Year: 1869

Syria; a heavy sea was rolling, and, Ms |
he stood near the companion ladder, he |
was thrown violently down, breaking his |
leg in two places The shock of amputa
ton was too great for his system, and he |
died shortly after the operation.


was then serving IN the Channel Fleet, |
hut | obtained leave of absence and hur
ried TO Devonport, where my mother re.
sided. Alter my poor fathers affairs were
sottled she took a great dislike to the sea
The sight or sound of 1t, the appearance
Ot sailors in the street. or the firing ot u
salute, served to remind her most acutely
of the loss she had sustained OF course
it was decided that she should leave the
town, but where to wend her steps she
knew not


She herself had no choice of ncighbor
hood, SO we had nothing to do but to look
out for an eligible house in some inland
town. Soon the following advertisement
caught our attention:
rTNO RE LET ON LEASE, IN A SMALL MAR
kct town, noar railway station, six roumcd
house, IN good repair, with large garden back
and front. Rent very moderate, owing to pocu-
liar circumstances,


applied where | was directed, and WAS
informed that the cottage WAS situated in
Burnside, Derbyshire, and that it might be
viewed ON further application. | should
say that the letter also stated that the rent
would bc only eight pounds, if taken for
! fourteen years.


FASTENED to the place, saw the cottage
| was delighted with its appearance and sit
uatiOn, and then sought for information,
as to the peculiar circumstances under
which so charming little house was TO
! be let for so tritling rent


After some general reason for leaving,
which | vcnurCd to hint could hardly
be called peculiar, the lady-outgoing ten
| cnt-coniessed that she had recently taken
the house for fourteen years, but found that
il was haunted, or at least that most unac-
Couutahle sounds were heard at midnight
causing her much uneasiness, and, ut
| length, becoming a source of great alarm
to her daughters, who were but young
| girls The lady herself, l should say, was
widow.


! | offered to try and find out for her the
cause of the strange noises, and even then


take tina house, perhaps ri higher rental;
! but she said that if liked to risk the find
| ing out and putting a stop to them should


have the cottage at the rent named for


she said it had been left her by person


of whom she knew but little, and


that therefore the rent. though small,


would be some addition to her income
! | agreed to take the house at once, for
] y, L


1t the same night


The lady had not removed all her furni.


ture, So she kindly made me up bed in


the back parlor, and placed there also an


arm chair A fire was lit /; lprOvided my.


self with the materials for good supper,


and locked myself in the house at ten


o'clock.


OF course no one ever heard of re-


spectacle ghost ever appearing before mid


night, so that l had two hours before


should test the truth of the reports | had


heard | made hearty supper-there


was something material in that and If the


conflict about u be was one of spirit rerSHS


matter, | felt that | would not 90 into


battle on an empty stomach. To keep my


head clear, and not to allow IL to run riot


in Imagination, picturing all the possible


forms that might appear, and recalling all


that heard or read about phantom shapes,


took my books AMI worked out Il ships


course. But | soon gave this up; it was


unmanly to be doing this in order to keep


Off fear so shut my books, lit my pipe,


and gave tree run to my thoughts.


AS was natural, they soon turned to my


poor fathers death, to my mothers sOr-


row, and to other events which happened


about that time that tended to make me


low spirited. | tried to avoid such


thoughts but that was the way to bring


them to my mind. ! tried to recall some


of the more exciting scenes of my life. |


endeavored to carry back my thoughts to


the rowing, happy days of childhood, and


forward to the promotions from the Ad-


miralty, among which my name might


figure hut il all came to this, that was


endeavOring not to think of my present


position, and miserably failing in the


effort


Looking at my watch, and finding it


wanted but ten minutes to twelve, mixed
myself another glass of grog and waited


with anxiety the hour of midnight.


Sure enough then, within minute or
two of that time, heard a rumblng noise
like the approach of carriage, that got


louder and louder, and which seemed to
, proceed from down stairs. | was making
my way there when distinctly heard the


clanking of a chain, but by the time got
into the kitchen the sound appeared to be
receding, till at length it died away A
bell, hung in the back kitchen, was ring


ing gently, as if woman's hand held the
bell-Tope.


On coming out from the kitchen, | was
surprised to find that two doors, one be-


longing to the pantry, and the other tO a


large closet, were open, both of which
had shut, after haviug examined the in


sides, when first came into the house.


entered the pantry and the closet, but
, without finding any clue to the solution


of The mystery. On going back to the


parlor, | was still further surprised to find
that the hearth-brush, that had left stand,


ing by the side of the fire place. was
T thrown down, and that my pipe, which


had left upright on the mantlepiece
against the wall, was broken in two pieces
, There were no indications of anything
further having happened in the room my
unfinished grog remained in stdtu quo
as did the few other things OA the table.
made up the fire, sat down before it,
, and began To try to account for these re
markaOle occurrences. One hypothesis
after another was proposed and then given
up, till at last, being fatigued, and feeling
that AS midnight was now over there
} would be no repetition of the noises got
! into bed and soon fell fast asleep, and re
} mained quite undisturbed. In the morn
ing | hurried To inform the lady of my
E nights adventure. 1 could see that she
/ Was secretly well pleased that her expert
E ence had been mine also. In broad day
3, light felt assured that the cause Of the
: noises was to be sought in the world o
. matter IA her than Of spirits, and was u
, be found from without rather than from
. within the house.


' The situation of the house was an all
4 important consideration, and suggested
j, line OF inquiry which terminated satisfac
4 torily.


!, A railway went through the town, anC
D not far from the house was the beginning
of the tunnel Having fmcied that th
e might lead to the solution Of the mystery
4 | went 10 the station and learned that re
Gently large quantity of earth had fallen
D away In the tunnel, AZ a spot close 10 the
Y hSuse, the foundations of which had there
{ by become exposed. learned also, thai
4 ut five minutes TO twelve at night, heavy
4 luggage train started for London, which
a arrived opposite the house in abont five
0 minutes that the train was started from