Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1912-12-12
PRIESTS GHOST STORY
BEGAN WITH THRILLS, BUT
ENDED VERY TAMELY.
Az the Material for Really Excellent
Experience With Spirits Seemed
70 Be There Until the Touch OF
Materlailsna Developed.


Doctor Walsh, lecturer and nerve
specialist, tells the following story
In one of his series OF talks on ghosts,
dreams. premonitions After this tale
It viii be unnecessary 10 say that the
doctor has never seen a ghost himself.
An old clergyman dwelling alone
with bis housekeeper and her sister
In a rather lonely part OF little coun-
try town was awakened late one night
by a loud ring at his front doorbell.
In q moment the priest was out OF bed
and preparing 20 go on what he ex-
pected was sick call summons.
Again ,very shortly came another
ring at the bell. Surprised that the
housekeeper. who slept on the ground
floor, had not answered the door he
went out into the hall and down ths
stairs. There standing at the open
door was the housekeeper and her sis
ter looking out into empty space. The
two astonished women turned to him.
There is no one there, fatherl"
they exclaimed.
When It rang frst l went to the
door and found no one" went on the
elder. "then when II rang again we
we're both near the door and opened
It Immediately and there was nothing
around"
AS they were speaking the bell rang
again and the women in alarm clung
to each other. Boldly the priest
opened the door-still no one in sight.
It was a clear starlight night and
the house stood In an empty space.
Very cautiously he explored every por-
ton Of the grounds, piazza and house,
but not even footprint could he find.
As he was entering the door after his
search the bell rang again, and as he
was in full view of the bell he was
forced to admit that no visible human
agency rang II. he had great diff
ficulty calming the frightened women
and returned to his room in q puzzled
frame of mind Just before getting
into bed he glanced at his watch and
saw that it was o'clock.
The next day he learned with great
sorrow and also with some uneasiness
that the vicar OF the neighboring town.
who was a lifelong friend of his and
of whose illness he had not heard. had
died at o'clock the night before.
After that no mysterious doorbeu
ringings were heard until the night OF
the day OF the wears funeral. Wear
fed out with grief and the funeral, the
old priest had retired early and was
sleeping soundly when he was awak-
ened by knocks at his door and the
voice of his frightened housekeeper.
Father! Father!" she was crying.
Didn't you hear the doorbell rings
We've gone to the door and there's no
one therel The house must be
haunted. Tomorrow the first thing in
the morning we will leave"
Cutting still the woman's crying
came another ring at the bell Quick
ly the priest was up and down stairs,
looking at his watch on the way down.
It was 2 o'clock. AS he opened the
door clear and shriIl the bell changed
out again.
80 the bell rings itself, does it2" he
mused after good look around. Well,
then. the trouble must be in the bell"
Late as It was he went to work pry-
ing the bell from the door and found
the ghost! A family OF mice had
built snug little nest for themselves
there and their entrances and exits
had been the cause of the BELLS ring
ing. The late hours they kept was
no doubt due to their natural timidity.