Year: 1872

My sister wrote me that she had taken
house for the summer, "a queer old
fashioned house, away down on the lone
ly Georgian coast, where the children
would have the benefit of the sea-breeze
and the surf-bathing prescribed for them
after sickly spring season. And she
urged me to come at once and join them
in their new abode.


Queer and old-fashioned indeed found
it-a tumble of brick and stone and tim
Der, each room of which had the appear
ance of having been built separately, by
successive owners, with regard only to
personal convenience, and in open def
ance of all architectural rules. Yet l
liked this irregularity and the odd hooks
and corners which were forever uneX-
pectedly turning up" in the most i'm
probable places. The halls were large
and airy, and the rooms abundantly sup
piled with closets, windows and doors
the latter for the most part, opening upon
broad piazzas, or queer little porches
stuck here and there, like excrescences
upon the walls. Very cold and bleak in
winter, no doubt; but for summer resi-
dence delightful


At the back of the main building pro-
jected a sort of long and narrow wooden
gallery, consisting of row of three or
1Oul Slldil IOOHlS"leboJ uSCu, 1t dppCdI GU,
as store-rooms for grain and vegetables
all opening upon covered passage-way
connecting with a brick Office which had
formerly stood separate from the house.
These rooms and the office were unused
by the family for the gallery was not in
very good repair, and the off1ce-room, as
it was called, was quite too remote to be
desirable; besides there was plenty of
room in the main building


Yet the first time | visited this little
brick Office it at once took my fancy. 1t
was good-sized, comfortable room, with
q fireplace on one side, and a queer little
triangular closet, or cupboard, in cor
ner, bearing the marks of books and ink
stains on its shelves. There was door
opening into the gallery, and another
upon quiet and secluded corner of the
garden, out of sight of the house and
the two windows, one looking towards
the sea and the other over the large
grassy back yard, were shaded from the
sun by vines and the long dropping
branches of a weeping willow, which cast
green shadows and breathed fresh odors
throughout the apartment The very
place, | thought for study a charming
nook in which to lay reading some inter-
esting volume by day, or quietly dream
ing by night, away from the noise of the
children and the screaming of baby so
I at once chose this little room for nv
own-bed-room and study in one-and,
after giving it thorough publication
and airing, took possession.


1t proved quite as pleasant as had an.
ticipated. Here, awakening in the morn
ing, would open the windows and let in
the fresh sea-breeze, with the fragrance
of the dewy vine-leaves that clustered on
the walls without; here, in the sultry
noon-tide, I dozed or dreamed away the
hours, lying upon the little lounge near
the window and glancing from the book
in my hand upward, into the deep, cool
recesses of the willow branches above;
and, when evening came, I would sit in
my little garden-door, looking upon the
neglected wilderness of bowery shrubs
and dewy flowers, and rejoice in the quiet
and seclusion which loved so much.


Thus was sitting, about twilight, a
few days after had moved into my little
hermitage, as I called it. The air was
very still: scarce rustic disturbed the
branches OF the willow, and the surf rip
p1ing on the beach made but a low mur
mur. Suddenly, in the midst of this ST
lence, became aware of a strange sounC
near me-a faint, uncertain sound, like
the whispering of voices and rustling Of
garments Fancying that my sister or the
children had playfully stolen upon me in
my abstraction, looked around; but, te
my surprise, there was no one visible.


1t must have been fancy, of course,
thought, and turned once more to my
book; but hardly had done so wher
again heard the rustling of drapery, an6
what sounded like a football upon the
floor. was startled, and sat breathless
staring around and listening. Once o.





still as before.


In order that my story may be full,
comprehended and credited, must in
form the reader that I was at thi
time woman of four r-and-twenty, ha(
never in my life been i'll or nervous, wa
the farthest possible from being super
stitiously inclined, and had been accus
toned to regard with ridicule all storie
concerning ghosts, goblins, and other so
called spiritual manifestations. Such be
ing the case, it is not to be supposed tha
the circumstance just narrated shoul(
have made any deep or lasting impression
on me. On the contrary, though re
garding it as certainly singular
set it down as one of those odt
and feeting fancies which do sometime
puzzle and bewilder even the mos
rational, and, as such, thought no NOR
of it at the time


But on the following day, and agail
on the next, the mysterious sounds whicl
L nave described were repeated 1t wa
exactly as though some person or person
were occupying the room with me-mov
ing with soft footsteps and speaking il
low whispers, as if unwilling to be heard
Once it seemed as though some sma7
article were dropped upon the floor, wit
a metallic sound dulled by carpe
though there was none in the room an
then 1 distinctly distinguished a gra
ing noise, as of key turned in a lock
after which, for the rest of the day, a
was quiet.