within the depths of another.
Good it must be. then, to a dea
l certainty" replied the agent, takin
, a long. delicious draught. Enough t
| make a man IOISeI ohS-udIL MS II w
S bles and snap his finger at the rest"
Y Il hope it will make you forge
e yours, then, sir" replied the landlord
, who was dying with curiosity to knoH
e why he had been summoned to thi
D particular conference.
t All no such luck as that, TIL
/ trouble tonight is not exactly trou
e BILE. after all l am. bewildered an
v bothered l want to do a thing, an
: yet l cannot tell if l ought. Grimes
4 you know the old HALF"
i The host nodded his head.
f Il should think l did, sir."
a And you know what stories peopl
j tell about the place."
g That l do. Old John Jones, tn
d gardener, has made my flesh cree
i many time with his tales of the tut
n ret-chamber, and the buffers pantr!
o and the secret room where the priest
t used to hide away many, many year
o ago"
/ John Jones is an IDIOT" said tn
f agent impatiently. Upon my wore
| believe the house is as quiet an
e peaceable as this old inn of yours
{: Mr. Grimes took sip of um-puncf
r and said nothing.
+ Il have been through the place
o hundred times-I dare say more-an
t | never saw anything there, nor hear
n anything either, for the matter c
= that
t, Did you ever go there at nigh
mi, wit a or