Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-06-10
GHOST OF THE HAUNTED HOUSE.

Some years ago my sister. my moth
er and myself occupied the uppcr floor
of a large, old house that was built
before the war. | WAS the Youngest .
time about twelve years of age. My
sister WAS sixteen.
Our girl friends liked very much TO
hear my sister read aloud, and often
came over OF evenings TO sit by the
open sratehre and listen while my sis
ter Katie read some novel or other
story.
Well one evening while Katie was
finishing UP hook she had started
that week, her listeners became so in
terested that they forgot the time, and
as it was past my bedtime 1 arose and,
bidding my friends good night, said
that | was going 10 retire. They We're
all facing the hre, with their backs
towards the door. which was across
the room. and none of them turned as
l got up. but, saying good might, lis
tened interestedly while Katie kept on
reading.
started towards tho door uny bed
room was across the halD. and as
! did so | noticed that il was standing
ajar When 1 was about halfway
across the room saw a woman stand
Ing in the opening in the doorway.
She was dressed In white. with long,
flowing golden hair. On her face was
an expression of agony and she seem
|
in her hands. When l saw her, |
screamed, 70 Katie. look, look What
is that woman doing in here?" But
when they turned around the woman
had gone out into the hall, and some
thing seemed to draw me towards her.
although l was almost frightened out
Of my wits. l followed her until she
came TO the head OF the stairs. where
she disappeared. and l promptly faint
| ed.
| Lat, 10 1o,~
in the hall and with the aid of the
other girls brought me back into the
room and bathed my face with water
until ! came TO.
| When l was restored to conscious
ness. my mother and gentleman.
whose family occupied the lower fiat,
| were in the room. Tho gentleman
asked me what had frightened me so
| Che had heard my screams). and I
described the woman as had seen
her, adding that, probably. I Imagined
| II. But. No said the gentleman, you
didn', imagine it; YOU really saw it.
| tcr it has been seen before"
| We had only been living in that
house short while, so VIC were not
aware OF its being haunted. The gem
! tieman had lived there several years
SO this is what he told US:
| THAT woman committed suicide
here right after the war. She had been
engaged to a soldier who was serving
under Lee When tho latter Surren-
dered at AppomattoX he wrote that he
was coming home next week and to
have everything ready for the we'd
ding. SO on the day when his arrival
was due. everything was ready. the
guests having all arrived. and she
dressed for the occasion. She was sup
| In this room when message was
received addressed to her One of
the guests took it and thinking that
| II was merely a concratulatiop had
| 1t sent UP to her. But presently a
scream was heard and several of the
guests coming TO the bottom OF the
stairs. looked up and saw the in
tended bride lying in a heap at the
top of the stairs They FASTENED up
and found her dead. In one hand she
held the telegram. and in the other a
bottle labeled. Carbolic Acid This
hands clasped. as YOU saw them, and
also for the expression on her face.
! One of the guests read the telegram
ana found out that tho train on which
her lover was coming was wrecked
and he had been killed. She had prob
ably taken the 'carbolic acid in this
room. and being sorry. came to tho ton
| OF tho stairs to call for help when
she dropped dead"
This was the first we had ever heard
Of 1t and after finding out that. the
house was haunted we moved away.
My friends were afraid to go home
that night so stayed over with us
until next morning.
was never more frightened. in. my
lie. but have seen ghosts" since then.
r. i. -YATES.
/ Note. This story is quite true. r. L. 7,