Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1911-07-27

ton Miss Rutledge about the haunted
room. She told me that during the
early part OF the eighteenth century
one OF her ancestors had been murder.
ed there. He had married the daughter
of a neighboring planter She loved
and was loved by another This lover
came to the house, and during an alter
cation between him and the husband
in this room the latter had been stab
bed there. Since then every one who
had tried to sleep In the chamber had
been driven out by the appearance Of
the murdered man.
The most natural thing in the world
for lover is to try TO make hero
OF himself Virginia was full Of mill
tary heroes, and as such ! was merely
one Of thousands. resolved to do
what could to show my courage by
sleeping In the haunted room. Miss
Rutledge begged me not to try it since
into a fever which, being followed by
other symptoms. finally carried him off
was resoute. because in the first
place believed haunted chambers
to be a myth. and in the second
II anything marvellous did occur Ii
would give me the desired opportunity
to show my pluck. The evening be-
fore Kirkwood was moved | sent word
TO the general that II could be spared
from headquarters would stay all
night AT the plantation with Kirkwood
He sent back nm order for me to re-
main
pledged Miss Rutledge 10 say moth
ing about my intention to sleep In the
haunted chamber. hoping in this way
to head Off any one who might be dis
posed 10 pay ghost She prepared the
room herself for my occupancy, keep
ing watch that no one should see her
doing so. waited till late hour be
fore going 10 bed. when not person
besides myself and Miss Rutledge. ex-
cept In the invalid's chamber was
stirring Then went To the room
had occupied whenever had remain
ed for the night and. removing my
boots. stole in the dark to the haunted
chamber
That my presence there might not be
betrayed | took off my clothes in the
dark Feeling sure that the parts of
ghosts are always played by persons In
the flesh and that no one on this side
of the dead line knew that the room
was occupied. went 10 sleep within
reasonable time.
awoke with n start. At the other
end of the room ! saw a glimmering
such ms appears In the east at the first
faint dawn. watched II and soon
saw that II was increasing, both
spreading and growing in intensity
II grew till that end Of the chamber
was Illuminated. or. rather. II seemed
that there was no end 10 the chamber,
but misty III defined space. Then |
saw in this space the bed In which !
lay and asleep in il n figure door
opened and man dressed in the cos
tune In vogue NJ the end Of the eight
eenth century stole stealthily toward
the bed Reaching it. quick as fash
he buried a knife In the seeper's hos
ON Then all was dark again
felt all the horror one experiences
in seeing murder in cold blood For
more than year had seen men
killed continually. sometimes thousands
nj time. hut that was under the ex'
hilaration OF battle. The vision. or
whatever Il was. left me all Of trem
BILE. There being no further use for
concealment. lighted a candle that
stood on small table beside my bed
would have given half my fortune
| was rich-to leave that bedroom. but
my love for Lillian Rutledge was
greater than my fear. ! had come
there to show her my pluck. and did
not propose 10 show the white feath
or Yet | would have infinitely pre-
ferred 20 lead forlorn hope against y
battery of hundred guns.
Ind NOT long To wait for dawn. and
" hen through window came its first
beams blew out my candle and with
IN half an hour had so far recovered
from my disagreeable sensations as TO
fall asleep
shortly before 8 O'Clock | went down
to breakfast feeling M liberty TO play
the hero. since no one had seen me dur
ing the night shaking like Il leaf In the
wind However that's what we hoy~
lid often during the war If we TEN
lnrurily lost uur grip on our courage
we looked about 20 learn who had seen
us Miss Euled~e'S mother gnd othe-
meuhrrS Of the family We're present.
81 nothing was said about my expert
cucp assumed u careless dppnrt
meut. ihnu-h I confess had not yet
recovered my nerves Finally | was
alone with Miss Rutledgp and she
looked at me inuuiringly J confessed
that / lind seen u vision 81 murder
And stayed In the room" she asked
quickly
YES only lefl II Just before break
fast
failed 70 uId thal 81 was the hard
est pull on my courage I bud vet met
with
did uo5 spe the Rutledge plan'aIiou
again uuri' after the war Then ! went
down into Virginia aud found u
wreck ] made Inquiries for thr emily
who had occupied 70 ANA FOUND thai
that they bad gone north bat wher"
! could uot learn Everything 10 Tho
Hs..-. ...., s,.-T,n EyHrt