THE HAUNTED CHAMBER.

Waikato Times, Volume 2537, Issue XXXI, 13 October 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE HAUNTED CHAMBER.

I Met a friend of M iry Anderson's at a little luncheon in New York a short tiim; ago (says si correspondent of a New York contemporary), and lie rel >ted ;i curious story told him lately by the fair actress. The man said th.it Miss Anderson told liiin the story when she was last liere and assured him of its absolute truth with utmost earnestness. It is a regular ohifasliioned and fjioim-fnh ghost story, and has the interest ol having occurred at .1 famous house in England, Knebworth castle, the home of Bulwer Lytton and his son, the Earl of Knelnvorth— Owen Meredith. The Countess of Knebworth took a great fancy to the beautiful and entirely proper young Kentuckian, and had her down to visit 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 five o'clock teas, of the ghostly legends connected with the historic houses of England. The Earl of Knelnvorth inherits a good deal of his father's taste for the supernatural, and in very learned in spookology. After relating thrilling and hair-lifting tales of many of the old places lie had visited, he confessed to Miss Anderson that in linebworth 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 Ire allowed to sleep for her last night in that long-unused room. The earl and countess 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 not told the reason for the change of apartmeuts other than that Miss Anderson had taken a fancy to sleep there. Very late in the night, but at what hour she could not definetly say Miss Anderson was awakened suddenly by a feeling of oppression, and, struggling to sit up, felt upon her chest what seemed to be the weight of a thousand pounds, so helpless was she to move oc cry out. Finally she managed to gasp out the name of her maid, and from the lounge where she slept heard a smothered and gurgling cry. A few moments later the maid rushed to her bedside in a panic of fear, explaining that Miss Anderson's cry had awakened her, but when she endeavoured to answer, a huge weight was laid upon her that made it impossible to articulate or move. The two women sit up in their dressing-gowns shivering with fear until daylight aroused the household, and then no trace of any disturbance could be found in the room. Her hosts confessed that the tradition of the experience of those who had last slept in the room had been exactly similar, and Miss Anderson despite their hospitality and kindness, was glad to get away from a place where she had suffered such a nervous shock.