The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-06-25


WAS mqd; and Ralph, epmingroupd, took
the empty place ~ - n
"Did you seeiit?''
81 saw you behaving as If you were
ont ofsyour senses! WhRt on&arth did
it all mean?"
"Idon,t knos except thies AsTge sat
down to table, there came a-thing, and
stood Behind Lady Daintry's chair. It
seemed'to como With her, ipto the, room.
1t stood there the Whole time, now on
one side and now on the other. What
ever she did it did,; and itsfollowed her
away just now"
He shnddered, and Murchison shud-
dered too. There could be no dotlbt
that he believed he had seen this
thing. - ILY
"But what is it like?" y,
"Like the shadow of man-if it was
like anything. A shadow having sub
stance, if you can understand that"
81 daresay it was shadow"
"Look at the place where it, stood.
The light is full bright, equally diffused.
No shadow could be there"
Imagination, then"
Gas you will; only never ask me to sit
in the room with it again"
Murchison paused, for a moment. He
tried to persuade himself that Conway
was practicing foolish hoax-that he
had had too much wine-even that this
might be the first illusion Of coming
fever. But none of these theories would
stand. Conway was of cool, iasouci-
ant temper, not the least given to prnc-
tical jokes; he had not swallowed sim
gle glass Of wine; and he had not the
faintest sign of physical illness about
him. What he did show were strong.
unnlstakable symptoms of horror, and
of perfect good faith.
Yet it might have been some fantastic
effect of light and shade; and if 30, it
would certainly not re-appear in the
drawing-room. Is g- Fg
Come" he said, ."let us go and join
the ladies. If it was shadow it will not
stay there"
cit is no use. And, to tell the truth,
shall be glad to get out of the house.
Make some excuse for me; there's good
fellow" n
''And let you go away with the idea
that you have seen n ghost? L thought
you had more pluck.
'Look here, Ralph, it is no use talk
ing in that way. I say nothing about
ghosts. only say that I have seen
and l don't know why you should not
have seen too-what I described to you.
If l saw it again ever SO often, it would
make no difference to me, except that it
is uncanny-more than that, horrible
to see it standing there, mocking every
thing she does" He shuddered. "Aud
suppose you don't entertain any idea
OF trying to lay the ghost, as you call it,
doubt whether the countess would
thank you"
"The countess? Do you imagine she
has any consciousness about it?"
"How can I tell? All I know you
know"
'very we'll, then; come into the draw
lng-room, and try to find out something
more"
He was obstinate, being fairly divided
now between belief and unbelief; ana
Conway was obliged TO yield. There
were about dozen ladies, young and
old, in the room when they enteredi
Lady Daintry was sitting on sofa talk
ing to dowager in black velvet and dia-
monds. They were curious contrast
one old, wrinkled, and shriveled, gor-
geousin black and scarlet and flashing
light. the other in the very perfe ction of
beauty, in n rich quaint dress of pure
white. But behind them, standing SO
that the countess golden hair seemed
to touch its breast. stood the dark shadow.
Conway told Ralph by look that it was
there.
They separated Immediately, and Con-
way found himself near the lady he had
taken in to dinner. She was the only
person with whom he had the slightest
link of acquaintance, and she, after his
neglect, was not disposed to be very gra-
cious. He turned his back upon that
sofa, and applied himself to being civil
to her.
But it was a task beyond his powers.
He felt himself drawn back irresstibly
to look at the countess. Other men had
now come in, and she had left her seat;
but wherever she went the shadow fol-
lowed her, moving as she moved, and
keeping always SO near that it seemed as
if she had but to put out her hand and
touch it. Seeing this, Conway soon
ceased to be able to see anything else.
He found quiet corner and pretended
to look at some photographs, but his eyes
continually followed the spectre.
Once Murchison came to him.
"Wcll," he said, sis it there still?"
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