A family residing, three years since, but a few miles out of Boston, used
to occasionally, during summer only, hear a note or two of the piano
strike at the dead hour of the night. A Catholic servant girl and an
excellent cook left their situations in consequence of the ghostly music.
In vain the family removed the instrument to another position in the room.
The musical sounds would startle them from their midnight slumbers.
One thing very remarkable occurred after changing the piano: the sound,
which only transpired occasionally, with no regularity as to time, would
always begin with the high notes, and end with the lower. Finally, the
family--I cannot say why--removed to the city, and the house was sold. The
deed of conveyance did not include the ghost, but he remained with the
premises, nevertheless. The writer has seen him!
"O, what a pretty cat!" exclaimed a child of the new occupant of the
haunted house, on discovering the domestic animal which the late possessor
had left.
"Yes; and she looks so very domestic and knowing, she may stay, if no one
comes for her, and you'll have her for a playfellow," replied the mother.
A few nights after their settlement, the new family were startled by
hearing the piano sound! No particular tune, but it was surely the piano
notes that had been distinctly and repeatedly heard. A search revealed
nothing. The piano was kept closed thereafter, and no further annoyance
occurred, until one night when the company had lingered till nearly
midnight, and the instrument had been left open, the sound again occurred.
The gentleman quickly lighted a lamp, ran down stairs, and closing the
door leading to the connecting room, he found the cat secreted beneath the
piano. The instrument was purposely left open the following night, and a
watch set, when, no sooner was all quiet, than the cat entered, and leaped
upon the piano keys. After touching them a few times with her fore paws,
she jumped down, and hid beneath the instrument. "The cat was out." Only
one thing remained for explanation, viz., why the change of sound occurred
after removing the piano by the first occupants of the house. It occurred
in summer. They removed the piano so that the cat, entering a side window,
usually left a little raised, had necessarily jumped upon the high keys.
If anybody has got a good ghost, spirit, or witch about his premises, the
writer would like to investigate it.