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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/16975-h.zip b/16975-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..819fee1 --- /dev/null +++ b/16975-h.zip diff --git a/16975-h/16975-h.htm b/16975-h/16975-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..83335fc --- /dev/null +++ b/16975-h/16975-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2273 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<html> +<head> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" /> +<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Haunted House, by Walter Hubbell</title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p {margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + text-indent: 1.25em; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + img {border: 0;} + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + .tnote {border: dashed 1px; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%;padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em;} + + .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + visibility: hidden; + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; + } /* page numbers */ + + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + hr.full { width: 100%; } + pre {font-size: 70%;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> +</head> +<body> +<h1>The Project Gutenberg eBook, The Haunted House, by Walter Hubbell</h1> +<pre> +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: The Haunted House</p> +<p> A True Ghost Story</p> +<p>Author: Walter Hubbell</p> +<p>Release Date: October 31, 2005 [eBook #16975]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HAUNTED HOUSE***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Thierry Alberto and the Ghosts and Goblins<br /> + of the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (https://www.pgdp.net/)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> + +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span></p> + +<h3>THE</h3> +<h1>HAUNTED HOUSE:</h1> + +<h2>A True Ghost Story.</h2> + + +<p class="center"><br /><br /><b>Being an account of the Mysterious Manifestations <br />that have taken +place in the presence of</b><br /><br /></p> + +<h3>ESTHER COX,</h3> + +<p class="center"><br /><br /><b>The young Girl who is possessed of Devils, <br />and has become known +throughout the entire Dominion as</b><br /></p> + + +<h3>THE GREAT AMHERST MYSTERY,</h3> + +<h3>BY</h3> + +<h2>WALTER HUBBELL.</h2> + +<hr style='width: 25%;' /> + +<p class="center">THE AUTHOR LIVED IN THE HOUSE AND WITNESSED THE WONDERFUL +MANIFESTATIONS.</p> + +<hr style='width: 25%;' /> + +<p class="center">SAINT JOHN, N.B.:<br /> +"DAILY NEWS" STEAM PUBLISHING OFFICE, CANTERBURY STREET.<br /> +1879.<br /><br /><br /> +</p><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/divider.png" alt="Divider" title="Divider" /></div> + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" summary="Table of Contents"> +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#CHAPTER_I"><span class="smcap">Chapter I.</span></a></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Home of Esther Cox.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#CHAPTER_II"><span class="smcap">Chapter II.</span></a></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Fatal Ride.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#CHAPTER_III"><span class="smcap">Chapter III.</span></a></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Haunted House.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#Chapter_IV"><span class="smcap">Chapter IV.</span></a></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Walking of the Ghost.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#CHAPTER_V"><span class="smcap">Chapter V.</span></a></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Author and the Ghosts.</span></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><a href="#CHAPTER_VI"><span class="smcap">Chapter VI.</span></a></td><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Conclusion.</span></td></tr> +</table></div> + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/divider.png" alt="Divider" title="Divider" /></div> + + +<h2><br /><br />INTRODUCTION.</h2> + + +<p>The manifestations described in this story commenced one year ago. No +person has yet been able to ascertain their cause. Scientific men from +all parts of Canada and the United States have investigated them in +vain. Some people think that electricity is the principal agent; others, +mesmerism; whilst others again, are sure they are produced by the devil. +Of the three supposed causes, the latter is certainly the most plausible +theory, for some of the manifestations are remarkably devilish in their +appearance and effect. For instance, the mysterious setting of fires, +the powerful shaking of the house, the loud and incessant noises and +distinct knocking, as if made by invisible sledge-hammers, on the walls; +also, the strange actions of the household furniture, which moves about +in the broad daylight without the slightest visible cause.</p> + +<p>As these strange things only occur while Miss Esther Cox is present, she +has become known as the "Amherst Mystery" throughout the entire country.</p> + +<p>The author of this work lived for six weeks in the haunted house, and +considers it his duty to place the entire matter before the public in +its true light, having been requested to do so by the family of Miss +Cox.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/divider2.png" alt="Divider" title="Divider" /></div> + + + +<h2><span class="smcap">The Haunted House.</span></h2> + + + + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2> + +<h3>THE HOME OF ESTHER COX.</h3> + + +<p>Amherst, Nova Scotia, is a beautiful little village on the famous Bay of +Fundy; has a population of about three thousand souls, and contains four +churches, an academy, a music hall, a large iron foundry, a large shoe +factory, and more stores of various kinds than any village of its size +in the Province.</p> + +<p>The private residences of the more wealthy inhabitants are very +picturesque in their appearance, being surrounded by beautifully laid +out lawns, containing ornamental trees of various kinds and numerous +beds of flowers of choice and sometimes very rare varieties.</p> + +<p>The residences of Parson Townsend, Mr. Robb, Doctor Nathan Tupper, and +Mr. G.G. Bird, proprietor of the Amherst book store; also that of Mr. +Amos Purdy, the village Post Master, and others too numerous to mention, +are sure to attract the visitor's attention and command his admiration.</p> + +<p>On Princess street, near Church, there stands a neat two story cottage, +painted yellow. It has in front a small yard, which extends back to the +stable. The tidy appearance of the cottage and its pleasant situation +are sure to attract a stranger's attention. Upon entering the house +everything is found to be so tastefully arranged, so scrupulously clean, +and so comfortable, that the visitor feels at home in a moment, being +confident that everything is looked after by a thrifty housewife.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span></p> + +<p>The first floor consists of four rooms, a parlor containing a large bay +window, filled with beautiful geraniums of every imaginable color and +variety, is the first to attract attention; then the dining room, with +its old fashioned clock, its numerous home made rugs, easy chairs, and +commodious table, makes one feel like dining, especially if the hour is +near twelve; for about that time of day savory odors are sure to issue +from the adjoining kitchen. The kitchen is all that a room of the kind +in a village cottage should be, is not very large, and contains an +ordinary wood stove, a large pine table, and a small washstand, has a +door opening into the side yard near the stable, and another into the +wash shed, besides the one connecting it with the dining room, making +three doors in all, and one window. The fourth room is very small, and +is used as a sewing room; it adjoins the dining room, and the parlor, +and has a door opening into each. Besides the four rooms on the first +floor, there is a large pantry, having a small window about four feet +from the floor, the door of this pantry opens into the dining room. Such +is the arrangement of the first floor.</p> + +<p>Upon ascending a short flight of stairs, and turning to the left, you +find yourself in the second story of the cottage, which consists of an +entry and four small bed rooms, all opening into the entry. Each one of +the rooms has one window, and only one door. Two of these little bed +rooms face towards the street, and the other two towards the back of the +cottage. They, like the rest of the house, are conspicuous for their +neat, cosy aspect, being papered and painted, and furnished with +ordinary cottage furniture. In fact everything about the little cottage +will impress a casual observer with the fact that its inmates are happy, +and evidently at peace with God and man.</p> + +<p>This humble cottage is the home of Daniel Teed, shoe<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>maker. Everybody +knows and respects honest hard working Dan, who never owes a dollar if +he can help it, and never allows his family to want for any comfort that +can be procured, with his hard earned salary as foreman of the Amherst +Shoe Factory.</p> + +<p>Dan's family consists of his wife Olive, as good a soul as ever lived, +always hard at work. From early morning until dusky eve she is on her +feet. It has always been a matter of gossip and astonishment, among the +neighbors, as to how little Mrs. Teed, for she is by no means what you +would call a large woman, could work so incessantly without becoming +weary and resting for an hour or so after dinner. But she works on all +the same, never rests, and they still look on her with astonishment. Dan +and Olive have two little boys. Willie, the eldest, is <i>five</i> years old; +he is a strong, healthy looking lad, with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes, +and brown curly hair; his principal amusements are throwing stones, +chasing the chickens, and hurting his little brother. George, the +youngest of Dan's boys, is the finest boy of his age in the village and +is only a little over a year old; his merry little laugh, winning ways, +and cunning actions to attract attention have made him a favorite with +all who visit at the cottage.</p> + +<p>Besides his wife and two little boys, Dan has under his honest roof and +protection his wife's two sisters,—Jane and Esther Cox—who board with +him. Jane is a lady-like, self-possessed young woman of about +twenty-two, and is quite a beauty; her hair is very light brown and +reaches below her waist when she allows it to fall in graceful +tresses—at other times she wears it in the Grecian style; her eyes are +of a greyish hue; a clear complexion and handsome teeth add to her fine +appearance. In fact, Jane Cox is one of the village belles, and has +hosts of admirers, not of the male sex alone, for she is also popular +among the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>ladies; she is a member and regular attendant of Parson +Townsend's Church, which, by the way, the good Parson has had under his +care for about forty-five years. Esther Cox, Dan's other sister in-law, +is such a remarkable girl in every respect that I must give as complete +a description of her as possible. She was born in Upper Stewiacke, Nova +Scotia, on March 28th, 1860, and is consequently in her eighteenth year. +Esther has always been a queer girl. When born she was so small that her +good, kind grandmother, who raised her, (her mother having died when she +was three weeks old) had to wash and dress her on a pillow, and in fact +keep her on it all the time until she was nine months old, at which age +her weight was only five pounds. When she was quite a little girl her +father, Archibald T. Cox, married again, and moved to East Machias, +Maine, where he has since resided. Having followed his second wife to +the grave, he married a third with whom he is now living. Esther's early +years having been spent with her grandmother, she very naturally became +grave and old-fashioned, without knowing how or why. Like all little +girls, she was remarkably susceptible to surrounding influences, and the +sedate manner and actions of the old lady made an early impression on +Esther that will cling to her through life.</p> + +<p>In person Esther is of low stature and rather inclined to be stout; her +hair is curly, of a dark brown color, and is now short, reaching only to +her shoulders; her eyes are large and grey, with a bluish tinge, and an +earnest expression which seems to say, "why do you stare at me so; I can +not help it if I am not like other people." Her eye-brows and eye-lashes +are dark and well marked, that is to say, the lashes are long and the +eye-brows very distinct. Her face is what can be called round, with well +shaped features; she has remarkably handsome teeth, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span>a pale +complexion. Her hands and feet are small and well shaped, and although +inclined to be stout, she is fond of work, and is a great help to her +sister Olive, although she sometimes requires a little urging.</p> + +<p>Although Esther is not possessed of the beauty that Jane is famous for, +still there is something earnest, honest and attractive about this +simple-hearted village maiden, that wins for her lots of friends of +about her own age; in fact, she is quite in demand among the little +children of the neighborhood also, who are ever ready to have a romp and +a game with <i>Ester</i>, as they all call her. The truth is, a great many of +the grown up inhabitants of the village call her <i>Ester</i> also, dropping +the <i>h</i> entirely, a habit common in Nova Scotia.</p> + +<p>Esther's disposition is naturally mild and gentle. She can at times, +however, be very self-willed, and is bound to have her own way when her +mind is made up. If asked to do anything she does not feel like doing +she becomes very sulky and has to be humored at times to keep peace in +the family. However, all things considered, she is a good little girl +and has always borne a good reputation in every sense of the word.</p> + +<p>There are two more boarders in the little cottage, who require a passing +notice. They are William Cox and John Teed. William is the brother of +Olive, Jane, and Esther, and is a shoemaker by trade, and one of Dan's +workmen in the factory.</p> + +<p>The other boarder, John Teed, is Dan's brother. John, like his brother, +is an honest, hard working young man, has been raised a farmer, an +occupation he still follows when not boarding with Dan in Amherst.</p> + +<p>As the reader may, perhaps, be anxious to know how Dan, good, honest +hard working Dan, and, his thrifty little wife Olive, look, I will +endeavor to give a short description <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>of each. So here goes. Dan is +about thirty-five years old, and stands five feet eight in his +stockings. He has light brown hair, rather thin on top, a well shaped +head, blue eyes, well defined features, a high nose, and wears a heavy +moustache and bushy side whiskers; his complexion is florid; rheumatism +of several years standing has given him a slight halt in the left leg. +He does his work, spends his salary as he should, and leads a Christian +life, has a pew in the Wesleyan Church of which Rev. R.A. Temple is +pastor, belongs to a temperance society, and, I dare say, when he dies +will be well rewarded in the next world. Olive, as I have already said, +is not a very large woman. She is good and honest, like her husband, and +goes to church with him as a wife should. Her hair is dark brown, eyes +grey, complexion pale and slightly freckled. Although not as beautiful +as Jane, nor at any time as sulky as Esther can be, she has those +motherly traits of character which command respect. Being older than her +sisters she is looked up to by them for advice when they think they need +it, and consolation when they are in sorrow. Olive's wise little head is +sure to give the right advice at the right time, and in the family of +the cottage her word is law. I do not mean to say that she rules her +husband. No! Dan is far from being a hen-pecked man, but, as two heads +are always better than one, Dan often takes her advice and profits by +it.</p> + +<p>Such is the cottage and household of honest Dan Teed.</p> + +<p>To-day is cool and pleasant. The hour is nearly twelve noon—the hour +for dinner in the cottage. Esther is seated on the parlor floor playing +with George to keep him from running out in the hot sun. Willie is out +in the yard near the stable tormenting a poor hen, who has had a log of +wood tied to one of her legs by Olive to prevent her from setting in the +cow's stall; but master Willie seems to think she has been tied so that +he may have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span>a good time banging her over the head with a small club, +which he is doing in a way that means business. Suddenly his mother +comes out of the kitchen, and after soundly boxing his ears, sends him +howling into the house, much to the relief of the poor hen who has just +fallen over with exhaustion and fright, but upon finding her tormentor +gone is soon herself again. Presently Olive hears Dan at the gate, and +comes to the front door to meet him and tell him that dinner is almost +ready, remarking that he cannot guess what she has for dessert. Honest +Dan replies that no matter what it is he is hungry and will eat it, for +he has been working hard. So in he goes to wash his hands and face at +the wash-stand in the kitchen.</p> + +<p>Jane is coming down the street. Esther, who is seated on a chair with +George on her lap, sees her sister from the bay window in the parlor. +Jane has a position in Mr. Jas. P. Dunlap's establishment, and goes to +her work every morning at seven o'clock. As soon as Esther sees Jane she +takes George up in her arms and runs in to tell Olive that Jane is +coming, and suggests that dinner be served at once, for <i>she</i> feels +hungry. So Olive, with Esther's assistance, puts the dinner on the +table, and they all sit down to enjoy the meal, and a good substantial +meal it is; plenty of beef-steak and onions, plenty of hot mashed +potatoes, plenty of boiled cabbage, and an abundance of home made bread +and fresh butter made that very morning from the rich cream of Dan's red +cow. Little George, who is seated in his high chair at his mother's +right hand, commences to kick the bottom of the table in such a vigorous +manner that not one word can be heard, for he makes a terrible noise, +the toes of his shoes being faced with copper to prevent the youngster +from wearing them out too soon. Olive asks Esther to please get the old +pink scarf and tie his feet so that he will be unable to make such a +racket,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> Esther does not move, but upon being requested a second time +gets up rather reluctantly, goes to the hat rack in the hall, gets the +scarf and ties the little fellow's feet, as requested. Upon reseating +herself at the table it is noticeable that she has a sulky expression, +for she does not like to be disturbed while enjoying dinner, nor in fact +any meal, for the simple reason that her appetite is voracious, being +particularly fond of pickles, and she has been known to drink a cupful +of vinegar in a day.</p> + +<p>All ate in silence for some minutes, when Jane inquires if the cow was +milked again last night? "Yes," says Dan, and "I only wish I could find +out who does it; it would not be well for him, I can tell you. This is +the tenth time this fortnight that she has been milked. Oh! if it was +not for this rheumatism in my hip, I would stay up some night and catch +the thief in the act, have him arrested, and—"</p> + +<p>"And then," remarks Esther, with an eye to the financial part of the +milk question, "we should have just two quarts more to sell every day; +that would be—let me see how much it would come to."</p> + +<p>"Never mind," remarks John Teed, "how much it would come to, just hand +me that dish of potatoes, please. They are so well mashed that I must +eat some more. I can't bear potatoes with lumps all through them, can +you Jane."</p> + +<p>"No, John, I cannot," replies Jane.</p> + +<p>"Neither can I," joins in William Cox; "if I ever marry I hope my wife +will be as good a cook as Olive; if she prove so I shall be satisfied."</p> + +<p>"Gim me 'nother piece of meat, do you hear," is the exclamation which +comes from master Willie.</p> + +<p>"Ask as a good boy should," remarks Dan, "and you shall have it."</p> + +<p>"Gim me 'nother piece of meat, do you hear," says the young rascal a +second time, louder than before.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span></p> + +<p>A good sound box on the ear from his father, prevents further remarks +coming from the unruly boy during the rest of the meal. However, after a +slight pause, Dan gives him a piece of beef-steak, his mother in the +meantime says:</p> + +<p>"I wonder how that boy learns to be so rude."</p> + +<p>"Why," replies John Teed, "by playing with those bad boys down near the +carriage factory. I saw him there about nine o'clock this morning, and +what's more, I can tell you that unless he keeps away from them he will +be ruined."</p> + +<p>"I'm going to take him in hand as soon as he gets a little older and +make him toe the mark," says Dan. "Well Mudge,"—Dan nearly always calls +his wife Mudge, for a pet name—"give me another cup of tea, woman, and +then I'll go back to the factory, that is as soon as I have taken a pull +or two at my pipe."</p> + +<p>"What! are you going without eating some of the bread pudding I went to +the trouble of making because I thought you would like it?" asks Olive.</p> + +<p>"Oh, you've got pudding have you; all right, I'll have some if it's +cold," replies Dan.</p> + +<p>"Oh, yes, it's cold enough by this time. Come, Esther, help me to clear +away these dishes, and you, Jane, please bring in the pudding, it is out +on the door-step near the rain-water barrel."</p> + +<p>The dishes having been cleared away, and the pudding brought, all ate a +due share, and after some further conversation about the midnight milker +of the cow, Esther remarks that she believes the thief to be one of the +Micmac Indians from the camp up the road. Everybody laughs at such a +wild idea, and they all leave the table. Esther, takes George from his +chair, after first untying his feet, and then helps Olive to remove the +dishes to the kitchen, where she washes them, and then goes to the sofa +in the parlor to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>take a nap. Dan in the meantime has enjoyed his smoke +and gone back to the factory, as has also William Cox. John Teed has +gone up the Main Street to see his sister Maggie, and Jane has returned +to Mr. Dunlap's. Willie is out in the street again with the bad boys, +and Olive has just commenced to make a new plaid dress for George, who +has gone to sleep in his little crib in the small sewing-room.</p> + +<p>Esther, after sleeping for about an hour, comes into the dining room +where Olive is sewing and says, "Olive, I am going out to take a walk, +and if Bob should come while I am out, don't forget to tell him that I +will be in this evening, and shall expect him."</p> + +<p>"All right Esther," says her sister, "but you had better be careful +about Bob, and how you keep company with him; you know what we heard +about him only the day before yesterday."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I don't believe a word of it," replied Esther. She looked at her +sister for a moment, and then said in an injured tone, "I guess I am old +enough to take care of myself. What! half-past two already? I must be +off;" and off she went.</p> + +<p>Supper being over, Esther put on her brown dress and took her accustomed +seat on the front door step to talk to Dan, as he smoked his evening +pipe. Jane dressed in her favorite white dress, trimmed with black +velvet, her beautiful hair fastened in a true Grecian coil, and +perfectly smooth at the temples, is in the parlor attending to her +choice plants, presently her beau comes to spend the evening with her.</p> + +<p>So the evening passes away. Olive has sung little George to sleep, +carried him up to bed and retired herself. Dan has smoked his pipe and +retired also. It was now ten o'clock. Esther still sat on the front step +humming the tune of a well known Wesleyan hymn <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>to herself as she gazed +up at the stars, for it must be remembered that although she was not by +any means pious, still, like a dutiful girl, she went to church with Dan +and Olive. As the girl was just passing into womanhood, and felt that +she must love something, it was perfectly natural for her to sit there +and wait for Bob to make his appearance. About half-past ten Jane's beau +took his departure, and Jane not having anything further to keep her up, +decided to retire, and advised Esther to follow her example.</p> + +<p>Esther took a last look up and down the street, and then went into the +house with much reluctance. After locking the front door the girls went +into the dining room and Jane lighted the lamp. Esther had taken off her +shoes and thrown them on the floor, as was her custom, when it suddenly +occurred to her that there was butter-milk in the cellar, and the same +instant she made up her mind to have some. Taking the lamp from Jane, +she runs into the cellar in her stocking feet, drinks about a pint of +butter-milk and runs up again, telling her sister, who has been +meanwhile in the dark dining room, that a large rat passed between her +feet while in the cellar.</p> + +<p>"Come right up to bed you silly girl," said Jane, "and don't be talking +about rats at this time of night." So Jane took the lamp and Esther +picked up her shoes, and they went to their bed-room.</p> + +<p>After closing the door of their room, "Esther," said Jane, "you are +foolish to think anything at all about Bob."</p> + +<p>"Oh, mind your own business, Jane," Esther replied "let's say our +prayers and retire;" and so they did.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/divider3.png" alt="Divider" title="Divider" /></div> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> + +<h3>THE FATAL RIDE.</h3> + + +<p>Esther and Jane arose on the morning of August 28th, 1878, as was their +usual custom, at half-past six, and ate breakfast with the rest of the +family.</p> + +<p>After breakfast Jane went to Mrs. Dunlap's, Dan to his shoe factory with +his brother-in-law, William Cox, John Teed also went to <i>his</i> work, and +none of the family remained in the house but Olive and Esther, who +commenced to wash up the breakfast dishes and put the dining room in +order, so that part of their work at least should be finished before the +two little boys came down stairs to have their childish wants attended +to. What with making the beds and sweeping the rooms, and washing out +some clothing for the boys, both Esther and Olive found plenty to occupy +their time until the hour for preparing dinner arrived. When Olive +commenced that rather monotonous operation, assisted by Esther, who, as +she sat on the door-step between the dining room and kitchen paring +potatoes, and placing them in a can of cold water beside her, attracted +her sister's attention by her continued silence and the troubled +expression of her countenance.</p> + +<p>"What in the name of the sun ails you to-day, Esther?" inquired Olive, +really worried by her little sister's sad appearance.</p> + +<p>"Oh, nothing, Olive! only I was thinking that if—that if—that if—"</p> + +<p>"Well! well, go on, go on, it is not necessary to say that if—five or +six times in succession, is it, before telling me what's the matter with +you, you nonsensical, giddy, hard-headed girl. I believe you have fallen +in love so with Bob McNeal, that you are worrying yourself <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>to death +because you know he is too poor to marry you and you are afraid some +rich girl will fall in love with him, and that he will marry her and +give you the cold shoulder. There, that's just what I think <i>is</i> the +matter with you, and I can tell you one thing my young lady, and that +is, that the sooner you get over your infatuation for that young man, +the better for you, and the better for us all. There now, I'm done. No +I'm not either, listen to me, girl, and don't make me angry by turning +up your nose while I am giving you good advice."</p> + +<p>"I'm not turning up my nose at you, Olive. I only felt like sneezing, +and wanted to stop it before it had fully commenced, and how could I try +to stop it except by working my nose in that way, when I have a big wet +potato in one hand and this ugly old knife in the other, and all wet, +too."</p> + +<p>"Oh, nonsense, girl, don't keep on talking about ugly old knives and wet +potatoes, but listen to me. I feel it in my bones that trouble is in +store for us, and all through Bob McNeal. Now do be a good girl, and +take my advice and never invite him to call again; because I tell you, +Esther, that trouble is coming to you through that young man, for I feel +it in my bones."</p> + +<p>"Well, Olive, I will tell you the truth; the fact is that—why here's +Jane! Why, Jane, what has brought you home at this time of day? It is +only eleven, and dinner won't be ready for an hour."</p> + +<p>Jane, who had just taken off her hat and hung it up in the hall, +replied, "that as there was nothing more to be done at Dunlap's until +the afternoon, she thought she might as well be at home attending to her +plants as at the shop."</p> + +<p>After looking at Esther and Olive a moment, she said, "What were you two +putting your heads together about <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>when I came in? Esther stopped +talking as soon as she saw me, and Olive, I noticed that you went to the +stove and poured so much water into the tea-kettle from the bucket that +it ran over, just because you were looking at me instead of at the +kettle. You are both up to something, I know you are. Now come, tell me +all about it; is it a great secret? I won't tell anybody; tell me, do."</p> + +<p>Esther, who has just finished paring the potatoes and is now putting +them on the stove to boil, takes a seat in the dining room on the settee +and has one of her sulky moods, during which she always declines to +speak when spoken to.</p> + +<p>Jane looks at her a second and then says in a playful manner, "Oh, it's +all right, Esther, I can guess what it was; what nonsense. I'll go and +attend to my plants. Why, I declare it's a quarter past eleven already, +and I have got to comb my hair before dinner, too. Oh! my, how time +flies!"</p> + +<p>So off Jane goes to her plants in the parlor, leaving Esther in the +dining room and Olive in the kitchen getting dinner ready as fast as she +can.</p> + +<p>Olive had just gone behind the kitchen door that leads into the yard to +get another stick of wood for the fire when she was startled by a +scream; she feels instinctively that one of her children is in danger, +and she is right, for little George has just been saved from a horrible +death by Maud Weldon, their next door neighbor. The little scamp had +managed to crawl through the fence and get as far as the middle of the +street, when Maud saw him, and was just in time to prevent him from +being run over by a heavy wagon drawn by a pair of horses that were +being driven at a breakneck pace past the house. Of course the fair Maud +screamed, young women generally do at such times; but she saved George +all the same. Her piercing shriek brought the stately Miss Sibley and +her mother to the door of their house, which is almost directly opposite +Dan's, and also <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>caused Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Bell to become so nervous +that they kept their children in the house for the rest of the day, when +they heard of the dangerous adventure George had had, for they both +arrived too late to witness the rescue. The watchfulness and care they +both bestowed on their little ones for the next week was so much time +thrown away, however, for it so happened that no more fast teams came +through that particular street for about a month.</p> + +<p>Well, after the brave blonde, Maud Weldon, had become the heroine of the +hour, she went into Dan's cottage with Esther and Jane, who both ran out +when they heard the scream. Olive had already taken her boy in, washed +his little hands and face, put on his clean over-dress, and was now +holding him in her lap in the large rocking-chair. Maud Weldon was in +the parlor with Jane and Esther looking at the flowers and telling them +about her new beau, how handsome he was, and that she intended to marry +him if he asked her, winding up her conversation on the subject of beaux +with the remark that she was bound not to die an old maid, but was going +to get married for she wanted to have a house of her own to keep. And so +the conversation ran on between the three girls in the parlor until +dinner was nearly ready, when Mrs. Hicks, Maud's aunt, called her and +she went home.</p> + +<p>After dinner, Esther and Olive were washing the dishes in the kitchen +and talking over George's narrow escape, when Esther suddenly made up +her mind to tell her sister what she was about to do when Jane's rather +unexpected return from the shop put an end to their conversation. So +after having put all the dishes away in the pantry, she told Olive if +she would promise not to tell anybody, not even Dan, she would tell her +something that must be kept a secret, because if it became known it +might make people nervous and could do no good.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Very well," replied Olive, "wait until I get my sewing, then we will go +into the parlor, you can tell me all about it, and I promise that I +won't tell."</p> + +<p>So they went into the parlor. Esther sat in the rocking-chair and Olive +on the sofa.</p> + +<p>"Well, Olive," said Esther. "Now don't laugh, for it is about a dream."</p> + +<p>"A dream!" exclaimed Olive. "A dream! go on, let me hear it."</p> + +<p>"Well," began Esther, "last night I sat for two hours on the front step +looking at the stars. After I came in I went down into the cellar in my +stocking feet and drank about a pint of butter-milk and a large rat ran +between my feet; then Jane and I went to our room, shut the door, said +our prayers and went to bed, and in a short time we both fell asleep, +and I dreamt that when I got up in the morning every thing and every +body was changed except myself. This cottage instead of being yellow was +green; you, Dan, Jane, brother William, John Teed, Willie and George, +all had heads like bears, and you all growled at me, but yet could talk, +and, what was very strange, you all had eyes as large as horses' eyes, +only they were as red as blood. While I was talking to you I heard a +noise in the street and on going to the door I saw hundreds of black +bulls with blue eyes, very bright blue eyes, coming towards the house, +blood was dripping from their mouths and their feet made fire come out +of the ground. On they came, roaring very loudly all the time, right +straight for the house. They broke down the fence, I shut the front +door, locked it and then ran to the back door and fastened it. Then they +all commenced to butt the house so violently that it nearly fell over. +It shook so that I woke up and found that I had fallen out of bed +without waking Jane. So I got in again and soon fell asleep; but the +dream is still <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>in my mind. I can see it still, and wonder what it means +until I get the head-ache. What do you think about it Olive? Do you +think there is any truth in dreams? Did you ever know of one to come +true, or do you think it was all caused by the pint of butter-milk and +my going into the cellar in my stocking feet, and the rat?"</p> + +<p>"Well," said Olive, "I never could make up my mind fully on that +subject; but of this I am certain, whatever Dan dreams comes true; there +is no doubt about that. But don't tell him anything about this dream, +Esther, or he will be floundering around all night trying to find out +what it means; or Jane either, because, perhaps, it will scare her so +that she will be unable to sleep."</p> + +<p>"Don't believe it, Olive, I have told Jane, and she says it was all +caused by the butter-milk I drank. She says it made me see a rat in the +cellar just after I had drank it, and that it was no wonder I saw bears +and bulls, too, after I went to sleep. Oh, my sakes alive, if I only had +a dream book, like the one Mrs. Emery used to have, I'd soon find out +what it means. Do you know, Olive, I have a great mind to go out to the +Indian camp this very afternoon and try if that fortune-telling squaw +who told Maggie Teed's fortune, and Mary Miller's, too, can't tell me +all about it. I want to know if it means that something terrible is +about to happen or not."</p> + +<p>"Well," said Olive, "Esther, don't talk any more about it but read your +Bible, go to church, say your prayers, and ask God to take care of you; +then you need never fear dreams or anything else, for you must always +remember that God has more power than the devil, and always will have."</p> + +<p>"Oh!" replied Esther, with a smile, "it is all very Well for you to talk +in that way, but I shouldn't wonder if the devil saw more of me than he +ever has yet before I die."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Oh, Esther, how can you talk so; you ought to be ashamed of yourself, +and to think that you were brought up by grandmother too."</p> + +<p>And so the afternoon passed slowly away, the beautiful blue sky which +had been so clear all day began to assume a darkish aspect, and +threatening clouds spread themselves between the earth and heaven. By +the time Dan and the rest had come home to supper, it looked very much +like rain. Dan said it was going to rain sometime during the night; he +knew it, because his rheumatism was bad.</p> + +<p>Supper being ready, they all sat down and enjoyed it. After supper Dan +took a smoke, Jane went to her accustomed seat in the parlor near her +plants, William Cox and John Teed went out to see their girls, Olive put +the boys to bed, and Esther sat down on the front door-step all by +herself and sang "The Sweet By-and-bye" in a low voice.</p> + +<p>The hands of the old fashioned clock in the dining room indicated ten +minutes to eight, when a carriage drove up to the gate, and a well built +young man jumped out, opened the gate and came in. As he entered the +house he shook hands with Esther, saying as he did so: "Go and put on +your hat and sack and take a ride with me Esther, and I will tell you +why I did not call last evening as I promised." This young man was Bob +McNeal, by trade a shoemaker, and a fine looking young fellow he was, +too. His hair and eyes were black, features, rather handsome, and he +wore a small black moustache.</p> + +<p>As soon as Esther had received his invitation she ran up stairs, got her +hat and sack, ran down again, jumped into the carriage, which was a +buggy with room for two only, and off they drove. Jane came out to the +front door and called after them, just as they were driving away: "You +had better put the top up Bob, for it will certainly rain before long."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> + +<p>Dan, who had been sitting in the dining room in one of the easy chairs, +remarked to Jane as he was going up stairs: "What a pity Bob McNeal is +such a wild fellow. I'm afraid he will never amount to much. He is a +remarkably fine workman too; he has improved in his work since I took +him into the factory with me. Oh well, I suppose it's all right; good +night Jane."</p> + +<p>"Good night Dan," said Jane.</p> + +<p>"I hope your rheumatism will be better in the morning."</p> + +<p>"So do I," replied Dan. And up he went to bed, Jane returning to the +parlor to wait for her beau.</p> + +<p>Bob and Esther drove through Amherst, and turned down the road leading +to the Marsh. They were going to take a ride into the country. Bob said +that was the best road to take, and Esther did not care much which way +they went, so she got a ride.</p> + +<p>While driving through a small wood, Bob seemed to be suddenly seized +with an attack of what lawyers are pleased to term emotional insanity, +for he dropped the reins and leaped from the buggy. Upon reaching the +ground, he drew from the side pocket of his coat a large revolver, and, +pointing it at Esther, told her, in a loud voice, to get out of the +buggy or he would kill her where she sat. She, of course, refused to do +as he requested or rather commanded, and, as it was raining and becoming +quite dark, she told him to get into the buggy and drive her home, and +not act like a crazy man. The remark about acting like a crazy man +seemed to enrage him past endurance, for he uttered several terrible +oaths, and, aiming the revolver at her heart, was about to fire, when +the sound of wheels were heard rumbling in the distance. He immediately +jumped into the buggy, seized the reins, and drove at a breakneck pace +through the pouring rain to Dan's cottage. Esther was wet through by the +time they had arrived <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>at the gate. She jumped out, opened the gate, +entered the cottage and ran up stairs without noticing Jane, whom she +passed in the hall. Bob, as soon as she got out, drove rapidly down the +street.</p> + +<p>As the hour was now ten o'clock, Esther immediately retired and, after +crying herself to sleep, slept until morning. Jane entered the room +about half an hour after her sister, engaged in prayer and then retired, +without disturbing her.</p> + +<p>For the next four days Esther seemed to be suffering from some secret +sorrow. She could not remain in the house, but was continually on the +street, or at some of the neighbors' houses, and every night she cried +herself to sleep.</p> + +<p>Of course her woe-begone appearance was noticed by the family, but they +refrained from questioning her, for the simple reason that they supposed +she and Bob had quarrelled; and as they did not approve of the +attachment between him and Esther, they were rather glad that his visits +had ceased, and gave no further attention to the matter, supposing that +she would be herself again in a week or two. Bob's continued absence +from the cottage—for he used to be there every other day—strengthened +them in the belief that they were right in their supposition, and so +they let the matter rest.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/divider4.png" alt="Divider" title="Divider" /></div> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> + +<h3>THE HAUNTED HOUSE.</h3> + + +<p>Supper is just over. Dan and Olive are in the parlor. Jane is up stairs +in her room, talking to Esther who has retired early; it being only +seven o'clock, she asks Esther: "How long she is going to continue to +worry herself about Bob?"</p> + +<p>Not receiving a reply, she puts on her heavy sack and remarks: "I am +going over to see Miss Porter, and will soon return; it is so damp and +foggy to-night that, I declare, it makes me feel sleepy too. I think I +will follow your example, and retire early. Good night, I suppose you +will be asleep by the time I get back;" and off she goes.</p> + +<p>As the night is so very damp and disagreeable, all begin to feel sleepy +long before half-past eight, and go up to their rooms.</p> + +<p>Before Dan goes up stairs, he takes the bucket and brings some fresh +water from the pump—which he, as usual, places on the kitchen +table—taking a large tin dipper about half full up to his room for the +children to drink during the night.</p> + +<p>It is now about fifteen minutes to nine. Jane has just returned from her +visit, and has gone to her room, which is in the front of the house, +near the stairway, and directly next to Dan and Olive's room. She finds +Esther crying, as usual, for the girl has actually cried herself to +sleep every night since the fatal ride. After getting into bed, she +says: "Oh, my, I forgot to put the lamp out," rises immediately and +extinguishes the light, remarks to Esther that "it is very dark," bumps +her head against the bed post, and finally settles herself down for a +good sleep.</p> + +<p>Esther, who has just stopped crying, remarks to Jane <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>that "this is a +wretched night," and says, "somehow I can't get to sleep."</p> + +<p>"No wonder," says Jane, "you went to bed too early."</p> + +<p>"Jane, this is September the fourth, aint it?" asks Esther.</p> + +<p>"Yes," replies Jane. "Go to sleep and let me alone, I don't want to talk +to you, I want to go to sleep. What if it is September the fourth."</p> + +<p>"Oh nothing," replies Esther, "only it is just a week to-night, since I +went riding with Bob! Oh, what will become of me?" and she instantly +burst into another crying spell.</p> + +<p>"Esther" said Jane, "Do you know I think you are losing your mind, and +that if you keep on this way you will get so crazy that we will have to +put you in the Insane Asylum." This had the desired effect, for she +stopped instantly. For a few minutes everything was perfectly still. No +sound was to be heard except the breathing of the two young girls, as +they lay side by side in bed.</p> + +<p>They had remained perfectly quiet, for about ten or fifteen minutes, +when Esther jumped out of bed with a scream, exclaiming that there was a +mouse under the bed clothes.</p> + +<p>Her scream startled her sister, who was almost asleep, and she also got +out of bed and lit the lamp, for she is as much afraid of mice as Esther +is. They both searched the bed, but could not find the supposed mouse, +supposing it to be inside the mattrass. Jane exclaimed "Oh pshaw, what +fools we are to be sure to be scared at a little harmless mouse; if +there really is one here it can do us no harm, for see, it is inside the +mattrass, look how the straw is being moved about. The mouse has gotten +inside and can't get out, because there is no hole in the ticking. Let +us go back to bed Esther. It can do us no harm now." So they put out the +light, and got into bed again. After listening for a few minutes without +hearing the straw move in the mattrass, they both fell asleep.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span></p> + +<p>On the following night the girls heard something moving under their bed. +Esther exclaimed: "There is that mouse again, Jane. Let us get up and +kill it. I'm not going to be worried by mice every night."</p> + +<p>So they both arose, and on hearing a rustling in a green paste-board +box, filled with patch-work, which was under the bed, they placed it out +in the middle of the room and were much amazed to see the box jump up in +the air about a foot and then fall over on its side. The girls could not +believe their own eyes; so Jane placed the box in its old position in +the middle of the room, and both watched it intently, when to their +amazement the same thing occurred again. The girls were now really +frightened, and screamed as loudly as they could for Dan, who put on +some clothing and came into their room to ascertain what was the matter. +They told him what had just taken place, but he only laughed, and after +pushing the box under the bed, and remarking that they must be insane or +perhaps had been dreaming, he went back to bed grumbling because his +rest had been disturbed.</p> + +<p>The next morning the girls both declared that the box had really moved; +but, as nobody believed them, they saw it was of no use to talk of the +matter. Jane went to the shop, Dan to his shoe factory, and William Cox +and John Teed about their business as usual, leaving Olive and Esther to +attend to their household duties. After dinner Olive took her sewing +into the parlor, and Esther went out to walk. The afternoon was +delightful, and there was quite a breeze blowing from the bay. Walking +is very pleasant when there is no dust; but Amherst is such a dusty +little village, especially when the wind blows from the bay, that it is +impossible to walk on any of the streets with comfort on a windy day +during the summer. Esther found this to be the case, so she retraced her +steps home<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>ward, stopping at the post office and at Bird's book store, +where she bought a bottle of ink from Miss Blanche. On arriving at the +cottage she hung up her hat and joined Olive in the parlor, took little +George on her lap, and, after singing him to sleep, lay down on the sofa +and took a nap.</p> + +<p>After supper Esther took her accustomed seat on the door-step, remaining +there until the moon had risen. It was a beautiful moonlight night, +almost as bright as day. While seated there gazing at the moon, she said +to herself, "Well there is one thing certain anyhow, I am going to have +good luck all this month, for on Sunday night I saw the new moon over my +shoulder."</p> + +<p>At half-past eight o'clock, Esther complained of feeling feverish and +was advised by Olive and Jane to go to bed, which she did.</p> + +<p>About ten o'clock Jane retired for the night. After she had been in bed +some fifteen minutes, Esther jumped with a sudden bound into the centre +of the room, taking all the bed clothes with her.</p> + +<p>"My God!" she exclaimed, "what can be the matter with me! Wake up Jane, +wake up! I'm dying, I'm dying!" "Dying!" responded Jane; "why dying +people don't speak in that loud tone. Wait until I light the lamp, don't +die in the dark Esther."</p> + +<p>Jane thought her sister only had the night mare, but when she lit the +lamp, she was considerably alarmed by her sister's appearance. There +stood Esther in the centre of the room, her short hair almost standing +on end, her face as red as blood, and her eyes really looked as if they +were about to start from their sockets, her hands were grasping the back +of a chair so tightly that her nails sank into the soft wood. She was +truly an object to look on with amazement, as she stood there in her +white night gown trembling with fear. Her sister called as loudly as she +could for assistance; for Jane, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span>too, was pretty well frightened by this +time, and did not know what to do. Olive was the first to enter the +room, having first thrown a shawl around her shoulders, for the night +was very chilly. Dan, put on his coat and pants in a hurry, as did also +William Cox, and John Teed, and the three men entered the room about the +same time.</p> + +<p>"Why what in the name of thunder ails you Esther?" asked Dan. William +and John exclaimed in the same breath, "She's mad!"</p> + +<p>Olive was speechless with amazement, while they stood looking at the +girl, not knowing what to do to relieve her terrible agony. She became +very pale and seemed to be growing weak; in fact, she became so weak in +a short time that she had to be assisted to the bed. After sitting on +the edge of the bed for a moment, and gazing about the room with a +vacant stare, she started to her feet with a wild yell, and said she +felt like bursting into pieces.</p> + +<p>"Great Heavens," exclaimed Olive, "What shall we do with her; she is +crazy?"</p> + +<p>Jane, who always retains her presence of mind, took her sister's hand +and said in a soothing tone: "Come Esther, get into bed again." As they +found that she could not do so without assistance, Olive and Jane helped +her, and placed the bed clothing over her again. As soon as she had been +assisted to bed she said in a low choking voice, "I am swelling up and +shall certainly burst, I know I shall."</p> + +<p>Dan looked at her face and remarked in a startled tone. "Why, the girl +is swelling, Olive, just look at her, look at her hands too, see how +swollen they are, and she is as hot as fire."</p> + +<p>She was literally burning up with fever, and yet as pale as death, while +only a few minutes before her face was as red as blood, and her entire +person as cold as ice. What a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span>strange case, pale when hot, and blood +red when cold, yet such was really the fact.</p> + +<p>While the family stood looking at her, wondering what would relieve her, +for her entire body had swollen to an enormous size and she was +screaming with pain and grinding her teeth as if in a fit, a loud report +like thunder was heard in the room. They all started to their feet +instantly and seemed paralyzed with fear.</p> + +<p>"My God!" exclaimed Olive, "the house has been struck by lightning and I +know my poor boys are killed?"</p> + +<p>After giving vent to this exclamation, she rushed from the room to her +own where the children were, and found them both sleeping soundly, so +she returned to the room where they all stood looking at Esther, and +wondering what had produced the terrible sound. On entering, Olive told +them that the boys were both sound asleep.</p> + +<p>"I wonder what that awful noise was?" she said. Going to the window and +raising the curtain she saw that the stars were shining brightly and was +then satisfied that it had not been thunder they had heard. Just as she +let the curtain drop, three terrific reports were heard, apparently +directly under the bed. They were so loud that the whole room shook, and +Esther who a moment before had been swollen to such an enormous size, +immediately assumed her natural appearance, and sank into a state of +calm repose. As soon as they found that it was sleep and not death that +had taken possession of her, they all left the room except Jane, who +went back to bed beside her sister, but could not sleep a wink for the +balance of the night.</p> + +<p>The next day Esther remained in bed until about nine o'clock, when she +arose, seemingly all right again, and got her own breakfast. As her +appetite was not as good as usual, all she could eat was a small piece +of bread and butter and a large green pickle, washed down with a cup of +strong <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>tea. She helped Olive with her work as usual, and after dinner +took a walk past the post office, around the block and back to the +cottage again. At supper the usual conversation about the strange sounds +took place, all wondering what had caused them. As no one could +ascertain the cause they gave it up as something too strange to think +about, and all agreed not to let the neighbors know anything about it, +because they argued, that, as no one would be likely to believe that +such strange sounds had been heard under the bed, the best thing to do +was to keep the matter quiet.</p> + +<p>About four nights after the loud reports had been heard, Esther had +another similar attack. It came on about ten o'clock at night, just as +she was getting in bed. This time, however, she managed to get into bed +before the attack had swelled her up to any great extent. Jane, who had +already retired, advised her to remain perfectly still, and perhaps the +attack would pass off, but how sadly was she mistaken. Esther had only +been in bed about five minutes when, to the amazement of the girls, all +the bed clothing flew off and settled down in the far corner of the +room. They could see them going for the lamp was burning dimly on the +table. They both screamed, and then Jane fainted dead away. The family +rushed into the room as before, and were so frightened that they did not +know what to do. There lay the bed clothes in the corner, Esther all +swollen up, Jane in a dead faint, and perhaps really dead for all they +knew, for by the glare of the lamp, which Dan held in his hand, she +looked more dead than alive. Olive was the first to come to her senses. +Taking up the bed clothes, she placed them over her sisters. Just as she +had done so, off they flew again to the same corner of the room. In less +time than it takes to count three, the pillow flew from under Esther's +head and struck John Teed in the face. He im<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>mediately left the room, +saying that he had had enough. He could not be induced to return and sit +on the edge of the bed with the others, who in that way managed to keep +the clothes in their place. Jane had by this time recovered from her +swoon. William Cox went down to the kitchen for a bucket of water to +bathe Esther's head, which was aching terribly. Just as he got to the +door of the room again with the bucket of water, a succession of reports +were heard, which seemed to come from the bed where Esther lay. They +were so very loud that the whole room shook, and Esther, who had a +moment before been swollen up, commenced to assume her natural +appearance, and in a few minutes fell into a pleasant sleep. As +everything seemed now to be all right again, everybody went back to bed.</p> + +<p>In the morning Esther and Jane were both very weak, particularly Esther. +She, however, got up when her sister did, and lay down on the sofa in +the parlor. At breakfast they all agreed that a doctor had better be +called in. So in the afternoon Dan left the factory early and went to +see Dr. Caritte. The doctor laughed when Dan told him what had occurred. +He said he would call in the evening and remain until one in the morning +if necessary, but did not hesitate to say that what Dan had told him was +all nonsense, remarking that he knew no such tomfoolery would occur +while he was in the house.</p> + +<p>As the hands of the clock pointed to ten, in walked the doctor. Bidding +everybody a hearty good evening, he took a seat near Esther, who had +been in bed since nine o'clock, but as yet had not been afflicted with +one of her strange attacks. The doctor felt her pulse, looked at her +tongue, and then told the family that she seemed to be suffering from +nervous excitement and had evidently received a tremendous shock of some +kind. Just as he had said these words, the pillow from under her head +left the bed, with the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span>exception of one corner, which remained under +her head, straightened itself out as if filled with air, and then went +back to its place again. The doctor's large, blue eyes opened to their +utmost capacity, as he asked in a low tone: "Did you all see that; it +went back again."</p> + +<p>"So it did," remarked John Teed, "but if it moves out again it will not +go back, for I intend to hold on to it, even if it did bang me over the +head last night."</p> + +<p>John had no sooner spoken these words than out came the pillow from +under Esther's head as before. He waited until it had just started back +again, and then grasped it with both hands, and held on with all his +strength. The pillow, however, was pulled from him by some invisible +power stronger than himself. As he felt it being pulled away, his hair +actually stood on end.</p> + +<p>"How wonderful!" exclaimed Dr. Caritte.</p> + +<p>Just as the doctor arose from his chair, the reports under the bed +commenced, as on the previous night. The doctor looked beneath the bed, +but failed to ascertain what caused the sounds. When he walked to the +door the sounds followed him, being now produced on the floor of the +room. In about a minute after this, off went the bed clothes again, and +before they had been put back on the bed, the sound as of some person +writing on the wall with a sharp instrument was heard. All looked at the +wall whence the sound of writing came, when to their great astonishment +there was seen written, near the head of the bed, in large characters, +these words: "Esther Cox, you are mine to kill." Everybody could see the +writing plainly, and yet only a moment before nothing was to be seen but +the blank wall.</p> + +<p>The reader can imagine their utter amazement at what had just taken +place. There they stood around the bed of this wonderful girl, each +watching the other to see that there was no deception. They knew these +marvellous things <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>had taken place, for all heard them with their own +ears and beheld them with their own eyes. Still, they could not believe +their own senses, it was all so strange. But the writing on the +wall—what did it mean, and how came it there? God only knew.</p> + +<p>As Doctor Caritte stood in the doorway for a moment wondering to himself +what it all meant, a large piece of plaster came flying from the wall of +the room, having in its flight turned a corner and fallen at his feet. +The good doctor picked it up mechanically and placed it on a chair. He +was too astonished to speak. Just as he did so, the poundings commenced +again with redoubled power, this time shaking the entire room. It must +be remembered that during all this time Esther lay upon the bed, almost +frightened to death by what was occurring. After this state of things +had continued for about two hours, everything became quiet and she went +to sleep. The doctor said he would not give her any medicine until the +next morning, when he would call at nine and give her something to quiet +her nerves; for she was certainly suffering from some nervous trouble. +As to the sounds and movements of objects, he could not account for +them, but thought if she became strong again they would cease.</p> + +<p>In the morning the doctor called as he had promised, and was much +surprised to see Esther up and dressed, helping Olive to wash the +dishes. She told him that she felt all right again, only she was so +nervous that any sudden noise made her jump. Having occasion to go down +into the cellar with a pan of milk, she came running up, out of breath, +exclaiming that there was some one down in the cellar, for a piece of +plank had been thrown at her. The doctor went down to see for himself, +Esther remaining in the dining room; for it must be borne in mind that +the cellar door opens into the dining room. In a moment he came up again +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>remarking that there was nobody down there to throw a piece of plank, +nor anything else.</p> + +<p>"Esther, come down with me," said he. So down they both went, when, to +their great surprise, several potatoes came flying at their heads. That +was enough. They both beat a hasty retreat. The doctor left the house, +and called again in the evening, with several very powerful sedatives, +morphia being one, which he administered to Esther about ten o'clock as +she lay in bed. She still complained of her nervousness, and said she +felt as if electricity was passing all through her body. He had given +her the medicine, and had just remarked that she would have a good +night's rest when the loud sounds commenced, only they were much louder +and in more rapid succession than on the previous nights. Presently the +sounds left the room and were heard on the roof of the house. The doctor +instantly left the house and went out into the street, hearing the +sounds while in the open air. He returned to the house more nonplussed +than ever, and told the family that from the street it seemed as if some +person was on the roof with a heavy sledge hammer pounding away to try +and break through the shingles. Being a moonlight night he could see +distinctly that there was not any one out on the roof. He remained until +twelve. Everything becoming quiet again, he then departed, saying he +would call the next day. When he had got as far as the gate, the sounds +on the roof commenced again with great violence, and continued until he +had gone about two hundred yards from the cottage, at which distance he +could still hear them distinctly.</p> + +<p>The next week it became known throughout Amherst that strange things +were going on at Dan Teed's cottage. The mysterious sounds had been +heard by people in the street as they passed the house, and the +poundings now commenced in the morning and were to be heard all day +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>long. Esther always felt relieved when the sounds were produced by the +unknown power.</p> + +<p>Dr. Caritte called every night, and sometimes during the day, but could +not afford her the slightest relief. One night, about three weeks after +the doctor's first visit, as he and the family were standing around her +bed listening to the loud knockings, Esther suddenly threw her arms up +towards the head of the bed, and seemed to be seized with a spasm, for +she became cold and perfectly rigid. While in this state she commenced +to talk, and told all that had occurred between herself and Bob McNeal +on the night of the fatal ride. This was the first anybody knew of the +affair, for she had never told of it, and Bob had never been seen in the +locality after that night. When she came to her senses again, they told +her what had been said by herself during the strange state from which +she had just emerged. Upon hearing this she commenced to cry, and told +them that it was all true; that he had threatened her with his revolver, +but becoming frightened by the sound of wheels in the distance, had +driven her home without offering her any further show of violence.</p> + +<p>"There!" exclaimed Olive, "Didn't I tell you that I felt it in my bones, +that harm would come to you through that young man, and now you see he +really is at the bottom of all this. Ah, it is Bob, who makes all these +strange sounds about the house; I know he is the cause." Instantly three +distinct reports were heard, shaking the whole house with their +violence.</p> + +<p>"Do you know doctor," said Jane, "that I believe that whatever agency +makes these noises, it can hear and understand what we are talking +about, and perhaps see us." The moment she had finished the sentence, +three distinct reports were heard as loud as before.</p> + +<p>"Ask if it can hear us doctor?" said Dan. "Can you, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>whatever you are, +hear what we say?" asked Dr. Caritte.</p> + +<p>Again three reports were heard, which shook the entire house.</p> + +<p>"Why, that is very singular," remarked the doctor. "I believe Jane was +right, it can hear."</p> + +<p>"Well, let us try again," said Dan. "If you can see and hear, tell us +how many persons are in this room?" Esther did not know how many were +present, for she was lying in the bed, with her face buried in the +pillow trembling with fear. As Dan did not receive an answer, he asked +again.</p> + +<p>"How many persons are in the room? Give us a knock on the floor for each +one." Five distinct knocks were made by the strange force on the floor, +and there were just five persons in the room, as follows:—Dr. Caritte, +Dan, Olive, Esther and Jane, William Cox and John Teed having left the +room after Esther had burried her face in the pillow. "Well, it +certainly is strange remarked the doctor, but I must go, it is getting +late." So he departed after saying he would call the next evening.</p> + +<p>The next evening the Doctor called and remained for about an hour, but +as nothing occurred he departed feeling rather disappointed. For the +next three weeks no one could tell when the manifestations would take +place. Sometimes they would commence in the morning and continue all +day, and at other times they would only take place after Esther had +retired. It had now become a settled fact that Esther must be in the +house or there would be no manifestations of any kind. They never +occurred during her absence.</p> + +<p>About one month after the commencement of the manifestations, Dr. Edwin +Clay, the well known Baptist clergyman, called at the house to behold +the wonders with his own eyes. He had read some little account of them +in the newspapers, but was desirious of seeing and hearing for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span>himself, +not taking much stock, as the saying is, in what other people told him +about the affair. However, he was fortunate enough to have his desire +fully gratified. He heard the loudest kind of knocks, in answer to his +various questions, saw the mysterious writing on the wall, and left the +house fully satisfied that Esther did not produce any of the +manifestations herself, and that the family did not assist her as some +people believed. He, however, was of the opinion that through the shock +her system had received the night she went riding, she had become in +some mysterious manner an electric battery. His theory being, that +invisible flashes of lightening left her person, and that the knocks +which every body could hear distinctly, were simply minute claps of +thunder. He lectured on his theory, and drew large audiences as he +always does, no matter what the subject is. Perfectly satisfied that the +manifestations are genuine, he has nobly defended Esther Cox from the +platform and the pulpit.</p> + +<p>Rev. R.A. Temple, the well known Wesleyan minister pastor of the +Wesleyan Church in Amherst, has witnessed some of the manifestations. He +saw, among other strange things, a bucket of cold water become agitated, +and to all appearances boil, while standing on the kitchen table.</p> + +<p>As soon as people in the village found that such eminent men as Dr. +Clay, Dr. Caritte and Rev. Dr. Temple took an interest in the case, it +became quite fashionable for people in the village to call at Dan's +little cottage to see Esther Cox and witness the wonderful +manifestations. While the house was filled with visitors, large crowds +often stood outside unable to gain admittance. On several occasions the +village police force had to be called out to keep order, so anxious were +people to see and hear for themselves.</p> + +<p>Many believed and still believe the whole affair a fraud, and others say +that Esther mesmerizes people, and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span>they think they hear and see things +which never have an existence. Dr. Nathan Tupper is of this belief, +although he has never witnessed a single manifestation.</p> + +<p>Dr. Caritte, who continued to be one of the daily callers at the +cottage, would have a theory one day that would seem to account for the +manifestations he had witnessed, and the next day something wonderful +would occur and upset his latest theory completely, so that he finally +gave up in despair and became simply a passive spectator. Things went on +in this way until December, when Esther was taken ill with diphtheria, +and confined to her bed for about two weeks, during which time the +manifestations ceased entirely. After she had recovered from her +illness, she went to Sackville, N.B., to visit her other married sister, +Mrs. John Snowden, remaining at her house for about two weeks. While +there she was entirely free from the manifestations.</p> + +<p>On returning to Dan's cottage the most startling part of the case was +developed. One night while in bed with her sister Jane in another room, +her room having been changed to see if that would put a stop to the +affair, she told her sister that she could hear a voice saying to her +that the house was to be set on fire that night by a ghost. The voice +also said that it had once lived on the earth, but had been dead for +some years. The members of the household were called in at once, and +told what had been said. They only laughed and remarked that no such +thing as that could take place, because there were no ghosts. Dr. Clay +had said it was all electricity. "And," added Dan, "electricity can't +set the house on fire unless it comes from a cloud in the form of +lightning." As they were talking the matter over, to the amazement of +all present, a lighted match fell from the ceiling to the bed, and would +have set it on fire had not Jane put it out instantly. During the next +ten minutes, eight or ten lighted matches fell on the bed and about the +room, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>but were all extinguished before any harm could be done. In the +course of the night the loud knockings commenced. The family could now +all converse with the invisible power in this way. It would knock once +for a negative answer, and three times for an answer in the affirmative, +giving two knocks when in doubt about a reply. Dan asked if the house +would be set on fire, and the reply was three loud knocks on the floor, +meaning yes; and a fire was started about five minutes afterwards. The +ghost took a dress belonging to Esther that was hanging on a nail in the +wall near the door, rolled it up, and, before any of the persons in the +room could remove it from under the bed, where the ghost had placed it +before their very eyes, it was all in a blaze. It was extinguished, +however, without being much injured by the fire. The next morning all +was consternation in the cottage. Dan and Olive were afraid that the +ghost would start a fire in some inaccessible place and burn the house +down. They were both convinced that it really was a ghost, "for" said +Olive, "nothing but the devil or a ghost with evil designs, could do so +terrible a thing as start a fire in a cottage at the dead of night."</p> + +<p>Dr. Clay's theory might be true, but it was not clear to them how +electricity could go about a house gifted with the cunning of a fiend. +"It is true," said Dan, "that lightning often sets fire to houses and +barns, but it has never yet been known to roam about a man's house, as +this strange power does. And as Esther can hear it speak, and it does +whatever it says it will, why I believe it to be a ghost, or else the +devil." While Olive was churning in the kitchen one morning about three +days after the fire under the bed, she noticed smoke coming from the +cellar. Esther was seated in the dining room when Olive first saw the +smoke, and had been seated there for the last hour, previous to which +she had been in the kitchen assisting her sister to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>wash the breakfast +dishes as was her custom. On seeing the smoke, both she and Esther were +for the moment utterly paralyzed with fear. What they so dreaded had at +last come to pass. The house was evidently on fire, and that fire set by +a devilish ghost. What was to be done? Olive was the first to recover +from the shock. Seizing the bucket of drinking water, always kept +standing on the kitchen table, she rushed down the cellar stairs, and +was horrified at the sight which burst upon her view. There in the far +corner of the cellar was a barrel of shavings blazing almost to the +floor above. In the meantime Esther had reached the cellar, and stood +looking at the crackling flames in blank astonishment. The water Olive +had poured into the barrel was not enough to quench the flames, for in +the excitement of the moment she had spilled more than half of it on her +way down. What was to be done? The house would catch and probably be +burned to the ground, and they would be rendered homeless.</p> + +<p>"Oh! if Dan were at home, he could put it out," Olive managed to +articulate, for both she and Esther were nearly suffocated with the +dense black smoke with which the cellar was filled, and now the barrel +itself had caught. The cellar was very small, and everything in it would +soon be blazing unless the fire could be extinguished at once.</p> + +<p>"Oh! what shall we do," cried Esther, "what shall we do?"</p> + +<p>"Run out in the street and cry fire as loud as you can. Come, let's run +at once or the whole house will burn down," exclaimed Olive, by this +time wild with fear.</p> + +<p>So, both she and Esther ran up stairs and out into the street, crying +"fire! fire!" Of course their cries aroused the whole neighborhood. At +the moment a gentleman, a stranger in the village, who happened to be +passing, instantly threw off his coat, rushed into the cottage, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span>picked +up a mat from the dining room floor, and was down in the cellar in a +second. He put the fire entirely out, and then, without waiting to be +thanked, walked out of the cottage and was soon lost to view in the +distance; and, what is remarkably strange, nobody knows who he was or +whence he came, for from that day he has not been seen.</p> + +<p>The news of the fire which the ghost had set in Dan's cellar soon +travelled all over the country and created a great deal of curiosity. +People who had set the whole affair down as a fraud began to think that +perhaps it was all true after all, for certainly no young girl could set +fire to a barrel of shavings in the cellar and be at that instant in +another part of the house, under the watchful eye of an older sister, +who was continually at her side. The fact that both the little boys were +out in the front yard at the time the fire was kindled, and consequently +could not have had anything to do with setting it, was also calculated +to throw an air of mystery around the whole affair.</p> + +<p>The family believed that it had been started by the ghost. The fire +marshals of the village seemed to be of the opinion that Esther set both +fires herself; the villagers held various opinions. Dr. Nathan Tupper, +suggested that if a good raw hide whip were laid over her back by a +strong arm, the manifestations would cease at once. Fortunately for +Esther, no one had the right or power to beat her as if she were a +slave, and so the mystery still remained unsolved.</p> + +<p>For the next week manifestations continued to take place daily and were +as powerful as ever. The excitement in Amherst was intense. If the +cottage in which Dan lived should catch fire when the wind was blowing +from the bay, the fire would spread, and if the wind was favorable for +such a terrible calamity, the whole village would soon be reduced to +ashes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span></p> + +<p>As if to pile horror upon horror, one night, as Esther and the entire +family were seated in the parlor, the ghost appeared. Esther started to +her feet and seemed for the moment paralyzed with terror. In a second or +two, however, she recovered her self-possession, and pointing with a +trembling hand to a distant corner of the room, exclaimed in a hoarse +and broken voice:</p> + +<p>"Look there! Look there! My <i>God</i>, it is the ghost! Don't you all see +him? There he stands all in grey; see how his eyes are glaring at me and +he laughs when he says I must leave the house to-night or he will start +a fire in the loft under the roof and burn us all to death. Oh, what +shall I do, where shall I go; the ground is covered with snow—and yet I +cannot remain here, for he will do what he threatens; he always does."</p> + +<p>"Oh, I wish I were dead." After this exclamation, she fell to the floor +and burst into an agony of grief. "Well," said Dan, after lifting her +up, "Something will have to be done, and quickly, too. The wind is +blowing hard to-night, and if the ghost does as he threatens, the house +will burn down sure, and perhaps the whole village. You must go, Esther. +Remember, I don't turn you out; it is this devil of a ghost who drives +you from your home."</p> + +<p>They all knew none of the neighbors would shelter Esther, because they +all feared the ghost. What was to be done? Heaven only knew. It suddenly +occurred to Dan that John White would perhaps give her shelter, for he +had always taken a deep interest in the manifestations, and had often +expressed pity for the unhappy girl. So Dan, after putting on his heavy +coat—for it was snowing fast, and the night was intensely cold—went to +White's house. After knocking for some time, the door was opened by John +White himself. He looked at Dan a moment in amazement, and then +exclaimed in an inquiring tone:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span></p> + +<p>"What's the matter, Teed? Has the house burned to the ground or has the +girl burst all to pieces?"</p> + +<p>Dan explained his mission in a few words. When he had finished, White +thought a moment, and then said:</p> + +<p>"Wait until I ask my wife; if she says yes, all right, you may bring her +here to-night." He asked his wife, and fortunately for the miserable +girl, she said "yes," and that very night Esther Cox changed her home.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/divider2.png" alt="Divider" title="Divider" /></div> + +<h2><a name="Chapter_IV" id="Chapter_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + +<h3>THE WALKING OF THE GHOST.</h3> + + +<p>When John White took Esther to his house to reside, he performed a +charitable deed, which no man in the village but himself had the heart +to do. Both he and his good wife showed, by the kindness with which they +treated the poor unhappy girl, that Heaven had at least inspired two +hearts with that greatest of all virtues—<i>Charity</i>.</p> + +<p>It was now January, 1879,—just four months since the manifestations +first commenced. Esther had been at White's residence for two weeks, and +had not seen anything of the ghost. She had improved very much in that +short time, her nervousness having almost subsided, and she was +contented and happy. Mrs. White, who found her of great assistance in +the house, had become much attached to the girl, and treated her with +the same kindness that she did her own children.</p> + +<p>Towards the end of the third week her old enemy—the ghost—returned.</p> + +<p>While Esther was scrubbing the hall at her new home, she was astonished +to see her scrubbing brush disappear from her hand. When the ghost told +her that he had taken it, she became much alarmed and screamed for Mrs. +White, who, with her daughter Mary, searched the hall for it in vain. +After they had abandoned their search, to the great astonishment of all, +the brush fell from the ceiling—just grazing Esther's head in its fall. +Here was a new manifestation of the ghostly power. He was able to take a +solid substance from this material world of ours, and render it +invisible by taking it into his mysterious state of existence; and, if +he could take one object why not another; if a brush, why not a broom? +But why speculate <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span>on so great a mystery? The ghost did it, and as we +must draw the line somewhere, it is better to draw it here than to allow +our minds to become dazed by such fellows as ghosts. Many other +remarkable manifestations continued to take place almost daily for the +next two weeks. The ghost could now tell how much money people had in +their pockets, both by knocking and by telling Esther. He would answer +any question asked in the above mentioned manner, and behaved himself +very well indeed until the end of the sixth week, when his true devilish +nature broke out again. He commenced setting fires about the house, and +walking so that he could be heard distinctly. Of course John White would +not run the risk of having his house burned down. So he persuaded Esther +to remain during the day in his dining saloon, which stands opposite the +well known book store of G.G. Bird, on the principal street.</p> + +<p>While standing behind the counter in the dining saloon, also while she +worked in the adjoining kitchen, many new and wonderful things were +witnessed by the inhabitants of Amherst and by strangers from a +distance, and many plans were tried to prevent the manifestations. Among +others, some one suggested that if she could stand on glass they would +cease. So pieces of glass were put into her shoes, but as their presence +caused her head to ache and her nose to bleed, without stopping the +manifestations, the idea was abandoned.</p> + +<p>One morning the door of the large stove in the kitchen adjoining the +saloon was opened and shut by the ghost, much to the annoyance of Mr. +White, who with an old axe handle so braced the door that it could not +be moved by any known mundane power, unless the axe handle was first +removed. A moment afterwards, however, the ghost, who seemed never to +leave Esther's presence while she was in the saloon, lifted the door off +its <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span>hinges, removed the axe handle from the position in which it had +been placed, and, after throwing them some distance into the air, let +both fall to the floor with a tremendous crash. Mr. White was speechless +with astonishment, and immediately called in Mr. W.H. Rogers, Inspector +of Fisheries for Nova Scotia. After bracing the door as before, the same +wonderful manifestation was repeated, in the presence of Mr. Rogers. On +another occasion, a clasp-knife belonging to little Fred, Mr. White's +son, was taken from his hand by the ghost, who instantly stabbed Esther +in the back with it, leaving the knife sticking in the wound, which bled +profusely. Fred, after drawing the knife from the wound, wiped it, +closed it and put it in his pocket. The ghost took it from his pocket, +and in a second stuck it in the same wound. Fred again obtained +possession of the knife, and this time hid it so that it could not be +found, even by a ghost.</p> + +<p>There is something still more remarkable, however, about the following +manifestation: Some person tried the experiment of placing three or four +large iron spikes on Esther's lap while she was seated in the Dining +Saloon. To the astonishment of everybody, the spikes were not removed by +the ghost, but instead, became too hot to be handled with comfort, and a +second afterwards were thrown by the ghost to the far end of the saloon, +a distance of twenty feet.</p> + +<p>During her stay at the saloon the ghost commenced to move the furniture +about in the broad daylight. On one occasion a large box, weighing fifty +pounds, moved was a distance of fifteen feet without the slightest +visible cause. The very loud knocking commenced again and was heard by +crowds of people, the saloon being continually filled with visitors. +Among other well known inhabitants of Amherst who saw the wonders at +this period, I may mention William Hillson, Daniel Morrison, Robt. +Hutchinson, who is John<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> White's son-in-law, and J. Albert Black, Esq., +editor of the <i>Amherst Gazette</i>.</p> + +<p>Towards the latter part of March, Esther went to Saint John, New +Brunswick, and while there was the guest of Captain James Beck, and +remained at his house for three weeks under the protection of his wife. +Her case was investigated by a party of gentlemen, well known in Saint +John as men whose minds have a scientific turn. Doctor Alward, Mr. Amos +Fales, Mr. Alex. Christie, Mr. Ritchie, and many others witnessed the +manifestations, and talked with the ghost by the aid of the knocks on +the wall and furniture, and, strange to relate, other ghosts came and +conversed also; among them one who said his name was Peter Cox, and +another who gave the name of Maggie Fisher. All claimed to have lived on +the earth before they entered the land of ghosts, but none were +apparently as strong and healthy as the old original fire fiend of the +cottage, who now gave the name of Bob Nickle, and said that when he +lived on the earth he had been a shoemaker. The ghost who called himself +Peter Cox, claimed to be a relation of Esther's, and said he had been in +ghost land about forty years; he was a quiet old fellow, and did all he +could to prevent Bob Nickle and Maggie Fisher from breaking the articles +which they threw, and from using profane language, a habit in which +<i>they</i> were fond of indulging.</p> + +<p>Dr. Alward and his scientific friends also conversed with the ghosts by +calling over the alphabet, the ghosts knocking at the correct letters, +and in that way long communications were spelled out to the satisfaction +of those present.</p> + +<p>After remaining in Saint John about three weeks, Esther returned to +Amherst, and accepted an invitation to visit Mr. and Mrs. Van Amburgh, +who reside about three miles from the village. She remained eight weeks +with them, during which period the ghosts allowed her to enjoy the calm +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>repose of a life in the woods, the Van Amburgh farm being literally +situated in the woods.</p> + +<p>At the expiration of the eighth week she returned to Amherst, and went +back to Dan's cottage to reside, being employed during the day in +White's Dining Saloon. The manifestations soon commenced again, and were +as powerful as when the author commenced his investigation of the case.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/divider3.png" alt="Divider" title="Divider" /></div> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> + +<h3>THE AUTHOR AND THE GHOSTS.</h3> + + +<p>I closed my engagement with the Dramatic Company of which I was a +member, in Newfoundland, and went to Amherst, to expose, if possible, +Esther Cox, the great Amherst Mystery.</p> + +<p>Where occasion requires allusion to myself, I shall simply say the +author.</p> + +<p>At seven o'clock on the morning of June 21st, 1879, as the sun was +shining brightly, and the cool breeze was blowing from the bay, the +author entered the haunted house. After placing his umbrella in a corner +of the dining room, and his satchel on the table, he seated himself in +one of the easy chairs to await results. Esther and Olive were present. +He had been in the room about five minutes when, to his great +astonishment, his umbrella was thrown a distance of fifteen feet, going +over his head in its flight. At the same instant a large carving knife +came jumping over the girl's head, and fell near him. Not at all pleased +with this kind of a reception on the part of the ghosts, he left the +room and went into the parlor, taking his satchel with him, and there +sat down paralyzed with wonder and astonishment. He had been seated only +a moment when his satchel was thrown a distance of ten feet. At the same +instant a large chair came flying across the room striking the one on +which he was seated, nearly knocking it from under him. It suddenly +occurred to him that he would take a walk, during which he could admire +the beauties of the village.</p> + +<p>On his return to the cottage, the ghosts commenced their deviltry again +with redoubled violence. He had no sooner entered the house than all the +chairs in the parlor—and there were seven by actual count—fell over. +Conclud<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>ing not to remain in that room, he went to the dining room, when +the chairs in that, his favorite room in every house, went through the +same performance. Feeling hungry, not yet having had his breakfast, he +sat down to a good substantial meal, Esther sitting directly opposite. +After pouring out his coffee, she handed it to him with the remark, "Oh, +you will soon get used to them; I don't think they like you." "No," he +replied, "I do not think they do either. In fact, I am satisfied they do +not; but, having come here to investigate, I shall remain until they +drive me from the house." While eating breakfast the ghosts commenced to +hammer on the table. By the system in use by the family when conversing +with them, he carried on a long conversation, they answering by knocks +on the bottom of the table. Before entering into the conversation, +however, he sat so that Esther's hands and feet were in full view. The +ghosts told the number of his watch, also the dates of coins in his +pocket, and beat correct time when he whistled the tune of "Yankee +Doodle." Chairs continued to fall over until dinner, during which there +was a slight cessation of manifestations.</p> + +<p>After dinner, the author lay down upon the parlor sofa to take a nap, as +is his custom in the afternoon. Esther came into the room for a +newspaper. He watched her very closely, keeping one eye open and the one +next her shut, so that she would think he was asleep. While watching her +intently to see that she did not throw anything herself, a large glass +paper weight, weighing fully a pound, came whizzing through the air from +the far corner of the room, where it had been on a shelf, a distance of +fully fifteen feet from the sofa. Fortunately for the author, instead of +striking his head, which was evidently the intention of the ghost who +threw it, it struck the arm of the sofa with great force, rebounding to +a chair, upon which <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>it remained after it had spun around for a second +or two. Being very anxious to witness the manifestations, he requested +Esther to remain in the room, which she did. After seating herself in +the rocking chair, little George came into the room, when she placed the +little fellow on her lap and sang to him. As the author lay there +watching her, one of the child's copper-toed shoes was taken off by a +ghost and thrown at him with great force, striking his head. The place +struck was very sore for three or four days. The balance of the day +passed quietly away. Evening came, and the author had a good night's +rest in the haunted house of which he had heard so much. The next day +being Sunday, everything was peaceful in the cottage, though why the +ghosts should respect the Sabbath the author has never been able to +ascertain; however they always remain quiet on that day. On Monday +morning the ghosts commenced their mad pranks again, and seemed ready +for anything. At breakfast, the lid of the stone-china sugar bowl +disappeared from the table, and, in about ten minutes, fell from the +ceiling. After breakfast; over went the table; then the chairs all fell +over, and several large mats were pitched about the room. The author +immediately left the room and went into the parlor, when, to his +astonishment, a flower pot containing a large plant in full bloom was +taken from its place in the bay window and set down in the middle of the +room and a large tin can filled with water was brought from the kitchen +and placed beside it. During the afternoon a large inkstand and two +empty bottles were thrown at him. The ghosts also undressed little +George, and, as if to make a final climax to the day's performance, Bob, +the head ghost, started a small bon-fire up stairs, and he and the other +ghosts piled all the chairs in the parlor one on top of the other, until +they <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>made a pile about six feet in height, when, as if in sport, they +pulled out those underneath, letting all the others fall to the floor +with a crash.</p> + +<p>On Tuesday morning when the author took his seat at the breakfast table, +he placed the sugar bowl lid beside his plate, so that he might have his +eyes on it. In a second it disappeared and fell, in exactly eight +minutes by the clock, from the ceiling, a distance of fully twenty feet +from the table. The ghosts got under the table, as on the previous +morning, and were so obliging as to produce any sounds called for, such +as an exact imitation of the sawing of wood, of drumming and of washing +on a wash board. During the morning several knives were thrown at him; a +large crock of salt was taken from the kitchen dresser and placed on the +dining room table; the tea kettle was taken from the stove by one of the +ghosts and placed out in the yard, as was also the beefsteak, pan and +all, which was frying on the stove; and, after dinner, the table was +upset. During the afternoon, while in the parlor, the author made the +acquaintance of all the ghosts,—Bob Nickle, the chief ghost; Maggie +Fisher, another ghost almost as bad as Bob; Peter Cox, a quiet old +fellow of very little use as a ghost, because he never tries to break +chairs, etc.; Mary Fisher, (who says she is Maggie's sister) Jane Nickle +and Eliza McNeal. The three last are "no good" as ghosts, as all they do +is stalk about the house and occasionally upset something. As there are +only six ghosts all told, and they were all present, the author asked +them numerous questions, all of which were answered by loud knocks on +the floor or on the wall, just as he requested—all seeming anxious to +converse. The first question the author asked was:</p> + +<p>"Have you all lived on the earth?"</p> + +<p>A.—"Yes."</p> + +<p>Q.—"Have you seen God?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> + +<p>A.—"No."</p> + +<p>Q.—"Are you in heaven?"</p> + +<p>A.—"No."</p> + +<p>Q.—"Are you in hell?"</p> + +<p>A.—"Yes."</p> + +<p>Q.—"Have you seen the devil?"</p> + +<p>A.—very loud—"Yes."</p> + +<p>Many other questions were answered, but the answers are not worth +repeating.</p> + +<p>At the conclusion of the interview, one of the ghosts threw the author's +bottle of ink from the table to the floor, spilling the contents on the +carpet.</p> + +<p>The next day as the author and Esther were entering the parlor, both saw +a chair fall over and instantly jump up again. Neither the author nor +Esther were within five feet of the chair at the time.</p> + +<p>During the whole of the next day the ghosts stuck pins into Esther's +person. These pins appeared to come out of the air and the author pulled +about thirty from various parts of her body during the day. In the +afternoon the family cat was thrown a distance of five feet by one of +the ghosts, and almost had a fit from fright. She remained in the yard +for the balance of the day, and ever afterwards while in the house +seemed to be on the lookout for ghosts; possibly she saw and heard them +on several occasions afterwards, for her tail often became quite large, +as cats' tails always do when they are frightened or angry, after which +she would leave the house in a hurry. The author saw Esther coming down +stairs late in the afternoon, and when she had reached the hall a chair +from his room came down after her. The only other person in the cottage +at the time was Olive, and she was at that instant in the kitchen.</p> + +<p>On June 26th, two or three matches fell from the ceiling at the author's +feet. Being a great smoker, he requested <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>the ghosts to throw down a few +more, which they did. He would simply say, "Bob, I would like a few +matches, if you please." When down they would come from the ceiling. +Forty-five were thrown during the day, and on another day during the +afternoon forty-nine fell to the floor.</p> + +<p>It must be remembered that all the manifestations witnessed by the +author took place in the broad light of day, and that the only other +persons present were the various members of the family.</p> + +<p>On June 28th, the sound of a trumpet was heard by the author and all the +family. It continued to be blown about the house from early morning +until late in the evening. The sound was very distinct and was at times +close to their ears. Late in the evening "Bob" let the trumpet fall in +one of the rooms. It is composed of some metal very similar to German +silver, and is now in the possession of the author, who intends to place +it in a museum on his return to the United States. Where the ghosts got +it no one knows. It had never been seen in Amherst, so far as had been +ascertainable, until it fell upon the floor, and its true origin will +doubtless always remain a mystery.</p> + +<p>It is hardly necessary that the author should weary the reader with a +minute account of the manifestations produced by these ghosts during his +residence of six weeks in the haunted house, he could easily fill a book +containing twice the number of pages that this one does, with an account +of what was done by the ghosts alone, without mentioning the name of a +single living individual except Esther Cox; but I suppose the reader, by +this time, is ready to cry "<i>quantum sufficit</i>." So by referring to a +few more facts, he will end this chapter.</p> + +<p>One afternoon, while Esther was out walking, she called on Rev. R.A. +Temple. During the visit he prayed with her, and also advised her to +pray for herself. On her re<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span>turn to the cottage, one of the ghosts, +either Bob or Maggie, cut her on the head with an old bone from the +yard, and a moment afterwards stabbed her in the face with a fork.</p> + +<p>While the author lived in the house, scarcely a day passed that some +article was not thrown by the ghosts. They would often steal small +articles and keep them secreted—Heavens only knows where—for days at a +time, and then unexpectedly let them fall in one of the rooms, to the +amazement of every one. In that way, shoes and stockings, knives, forks +and other articles too numerous to mention would be missed, sometimes +for weeks, and on one occasion some copper coins were taken from Dan's +pocket and placed upon the author's knee.</p> + +<p>It was a common thing for the ghosts to throw knives at the author, but +fortunately they were all dull and he was never cut; he was, however, +often struck by small articles, never sufficiently hard, however, to +draw blood. During his stay in the house, Esther often went into a state +very similar to the mesmeric sleep, during which she talked with people +invisible to all present; among others, her dead mother. On coming out +of this strange state she always said she had been to heaven among the +angels.</p> + +<p>On several occasions, Bob, the head ghost, tormented her so at night +that it was with difficulty she could remain in bed. On one particular +occasion the author was called up by Dan at midnight so that he might +behold for himself what was going on. After dressing, he went into +Esther's room, and was horrified by the sight which met his gaze. There, +upon the bed, lay the poor, unhappy girl swollen to an enormous size, +her body moving about the bed as if Beelzebub himself were in her, while +between her gasps for breath she exclaimed in agonizing sobs: "Oh, my +God, I wish I were dead! I wish I were dead!"</p> + +<p>"Oh, don't say that, Esther," plead Olive, "don't say that."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span></p> + +<p>"Now, Mr. Hubbell," said Jane to the author, "you see how much she +suffers."</p> + +<p>"Yes, I see," said Hubbell, "but let us endeavor to hold her, so that +this fiend cannot move her about the bed, and then, perhaps, she will +not suffer so much." So Dan and himself tried to hold her so that she +could not be moved, but in vain.</p> + +<p>"Well," said Hubbell, "one ghost is certainly stronger than two men. Are +you sure nothing can be done to relieve her?"</p> + +<p>"No," replied Olive, "Dr. Caritte has tried everything without affording +her the slightest relief. Medicine has no more effect on her than +water."</p> + +<p>Jane, Olive, Dan and the author remained up with her for about three +hours, during which time she continued to move about the bed, after +which the ghost left her and she sank from sheer exhaustion into a state +of lethargy. She had several attacks of this kind during the author's +residence in the cottage, and on one occasion she was seen by Mr. G.G. +Bird, Mr. Jas. P. Dunlap, Mr. Amos Purdy and several ladies; on another +occasion by Dr. E.D. McLean, Mr. Fowler and Mr. Sleep.</p> + +<p>Towards the latter part of July the manifestations became so powerful +that it was no longer safe to have Esther in the house. Fires were +continually being started, the walls were being broken by chairs, the +bed clothes pulled off in the day time, heavy sofas turned upside down, +knives and forks thrown with such force that they would stick into +doors, food disappeared from the table, finger marks became visible in +the butter, and, worse than all, strange voices could be heard calling +the inmates by name in the broad light of day. This was too much; if the +ghosts continued to gain in strength they would take possession of the +house and all in it, for there were six ghosts, and only five persons in +the flesh all told, as follows: Dan, Olive, Jane, Esther <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span>and the +author, not, of course, counting the two children—William Cox and John +Teed having left the house before Esther went to St. John, literally +driven away by ghosts.</p> + +<p>There was but one remedy, and that was that Esther Cox should leave the +house even though her sisters loved her dearly. Simple hearted village +maiden! Fate decreed that she should be torn from their home, but not +from their hearts for the simple reason that her room was far more +agreeable than her company.</p> + +<p>So one morning, after packing up all her worldly possessions, she kissed +the little boys, embraced her sisters, shook hands with the rest, bade +them all farewell, and departed never to return.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/divider4.png" alt="Divider" title="Divider" /></div> + +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.</h2> + +<h3>CONCLUSION.</h3> + + +<p>Esther is living with her friends the Van Amburgh's, on their farm in +the woods. The ghosts do not torment her now. With the Van Amburghs she +has a quiet, peaceful home. One thing is certain, if she returned to +Dan's cottage manifestations would, in a short time, become as powerful +as ever, and Heaven only knows where the matter would end.</p> + +<p>The author went to see her at the farm, On August 1st, 1879, and found +her making a patch-work quilt, on which she stopped working every few +minutes to play with the little children. She informed him that she read +her Bible regularly every day, and was contented and happy. Before +departing he advised her to pray earnestly that she might never again, +be possessed by devils. She promised to take his advice. So hoping that +her prayers would be answered, he bade her farewell forever.</p> + +<p>In Dan's little cottage all is now harmony and peace. Pretty Jane still +tends her plants with loving care. Olive works as hard as ever, and so +does honest Dan. And there may they reside for years to come, enjoying +the blessings which the virtuous always receive from the hands of +Providence.</p> + +<p>Reader, a word. This account of the "Haunted House," in which Esther Cox +suffered so much, and the author had such a remarkable experience, is no +fanciful creation of the imagination, but really what it is claimed to +be,—"A True Ghost Story."</p> + + +<div class="figcenter"><img src="./images/end.png" alt="The End" title="The End" /></div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<div class='tnote'> +<b>Transcriber's notes:</b><br /> +<br /> +Obvious spelling errors repaired.<br /> +Quotation marks normalised.<br /> +All other printing errors retained.<br /> +</div> + +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HAUNTED HOUSE***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 16975-h.txt or 16975-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/9/7/16975">https://www.gutenberg.org/1/6/9/7/16975</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: The Haunted House + A True Ghost Story + + +Author: Walter Hubbell + + + +Release Date: October 31, 2005 [eBook #16975] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HAUNTED HOUSE*** + + +E-text prepared by Thierry Alberto and the Ghosts and Goblins of the +Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team +(https://www.pgdp.net/) + + + +THE HAUNTED HOUSE: + +A True Ghost Story. + +Being an account of the Mysterious Manifestations that have taken +place in the presence of + +ESTHER COX, + +The young Girl who is possessed of Devils, and has become known +throughout the entire Dominion as + +THE GREAT AMHERST MYSTERY, + +by + +WALTER HUBBELL. + + + + + * * * * * + + + +THE AUTHOR LIVED IN THE HOUSE AND WITNESSED THE WONDERFUL +MANIFESTATIONS. + + + * * * * * + + + +Saint John, N.B.: +"Daily News" Steam Publishing Office, Canterbury Street. + +1879. + + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +The manifestations described in this story commenced one year ago. No +person has yet been able to ascertain their cause. Scientific men from +all parts of Canada and the United States have investigated them in +vain. Some people think that electricity is the principal agent; others, +mesmerism; whilst others again, are sure they are produced by the devil. +Of the three supposed causes, the latter is certainly the most plausible +theory, for some of the manifestations are remarkably devilish in their +appearance and effect. For instance, the mysterious setting of fires, +the powerful shaking of the house, the loud and incessant noises and +distinct knocking, as if made by invisible sledge-hammers, on the walls; +also, the strange actions of the household furniture, which moves about +in the broad daylight without the slightest visible cause. + +As these strange things only occur while Miss Esther Cox is present, she +has become known as the "Amherst Mystery" throughout the entire country. + +The author of this work lived for six weeks in the haunted house, and +considers it his duty to place the entire matter before the public in +its true light, having been requested to do so by the family of Miss +Cox. + + + + +THE HAUNTED HOUSE. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE HOME OF ESTHER COX. + + +Amherst, Nova Scotia, is a beautiful little village on the famous Bay of +Fundy; has a population of about three thousand souls, and contains four +churches, an academy, a music hall, a large iron foundry, a large shoe +factory, and more stores of various kinds than any village of its size +in the Province. + +The private residences of the more wealthy inhabitants are very +picturesque in their appearance, being surrounded by beautifully laid +out lawns, containing ornamental trees of various kinds and numerous +beds of flowers of choice and sometimes very rare varieties. + +The residences of Parson Townsend, Mr. Robb, Doctor Nathan Tupper, and +Mr. G.G. Bird, proprietor of the Amherst book store; also that of Mr. +Amos Purdy, the village Post Master, and others too numerous to mention, +are sure to attract the visitor's attention and command his admiration. + +On Princess street, near Church, there stands a neat two story cottage, +painted yellow. It has in front a small yard, which extends back to the +stable. The tidy appearance of the cottage and its pleasant situation +are sure to attract a stranger's attention. Upon entering the house +everything is found to be so tastefully arranged, so scrupulously clean, +and so comfortable, that the visitor feels at home in a moment, being +confident that everything is looked after by a thrifty housewife. + +The first floor consists of four rooms, a parlor containing a large bay +window, filled with beautiful geraniums of every imaginable color and +variety, is the first to attract attention; then the dining room, with +its old fashioned clock, its numerous home made rugs, easy chairs, and +commodious table, makes one feel like dining, especially if the hour is +near twelve; for about that time of day savory odors are sure to issue +from the adjoining kitchen. The kitchen is all that a room of the kind +in a village cottage should be, is not very large, and contains an +ordinary wood stove, a large pine table, and a small washstand, has a +door opening into the side yard near the stable, and another into the +wash shed, besides the one connecting it with the dining room, making +three doors in all, and one window. The fourth room is very small, and +is used as a sewing room; it adjoins the dining room, and the parlor, +and has a door opening into each. Besides the four rooms on the first +floor, there is a large pantry, having a small window about four feet +from the floor, the door of this pantry opens into the dining room. Such +is the arrangement of the first floor. + +Upon ascending a short flight of stairs, and turning to the left, you +find yourself in the second story of the cottage, which consists of an +entry and four small bed rooms, all opening into the entry. Each one of +the rooms has one window, and only one door. Two of these little bed +rooms face towards the street, and the other two towards the back of the +cottage. They, like the rest of the house, are conspicuous for their +neat, cosy aspect, being papered and painted, and furnished with +ordinary cottage furniture. In fact everything about the little cottage +will impress a casual observer with the fact that its inmates are happy, +and evidently at peace with God and man. + +This humble cottage is the home of Daniel Teed, shoemaker. Everybody +knows and respects honest hard working Dan, who never owes a dollar if +he can help it, and never allows his family to want for any comfort that +can be procured, with his hard earned salary as foreman of the Amherst +Shoe Factory. + +Dan's family consists of his wife Olive, as good a soul as ever lived, +always hard at work. From early morning until dusky eve she is on her +feet. It has always been a matter of gossip and astonishment, among the +neighbors, as to how little Mrs. Teed, for she is by no means what you +would call a large woman, could work so incessantly without becoming +weary and resting for an hour or so after dinner. But she works on all +the same, never rests, and they still look on her with astonishment. Dan +and Olive have two little boys. Willie, the eldest, is _five_ years old; +he is a strong, healthy looking lad, with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes, +and brown curly hair; his principal amusements are throwing stones, +chasing the chickens, and hurting his little brother. George, the +youngest of Dan's boys, is the finest boy of his age in the village and +is only a little over a year old; his merry little laugh, winning ways, +and cunning actions to attract attention have made him a favorite with +all who visit at the cottage. + +Besides his wife and two little boys, Dan has under his honest roof and +protection his wife's two sisters,--Jane and Esther Cox--who board with +him. Jane is a lady-like, self-possessed young woman of about +twenty-two, and is quite a beauty; her hair is very light brown and +reaches below her waist when she allows it to fall in graceful +tresses--at other times she wears it in the Grecian style; her eyes are +of a greyish hue; a clear complexion and handsome teeth add to her fine +appearance. In fact, Jane Cox is one of the village belles, and has +hosts of admirers, not of the male sex alone, for she is also popular +among the ladies; she is a member and regular attendant of Parson +Townsend's Church, which, by the way, the good Parson has had under his +care for about forty-five years. Esther Cox, Dan's other sister in-law, +is such a remarkable girl in every respect that I must give as complete +a description of her as possible. She was born in Upper Stewiacke, Nova +Scotia, on March 28th, 1860, and is consequently in her eighteenth year. +Esther has always been a queer girl. When born she was so small that her +good, kind grandmother, who raised her, (her mother having died when she +was three weeks old) had to wash and dress her on a pillow, and in fact +keep her on it all the time until she was nine months old, at which age +her weight was only five pounds. When she was quite a little girl her +father, Archibald T. Cox, married again, and moved to East Machias, +Maine, where he has since resided. Having followed his second wife to +the grave, he married a third with whom he is now living. Esther's early +years having been spent with her grandmother, she very naturally became +grave and old-fashioned, without knowing how or why. Like all little +girls, she was remarkably susceptible to surrounding influences, and the +sedate manner and actions of the old lady made an early impression on +Esther that will cling to her through life. + +In person Esther is of low stature and rather inclined to be stout; her +hair is curly, of a dark brown color, and is now short, reaching only to +her shoulders; her eyes are large and grey, with a bluish tinge, and an +earnest expression which seems to say, "why do you stare at me so; I can +not help it if I am not like other people." Her eye-brows and eye-lashes +are dark and well marked, that is to say, the lashes are long and the +eye-brows very distinct. Her face is what can be called round, with well +shaped features; she has remarkably handsome teeth, and a pale +complexion. Her hands and feet are small and well shaped, and although +inclined to be stout, she is fond of work, and is a great help to her +sister Olive, although she sometimes requires a little urging. + +Although Esther is not possessed of the beauty that Jane is famous for, +still there is something earnest, honest and attractive about this +simple-hearted village maiden, that wins for her lots of friends of +about her own age; in fact, she is quite in demand among the little +children of the neighborhood also, who are ever ready to have a romp and +a game with _Ester_, as they all call her. The truth is, a great many of +the grown up inhabitants of the village call her _Ester_ also, dropping +the _h_ entirely, a habit common in Nova Scotia. + +Esther's disposition is naturally mild and gentle. She can at times, +however, be very self-willed, and is bound to have her own way when her +mind is made up. If asked to do anything she does not feel like doing +she becomes very sulky and has to be humored at times to keep peace in +the family. However, all things considered, she is a good little girl +and has always borne a good reputation in every sense of the word. + +There are two more boarders in the little cottage, who require a passing +notice. They are William Cox and John Teed. William is the brother of +Olive, Jane, and Esther, and is a shoemaker by trade, and one of Dan's +workmen in the factory. + +The other boarder, John Teed, is Dan's brother. John, like his brother, +is an honest, hard working young man, has been raised a farmer, an +occupation he still follows when not boarding with Dan in Amherst. + +As the reader may, perhaps, be anxious to know how Dan, good, honest +hard working Dan, and, his thrifty little wife Olive, look, I will +endeavor to give a short description of each. So here goes. Dan is +about thirty-five years old, and stands five feet eight in his +stockings. He has light brown hair, rather thin on top, a well shaped +head, blue eyes, well defined features, a high nose, and wears a heavy +moustache and bushy side whiskers; his complexion is florid; rheumatism +of several years standing has given him a slight halt in the left leg. +He does his work, spends his salary as he should, and leads a Christian +life, has a pew in the Wesleyan Church of which Rev. R.A. Temple is +pastor, belongs to a temperance society, and, I dare say, when he dies +will be well rewarded in the next world. Olive, as I have already said, +is not a very large woman. She is good and honest, like her husband, and +goes to church with him as a wife should. Her hair is dark brown, eyes +grey, complexion pale and slightly freckled. Although not as beautiful +as Jane, nor at any time as sulky as Esther can be, she has those +motherly traits of character which command respect. Being older than her +sisters she is looked up to by them for advice when they think they need +it, and consolation when they are in sorrow. Olive's wise little head is +sure to give the right advice at the right time, and in the family of +the cottage her word is law. I do not mean to say that she rules her +husband. No! Dan is far from being a hen-pecked man, but, as two heads +are always better than one, Dan often takes her advice and profits by +it. + +Such is the cottage and household of honest Dan Teed. + +To-day is cool and pleasant. The hour is nearly twelve noon--the hour +for dinner in the cottage. Esther is seated on the parlor floor playing +with George to keep him from running out in the hot sun. Willie is out +in the yard near the stable tormenting a poor hen, who has had a log of +wood tied to one of her legs by Olive to prevent her from setting in the +cow's stall; but master Willie seems to think she has been tied so that +he may have a good time banging her over the head with a small club, +which he is doing in a way that means business. Suddenly his mother +comes out of the kitchen, and after soundly boxing his ears, sends him +howling into the house, much to the relief of the poor hen who has just +fallen over with exhaustion and fright, but upon finding her tormentor +gone is soon herself again. Presently Olive hears Dan at the gate, and +comes to the front door to meet him and tell him that dinner is almost +ready, remarking that he cannot guess what she has for dessert. Honest +Dan replies that no matter what it is he is hungry and will eat it, for +he has been working hard. So in he goes to wash his hands and face at +the wash-stand in the kitchen. + +Jane is coming down the street. Esther, who is seated on a chair with +George on her lap, sees her sister from the bay window in the parlor. +Jane has a position in Mr. Jas. P. Dunlap's establishment, and goes to +her work every morning at seven o'clock. As soon as Esther sees Jane she +takes George up in her arms and runs in to tell Olive that Jane is +coming, and suggests that dinner be served at once, for _she_ feels +hungry. So Olive, with Esther's assistance, puts the dinner on the +table, and they all sit down to enjoy the meal, and a good substantial +meal it is; plenty of beef-steak and onions, plenty of hot mashed +potatoes, plenty of boiled cabbage, and an abundance of home made bread +and fresh butter made that very morning from the rich cream of Dan's red +cow. Little George, who is seated in his high chair at his mother's +right hand, commences to kick the bottom of the table in such a vigorous +manner that not one word can be heard, for he makes a terrible noise, +the toes of his shoes being faced with copper to prevent the youngster +from wearing them out too soon. Olive asks Esther to please get the old +pink scarf and tie his feet so that he will be unable to make such a +racket, Esther does not move, but upon being requested a second time +gets up rather reluctantly, goes to the hat rack in the hall, gets the +scarf and ties the little fellow's feet, as requested. Upon reseating +herself at the table it is noticeable that she has a sulky expression, +for she does not like to be disturbed while enjoying dinner, nor in fact +any meal, for the simple reason that her appetite is voracious, being +particularly fond of pickles, and she has been known to drink a cupful +of vinegar in a day. + +All ate in silence for some minutes, when Jane inquires if the cow was +milked again last night? "Yes," says Dan, and "I only wish I could find +out who does it; it would not be well for him, I can tell you. This is +the tenth time this fortnight that she has been milked. Oh! if it was +not for this rheumatism in my hip, I would stay up some night and catch +the thief in the act, have him arrested, and--" + +"And then," remarks Esther, with an eye to the financial part of the +milk question, "we should have just two quarts more to sell every day; +that would be--let me see how much it would come to." + +"Never mind," remarks John Teed, "how much it would come to, just hand +me that dish of potatoes, please. They are so well mashed that I must +eat some more. I can't bear potatoes with lumps all through them, can +you Jane." + +"No, John, I cannot," replies Jane. + +"Neither can I," joins in William Cox; "if I ever marry I hope my wife +will be as good a cook as Olive; if she prove so I shall be satisfied." + +"Gim me 'nother piece of meat, do you hear," is the exclamation which +comes from master Willie. + +"Ask as a good boy should," remarks Dan, "and you shall have it." + +"Gim me 'nother piece of meat, do you hear," says the young rascal a +second time, louder than before. + +A good sound box on the ear from his father, prevents further remarks +coming from the unruly boy during the rest of the meal. However, after a +slight pause, Dan gives him a piece of beef-steak, his mother in the +meantime says: + +"I wonder how that boy learns to be so rude." + +"Why," replies John Teed, "by playing with those bad boys down near the +carriage factory. I saw him there about nine o'clock this morning, and +what's more, I can tell you that unless he keeps away from them he will +be ruined." + +"I'm going to take him in hand as soon as he gets a little older and +make him toe the mark," says Dan. "Well Mudge,"--Dan nearly always calls +his wife Mudge, for a pet name--"give me another cup of tea, woman, and +then I'll go back to the factory, that is as soon as I have taken a pull +or two at my pipe." + +"What! are you going without eating some of the bread pudding I went to +the trouble of making because I thought you would like it?" asks Olive. + +"Oh, you've got pudding have you; all right, I'll have some if it's +cold," replies Dan. + +"Oh, yes, it's cold enough by this time. Come, Esther, help me to clear +away these dishes, and you, Jane, please bring in the pudding, it is out +on the door-step near the rain-water barrel." + +The dishes having been cleared away, and the pudding brought, all ate a +due share, and after some further conversation about the midnight milker +of the cow, Esther remarks that she believes the thief to be one of the +Micmac Indians from the camp up the road. Everybody laughs at such a +wild idea, and they all leave the table. Esther, takes George from his +chair, after first untying his feet, and then helps Olive to remove the +dishes to the kitchen, where she washes them, and then goes to the sofa +in the parlor to take a nap. Dan in the meantime has enjoyed his smoke +and gone back to the factory, as has also William Cox. John Teed has +gone up the Main Street to see his sister Maggie, and Jane has returned +to Mr. Dunlap's. Willie is out in the street again with the bad boys, +and Olive has just commenced to make a new plaid dress for George, who +has gone to sleep in his little crib in the small sewing-room. + +Esther, after sleeping for about an hour, comes into the dining room +where Olive is sewing and says, "Olive, I am going out to take a walk, +and if Bob should come while I am out, don't forget to tell him that I +will be in this evening, and shall expect him." + +"All right Esther," says her sister, "but you had better be careful +about Bob, and how you keep company with him; you know what we heard +about him only the day before yesterday." + +"Oh, I don't believe a word of it," replied Esther. She looked at her +sister for a moment, and then said in an injured tone, "I guess I am old +enough to take care of myself. What! half-past two already? I must be +off;" and off she went. + +Supper being over, Esther put on her brown dress and took her accustomed +seat on the front door step to talk to Dan, as he smoked his evening +pipe. Jane dressed in her favorite white dress, trimmed with black +velvet, her beautiful hair fastened in a true Grecian coil, and +perfectly smooth at the temples, is in the parlor attending to her +choice plants, presently her beau comes to spend the evening with her. + +So the evening passes away. Olive has sung little George to sleep, +carried him up to bed and retired herself. Dan has smoked his pipe and +retired also. It was now ten o'clock. Esther still sat on the front step +humming the tune of a well known Wesleyan hymn to herself as she gazed +up at the stars, for it must be remembered that although she was not by +any means pious, still, like a dutiful girl, she went to church with Dan +and Olive. As the girl was just passing into womanhood, and felt that +she must love something, it was perfectly natural for her to sit there +and wait for Bob to make his appearance. About half-past ten Jane's beau +took his departure, and Jane not having anything further to keep her up, +decided to retire, and advised Esther to follow her example. + +Esther took a last look up and down the street, and then went into the +house with much reluctance. After locking the front door the girls went +into the dining room and Jane lighted the lamp. Esther had taken off her +shoes and thrown them on the floor, as was her custom, when it suddenly +occurred to her that there was butter-milk in the cellar, and the same +instant she made up her mind to have some. Taking the lamp from Jane, +she runs into the cellar in her stocking feet, drinks about a pint of +butter-milk and runs up again, telling her sister, who has been +meanwhile in the dark dining room, that a large rat passed between her +feet while in the cellar. + +"Come right up to bed you silly girl," said Jane, "and don't be talking +about rats at this time of night." So Jane took the lamp and Esther +picked up her shoes, and they went to their bed-room. + +After closing the door of their room, "Esther," said Jane, "you are +foolish to think anything at all about Bob." + +"Oh, mind your own business, Jane," Esther replied "let's say our +prayers and retire;" and so they did. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE FATAL RIDE. + + +Esther and Jane arose on the morning of August 28th, 1878, as was their +usual custom, at half-past six, and ate breakfast with the rest of the +family. + +After breakfast Jane went to Mrs. Dunlap's, Dan to his shoe factory with +his brother-in-law, William Cox, John Teed also went to _his_ work, and +none of the family remained in the house but Olive and Esther, who +commenced to wash up the breakfast dishes and put the dining room in +order, so that part of their work at least should be finished before the +two little boys came down stairs to have their childish wants attended +to. What with making the beds and sweeping the rooms, and washing out +some clothing for the boys, both Esther and Olive found plenty to occupy +their time until the hour for preparing dinner arrived. When Olive +commenced that rather monotonous operation, assisted by Esther, who, as +she sat on the door-step between the dining room and kitchen paring +potatoes, and placing them in a can of cold water beside her, attracted +her sister's attention by her continued silence and the troubled +expression of her countenance. + +"What in the name of the sun ails you to-day, Esther?" inquired Olive, +really worried by her little sister's sad appearance. + +"Oh, nothing, Olive! only I was thinking that if--that if--that if--" + +"Well! well, go on, go on, it is not necessary to say that if--five or +six times in succession, is it, before telling me what's the matter with +you, you nonsensical, giddy, hard-headed girl. I believe you have fallen +in love so with Bob McNeal, that you are worrying yourself to death +because you know he is too poor to marry you and you are afraid some +rich girl will fall in love with him, and that he will marry her and +give you the cold shoulder. There, that's just what I think _is_ the +matter with you, and I can tell you one thing my young lady, and that +is, that the sooner you get over your infatuation for that young man, +the better for you, and the better for us all. There now, I'm done. No +I'm not either, listen to me, girl, and don't make me angry by turning +up your nose while I am giving you good advice." + +"I'm not turning up my nose at you, Olive. I only felt like sneezing, +and wanted to stop it before it had fully commenced, and how could I try +to stop it except by working my nose in that way, when I have a big wet +potato in one hand and this ugly old knife in the other, and all wet, +too." + +"Oh, nonsense, girl, don't keep on talking about ugly old knives and wet +potatoes, but listen to me. I feel it in my bones that trouble is in +store for us, and all through Bob McNeal. Now do be a good girl, and +take my advice and never invite him to call again; because I tell you, +Esther, that trouble is coming to you through that young man, for I feel +it in my bones." + +"Well, Olive, I will tell you the truth; the fact is that--why here's +Jane! Why, Jane, what has brought you home at this time of day? It is +only eleven, and dinner won't be ready for an hour." + +Jane, who had just taken off her hat and hung it up in the hall, +replied, "that as there was nothing more to be done at Dunlap's until +the afternoon, she thought she might as well be at home attending to her +plants as at the shop." + +After looking at Esther and Olive a moment, she said, "What were you two +putting your heads together about when I came in? Esther stopped +talking as soon as she saw me, and Olive, I noticed that you went to the +stove and poured so much water into the tea-kettle from the bucket that +it ran over, just because you were looking at me instead of at the +kettle. You are both up to something, I know you are. Now come, tell me +all about it; is it a great secret? I won't tell anybody; tell me, do." + +Esther, who has just finished paring the potatoes and is now putting +them on the stove to boil, takes a seat in the dining room on the settee +and has one of her sulky moods, during which she always declines to +speak when spoken to. + +Jane looks at her a second and then says in a playful manner, "Oh, it's +all right, Esther, I can guess what it was; what nonsense. I'll go and +attend to my plants. Why, I declare it's a quarter past eleven already, +and I have got to comb my hair before dinner, too. Oh! my, how time +flies!" + +So off Jane goes to her plants in the parlor, leaving Esther in the +dining room and Olive in the kitchen getting dinner ready as fast as she +can. + +Olive had just gone behind the kitchen door that leads into the yard to +get another stick of wood for the fire when she was startled by a +scream; she feels instinctively that one of her children is in danger, +and she is right, for little George has just been saved from a horrible +death by Maud Weldon, their next door neighbor. The little scamp had +managed to crawl through the fence and get as far as the middle of the +street, when Maud saw him, and was just in time to prevent him from +being run over by a heavy wagon drawn by a pair of horses that were +being driven at a breakneck pace past the house. Of course the fair Maud +screamed, young women generally do at such times; but she saved George +all the same. Her piercing shriek brought the stately Miss Sibley and +her mother to the door of their house, which is almost directly opposite +Dan's, and also caused Mrs. Mitchell and Mrs. Bell to become so nervous +that they kept their children in the house for the rest of the day, when +they heard of the dangerous adventure George had had, for they both +arrived too late to witness the rescue. The watchfulness and care they +both bestowed on their little ones for the next week was so much time +thrown away, however, for it so happened that no more fast teams came +through that particular street for about a month. + +Well, after the brave blonde, Maud Weldon, had become the heroine of the +hour, she went into Dan's cottage with Esther and Jane, who both ran out +when they heard the scream. Olive had already taken her boy in, washed +his little hands and face, put on his clean over-dress, and was now +holding him in her lap in the large rocking-chair. Maud Weldon was in +the parlor with Jane and Esther looking at the flowers and telling them +about her new beau, how handsome he was, and that she intended to marry +him if he asked her, winding up her conversation on the subject of beaux +with the remark that she was bound not to die an old maid, but was going +to get married for she wanted to have a house of her own to keep. And so +the conversation ran on between the three girls in the parlor until +dinner was nearly ready, when Mrs. Hicks, Maud's aunt, called her and +she went home. + +After dinner, Esther and Olive were washing the dishes in the kitchen +and talking over George's narrow escape, when Esther suddenly made up +her mind to tell her sister what she was about to do when Jane's rather +unexpected return from the shop put an end to their conversation. So +after having put all the dishes away in the pantry, she told Olive if +she would promise not to tell anybody, not even Dan, she would tell her +something that must be kept a secret, because if it became known it +might make people nervous and could do no good. + +"Very well," replied Olive, "wait until I get my sewing, then we will go +into the parlor, you can tell me all about it, and I promise that I +won't tell." + +So they went into the parlor. Esther sat in the rocking-chair and Olive +on the sofa. + +"Well, Olive," said Esther. "Now don't laugh, for it is about a dream." + +"A dream!" exclaimed Olive. "A dream! go on, let me hear it." + +"Well," began Esther, "last night I sat for two hours on the front step +looking at the stars. After I came in I went down into the cellar in my +stocking feet and drank about a pint of butter-milk and a large rat ran +between my feet; then Jane and I went to our room, shut the door, said +our prayers and went to bed, and in a short time we both fell asleep, +and I dreamt that when I got up in the morning every thing and every +body was changed except myself. This cottage instead of being yellow was +green; you, Dan, Jane, brother William, John Teed, Willie and George, +all had heads like bears, and you all growled at me, but yet could talk, +and, what was very strange, you all had eyes as large as horses' eyes, +only they were as red as blood. While I was talking to you I heard a +noise in the street and on going to the door I saw hundreds of black +bulls with blue eyes, very bright blue eyes, coming towards the house, +blood was dripping from their mouths and their feet made fire come out +of the ground. On they came, roaring very loudly all the time, right +straight for the house. They broke down the fence, I shut the front +door, locked it and then ran to the back door and fastened it. Then they +all commenced to butt the house so violently that it nearly fell over. +It shook so that I woke up and found that I had fallen out of bed +without waking Jane. So I got in again and soon fell asleep; but the +dream is still in my mind. I can see it still, and wonder what it means +until I get the head-ache. What do you think about it Olive? Do you +think there is any truth in dreams? Did you ever know of one to come +true, or do you think it was all caused by the pint of butter-milk and +my going into the cellar in my stocking feet, and the rat?" + +"Well," said Olive, "I never could make up my mind fully on that +subject; but of this I am certain, whatever Dan dreams comes true; there +is no doubt about that. But don't tell him anything about this dream, +Esther, or he will be floundering around all night trying to find out +what it means; or Jane either, because, perhaps, it will scare her so +that she will be unable to sleep." + +"Don't believe it, Olive, I have told Jane, and she says it was all +caused by the butter-milk I drank. She says it made me see a rat in the +cellar just after I had drank it, and that it was no wonder I saw bears +and bulls, too, after I went to sleep. Oh, my sakes alive, if I only had +a dream book, like the one Mrs. Emery used to have, I'd soon find out +what it means. Do you know, Olive, I have a great mind to go out to the +Indian camp this very afternoon and try if that fortune-telling squaw +who told Maggie Teed's fortune, and Mary Miller's, too, can't tell me +all about it. I want to know if it means that something terrible is +about to happen or not." + +"Well," said Olive, "Esther, don't talk any more about it but read your +Bible, go to church, say your prayers, and ask God to take care of you; +then you need never fear dreams or anything else, for you must always +remember that God has more power than the devil, and always will have." + +"Oh!" replied Esther, with a smile, "it is all very Well for you to talk +in that way, but I shouldn't wonder if the devil saw more of me than he +ever has yet before I die." + +"Oh, Esther, how can you talk so; you ought to be ashamed of yourself, +and to think that you were brought up by grandmother too." + +And so the afternoon passed slowly away, the beautiful blue sky which +had been so clear all day began to assume a darkish aspect, and +threatening clouds spread themselves between the earth and heaven. By +the time Dan and the rest had come home to supper, it looked very much +like rain. Dan said it was going to rain sometime during the night; he +knew it, because his rheumatism was bad. + +Supper being ready, they all sat down and enjoyed it. After supper Dan +took a smoke, Jane went to her accustomed seat in the parlor near her +plants, William Cox and John Teed went out to see their girls, Olive put +the boys to bed, and Esther sat down on the front door-step all by +herself and sang "The Sweet By-and-bye" in a low voice. + +The hands of the old fashioned clock in the dining room indicated ten +minutes to eight, when a carriage drove up to the gate, and a well built +young man jumped out, opened the gate and came in. As he entered the +house he shook hands with Esther, saying as he did so: "Go and put on +your hat and sack and take a ride with me Esther, and I will tell you +why I did not call last evening as I promised." This young man was Bob +McNeal, by trade a shoemaker, and a fine looking young fellow he was, +too. His hair and eyes were black, features, rather handsome, and he +wore a small black moustache. + +As soon as Esther had received his invitation she ran up stairs, got her +hat and sack, ran down again, jumped into the carriage, which was a +buggy with room for two only, and off they drove. Jane came out to the +front door and called after them, just as they were driving away: "You +had better put the top up Bob, for it will certainly rain before long." + +Dan, who had been sitting in the dining room in one of the easy chairs, +remarked to Jane as he was going up stairs: "What a pity Bob McNeal is +such a wild fellow. I'm afraid he will never amount to much. He is a +remarkably fine workman too; he has improved in his work since I took +him into the factory with me. Oh well, I suppose it's all right; good +night Jane." + +"Good night Dan," said Jane. + +"I hope your rheumatism will be better in the morning." + +"So do I," replied Dan. And up he went to bed, Jane returning to the +parlor to wait for her beau. + +Bob and Esther drove through Amherst, and turned down the road leading +to the Marsh. They were going to take a ride into the country. Bob said +that was the best road to take, and Esther did not care much which way +they went, so she got a ride. + +While driving through a small wood, Bob seemed to be suddenly seized +with an attack of what lawyers are pleased to term emotional insanity, +for he dropped the reins and leaped from the buggy. Upon reaching the +ground, he drew from the side pocket of his coat a large revolver, and, +pointing it at Esther, told her, in a loud voice, to get out of the +buggy or he would kill her where she sat. She, of course, refused to do +as he requested or rather commanded, and, as it was raining and becoming +quite dark, she told him to get into the buggy and drive her home, and +not act like a crazy man. The remark about acting like a crazy man +seemed to enrage him past endurance, for he uttered several terrible +oaths, and, aiming the revolver at her heart, was about to fire, when +the sound of wheels were heard rumbling in the distance. He immediately +jumped into the buggy, seized the reins, and drove at a breakneck pace +through the pouring rain to Dan's cottage. Esther was wet through by the +time they had arrived at the gate. She jumped out, opened the gate, +entered the cottage and ran up stairs without noticing Jane, whom she +passed in the hall. Bob, as soon as she got out, drove rapidly down the +street. + +As the hour was now ten o'clock, Esther immediately retired and, after +crying herself to sleep, slept until morning. Jane entered the room +about half an hour after her sister, engaged in prayer and then retired, +without disturbing her. + +For the next four days Esther seemed to be suffering from some secret +sorrow. She could not remain in the house, but was continually on the +street, or at some of the neighbors' houses, and every night she cried +herself to sleep. + +Of course her woe-begone appearance was noticed by the family, but they +refrained from questioning her, for the simple reason that they supposed +she and Bob had quarrelled; and as they did not approve of the +attachment between him and Esther, they were rather glad that his visits +had ceased, and gave no further attention to the matter, supposing that +she would be herself again in a week or two. Bob's continued absence +from the cottage--for he used to be there every other day--strengthened +them in the belief that they were right in their supposition, and so +they let the matter rest. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +THE HAUNTED HOUSE. + + +Supper is just over. Dan and Olive are in the parlor. Jane is up stairs +in her room, talking to Esther who has retired early; it being only +seven o'clock, she asks Esther: "How long she is going to continue to +worry herself about Bob?" + +Not receiving a reply, she puts on her heavy sack and remarks: "I am +going over to see Miss Porter, and will soon return; it is so damp and +foggy to-night that, I declare, it makes me feel sleepy too. I think I +will follow your example, and retire early. Good night, I suppose you +will be asleep by the time I get back;" and off she goes. + +As the night is so very damp and disagreeable, all begin to feel sleepy +long before half-past eight, and go up to their rooms. + +Before Dan goes up stairs, he takes the bucket and brings some fresh +water from the pump--which he, as usual, places on the kitchen +table--taking a large tin dipper about half full up to his room for the +children to drink during the night. + +It is now about fifteen minutes to nine. Jane has just returned from her +visit, and has gone to her room, which is in the front of the house, +near the stairway, and directly next to Dan and Olive's room. She finds +Esther crying, as usual, for the girl has actually cried herself to +sleep every night since the fatal ride. After getting into bed, she +says: "Oh, my, I forgot to put the lamp out," rises immediately and +extinguishes the light, remarks to Esther that "it is very dark," bumps +her head against the bed post, and finally settles herself down for a +good sleep. + +Esther, who has just stopped crying, remarks to Jane that "this is a +wretched night," and says, "somehow I can't get to sleep." + +"No wonder," says Jane, "you went to bed too early." + +"Jane, this is September the fourth, aint it?" asks Esther. + +"Yes," replies Jane. "Go to sleep and let me alone, I don't want to talk +to you, I want to go to sleep. What if it is September the fourth." + +"Oh nothing," replies Esther, "only it is just a week to-night, since I +went riding with Bob! Oh, what will become of me?" and she instantly +burst into another crying spell. + +"Esther" said Jane, "Do you know I think you are losing your mind, and +that if you keep on this way you will get so crazy that we will have to +put you in the Insane Asylum." This had the desired effect, for she +stopped instantly. For a few minutes everything was perfectly still. No +sound was to be heard except the breathing of the two young girls, as +they lay side by side in bed. + +They had remained perfectly quiet, for about ten or fifteen minutes, +when Esther jumped out of bed with a scream, exclaiming that there was a +mouse under the bed clothes. + +Her scream startled her sister, who was almost asleep, and she also got +out of bed and lit the lamp, for she is as much afraid of mice as Esther +is. They both searched the bed, but could not find the supposed mouse, +supposing it to be inside the mattrass. Jane exclaimed "Oh pshaw, what +fools we are to be sure to be scared at a little harmless mouse; if +there really is one here it can do us no harm, for see, it is inside the +mattrass, look how the straw is being moved about. The mouse has gotten +inside and can't get out, because there is no hole in the ticking. Let +us go back to bed Esther. It can do us no harm now." So they put out the +light, and got into bed again. After listening for a few minutes without +hearing the straw move in the mattrass, they both fell asleep. + +On the following night the girls heard something moving under their bed. +Esther exclaimed: "There is that mouse again, Jane. Let us get up and +kill it. I'm not going to be worried by mice every night." + +So they both arose, and on hearing a rustling in a green paste-board +box, filled with patch-work, which was under the bed, they placed it out +in the middle of the room and were much amazed to see the box jump up in +the air about a foot and then fall over on its side. The girls could not +believe their own eyes; so Jane placed the box in its old position in +the middle of the room, and both watched it intently, when to their +amazement the same thing occurred again. The girls were now really +frightened, and screamed as loudly as they could for Dan, who put on +some clothing and came into their room to ascertain what was the matter. +They told him what had just taken place, but he only laughed, and after +pushing the box under the bed, and remarking that they must be insane or +perhaps had been dreaming, he went back to bed grumbling because his +rest had been disturbed. + +The next morning the girls both declared that the box had really moved; +but, as nobody believed them, they saw it was of no use to talk of the +matter. Jane went to the shop, Dan to his shoe factory, and William Cox +and John Teed about their business as usual, leaving Olive and Esther to +attend to their household duties. After dinner Olive took her sewing +into the parlor, and Esther went out to walk. The afternoon was +delightful, and there was quite a breeze blowing from the bay. Walking +is very pleasant when there is no dust; but Amherst is such a dusty +little village, especially when the wind blows from the bay, that it is +impossible to walk on any of the streets with comfort on a windy day +during the summer. Esther found this to be the case, so she retraced her +steps homeward, stopping at the post office and at Bird's book store, +where she bought a bottle of ink from Miss Blanche. On arriving at the +cottage she hung up her hat and joined Olive in the parlor, took little +George on her lap, and, after singing him to sleep, lay down on the sofa +and took a nap. + +After supper Esther took her accustomed seat on the door-step, remaining +there until the moon had risen. It was a beautiful moonlight night, +almost as bright as day. While seated there gazing at the moon, she said +to herself, "Well there is one thing certain anyhow, I am going to have +good luck all this month, for on Sunday night I saw the new moon over my +shoulder." + +At half-past eight o'clock, Esther complained of feeling feverish and +was advised by Olive and Jane to go to bed, which she did. + +About ten o'clock Jane retired for the night. After she had been in bed +some fifteen minutes, Esther jumped with a sudden bound into the centre +of the room, taking all the bed clothes with her. + +"My God!" she exclaimed, "what can be the matter with me! Wake up Jane, +wake up! I'm dying, I'm dying!" "Dying!" responded Jane; "why dying +people don't speak in that loud tone. Wait until I light the lamp, don't +die in the dark Esther." + +Jane thought her sister only had the night mare, but when she lit the +lamp, she was considerably alarmed by her sister's appearance. There +stood Esther in the centre of the room, her short hair almost standing +on end, her face as red as blood, and her eyes really looked as if they +were about to start from their sockets, her hands were grasping the back +of a chair so tightly that her nails sank into the soft wood. She was +truly an object to look on with amazement, as she stood there in her +white night gown trembling with fear. Her sister called as loudly as she +could for assistance; for Jane, too, was pretty well frightened by this +time, and did not know what to do. Olive was the first to enter the +room, having first thrown a shawl around her shoulders, for the night +was very chilly. Dan, put on his coat and pants in a hurry, as did also +William Cox, and John Teed, and the three men entered the room about the +same time. + +"Why what in the name of thunder ails you Esther?" asked Dan. William +and John exclaimed in the same breath, "She's mad!" + +Olive was speechless with amazement, while they stood looking at the +girl, not knowing what to do to relieve her terrible agony. She became +very pale and seemed to be growing weak; in fact, she became so weak in +a short time that she had to be assisted to the bed. After sitting on +the edge of the bed for a moment, and gazing about the room with a +vacant stare, she started to her feet with a wild yell, and said she +felt like bursting into pieces. + +"Great Heavens," exclaimed Olive, "What shall we do with her; she is +crazy?" + +Jane, who always retains her presence of mind, took her sister's hand +and said in a soothing tone: "Come Esther, get into bed again." As they +found that she could not do so without assistance, Olive and Jane helped +her, and placed the bed clothing over her again. As soon as she had been +assisted to bed she said in a low choking voice, "I am swelling up and +shall certainly burst, I know I shall." + +Dan looked at her face and remarked in a startled tone. "Why, the girl +is swelling, Olive, just look at her, look at her hands too, see how +swollen they are, and she is as hot as fire." + +She was literally burning up with fever, and yet as pale as death, while +only a few minutes before her face was as red as blood, and her entire +person as cold as ice. What a strange case, pale when hot, and blood +red when cold, yet such was really the fact. + +While the family stood looking at her, wondering what would relieve her, +for her entire body had swollen to an enormous size and she was +screaming with pain and grinding her teeth as if in a fit, a loud report +like thunder was heard in the room. They all started to their feet +instantly and seemed paralyzed with fear. + +"My God!" exclaimed Olive, "the house has been struck by lightning and I +know my poor boys are killed?" + +After giving vent to this exclamation, she rushed from the room to her +own where the children were, and found them both sleeping soundly, so +she returned to the room where they all stood looking at Esther, and +wondering what had produced the terrible sound. On entering, Olive told +them that the boys were both sound asleep. + +"I wonder what that awful noise was?" she said. Going to the window and +raising the curtain she saw that the stars were shining brightly and was +then satisfied that it had not been thunder they had heard. Just as she +let the curtain drop, three terrific reports were heard, apparently +directly under the bed. They were so loud that the whole room shook, and +Esther who a moment before had been swollen to such an enormous size, +immediately assumed her natural appearance, and sank into a state of +calm repose. As soon as they found that it was sleep and not death that +had taken possession of her, they all left the room except Jane, who +went back to bed beside her sister, but could not sleep a wink for the +balance of the night. + +The next day Esther remained in bed until about nine o'clock, when she +arose, seemingly all right again, and got her own breakfast. As her +appetite was not as good as usual, all she could eat was a small piece +of bread and butter and a large green pickle, washed down with a cup of +strong tea. She helped Olive with her work as usual, and after dinner +took a walk past the post office, around the block and back to the +cottage again. At supper the usual conversation about the strange sounds +took place, all wondering what had caused them. As no one could +ascertain the cause they gave it up as something too strange to think +about, and all agreed not to let the neighbors know anything about it, +because they argued, that, as no one would be likely to believe that +such strange sounds had been heard under the bed, the best thing to do +was to keep the matter quiet. + +About four nights after the loud reports had been heard, Esther had +another similar attack. It came on about ten o'clock at night, just as +she was getting in bed. This time, however, she managed to get into bed +before the attack had swelled her up to any great extent. Jane, who had +already retired, advised her to remain perfectly still, and perhaps the +attack would pass off, but how sadly was she mistaken. Esther had only +been in bed about five minutes when, to the amazement of the girls, all +the bed clothing flew off and settled down in the far corner of the +room. They could see them going for the lamp was burning dimly on the +table. They both screamed, and then Jane fainted dead away. The family +rushed into the room as before, and were so frightened that they did not +know what to do. There lay the bed clothes in the corner, Esther all +swollen up, Jane in a dead faint, and perhaps really dead for all they +knew, for by the glare of the lamp, which Dan held in his hand, she +looked more dead than alive. Olive was the first to come to her senses. +Taking up the bed clothes, she placed them over her sisters. Just as she +had done so, off they flew again to the same corner of the room. In less +time than it takes to count three, the pillow flew from under Esther's +head and struck John Teed in the face. He immediately left the room, +saying that he had had enough. He could not be induced to return and sit +on the edge of the bed with the others, who in that way managed to keep +the clothes in their place. Jane had by this time recovered from her +swoon. William Cox went down to the kitchen for a bucket of water to +bathe Esther's head, which was aching terribly. Just as he got to the +door of the room again with the bucket of water, a succession of reports +were heard, which seemed to come from the bed where Esther lay. They +were so very loud that the whole room shook, and Esther, who had a +moment before been swollen up, commenced to assume her natural +appearance, and in a few minutes fell into a pleasant sleep. As +everything seemed now to be all right again, everybody went back to bed. + +In the morning Esther and Jane were both very weak, particularly Esther. +She, however, got up when her sister did, and lay down on the sofa in +the parlor. At breakfast they all agreed that a doctor had better be +called in. So in the afternoon Dan left the factory early and went to +see Dr. Caritte. The doctor laughed when Dan told him what had occurred. +He said he would call in the evening and remain until one in the morning +if necessary, but did not hesitate to say that what Dan had told him was +all nonsense, remarking that he knew no such tomfoolery would occur +while he was in the house. + +As the hands of the clock pointed to ten, in walked the doctor. Bidding +everybody a hearty good evening, he took a seat near Esther, who had +been in bed since nine o'clock, but as yet had not been afflicted with +one of her strange attacks. The doctor felt her pulse, looked at her +tongue, and then told the family that she seemed to be suffering from +nervous excitement and had evidently received a tremendous shock of some +kind. Just as he had said these words, the pillow from under her head +left the bed, with the exception of one corner, which remained under +her head, straightened itself out as if filled with air, and then went +back to its place again. The doctor's large, blue eyes opened to their +utmost capacity, as he asked in a low tone: "Did you all see that; it +went back again." + +"So it did," remarked John Teed, "but if it moves out again it will not +go back, for I intend to hold on to it, even if it did bang me over the +head last night." + +John had no sooner spoken these words than out came the pillow from +under Esther's head as before. He waited until it had just started back +again, and then grasped it with both hands, and held on with all his +strength. The pillow, however, was pulled from him by some invisible +power stronger than himself. As he felt it being pulled away, his hair +actually stood on end. + +"How wonderful!" exclaimed Dr. Caritte. + +Just as the doctor arose from his chair, the reports under the bed +commenced, as on the previous night. The doctor looked beneath the bed, +but failed to ascertain what caused the sounds. When he walked to the +door the sounds followed him, being now produced on the floor of the +room. In about a minute after this, off went the bed clothes again, and +before they had been put back on the bed, the sound as of some person +writing on the wall with a sharp instrument was heard. All looked at the +wall whence the sound of writing came, when to their great astonishment +there was seen written, near the head of the bed, in large characters, +these words: "Esther Cox, you are mine to kill." Everybody could see the +writing plainly, and yet only a moment before nothing was to be seen but +the blank wall. + +The reader can imagine their utter amazement at what had just taken +place. There they stood around the bed of this wonderful girl, each +watching the other to see that there was no deception. They knew these +marvellous things had taken place, for all heard them with their own +ears and beheld them with their own eyes. Still, they could not believe +their own senses, it was all so strange. But the writing on the +wall--what did it mean, and how came it there? God only knew. + +As Doctor Caritte stood in the doorway for a moment wondering to himself +what it all meant, a large piece of plaster came flying from the wall of +the room, having in its flight turned a corner and fallen at his feet. +The good doctor picked it up mechanically and placed it on a chair. He +was too astonished to speak. Just as he did so, the poundings commenced +again with redoubled power, this time shaking the entire room. It must +be remembered that during all this time Esther lay upon the bed, almost +frightened to death by what was occurring. After this state of things +had continued for about two hours, everything became quiet and she went +to sleep. The doctor said he would not give her any medicine until the +next morning, when he would call at nine and give her something to quiet +her nerves; for she was certainly suffering from some nervous trouble. +As to the sounds and movements of objects, he could not account for +them, but thought if she became strong again they would cease. + +In the morning the doctor called as he had promised, and was much +surprised to see Esther up and dressed, helping Olive to wash the +dishes. She told him that she felt all right again, only she was so +nervous that any sudden noise made her jump. Having occasion to go down +into the cellar with a pan of milk, she came running up, out of breath, +exclaiming that there was some one down in the cellar, for a piece of +plank had been thrown at her. The doctor went down to see for himself, +Esther remaining in the dining room; for it must be borne in mind that +the cellar door opens into the dining room. In a moment he came up again +remarking that there was nobody down there to throw a piece of plank, +nor anything else. + +"Esther, come down with me," said he. So down they both went, when, to +their great surprise, several potatoes came flying at their heads. That +was enough. They both beat a hasty retreat. The doctor left the house, +and called again in the evening, with several very powerful sedatives, +morphia being one, which he administered to Esther about ten o'clock as +she lay in bed. She still complained of her nervousness, and said she +felt as if electricity was passing all through her body. He had given +her the medicine, and had just remarked that she would have a good +night's rest when the loud sounds commenced, only they were much louder +and in more rapid succession than on the previous nights. Presently the +sounds left the room and were heard on the roof of the house. The doctor +instantly left the house and went out into the street, hearing the +sounds while in the open air. He returned to the house more nonplussed +than ever, and told the family that from the street it seemed as if some +person was on the roof with a heavy sledge hammer pounding away to try +and break through the shingles. Being a moonlight night he could see +distinctly that there was not any one out on the roof. He remained until +twelve. Everything becoming quiet again, he then departed, saying he +would call the next day. When he had got as far as the gate, the sounds +on the roof commenced again with great violence, and continued until he +had gone about two hundred yards from the cottage, at which distance he +could still hear them distinctly. + +The next week it became known throughout Amherst that strange things +were going on at Dan Teed's cottage. The mysterious sounds had been +heard by people in the street as they passed the house, and the +poundings now commenced in the morning and were to be heard all day +long. Esther always felt relieved when the sounds were produced by the +unknown power. + +Dr. Caritte called every night, and sometimes during the day, but could +not afford her the slightest relief. One night, about three weeks after +the doctor's first visit, as he and the family were standing around her +bed listening to the loud knockings, Esther suddenly threw her arms up +towards the head of the bed, and seemed to be seized with a spasm, for +she became cold and perfectly rigid. While in this state she commenced +to talk, and told all that had occurred between herself and Bob McNeal +on the night of the fatal ride. This was the first anybody knew of the +affair, for she had never told of it, and Bob had never been seen in the +locality after that night. When she came to her senses again, they told +her what had been said by herself during the strange state from which +she had just emerged. Upon hearing this she commenced to cry, and told +them that it was all true; that he had threatened her with his revolver, +but becoming frightened by the sound of wheels in the distance, had +driven her home without offering her any further show of violence. + +"There!" exclaimed Olive, "Didn't I tell you that I felt it in my bones, +that harm would come to you through that young man, and now you see he +really is at the bottom of all this. Ah, it is Bob, who makes all these +strange sounds about the house; I know he is the cause." Instantly three +distinct reports were heard, shaking the whole house with their +violence. + +"Do you know doctor," said Jane, "that I believe that whatever agency +makes these noises, it can hear and understand what we are talking +about, and perhaps see us." The moment she had finished the sentence, +three distinct reports were heard as loud as before. + +"Ask if it can hear us doctor?" said Dan. "Can you, whatever you are, +hear what we say?" asked Dr. Caritte. + +Again three reports were heard, which shook the entire house. + +"Why, that is very singular," remarked the doctor. "I believe Jane was +right, it can hear." + +"Well, let us try again," said Dan. "If you can see and hear, tell us +how many persons are in this room?" Esther did not know how many were +present, for she was lying in the bed, with her face buried in the +pillow trembling with fear. As Dan did not receive an answer, he asked +again. + +"How many persons are in the room? Give us a knock on the floor for each +one." Five distinct knocks were made by the strange force on the floor, +and there were just five persons in the room, as follows:--Dr. Caritte, +Dan, Olive, Esther and Jane, William Cox and John Teed having left the +room after Esther had burried her face in the pillow. "Well, it +certainly is strange remarked the doctor, but I must go, it is getting +late." So he departed after saying he would call the next evening. + +The next evening the Doctor called and remained for about an hour, but +as nothing occurred he departed feeling rather disappointed. For the +next three weeks no one could tell when the manifestations would take +place. Sometimes they would commence in the morning and continue all +day, and at other times they would only take place after Esther had +retired. It had now become a settled fact that Esther must be in the +house or there would be no manifestations of any kind. They never +occurred during her absence. + +About one month after the commencement of the manifestations, Dr. Edwin +Clay, the well known Baptist clergyman, called at the house to behold +the wonders with his own eyes. He had read some little account of them +in the newspapers, but was desirious of seeing and hearing for himself, +not taking much stock, as the saying is, in what other people told him +about the affair. However, he was fortunate enough to have his desire +fully gratified. He heard the loudest kind of knocks, in answer to his +various questions, saw the mysterious writing on the wall, and left the +house fully satisfied that Esther did not produce any of the +manifestations herself, and that the family did not assist her as some +people believed. He, however, was of the opinion that through the shock +her system had received the night she went riding, she had become in +some mysterious manner an electric battery. His theory being, that +invisible flashes of lightening left her person, and that the knocks +which every body could hear distinctly, were simply minute claps of +thunder. He lectured on his theory, and drew large audiences as he +always does, no matter what the subject is. Perfectly satisfied that the +manifestations are genuine, he has nobly defended Esther Cox from the +platform and the pulpit. + +Rev. R.A. Temple, the well known Wesleyan minister pastor of the +Wesleyan Church in Amherst, has witnessed some of the manifestations. He +saw, among other strange things, a bucket of cold water become agitated, +and to all appearances boil, while standing on the kitchen table. + +As soon as people in the village found that such eminent men as Dr. +Clay, Dr. Caritte and Rev. Dr. Temple took an interest in the case, it +became quite fashionable for people in the village to call at Dan's +little cottage to see Esther Cox and witness the wonderful +manifestations. While the house was filled with visitors, large crowds +often stood outside unable to gain admittance. On several occasions the +village police force had to be called out to keep order, so anxious were +people to see and hear for themselves. + +Many believed and still believe the whole affair a fraud, and others say +that Esther mesmerizes people, and they think they hear and see things +which never have an existence. Dr. Nathan Tupper is of this belief, +although he has never witnessed a single manifestation. + +Dr. Caritte, who continued to be one of the daily callers at the +cottage, would have a theory one day that would seem to account for the +manifestations he had witnessed, and the next day something wonderful +would occur and upset his latest theory completely, so that he finally +gave up in despair and became simply a passive spectator. Things went on +in this way until December, when Esther was taken ill with diphtheria, +and confined to her bed for about two weeks, during which time the +manifestations ceased entirely. After she had recovered from her +illness, she went to Sackville, N.B., to visit her other married sister, +Mrs. John Snowden, remaining at her house for about two weeks. While +there she was entirely free from the manifestations. + +On returning to Dan's cottage the most startling part of the case was +developed. One night while in bed with her sister Jane in another room, +her room having been changed to see if that would put a stop to the +affair, she told her sister that she could hear a voice saying to her +that the house was to be set on fire that night by a ghost. The voice +also said that it had once lived on the earth, but had been dead for +some years. The members of the household were called in at once, and +told what had been said. They only laughed and remarked that no such +thing as that could take place, because there were no ghosts. Dr. Clay +had said it was all electricity. "And," added Dan, "electricity can't +set the house on fire unless it comes from a cloud in the form of +lightning." As they were talking the matter over, to the amazement of +all present, a lighted match fell from the ceiling to the bed, and would +have set it on fire had not Jane put it out instantly. During the next +ten minutes, eight or ten lighted matches fell on the bed and about the +room, but were all extinguished before any harm could be done. In the +course of the night the loud knockings commenced. The family could now +all converse with the invisible power in this way. It would knock once +for a negative answer, and three times for an answer in the affirmative, +giving two knocks when in doubt about a reply. Dan asked if the house +would be set on fire, and the reply was three loud knocks on the floor, +meaning yes; and a fire was started about five minutes afterwards. The +ghost took a dress belonging to Esther that was hanging on a nail in the +wall near the door, rolled it up, and, before any of the persons in the +room could remove it from under the bed, where the ghost had placed it +before their very eyes, it was all in a blaze. It was extinguished, +however, without being much injured by the fire. The next morning all +was consternation in the cottage. Dan and Olive were afraid that the +ghost would start a fire in some inaccessible place and burn the house +down. They were both convinced that it really was a ghost, "for" said +Olive, "nothing but the devil or a ghost with evil designs, could do so +terrible a thing as start a fire in a cottage at the dead of night." + +Dr. Clay's theory might be true, but it was not clear to them how +electricity could go about a house gifted with the cunning of a fiend. +"It is true," said Dan, "that lightning often sets fire to houses and +barns, but it has never yet been known to roam about a man's house, as +this strange power does. And as Esther can hear it speak, and it does +whatever it says it will, why I believe it to be a ghost, or else the +devil." While Olive was churning in the kitchen one morning about three +days after the fire under the bed, she noticed smoke coming from the +cellar. Esther was seated in the dining room when Olive first saw the +smoke, and had been seated there for the last hour, previous to which +she had been in the kitchen assisting her sister to wash the breakfast +dishes as was her custom. On seeing the smoke, both she and Esther were +for the moment utterly paralyzed with fear. What they so dreaded had at +last come to pass. The house was evidently on fire, and that fire set by +a devilish ghost. What was to be done? Olive was the first to recover +from the shock. Seizing the bucket of drinking water, always kept +standing on the kitchen table, she rushed down the cellar stairs, and +was horrified at the sight which burst upon her view. There in the far +corner of the cellar was a barrel of shavings blazing almost to the +floor above. In the meantime Esther had reached the cellar, and stood +looking at the crackling flames in blank astonishment. The water Olive +had poured into the barrel was not enough to quench the flames, for in +the excitement of the moment she had spilled more than half of it on her +way down. What was to be done? The house would catch and probably be +burned to the ground, and they would be rendered homeless. + +"Oh! if Dan were at home, he could put it out," Olive managed to +articulate, for both she and Esther were nearly suffocated with the +dense black smoke with which the cellar was filled, and now the barrel +itself had caught. The cellar was very small, and everything in it would +soon be blazing unless the fire could be extinguished at once. + +"Oh! what shall we do," cried Esther, "what shall we do?" + +"Run out in the street and cry fire as loud as you can. Come, let's run +at once or the whole house will burn down," exclaimed Olive, by this +time wild with fear. + +So, both she and Esther ran up stairs and out into the street, crying +"fire! fire!" Of course their cries aroused the whole neighborhood. At +the moment a gentleman, a stranger in the village, who happened to be +passing, instantly threw off his coat, rushed into the cottage, picked +up a mat from the dining room floor, and was down in the cellar in a +second. He put the fire entirely out, and then, without waiting to be +thanked, walked out of the cottage and was soon lost to view in the +distance; and, what is remarkably strange, nobody knows who he was or +whence he came, for from that day he has not been seen. + +The news of the fire which the ghost had set in Dan's cellar soon +travelled all over the country and created a great deal of curiosity. +People who had set the whole affair down as a fraud began to think that +perhaps it was all true after all, for certainly no young girl could set +fire to a barrel of shavings in the cellar and be at that instant in +another part of the house, under the watchful eye of an older sister, +who was continually at her side. The fact that both the little boys were +out in the front yard at the time the fire was kindled, and consequently +could not have had anything to do with setting it, was also calculated +to throw an air of mystery around the whole affair. + +The family believed that it had been started by the ghost. The fire +marshals of the village seemed to be of the opinion that Esther set both +fires herself; the villagers held various opinions. Dr. Nathan Tupper, +suggested that if a good raw hide whip were laid over her back by a +strong arm, the manifestations would cease at once. Fortunately for +Esther, no one had the right or power to beat her as if she were a +slave, and so the mystery still remained unsolved. + +For the next week manifestations continued to take place daily and were +as powerful as ever. The excitement in Amherst was intense. If the +cottage in which Dan lived should catch fire when the wind was blowing +from the bay, the fire would spread, and if the wind was favorable for +such a terrible calamity, the whole village would soon be reduced to +ashes. + +As if to pile horror upon horror, one night, as Esther and the entire +family were seated in the parlor, the ghost appeared. Esther started to +her feet and seemed for the moment paralyzed with terror. In a second or +two, however, she recovered her self-possession, and pointing with a +trembling hand to a distant corner of the room, exclaimed in a hoarse +and broken voice: + +"Look there! Look there! My _God_, it is the ghost! Don't you all see +him? There he stands all in grey; see how his eyes are glaring at me and +he laughs when he says I must leave the house to-night or he will start +a fire in the loft under the roof and burn us all to death. Oh, what +shall I do, where shall I go; the ground is covered with snow--and yet I +cannot remain here, for he will do what he threatens; he always does." + +"Oh, I wish I were dead." After this exclamation, she fell to the floor +and burst into an agony of grief. "Well," said Dan, after lifting her +up, "Something will have to be done, and quickly, too. The wind is +blowing hard to-night, and if the ghost does as he threatens, the house +will burn down sure, and perhaps the whole village. You must go, Esther. +Remember, I don't turn you out; it is this devil of a ghost who drives +you from your home." + +They all knew none of the neighbors would shelter Esther, because they +all feared the ghost. What was to be done? Heaven only knew. It suddenly +occurred to Dan that John White would perhaps give her shelter, for he +had always taken a deep interest in the manifestations, and had often +expressed pity for the unhappy girl. So Dan, after putting on his heavy +coat--for it was snowing fast, and the night was intensely cold--went to +White's house. After knocking for some time, the door was opened by John +White himself. He looked at Dan a moment in amazement, and then +exclaimed in an inquiring tone: + +"What's the matter, Teed? Has the house burned to the ground or has the +girl burst all to pieces?" + +Dan explained his mission in a few words. When he had finished, White +thought a moment, and then said: + +"Wait until I ask my wife; if she says yes, all right, you may bring her +here to-night." He asked his wife, and fortunately for the miserable +girl, she said "yes," and that very night Esther Cox changed her home. + + + + +Chapter IV. + +THE WALKING OF THE GHOST. + + +When John White took Esther to his house to reside, he performed a +charitable deed, which no man in the village but himself had the heart +to do. Both he and his good wife showed, by the kindness with which they +treated the poor unhappy girl, that Heaven had at least inspired two +hearts with that greatest of all virtues--_Charity_. + +It was now January, 1879,--just four months since the manifestations +first commenced. Esther had been at White's residence for two weeks, and +had not seen anything of the ghost. She had improved very much in that +short time, her nervousness having almost subsided, and she was +contented and happy. Mrs. White, who found her of great assistance in +the house, had become much attached to the girl, and treated her with +the same kindness that she did her own children. + +Towards the end of the third week her old enemy--the ghost--returned. + +While Esther was scrubbing the hall at her new home, she was astonished +to see her scrubbing brush disappear from her hand. When the ghost told +her that he had taken it, she became much alarmed and screamed for Mrs. +White, who, with her daughter Mary, searched the hall for it in vain. +After they had abandoned their search, to the great astonishment of all, +the brush fell from the ceiling--just grazing Esther's head in its fall. +Here was a new manifestation of the ghostly power. He was able to take a +solid substance from this material world of ours, and render it +invisible by taking it into his mysterious state of existence; and, if +he could take one object why not another; if a brush, why not a broom? +But why speculate on so great a mystery? The ghost did it, and as we +must draw the line somewhere, it is better to draw it here than to allow +our minds to become dazed by such fellows as ghosts. Many other +remarkable manifestations continued to take place almost daily for the +next two weeks. The ghost could now tell how much money people had in +their pockets, both by knocking and by telling Esther. He would answer +any question asked in the above mentioned manner, and behaved himself +very well indeed until the end of the sixth week, when his true devilish +nature broke out again. He commenced setting fires about the house, and +walking so that he could be heard distinctly. Of course John White would +not run the risk of having his house burned down. So he persuaded Esther +to remain during the day in his dining saloon, which stands opposite the +well known book store of G.G. Bird, on the principal street. + +While standing behind the counter in the dining saloon, also while she +worked in the adjoining kitchen, many new and wonderful things were +witnessed by the inhabitants of Amherst and by strangers from a +distance, and many plans were tried to prevent the manifestations. Among +others, some one suggested that if she could stand on glass they would +cease. So pieces of glass were put into her shoes, but as their presence +caused her head to ache and her nose to bleed, without stopping the +manifestations, the idea was abandoned. + +One morning the door of the large stove in the kitchen adjoining the +saloon was opened and shut by the ghost, much to the annoyance of Mr. +White, who with an old axe handle so braced the door that it could not +be moved by any known mundane power, unless the axe handle was first +removed. A moment afterwards, however, the ghost, who seemed never to +leave Esther's presence while she was in the saloon, lifted the door off +its hinges, removed the axe handle from the position in which it had +been placed, and, after throwing them some distance into the air, let +both fall to the floor with a tremendous crash. Mr. White was speechless +with astonishment, and immediately called in Mr. W.H. Rogers, Inspector +of Fisheries for Nova Scotia. After bracing the door as before, the same +wonderful manifestation was repeated, in the presence of Mr. Rogers. On +another occasion, a clasp-knife belonging to little Fred, Mr. White's +son, was taken from his hand by the ghost, who instantly stabbed Esther +in the back with it, leaving the knife sticking in the wound, which bled +profusely. Fred, after drawing the knife from the wound, wiped it, +closed it and put it in his pocket. The ghost took it from his pocket, +and in a second stuck it in the same wound. Fred again obtained +possession of the knife, and this time hid it so that it could not be +found, even by a ghost. + +There is something still more remarkable, however, about the following +manifestation: Some person tried the experiment of placing three or four +large iron spikes on Esther's lap while she was seated in the Dining +Saloon. To the astonishment of everybody, the spikes were not removed by +the ghost, but instead, became too hot to be handled with comfort, and a +second afterwards were thrown by the ghost to the far end of the saloon, +a distance of twenty feet. + +During her stay at the saloon the ghost commenced to move the furniture +about in the broad daylight. On one occasion a large box, weighing fifty +pounds, moved was a distance of fifteen feet without the slightest +visible cause. The very loud knocking commenced again and was heard by +crowds of people, the saloon being continually filled with visitors. +Among other well known inhabitants of Amherst who saw the wonders at +this period, I may mention William Hillson, Daniel Morrison, Robt. +Hutchinson, who is John White's son-in-law, and J. Albert Black, Esq., +editor of the _Amherst Gazette_. + +Towards the latter part of March, Esther went to Saint John, New +Brunswick, and while there was the guest of Captain James Beck, and +remained at his house for three weeks under the protection of his wife. +Her case was investigated by a party of gentlemen, well known in Saint +John as men whose minds have a scientific turn. Doctor Alward, Mr. Amos +Fales, Mr. Alex. Christie, Mr. Ritchie, and many others witnessed the +manifestations, and talked with the ghost by the aid of the knocks on +the wall and furniture, and, strange to relate, other ghosts came and +conversed also; among them one who said his name was Peter Cox, and +another who gave the name of Maggie Fisher. All claimed to have lived on +the earth before they entered the land of ghosts, but none were +apparently as strong and healthy as the old original fire fiend of the +cottage, who now gave the name of Bob Nickle, and said that when he +lived on the earth he had been a shoemaker. The ghost who called himself +Peter Cox, claimed to be a relation of Esther's, and said he had been in +ghost land about forty years; he was a quiet old fellow, and did all he +could to prevent Bob Nickle and Maggie Fisher from breaking the articles +which they threw, and from using profane language, a habit in which +_they_ were fond of indulging. + +Dr. Alward and his scientific friends also conversed with the ghosts by +calling over the alphabet, the ghosts knocking at the correct letters, +and in that way long communications were spelled out to the satisfaction +of those present. + +After remaining in Saint John about three weeks, Esther returned to +Amherst, and accepted an invitation to visit Mr. and Mrs. Van Amburgh, +who reside about three miles from the village. She remained eight weeks +with them, during which period the ghosts allowed her to enjoy the calm +repose of a life in the woods, the Van Amburgh farm being literally +situated in the woods. + +At the expiration of the eighth week she returned to Amherst, and went +back to Dan's cottage to reside, being employed during the day in +White's Dining Saloon. The manifestations soon commenced again, and were +as powerful as when the author commenced his investigation of the case. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE AUTHOR AND THE GHOSTS. + + +I closed my engagement with the Dramatic Company of which I was a +member, in Newfoundland, and went to Amherst, to expose, if possible, +Esther Cox, the great Amherst Mystery. + +Where occasion requires allusion to myself, I shall simply say the +author. + +At seven o'clock on the morning of June 21st, 1879, as the sun was +shining brightly, and the cool breeze was blowing from the bay, the +author entered the haunted house. After placing his umbrella in a corner +of the dining room, and his satchel on the table, he seated himself in +one of the easy chairs to await results. Esther and Olive were present. +He had been in the room about five minutes when, to his great +astonishment, his umbrella was thrown a distance of fifteen feet, going +over his head in its flight. At the same instant a large carving knife +came jumping over the girl's head, and fell near him. Not at all pleased +with this kind of a reception on the part of the ghosts, he left the +room and went into the parlor, taking his satchel with him, and there +sat down paralyzed with wonder and astonishment. He had been seated only +a moment when his satchel was thrown a distance of ten feet. At the same +instant a large chair came flying across the room striking the one on +which he was seated, nearly knocking it from under him. It suddenly +occurred to him that he would take a walk, during which he could admire +the beauties of the village. + +On his return to the cottage, the ghosts commenced their deviltry again +with redoubled violence. He had no sooner entered the house than all the +chairs in the parlor--and there were seven by actual count--fell over. +Concluding not to remain in that room, he went to the dining room, when +the chairs in that, his favorite room in every house, went through the +same performance. Feeling hungry, not yet having had his breakfast, he +sat down to a good substantial meal, Esther sitting directly opposite. +After pouring out his coffee, she handed it to him with the remark, "Oh, +you will soon get used to them; I don't think they like you." "No," he +replied, "I do not think they do either. In fact, I am satisfied they do +not; but, having come here to investigate, I shall remain until they +drive me from the house." While eating breakfast the ghosts commenced to +hammer on the table. By the system in use by the family when conversing +with them, he carried on a long conversation, they answering by knocks +on the bottom of the table. Before entering into the conversation, +however, he sat so that Esther's hands and feet were in full view. The +ghosts told the number of his watch, also the dates of coins in his +pocket, and beat correct time when he whistled the tune of "Yankee +Doodle." Chairs continued to fall over until dinner, during which there +was a slight cessation of manifestations. + +After dinner, the author lay down upon the parlor sofa to take a nap, as +is his custom in the afternoon. Esther came into the room for a +newspaper. He watched her very closely, keeping one eye open and the one +next her shut, so that she would think he was asleep. While watching her +intently to see that she did not throw anything herself, a large glass +paper weight, weighing fully a pound, came whizzing through the air from +the far corner of the room, where it had been on a shelf, a distance of +fully fifteen feet from the sofa. Fortunately for the author, instead of +striking his head, which was evidently the intention of the ghost who +threw it, it struck the arm of the sofa with great force, rebounding to +a chair, upon which it remained after it had spun around for a second +or two. Being very anxious to witness the manifestations, he requested +Esther to remain in the room, which she did. After seating herself in +the rocking chair, little George came into the room, when she placed the +little fellow on her lap and sang to him. As the author lay there +watching her, one of the child's copper-toed shoes was taken off by a +ghost and thrown at him with great force, striking his head. The place +struck was very sore for three or four days. The balance of the day +passed quietly away. Evening came, and the author had a good night's +rest in the haunted house of which he had heard so much. The next day +being Sunday, everything was peaceful in the cottage, though why the +ghosts should respect the Sabbath the author has never been able to +ascertain; however they always remain quiet on that day. On Monday +morning the ghosts commenced their mad pranks again, and seemed ready +for anything. At breakfast, the lid of the stone-china sugar bowl +disappeared from the table, and, in about ten minutes, fell from the +ceiling. After breakfast; over went the table; then the chairs all fell +over, and several large mats were pitched about the room. The author +immediately left the room and went into the parlor, when, to his +astonishment, a flower pot containing a large plant in full bloom was +taken from its place in the bay window and set down in the middle of the +room and a large tin can filled with water was brought from the kitchen +and placed beside it. During the afternoon a large inkstand and two +empty bottles were thrown at him. The ghosts also undressed little +George, and, as if to make a final climax to the day's performance, Bob, +the head ghost, started a small bon-fire up stairs, and he and the other +ghosts piled all the chairs in the parlor one on top of the other, until +they made a pile about six feet in height, when, as if in sport, they +pulled out those underneath, letting all the others fall to the floor +with a crash. + +On Tuesday morning when the author took his seat at the breakfast table, +he placed the sugar bowl lid beside his plate, so that he might have his +eyes on it. In a second it disappeared and fell, in exactly eight +minutes by the clock, from the ceiling, a distance of fully twenty feet +from the table. The ghosts got under the table, as on the previous +morning, and were so obliging as to produce any sounds called for, such +as an exact imitation of the sawing of wood, of drumming and of washing +on a wash board. During the morning several knives were thrown at him; a +large crock of salt was taken from the kitchen dresser and placed on the +dining room table; the tea kettle was taken from the stove by one of the +ghosts and placed out in the yard, as was also the beefsteak, pan and +all, which was frying on the stove; and, after dinner, the table was +upset. During the afternoon, while in the parlor, the author made the +acquaintance of all the ghosts,--Bob Nickle, the chief ghost; Maggie +Fisher, another ghost almost as bad as Bob; Peter Cox, a quiet old +fellow of very little use as a ghost, because he never tries to break +chairs, etc.; Mary Fisher, (who says she is Maggie's sister) Jane Nickle +and Eliza McNeal. The three last are "no good" as ghosts, as all they do +is stalk about the house and occasionally upset something. As there are +only six ghosts all told, and they were all present, the author asked +them numerous questions, all of which were answered by loud knocks on +the floor or on the wall, just as he requested--all seeming anxious to +converse. The first question the author asked was: + +"Have you all lived on the earth?" + +A.--"Yes." + +Q.--"Have you seen God?" + +A.--"No." + +Q.--"Are you in heaven?" + +A.--"No." + +Q.--"Are you in hell?" + +A.--"Yes." + +Q.--"Have you seen the devil?" + +A.--very loud--"Yes." + +Many other questions were answered, but the answers are not worth +repeating. + +At the conclusion of the interview, one of the ghosts threw the author's +bottle of ink from the table to the floor, spilling the contents on the +carpet. + +The next day as the author and Esther were entering the parlor, both saw +a chair fall over and instantly jump up again. Neither the author nor +Esther were within five feet of the chair at the time. + +During the whole of the next day the ghosts stuck pins into Esther's +person. These pins appeared to come out of the air and the author pulled +about thirty from various parts of her body during the day. In the +afternoon the family cat was thrown a distance of five feet by one of +the ghosts, and almost had a fit from fright. She remained in the yard +for the balance of the day, and ever afterwards while in the house +seemed to be on the lookout for ghosts; possibly she saw and heard them +on several occasions afterwards, for her tail often became quite large, +as cats' tails always do when they are frightened or angry, after which +she would leave the house in a hurry. The author saw Esther coming down +stairs late in the afternoon, and when she had reached the hall a chair +from his room came down after her. The only other person in the cottage +at the time was Olive, and she was at that instant in the kitchen. + +On June 26th, two or three matches fell from the ceiling at the author's +feet. Being a great smoker, he requested the ghosts to throw down a few +more, which they did. He would simply say, "Bob, I would like a few +matches, if you please." When down they would come from the ceiling. +Forty-five were thrown during the day, and on another day during the +afternoon forty-nine fell to the floor. + +It must be remembered that all the manifestations witnessed by the +author took place in the broad light of day, and that the only other +persons present were the various members of the family. + +On June 28th, the sound of a trumpet was heard by the author and all the +family. It continued to be blown about the house from early morning +until late in the evening. The sound was very distinct and was at times +close to their ears. Late in the evening "Bob" let the trumpet fall in +one of the rooms. It is composed of some metal very similar to German +silver, and is now in the possession of the author, who intends to place +it in a museum on his return to the United States. Where the ghosts got +it no one knows. It had never been seen in Amherst, so far as had been +ascertainable, until it fell upon the floor, and its true origin will +doubtless always remain a mystery. + +It is hardly necessary that the author should weary the reader with a +minute account of the manifestations produced by these ghosts during his +residence of six weeks in the haunted house, he could easily fill a book +containing twice the number of pages that this one does, with an account +of what was done by the ghosts alone, without mentioning the name of a +single living individual except Esther Cox; but I suppose the reader, by +this time, is ready to cry "_quantum sufficit_." So by referring to a +few more facts, he will end this chapter. + +One afternoon, while Esther was out walking, she called on Rev. R.A. +Temple. During the visit he prayed with her, and also advised her to +pray for herself. On her return to the cottage, one of the ghosts, +either Bob or Maggie, cut her on the head with an old bone from the +yard, and a moment afterwards stabbed her in the face with a fork. + +While the author lived in the house, scarcely a day passed that some +article was not thrown by the ghosts. They would often steal small +articles and keep them secreted--Heavens only knows where--for days at a +time, and then unexpectedly let them fall in one of the rooms, to the +amazement of every one. In that way, shoes and stockings, knives, forks +and other articles too numerous to mention would be missed, sometimes +for weeks, and on one occasion some copper coins were taken from Dan's +pocket and placed upon the author's knee. + +It was a common thing for the ghosts to throw knives at the author, but +fortunately they were all dull and he was never cut; he was, however, +often struck by small articles, never sufficiently hard, however, to +draw blood. During his stay in the house, Esther often went into a state +very similar to the mesmeric sleep, during which she talked with people +invisible to all present; among others, her dead mother. On coming out +of this strange state she always said she had been to heaven among the +angels. + +On several occasions, Bob, the head ghost, tormented her so at night +that it was with difficulty she could remain in bed. On one particular +occasion the author was called up by Dan at midnight so that he might +behold for himself what was going on. After dressing, he went into +Esther's room, and was horrified by the sight which met his gaze. There, +upon the bed, lay the poor, unhappy girl swollen to an enormous size, +her body moving about the bed as if Beelzebub himself were in her, while +between her gasps for breath she exclaimed in agonizing sobs: "Oh, my +God, I wish I were dead! I wish I were dead!" + +"Oh, don't say that, Esther," plead Olive, "don't say that." + +"Now, Mr. Hubbell," said Jane to the author, "you see how much she +suffers." + +"Yes, I see," said Hubbell, "but let us endeavor to hold her, so that +this fiend cannot move her about the bed, and then, perhaps, she will +not suffer so much." So Dan and himself tried to hold her so that she +could not be moved, but in vain. + +"Well," said Hubbell, "one ghost is certainly stronger than two men. Are +you sure nothing can be done to relieve her?" + +"No," replied Olive, "Dr. Caritte has tried everything without affording +her the slightest relief. Medicine has no more effect on her than +water." + +Jane, Olive, Dan and the author remained up with her for about three +hours, during which time she continued to move about the bed, after +which the ghost left her and she sank from sheer exhaustion into a state +of lethargy. She had several attacks of this kind during the author's +residence in the cottage, and on one occasion she was seen by Mr. G.G. +Bird, Mr. Jas. P. Dunlap, Mr. Amos Purdy and several ladies; on another +occasion by Dr. E.D. McLean, Mr. Fowler and Mr. Sleep. + +Towards the latter part of July the manifestations became so powerful +that it was no longer safe to have Esther in the house. Fires were +continually being started, the walls were being broken by chairs, the +bed clothes pulled off in the day time, heavy sofas turned upside down, +knives and forks thrown with such force that they would stick into +doors, food disappeared from the table, finger marks became visible in +the butter, and, worse than all, strange voices could be heard calling +the inmates by name in the broad light of day. This was too much; if the +ghosts continued to gain in strength they would take possession of the +house and all in it, for there were six ghosts, and only five persons in +the flesh all told, as follows: Dan, Olive, Jane, Esther and the +author, not, of course, counting the two children--William Cox and John +Teed having left the house before Esther went to St. John, literally +driven away by ghosts. + +There was but one remedy, and that was that Esther Cox should leave the +house even though her sisters loved her dearly. Simple hearted village +maiden! Fate decreed that she should be torn from their home, but not +from their hearts for the simple reason that her room was far more +agreeable than her company. + +So one morning, after packing up all her worldly possessions, she kissed +the little boys, embraced her sisters, shook hands with the rest, bade +them all farewell, and departed never to return. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +CONCLUSION. + + +Esther is living with her friends the Van Amburgh's, on their farm in +the woods. The ghosts do not torment her now. With the Van Amburghs she +has a quiet, peaceful home. One thing is certain, if she returned to +Dan's cottage manifestations would, in a short time, become as powerful +as ever, and Heaven only knows where the matter would end. + +The author went to see her at the farm, On August 1st, 1879, and found +her making a patch-work quilt, on which she stopped working every few +minutes to play with the little children. She informed him that she read +her Bible regularly every day, and was contented and happy. Before +departing he advised her to pray earnestly that she might never again, +be possessed by devils. She promised to take his advice. So hoping that +her prayers would be answered, he bade her farewell forever. + +In Dan's little cottage all is now harmony and peace. Pretty Jane still +tends her plants with loving care. Olive works as hard as ever, and so +does honest Dan. And there may they reside for years to come, enjoying +the blessings which the virtuous always receive from the hands of +Providence. + +Reader, a word. This account of the "Haunted House," in which Esther Cox +suffered so much, and the author had such a remarkable experience, is no +fanciful creation of the imagination, but really what it is claimed to +be,--"A True Ghost Story." + + +THE END. + + + * * * * * + + + +Transcriber's notes: + + Obvious spelling errors repaired. + Quotation marks normalised. + All other printing errors retained. + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE HAUNTED HOUSE*** + + +******* This file should be named 16975.txt or 16975.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/1/6/9/7/16975 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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