Only Sissy could see the ghost

 

 


Sissy the Cat was a sleepy pet. She spent most of her days and evenings napping on Ruth Miller’s lap. Sometimes she dozed on the arm of Mr. Howard Miller’s chair.

In the evenings the Millers would sit in the parlor of their 19th-century home in Wassaic working on a scrapbook of photos and articles about the olden days in the hamlet. They loved to read about the former owner of their home, Noah Gridley.

It just so happened that Noah Gridley, who owned the iron foundry and most of the real estate in the hamlet of Wassaic in the mid-1800s, built the Miller house more than 100 years ago. Gridley himself slept in the master bedroom on the second floor, right above the parlor. It was his habit to come downstairs to the kitchen every evening for a glass of milk before bed.

How did Ruth and Howard know this? Because every single night sleepy Sissy perked up her ears, swiveled her head around to look toward the stairs, and jumped down to go meet Noah Gridley on his way to get his evening milk. The Millers never heard a creak, no footsteps on the stairs, no doors opening and closing, but Sissy never missed the sound of Noah’s ghost, even though she appeared to be asleep only a few moments before.

"Here comes Noah down the stairs," Howard would remark. Soon Sissy would be back, yawning, stretching her little paws and going right back to sleep.

And what has happened since then? Nobody has any idea if the ghost is still there because no person and no other cat can see the ghost of Noah Gridley. It is said by some folks in the little hamlet of Wassaic that early in the morning a shadowy figure is seen in the window just upstairs from the parlor. Could it be Noah looking for Sissy?

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