The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-12-01

ttlus plltt. 'fpliS Twice. tplhS
three tines and sold to Mr. Ebenezer
Pollock fer Sl!MU"
The auctinneer's hammer fell with
a resounding thud and nearly grazed
tue noSe Of the purchaser.
Didn't mean 10 damage IL good Gus.
toner. chuekled the nEin of the ham-
mer as he pulled down the red flag
above the gate and climbed Into his
buggy. Come down 10 Lawyer titch's
office bimebN. Meier, AID well close
the deal right and proper"
Very We'll" said Ebenezer grutiiy.
He watched the crowd of women tip
toeing oui OF the house and waited I'M
Ill the last one had passed through the
gate. each With II furtive glance AT the
new owner He WAS aware that they
marveied because he had bought Il
ghost ridden house.
When tie Mis- alone In the shadows
of the tail oaks he looked up AZ the
house. dark and foIbidding III HE midst
of rank grass and weeds. " hatever
faded To Il dingy mustard hue. plotted
with the dark green OF ht,tv. wooden
shutters tightly closed.
There We're years aud years when
the shutters had never been closed.
Those We're the days before old Sinon
ElmShnry's granddaughter had run
away with The Schoolieaeher and had
In lpuSp,ii,,t,t.,a Irnn IiSIuh,,.it,I iv
the old man Simon hni left the house
aud land and furniture to he Foreign
Missionary society. and nov, i've years
after his death. they had put II up ut
auction aud Ebrnezer had bought IL
at much below its real value.
II WIS we'll known that Simon would
have opposed his pranddaughtcr's mar
rlage To any man. lie WAS selfish
enough 10 wish 10 Keep her at his side
To wait upon him. for she WIS the only
relative lie had.
Let us come and live with YOU.
grnudfaiher. Curneia had pleaded
with her ariis around his neck. You
will like Henry better Mhesn you know
him Bul The obdurate old man had
angrily lung her aside. and the next
day the girl had been married 10 Hen
ry Stone and disappeared from Mel.
willie.
After that Simon Elmsbury closed
the main part of the house and lived
IN the east wing for ten wears aud
then he died wthuut one rpirnting
word To Cornelia. I he Stones had nev-
err been heard from since their depar-
lure from Melville. No one knew
where they lived or even II they were
nlive. Old Simon Elmsbury went to
the grave unattended by any relative.
Since Snon's death gossip had It
that the house WAS haunted On stormy
nights. the creoIulous said. the old
piano linkled softly behind the closed
shutters and II wotnun's thin sweet
voice WAS heard singing In low tcnes.
Snatches of this weird music could be
heard sometimes IN the lulI of shrek
ing wind or dnshing rain. On other
nights all was still Some chained
that Cornelia was dead aud that her
sweet spirit came back to sing In the
rooms of the old home. where she had
spent II happy girlhood.
ln spite of ghoSily rtImors. EbeneZer
Pollock had suddenly made up his
mind 10 give up boarding In the vii
lage hotel and mcupy II home OF his
own. The Eluishury place suited him
1t was near his harness shop. and the
east wing WIS just large enough To
serve his simple purposes. Az for the
main portion Of the house. he gave II
over To rats and mice and mold.
Now he walked up the path and en-
tered the front door creaking rustily
on lis hinges In he south breeze that
swept the yard. On the second floor
door banged loudly. Ebenezer start
ed and then. with an exclamation of
disgust. entered the house
4 long. dark hail stretched away
into inky backness. aud to the right
and left open doors gave glimpses into
darkened rooms faintly Illuminated
with candles placed there by the auc-
tionper
Ebeuezer creaked In and out OF the
rooms filed with decaying furniture.
carefully hlowing our he candles. Up
stairs the candles were Pickering
strangely. and there WIS \ chill IN
the large .lorth betrpom ms IL from
an open window. hut MI the windows
We're tightly shattered and barred.
Once outside again. he turned the
great ir;lss Key IN The front door with
an Involuntary sigh of relief he east
wing had Il separate entrance and WIS
shut On from the rest oi the house
by II sealed door. A days work 10y
black Anlla would make the WIN. very
hahiinhie fer him and his bachelor he
longings. EbeneZer didn't want a
bousekeeper- he deiested women.
He had lived in the Emsbury place
for three weeks before he heard the
singing ghost. II WAS the 2lst OF Sep
tember. and the euuiDm.tial gale was
sinking the old house To lis very foun.
dations. Ebenezer had gone 10 bed.
but he could not sleep The wind
screamed down the wide chimney and
whistled around the windows. The
roar of beating rain drowned all sound
save the whistling wind. There were
creaking sounds beyond the walls. and
EbeDezer fell to thinking of the ghost.
Ii was iGen that the wind paused
for breath and the rain fell more light
~. From II distance came the echoing
jangle Of an old piano touched by tim.
i'd fingers and mere thread OF mel.
ody In II womaD's voice: then the rain
continued its inonotonous beat. and he
heard the music no more.
Ebeiezer Pollock VIVA angry. He re-
solved to lay the inir,iding ghost II
possible. and So the text day when a
watery sun rendered the house little
less dreary he lighted lantern and
unseaed the door that led into the
other side of the house.
The house WAS quite az dusty and
forlOrn as On the day be had bought
Il Iiaxulx. l.I4..sa.xt. ltI.....azor