The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-02-27
LcopyrIght. la0l. hv al Is. I.awia.l

evening hour.
no begin with, the garnet was the
length and width Of the house without
a partition, as was also the case with
the cellar. On the first floor was
parlor, sitting room. dining room and
kitchen with pantry of, and not
having been tenanted for years the
whole building was very much out Of
repair
After going through the whole house
from top to bottom I took a seat In
the Kitchen and lighted the lamp
had brought with me, though had
candles besides. | began reading a
novel had selected, and thus put in
the time until ii o'clock, but even as
read had nervous, uneasy feel
Ing. This SO grew upon me that
finally laid aside the book and passed
out Of the back door. remained until
had smoked cigar, and then feel
Ing more quiet re-entered the kitchen.
AS | opened the door found the
room in darkness ! had left bright
light on the table, and there was not
draught enough to fare a candle
stood for a moment undecided. hav-
Ing no feeling but of surprise. and of
a sudden ! heard soft footsteps re-
treating into the sitting room. 1t was
the echo OF slippcred feet or one walk
ing on tiptoe, and | traced their prog
ress for distance Of twenty feet
When / could no longer bear them
struck match and relighted the
lamp, noticing that the chimney was
still little warm and that the wick
had not been turned down. Although
my heart was beating like a hammer
and my hair curling, took up the
lamp and went through every room In
the house, finding nothing Of course.
After returning TO the kitchen light
ed two OF the candles and placed them
In the lower rooms and then forced
myself TO sit down.
was trying to argue things out
when a noise like the humming of a
telegraph wire came from the hall and
was speedily followed by wall and q
sobblng. Il was like child crying I
out IN distress. and 1t lasted fully thir-
~ seconds. AS | rose up | shook so /
that / feared TO drop the lamp, and (
my throat was so dry that could not /
have made a loud sound, but passed 1
through the rooms into the hall and
upstairs again. So upset was / that (
in descending the stairs | had to sit
down three different times, and my
feet dragged after me as walked
the lower hall.
However. after dragging myself back
to the kitchen and taking a seat be-
gan calling myself fool and coward
and to try TO whistle, and determined
to pay no more attention to the mys-
terious noises.
Ten minutes went by, and I was try
Ing to smile at my own fears. when a
pat. pat. pat Of footsteps caught my
ear. They began In room over my
head and descended the stairs and
came along the hall and through the
sitting ROOM sat looking into the
open door Of this room, which was
lighted By candle; but, though
heard the footsteps, saw nothing.
They crossed the room, they entered
The kitchen, they advanced to the tn
BILE, and as my hair stood up and my
heart choked me the lamp was blown
out, and | was left in scmidarkness
II tell you that yelled out and
Jumped for the door and fled across the
lelds. you will not call me eowardly
1t was O'Clock next morning when
returned to the house The candles
had left burning had not burned out,
out had been blown cut. l told my
story to a number Of people, and a
man. who claimed never
% have known what fear was, volun-
.eered to pass night Iii the house.
tanning that all the noises had heard
we're made by the wind or rats. He
lad changed his mind several hours
,efore daylight came, however.
AT . O'Clock he aroused me, and in
II my life / never saw man more
'roken up. He had heard the wailing
nd sobhing and gone over the house
nth his lighted lamp, Soon after mid
light, as he sat by the kitchen table,
e had caught the sounds of footsteps
n the cellar stairs. He plainly heard
he footsteps take every stair in rota-
ion until the top, only few feet to his
1T, was reached. and then the tightly
losed door swung softly open. He
Yas looking full at it when it did SO. a
here was a minute OF deepest silence, !
nd then the lamp at his elbow was
turned out.
For a few seconds the man could not
love a finger, and though be had seen
0 one he fully expected to be struck
: stabbed. Then he made rush for
le outer door, banged II to behind him
nd ran for his life III
After breakfast went over to the
Duse with him. There was the lamp
there the open cellar door-there his
chair. What hand had
)ened the door and turned ddsyn the
ght? What voice had cried out in
lat wailing. sobbing way? Had the
ring or the dead walked about
rough halls and rooms?
I wanted nothing more to do with
e house, and at once gave orders to
i've 1t RACED to the foundations. Was
e mystery solved in the tearing down. =
}. The workmen found nothing what.
er which could IN the remotest de- :
ee account for the noises, and the af- &
If is Just as much of a mystery to-
Y as 1t was then. Neither of us was