Year: 1875

Nest of the frights that come to
| human nerves originate in mystery. Ob'
| iects are trembled at. simply because
| they are unknown or half known, and
causes are fancied in fear, with an
almost instructive leaning towards the
supernatural. Few cases of "haunted"
houses have been known where patient
inquiry aud search could not clay the
ghost :" and the following story, told OF
the old baronial castles in The north of
Enpland-the favorite abode of ghosts
shows how extremely simple the solu-
ton of most frightful mystery may
become.


Not many years sgo the property de-
| scended to q branch of the female limo
one of the heroes of Waterloo-who,
nothing daunted, was determined to
make this castle his place of residence.
As the noises were subject of real ter
ror to his tenautry, he resolved to sleep
in the castle on the night he took pos
session, in order to do away with these
superstitious fears.


Not habitable room could be found,
except the one occupied by the old gar
dener and his wife in the western turret,
and he ordered his campbell to be set
up in that apartment.


It was in the autumn. At night fall
he repaired to the gloomy room above,
leaving his servant, to his no small com
fort, at the village inn. After having
found everything comfortably provided,
he turned the large old rusted key upon
the gardener and his wife, who took
leave of him to lodge at farm hard by.
1t was one of those nights which are
checkered with occasional CLEANS Of
moonshine and darkness, when the
clouds are riding on q high wind. He
slept pretty well for the first two hours.
Then he was awakened by a low, noun.
full sound that ran through the apart
ments. This warned him to be up and
, accoUtred.


He descended the turret stairs with a
brilliant light, which, on coming TO the
ground floor, cast a gigantic shadow of
himself upon the high embattled walls.
Here he stood and listened. Presently
q hollow moan ran through the long cor
ridor and died away. This was followed
by one of higher key, a sort of scream,
which directed his footsteps with more
certainty to the spot.


Pursuing the sounds, he found HIM
self in the great hall of his ancestors,
and vaulting upon the large oaken table,
set down his lamp, and, folding his CLOAK
about him, determined to walt Tor all
that was terrible. The night, which had
been stormy, suddenly became still. The
dark, fitting clouds had sunk beneath
the horizon, and the moon threw her
silvery light through the chlnks OF the
moldering pile. As our hero had spent
the morning in the chase, sleep came
unbidden, and he fell asleep upon the
table.


His dream was short, for near him
issued a horrid groan. Amazed. he
started up, and sprang at the unseen
voice, thrusting with powerful blow
his sword in the arras. The blade was
fast, and held him to the spot. Behind
the waving folds there lay the cause con-
ceaIed. He left his sword and retraced
his steps to the turret.


When morning came, welcome crowd
greeting him, asked if he had met the
ghost. =,


"Oh, yes, replied the knight, dead
as a door-nail behind the screen he lies,
where my sword has pinned him fast.
Bring the wrenching bar, and we IL Laul
the disturber out.


With such a leader, and broad day to
boot, the valiant thfong tore dowh the
screon where the sword was fixed when
10 in the recess lay the fragments OF a
chapel organ, and the square wooden
trunks, make for hallowed sounds, were
used as props to stay the work when the
hall was coated round with oak.


The wondering clowns laughed aloud
at the mysterious voice. 1t was the
northern blast that found its way
through the Crannies of the wall TO the
Rroaning pipes, that had alarmed the
country around for a century past.