The Maplewood Mystery

by Sylvanus Cobb, Jr.

It was called Maplewood. There were one hundred and fifty acres in the estate—one hundred acres of land, and fifty acres of water; and this water was a beautiful lake upon the northern shore of which, on a gentle slope, backed by a forest of huge rockmaples, stood the mansion.

Capt. Ralph Severns had lived in the mansion until he died.  He had never married,—or, at least, he had never had a wife in this country,—and the only members of his household whom he had admitted to share at all in his companionship had been Seth and Hester Dabney—man and wife—the two servants who had been with him in the beginning, and who remained to the end.

Upon his death-bed, contrary to expectations, Capt. Ralph Severns had remembered a sister whom he had not seen for years, and to this sister and her heirs he had willed his estate.  This sister, then a widow, and named Atherton, did not remain at Maplewood a month.  She got frightened at strange things which happened there, and moved away; and ere long afterward she died.

And so Maplewood came to be the property of Lillie Atherton, the widow’s daughter.  But Lillie would not go there to live.  She let old Seth and Hester Dabney hold the place in charge, directing Seth to find good tenants if he possibly could.  Parties came, and hired the mansion; but they did not remain.  And other parties came,—for in all the country around there was not a more charming spot,—but these other parties were driven out as the first had been.… Read More