Year: 1874

OniAti1OAs Hdet olOcSy OpCuCu tilC WdSOu-
house, and was running out the light
| wagon; he was going to harness up the
colt to see if it would go in double har-
ness. Ben had heard the bell, but
thought it was to waken Mary Ann.
He hadn't seen anyone at the
door; but then they might have been
there, for he hadn't looked He thought,
| IF anyone was about the place, they'd
come in before long, | soon forgot the
bell in discussing the good points of the
colt and in the various chores which oc-
cuped my time until breakfast was ready,
and it was not until we were seated at the
table that | was reminded of it by another
ing at the door.


"Why, thought you went to the door
| long ago, Mark said mother. Has
some one been waiting all this time to
come in? She rose to answer the bell,
but as | sat nearer the door, 1 was in adj
vance of her, and Ben Smithers, who was
| drying his face on the kitchen roller,
went round outside to sec who this early
caller might be, followed by Mary Ann,
who began to think that the farm might
be livlier place than she had been led to
believe, seeing that our visitors began be-
fore breakfast.


~ opened the door, No one was there,
except Ben and Mary Ann, who were
coming round from the kitchen. We
looked toward the barn. There were
Bens horses hitched to the post ready
for an early start. Nothing else was to be
seen.


"I think it likely it's them Moffit
boys, said Ben. They're dreadful mis-
chievous rascals, and door-bell's a nov.
city in these parts; they're likely trying
their pranks on it,"


"This seemed plausible; so we all went
in to breakfast We had scarcely fin
ished before the bell rang again. Mother
was inclined to let the Moffatt boys alone,
thinking they would soon tire of this fun !;
but was vexed. I'll teach 'em better
manners said |, than to disturb peace
able family after this fashion, | had
promised your mother to plant bed of
radishes and early peas, and as that part
OF the garden was in sight of the front
door, | thought this good time to do it.
| might have chance to catch the fel-
lows. / had worked until almost noon
time without being disturbed. The little
r0gues see me at work, thought |; they
will not come again while | am here; but
just before my work was completed the
bell rang again. | looked up quickly
from my work-so quickly that no one
could slip away from the door without
my seeing them-but there was no person
in sight. Mother opened the door from
within as [ approached from without.


"Oh, was that you, Mark?' she asked,
apparently relieved at seeing me. Did
you ring?' | asked, in reply, scarcely re-
aliZing how foolish was my question. 4
ring? No; did your We seemed to be
mutually confused, and mutually conftls-
ing each other. did not ring; she did
not ring; there was nobody there who did
ring, and yet the bell was constantly ring
ing.


"'Perhaps the bell isn't hung right
said mother, as if anxious to explain
away her own fears, 'and the jar IS g,5fi
footsteps makes it ring But even as she
spoke the bell rang once more without an
echo of football to disturb, and without
hand upon the bell-pull.


"'It must be rats said I.


"We have neither rats nor mice said
mother, The house is new, and have
not seen rat or q mouse since we have
lived here


Together we went down in the cellar to
examine the bell itself There it hung,
looking in all respects like every other
bell, apparently innocent of all intention
to puzzle us. could see nothing about
it which would cause it to ring in any alb.
normal manner.


"Pshaw, it's nothing' said mother; 4
don't mind it, betraying in her very
tones the anxiety which her words de-
MED.


However, we could not stand there
watching the bell so | went out in the
garden to my work, and your mother went
to her churning, each of us striving to
hide from the other the annoyance we
felt but were unwilling to confess. At
long intervals through the day the bell
rang, and even at midnight we were
aroused by the short, sharp twang of the
wire and the tingle, tingle of the bell I
could not sleep. | longed for the daylight
to appear that | might make a more
thorough examination into the matter. [
arose at the dawn, and proceeded to make
fresh investigation. The bell-pull was
all in order; the bell itself was beyond
the reach of anyone passing; we did not
use the cellar where it hung, and in spite
of my endeavors / could not account for
the mystery.


"Ben Smithers, who was very super
stitiOus, said at once it was the ghost of
old Mis- Watkins; that she was still q
walkin', even eff the old house was pulled
down about her earsr


"I was sorry to have Ben get on that
track, for | dreaded, of all things, to have
the peace of my family disturbed by such
idle reports. Without telling any one
about it, / cut off the wire close to the
bell-pull, but this did not prevent a re
newal of the ringing. Sometimes for a
whole day it would cease, and just as we
were about to congratulate ourselves that
we should have no more trouble it would
ring again.


"Mary Ann gave warning that she
should leave if this trouble continued,
and even Ben declared he wouldn't live
in a house where the ghosteses were a
goin' it day an night.


| Mother began to he so nervous that
she could neither eat nor sleep; and as
for myself, wished l had never heard of
Mrs. Watkins and her ghost, for although
| tried to reason with myself that such a
! loud and distinct sound could not be pro-
duced by any other than some natural
cause, yet my rest was so disturbed at
night that I found myself getting irrita-
BILE and impatient and | felt angry at any
allusion to the bell.


~ was almost provoked enough to kick
old neighbor Greene off the premises be.
cause he came hobbling along with the
aid of his STOUT staff to ask me if it was
really true that Mis- Watkins ghost had
come to the new house, I snubbed the
old man in the most disrespectful way
and / heard him say. as he walked beside


Ben to the barn, that needn't be so cross
about it. / might we known the ghost


wouldn't give up the old place.


"Old Mr. Greene had hardly disappear.
ed down the Springfield road, before


saw Deacon Hadley climbing over the
| ooct oDd rai1 fnpoa TN af cnparatp6 his farm