Year: 1868




ed manufacturing villages Of Chicopee
river and the quiet villages of CRANKY
and South Hadley, stands a lonely house
ten rods from a lonely road 1t is of
two stories and an l., though the single
room in this last is the only room that is
inhabitable. The two story part, now
ruin, has never been more than a mere
shell. A quarter of a century ago Shu-
bael Jones put it up, planted little or
chard around it, and brought to it
black-eyed, high-tcmpered wife. But he
was at that time an incipient drunkard,
and soon every appearance of comfort
and domestic happiness fled the place.
And one dismal November night the
wretched wife summoned her neighhors
from their beds to where the poor sot lay
dead at the foot of the cellar stairs. No
inquest was held, none doubted that he
was killed by fall in drunken fit in
attempting another visit to his cider
barrel.


The widow rented the place to a ten
ant who neither kept it well or paid its
rent. She went with her little boy, who
was not quite an idiot, to work in the pa
per-mill at the village then called "Skip-
muck" For long years she changed from
factory to factory as best she could keep
her son employed. He was always harm
less and still. He was always obedient
under his mothers eye and working by
her side. They earned more than they
spent, but the prudent people of Ludlow
where they last lived, feared to allow
them to "gain settlement and thus
render their town liable for their future
support. So they obtained the consent
of the agent that the widow and her son
need not keep strict time, and offered to
furnish room in her old desolate house
three miles from the factory if she would
live there. The proud woman under
stood the motive, and with flash of her
dark eyes declined their kindness. But
she soon bought a little furniture of a
family that was moving away and rees.
tablished herselfin the gloomy old wreck


1t was now late in the fall when the
widow Jones first noticed that the grass
was disappearing from the road side by
the bars opposite her door. 1t soon grew
obviously worse; and, though bale
spot on mans head is no great wonder
this bare spot, with no hoof-marks OF
it, baffled all her ingenuity. The fence
too, seemed worn, as if by loungers lean
ing upon it. What could it mean? M
human gathering could have been helC
in that lonely place since the day whel
that mouldering frame was raised ex
cept on that sad day when the mould
ering frame Of the owner went to it
long home.


The explanation of that mystery in
wolves us in a deeper one. One night IL
September man from Ludlow was pas





sing the house just after the factory bel
had announced the hour of nine. As h
neared the house he heard a groan.
was single groan, and then all was stil
But it was such a groan as no one utter
/, twice, and he who hears it never wisht
to hear it again. He felt it his duty
rush into the house, but dared not. Ats
long hesitation he went his way, specl
lating whether the widow had murdere
= her idiot son or had been murdered b


him. And when he saw them both con
} quietly into the village the next mornln!
7 he doubted first his eyes and next h
$ memory.


t. But the same errand again brougl


him past that lonely house few nigh


later. Again he heard the nine o'clo(
; bell as he approached the house al
again, as he was opposite the house, tn
: dreadful groan. The next night he wal


ed out with neighbor, so timing !
Z steps lllhJ WIFI hCll lhS AiO.H9S "


heard that mortal sound. Both We
: certain that it came from the house.
. Three went out, and five, and tiftee


and thirty. All heard the groan; a
. all agreed that it was exact to Its time


quarter of minute. Old CAPITA
n Hardcastle said that if he were shut
y. in hold as dark as midnight, he cou
= tell within ten minutes when the time


his 'leven o'clock " came, but could


keep time with ghost. One guessed
p spirits heard the bell. The agent ST
: ped the bell one night, but the groan


heard as usual. And it was not sil
all lar groan but the same groan, repeal
ny every night No ear could tell any {


ference not made by the direction q
ar force of the wind. Some wondel
whether it had been repeated every mi
since poor Jones 4" broke his neck" q


ers said, that if they were the Wild


rather than live month in that no


they would confess the murder and