The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1904-05-19

desirable Tor country mousse, Couiu
probably double my money in six
months. -
| "This was not such mad scheme
as you may. suppose. for the locality
had wonderful natural beauty and pos
sibilities. shall not stop to tell you
about that. however, but get along in
the direct line of my story. | turned
into the driveway to see what l could
learn and found that the place was
without inhabitant. Inquiry at houses
in the vicinity brought to light the fact
that no. one wished to rent or buy the
property. because. it was haunted. This
was stated in sober earnest by the ru-
rallies, and served to give Zest to my
pursuit, for it would tend to cheaper
the price. AS had no faith in any
other ghosts than those Of my own
creating. that part of. it did not trouble
me. ...
sIt took me several weeks to get the
deed. Then I believed that little
tfdying up would add to the STABILITY,
so hired some men and directed them
in the work AS this would take up
the time until late in the fall. and since
it would be necessary for some one to
be on the ground to give information
to anyone who might answer my ad-
vertisements, l moved in. Board was
obtained at a neighbor'S, but l roomeG
in the house. which was quite old
fashioned and substantially. built.
@ Time slipped by, and l had several
possible purchasers. Finally one man
took an option on it until spring. He
paid me $500, provided l was willing
to remain and look after it. agreed,
as | had nothing special to take me
elsewhere. 1t was now the middle of
November.
after the sale was thus practically
made, time hung much heavier on my
hands. no longer had the stimulus
Of expectation, and often felt lonesome
and tired of the situation. Such a
state was inclined, as it always had
been, to excite my imagination, and l
occupied much of my leisure in con-
cocti1g the most unlikely vagaries that
ever came to anyone.
Zone winters evening made fire
in the crate, which was not one Of the
modern kind, but built of brick. Then
l sat down before it in an armchair,
ready to let fancy direct my thought
Taking the solitariness of the location
into account, and the rather ancient
appearance of the room in which l sat
it was not difficult to have the imagi-
nation run.
"In this way l was soon able to see
that the fire blazing in front of me
was in an old-tne, fireplace heaped
high with logs and f1anked by andirons.
Playing about the floor, too, were the
children of years ago in their dress so
quaint. while at my right the open
pantry was stocked with an abundance
Of pies and doughnuts and cakes whose
peers are now so few and far between
$50 unused until finally bedtime for
the youngsters came.
after they were gone l sat little
while in the quiet that came to my
mind, and just as I was ready to rise
the clock on the mantel struck IL.
continued to sit still. listening for tn"
last faint echoes, when saw the shad-
CIV of an arm on the brick at the right
side of the chimney. 1t was peculiar
shadow, at once arousing my curiosity,
and really startling me little. Up
to this time had not seen or heard
the slightest indication of any visitant
or occurrence that could ever have
given the reputation of being haunted
to the house. Might not this be of that
character?
''The popularity in this appearance
was it's extreme thinness, as nearly as
1 can express it. There was no him
drance whatever to sight. l looked
right through it, and saw the divisions
of the bricks. Il recognized this much
at the first instant that it came before
me. but as it moved I was attracted
still further to the side, where the arm
distinctly. The moment my eye fell on
this saw at once why the shadow had
the popularity Newfoundland from
which it came. was precisely like 1t in
this respect. could see through the
arm itself as readily as L did through
the shadow! .'..
Now, never having met any ghosts
but those in my own mind, was for
the moment awed and subdued. Natu-
rally glanced to get look at the per
son who owned the arm. You may
know that 1 was still more startled
when l saw that there was no per-
son. The arm from the finger-tips to
the shoulder, and its shadow. made up
all that was visible. Truly this was
uncanny, and virtually stopped
breathing as I saw that shoulderless
arm move slowly toward the chimney.
II watched it with an utter absorb
ton, and saw the fingers begin to work
at the bricks. could not see the
bricks move, but the arm suddenly
disappeared up to the elbow
shivered. There before my eyes was
that part of an arm from the elbow
to the shoulder attached to no body,
and from the elbow to the hand it was
showed out Of sight into solid brick
work.
"a moment after the hand entered
the wall I.heard 'chink. chink, chink,
seven times, as distinct as If I were
drOnninp silver dollars into q milo