The Haunted Chamber

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 312, 31 October 1888, Page 6

The Haunted Chamber

] aii i a friend of Maiy Andei sou's, at a little luncheon in Now York a shoit time ago (hays the correspondent of a New York contemporary), and he i elated a curious story told him lately by the fair actress. The man said that jNlisa Andeison told him the story when she was hist here, and assured him of its absoluto truth with utmost earnestness. It is a regular old-fashioned and boua Jide ghost story, and has the interest of having 1 occurred at a famous house in England, X neb worth Castle, the home of Bulwer Lytton and hi- son, the Earl of Knebworth — Owen Meredith. The Countess of Knebworth took a great fancy to the beautiful and entuely pioper young Kentuckian, and had her down to vis.it her in the country at her grand and historic residence. The night before the visit came to a conclusion there was some talk in the countess's boudoir, over live o'clock tea, ot the ghostly legends connected with the historic houses of England. The Earl of Knebworth inherits a good deal of his father's taste for the supernatural, and is ' very learned in spookology. After relating thrilling and hair-lifting tales of many ot the old places he had visited, he confessed to Miss Anderson that in Knebworth also there was a haunted chamber that had never been occupied at night for half a hundred years. Miss Anderson was too wise to let her one and only chance for meeting a real and aristocratic family ' harnt ' escape her, and begged to be allowed to sleep for her last night in that long-unused room. The earl and counters tried to persuade her out of it, but she persisted, and finally, on the condition that her maid should sleep upon a

lounge in the room, they yielded. The serving woman was nob told the reason for the change of apartments other than that Miss Anderson had taken a fancy to 'steep * there. Very late in the night, bub at what hour she could not definitely &ay, ]\liss Anderson was awakened suddenly by a feeling ot oppression, and, struggling to eit up, ielt upon her chest what seemed to be the weight of a thousand pounds, so helpless was she to move or cry out. Finally she managed to gasp out the name of her maid, and from the lounge where she slept heard a smother ed and gurgling cry. A few moments later the maid' tushed to her bedside in a panic ot fear, explaining that Mis& Anclei son's cry had awakened her, but when she cndeavouied to answer, a hugt weight was laid upon hei that},made it im possible to articulate or move. The two women pat up in their dre&sing-gowns shivering with iear until daylighfc ;i aroused the household, and then no t ace of any disturbance could be found in tlie 100 m. Her hosts confes&ed that the tradition of the experience of those who had slept in the room had been exactly similar, and Miss Anderson, despite their hospitality and lrindne&p, wab glad to get away fiom a place where she had suiFered such a neivous shock.