The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-09-01

Then the query rose, what could b,
the cause of the haunting Of the ole
mansion?
1t was recalled that during the lat
ter part of the Barredas' brief oceu.
Psncy Of tho house q young ani beau
tiful Cuban woman bad been q guest
She was q relative Of Mrs. Barreda, o.
Sonora B&rfeda, who was herself 6
Cuban and one of the handsomest wo
men that ger gsasea Newport soole
ty.
THE sENORITA DIsAPPBARED.
For some reason that was not ex
planned at the time, and has never
since been accounted for, tho young
senorita suddenly disappeared. She
was not known to have gone away
from the city, nor was she ever agair
seen In or about the house.
Soon after the final collapse Of the
Barreda fortune came. The family
departed and over after was lost tt
view. Senior Barreda. the Spanish
American who had dazzled Newportert
with a fortune estimated at fifteen
millions, a fabulous sum in those
times-who had held the position OF
United States Minister to Peru, and
was aftcrwaId sent on a diplomatic
mission by the Government to Eng
land and France, bccame all Of q sud
den a common bankrupt.
Ten or fifteen years ago he died
penniless In a small town In New York
State. His widow went back TIC Cuba,
1t is believed, though no one seemed
to think 1t worth while to keep track
of her.
Everybody thought her dead, when
three or four years ago she reappeared
at Newport. She was an old, broken
down woman with snow-white hair,
the very ghost Of the radiant beauty
Of former years.
For a few days she stopped at an
questionable ihotel, visited the old
mansion in the guise of o stranger
and went to see her old retainer,
Gardner Williamson. Then she dis.
appeared, telling no one whence or
Why she came nor whittier she was
going.
But her visit served the purpose Of
reviving the old traditions about the
"Barrcda Palace" and the ghost that
has been supposed to haunt it during
recent years.
1t r. issd again the question Of what
really cid become CT the beautiful sen.
orita who mySteriOusly disappeared so
many years ago, and was 1t really her
ghost that Butler White saw, or his
superstitlous fancy?
But even these startling queries
soon died out again in the rush and
whirl Of Viewpoints short summer sea.
sons. The cottage colony quickly for.
got all about it. Only In the garden.
er's family the tradition was kept
alive.
Gardener Williamson is a canny
Scotci'man. Never q word does the
NquiSiUivc Summer visitor get out of
him about the traditions Of the house
or the Astor family. OF all the army
of servants that come and 20, season
after season, with the different Occu.
pants, he alone stays on Winter and
Summer. He gees with the estate
as the saying is. He Is Mr.. Astor's
special custodian and retainer, like
the old family servants on an English
estate.
In the Summer Mr.. Williamson and
his family live at the lodge ncar,the
gateway. In the Fail, after the Sum.
mer tenants OF the big house arc
gone, tho gardener and his family
move into the basement for Winter
quarters.
Rarely do they 60 into the upper
part OF the house, which is then desc
late and gloomy enough, with bare
floors and chandeliers and furniture
SWathed in CHASTITY white wrappings
But on Autumn and Winter night.
they hear strange noises overhead, a.
II heavy pieces Of furniture were be
ing moved, and doors opened anC
closed.
Az such times, years ago, Gardenel
Williamson and his wife used to tax.
lamps and grope their way through
the upper rooms and corridors to make
sure thGt no robbers had entered
But no trace Of a burglar was evel
found-and the gardener and his wife
gradually settled down to the convlc
Gl0n that 1T was the ghost OF the Bar
redas that was revisitlng It's old home
and ought not to be molested.
so or late years when the noises up.
stairs are heard the gardener and his
family only hnddle together closer
round the hearthstone. II q chance
family friend is visiting them the
CHEST 8tory is rctold.
One such visitor suggested that Mr.,
Williamson put chalk on the rollers OF
the furniture, SO that next day ii
might be seen just what pieces haG
moved during the night by the marks
on the polished wooden floors.
WHAT ABOUT TIE wALsnEs.
1t was also conjectured that this
might reveal a secret PANEL behino
some picture or tapestry, In which
somc ghost or living intruder might
be lurking.
Another friend Of the gardeners
family expressed the belief that il the
house were ever torn down the skele.
Ton Of the senorita would be found
within the walls Of the lower story.
The parts OF the house In which the
ominOus noises ana appatitions most
often occur are on the ground floor.
The main hall, through which the
ghost seems TO pass, is q big dimly lit
passage, finished In dark Flemish oak.
Out OF this opens o reception room,
the library, almost as dark and som
brc as the hall, q rather gloomy
drawing room and a brilliant morning
room, finished in white and gold, a
startling contrast 80 the other rooms
on the floor. Into the morning room
pours a flood or light from the glass
walled conservatory on the southeast
side.