Year: 1878

Many years ago, when the city of


Providence was quite village, an old


house stood in a lonely place couple


of miles from town IL was in the centre


of large tract of land that had oncs


been laid out in walks and garden spot,


and miniature lakes. for the occupants


of the house had cultivated tastes, and


the money with which to crafty them


so you may be sure it was very beauti-


full place.


But one dreadful night a murder was
committed there, and then it was


vacant for years, for the people.


more superstltious in those days than


they are now, believed that ghosts in


habited it, and no one could be found


who would live in it. There it stood
year after year, uninhabited and alone,
the lOyelyflowers choked with weeds,


the once well-kept walks overgrowu


with clover and grass the fruit ripening
and falling ungathered to the ground,
for no school boy however daring ven-
tured TO enter those walls.


AT the time my stories opens, party
OF young men, my grandfather among
the number had planned a moonlight
excursion, on horse beck, to a neighbOr-
ing town, and after some debate as 10
the place of meeting, they decided on
the front yard of this old house, as they
did not believe in ghosts and the selec-
ton of the place exactly suited them.


My grandfather arrived first at the
place of meeting, and tying his horse,
he sat down on the door stoop to await
the coming of his companions. 1t was
very still. No sound was to be heard
save the occasional note of the whip
por- will, or the chirping of some insect,


He had sat upon the step some min
utes, and had become quite lost in medi-
tatiOn when he was startled by three
loud raps, breaking the stiffness of the
evening air, followed by deep sepul-
chral voice saying: Arise We dead,
and come to Judgment" NY grand
father jumped to his feet and looked
around but could see nothing. He
pinched himself to make sure he was
not dreaming. and peered around the
corners and into the windows of the
house and finally concluding it was his
imagination playing him a trick, he
seated himself again on the door stone.
He had not sat long however, when the
three loud raps rang out again sharply
and the same deep voice said after
them, in measured accents, the words
uttered before.


This time my grandfather was con-
WINGED that he was not dreaming. Great
drops of perspiration stood out upon
his brow. He arose and looked all
around him as before, but could discoy-
er nothing. He then went 10 the gate
to look for his companions, but none
of them were in sight.


Il should not care TO tell them, if
they were here, he muttered to himself
as he returned to the house, and COM
mence to pace back and forth for he
could not again SIT down.


"What could it have been?'' he sud-
denly exclaimed. in a resOlute tone. as
he stopped in his walk. eff it is a
will, am determined TO solve this mys-
terry" so saying he opened the door
and went into the hall, but there was
to be seen save several bats
tapping their wings in the damp air.
The paper hung from the walls in long
shredS and was covered with mould
and the accumulated dust of years.
The noise had seemed to come from
above so he began TO ascend, the stairs,
which were very old and rickety, and
to give way at every step.
As he got near the top, the moon shOne
out suddenly from behind a cloud with
a strange brilliancy that gave a weird
ghOstly look to everything around. MY
grandfather stopped, uncertain whether
TO proceed or 20 ba * before it was too
late. His heart beat so loudly he could
hear it, and his knees knocked together
so he could hardly stand. just here the
three loud knocks began again, and de-
cided him. He bounded forward and
just as his head appeared above the
he saw sitting on the floor by
a window IN the hall, a poor old man,
with long white hair was streaming
over his shoulders and stick with
which he gave the three raps.





Ny grandfather recognized him as an
old man who had wandered about Prov
idence and vicinity for years sometimes
begging his bread, sometimes living
upon the fruits and nuts he gathered in
the woods.


He was slightly deranged, but as ne
had no friends, and was perfectly harm
less, the city authorities had allowed
him to go his way unmolested. This
poor old man had taken up his abode in
the uninhabited house, and in his crazy
faEcy, believing.himselfthej judge ofthe
lead, he had given the raps and spoken
the words which had always been attri-
buted TO ghosts.


OF course the discovery exploded the
ghost story, aud my grandfather was
quite a hero for some time among the
young people of Providence and what
was better still, the poor. half crazy
old man was taken care of by the citi-
zens ever afterwards.