The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-08-28
TheTWoFam-
lily House
The Rent Was Low Because
1t Was Reported to
Be Haunted.
By F. A. Mitchell

Miss Laura Williamson was an or
phan, doomed to make her own living
Being stenographer and typewritel
in large city, she was. obliged to pay
for board and lodging nearly all he
salary. 1t occurred to her to take {
room In an inexpensive quarter an(
get her breakfast and dinner herself
One Sunday morning, having leisure
for the purpose, she took up a news
paper and scanned the advertisements
for lodgings
There was an advertisement of a two
family house, the rental of one sui
of four rooms, furnished, on the ground
floor, the price of which was no greater
than what Miss Williamson had ex
pected to pay for one room. She con
cluded to go at once and look it over
Half an hours ride In a trolley tool
her to Its location. She found thu
neighborhood respectable and the house
itself apparently In good repair. The
blinds of both stories were drawn, in
dicating that neither was occupied
Miss Williamson rang the doorbell OF
a house near by In order to make some
inquiries. A woman came to the dool
and when asked If she knew anything
about the condition Of the house fol
rent replied:
IAN l know about 1t is that every
one around here belieNes it Is haunted
It's been for rent for long while
but no one will take either suit. for Il
Is well known that there are ghosts
In 1t. I understand that they've put
the rent down to next to nothing, but
still no one so far has been induced tc
live there
Miss Williamson was not at all su
perstitious and had no belief In ghosts
She saw an opportunity to secure q
suit of rooms cheap, and few days
later she took advantage Of a holiday
to visit the house with key to the
lower fat and was so pleased with II
that she closed the bargain at once
and the next Saturday afternoon NOV
ed her few belongings there.
On going to sleep alone In a strangt
house that was believed to be haunted
she could not help giving way to 6
slight dread lest she might be disturb
ed In the night by the ghosts But
she banished the thought, and the mex
morning, Sunday, awakened by the sur
shining In at her window, she expert
enced a comfort in finding herself in
possession Of four rooms, including q
bath. The morning light took away
all loneliness. AS for the ghosts. she
forgot all about them. Not a sound
during the night had interrupted her
slumber.
Miss Williamson was one of those
persons who have resources within
themselves and are not always pining
for company. She occupied herself
during her first day In her fiat putting
it to rights, and the rest Of the time
she spent reading. Having to rise ear
ly In the morning to go to work and
being good sleeper, she went to bed
at 8 o'clock.
About o'clock In the morning she
was awakened by a tramping directly
over her head. It was tramp, tramp,
tramp, tramp in one direction, then
tramp, tramp In another. Sometimes
there were five or six steps, but usual
ly from two to four. Then there was
a brief cessation, after which the steps
were subdued, more like a spiritual
tread than the others These finally
ceased, and all was still.
Miss Williamson was puzzled Not
for q moment did she refer these
sounds to ghosts. But what could
cause them? She had supposed the fiat
above was unOccupied. Even If It was
occupied, why should the only sounds
come from it before cock crow?
Before Miss Williamson left the
house In the morning she went to the
upper hall and knocked at every door.
No response She tried the doors, but
found them locked Listening, she
heard no sound Then, from the side
walk, she looked at the upper windows.
The shades were drawn, as she had
seen them before.
Miss Williamson experienced a sensa-
ton of discomfort
That day produced more blunders on
the part of the typewriter than she
had ever made before. If she was to
be awakened every morning before day
by a tramping overheard by and by
the matter would get on her nerves.
If it did she would be deprived Of sleep,
and the result would be that she could
not do her work. If she could not do
her work and do 1t properly she would
lose her position.
She went to her abode that evening
not with the light heart she had en-
tered it two days before. Before open
ing her main door she went upstairs
again, knocked and tried the locks.
All was still as before. Returning to
the first story, she unlocked the door
Of her fiat. half expecting that ghosts
had been there and turned everything
topsy turvey. Nothing had been dis
turbed, and the tenant set about cook
ing her dinner.
Everything depended upon the tramp
ing being repeated that night She
went to bed hoping that it would not,
but dreading that it would. She lay
awake an hour longer than usual,
though very tired and much troubled
at having been reproved for the mis-.
takes she had made during the day.
She woke up at midnight. Every.
thing was quiet, and she soon dropped
asleep again.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, trampI
There it was again
Tramp, tramp!
Miss Williamson remembered that
the night before there had been four
tramps in one direction, then two in
another.
Tramp, tramp, tramp!
She was not quite sure but that thG
third series of tramps had been three.
The steps continued about the same
length of time, the last sounds being
mufiled as before. Whether the listen
er had got more used to them or be-
cause Of her disbelief In the super
she did not seem to mind them
as much as she had the night before.
Perhaps the repetition Of the steps in
the same order as before may have
had something to do with It. At any
rate, her heart ceased its Wild beating
sooner than before, and after the
sounds ceased she went to sleep.
The next morning she concluded not
to repeat her attempt to find out If the
fat above was occupied, but went d.
rectly to her place Of business. Her
attention was again distracted by her
experience, and today she made
blunder that. had 1t not been detect
ed, would have cost her employers
something like $4,000. Before leav-
ing the office she was handed check
for the salary due her and told that
she need not return.