The Sleeping, Snoring Spirit in the Library

I had purchased an older colonial home in Stamford, Conn. It had been put up for sale because the owner had died while on a trip to Italy and the widow did not want to live in the large house alone. His wife, whom I had gotten to know quite well, indicated that when her now deceased husband was alive, he had a habit of falling asleep (and snoring quite loudly) during certain events - religious services, concerts, etc.

While in Italy they had attended an opera at La Scala Opera House in Milan. As usual, he managed to fall into a deep SNORING SLEEP during the performance. When they left the opera house, he turned around to once again have a final look at the beauty of the structure when he suddenly sustained a violent, fatal heart attack and died within a few minutes right on the street.

She put the house on the market shortly after her return home to Stamford. During one of my visits to explore the house, she took me to the library, off the living room, and indicating a recliner chair on one side of the room, mentioning that her husband used to sit there after dinner and on some mornings and afternoons and fall asleep. Since she was moving to a smaller home and did not particularly want to take the recliner chair, she sold it to me.

It was about a year after we had moved into the house - at around 10:30 AM that I went into the living room and paused, thinking that I heard an odd 'snoring' sound. It was constant and fairly loud and I followed it into the library and to the recliner chair, although I knew that no one was there. I went back into the living room, saying to myself: 'oh, of course, the dog has gone behind the love seat and is sleeping in the library.'

It was at this point that Bridget, our cleaning lady, came to tell me that the dog had come into the house with wet feet and had been put her in the basement to dry off.

I deliberately did not mention to her what I had encountered in the library. (Haitians are sometimes very superstitious and I did not want to upset her and have her leave.)

I returned to the library three or four times and the sound finally ceased. It ceased at approximately 11:30 AM - on the same date and approximate time of the former owner's death.

I never heard the sound again.