The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1869-09-23
Almost a Ghost StOry-A Real Incident.
BY GRACE GREENWOOD.


kitchen happy family circle consisting
of well-to-do farmer, who was exc a
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. far and wide as
Squire Perciyal" - his comely wife,
two fair daughters, a niece, and last, but
not least, a son, just home from Yale for
the holidays.
The night without was seasOnably cold,
and brilliant with moonlight and starlight.
The large stone farmhouse stood on the
brow of Il hill, behind protecting line OF
tall pine-trees-the only green in the wide
landscape. The steep hillside and wide
valley beneath were heavily blanketcd
with snow.
The early part of the evening had passed
merrily with games, iests, and song. But
for an hour or two the conversation had
taken n drift into the realm of the super
natural. One ghost story had succeeded
to another, till, as the "witching time of
night" approached, and the fire burned
low, the circle instinctively drew closer to.
gether, with thrills and shudders of strange
spiritual dread, which is yet akin to the
keenest pleasure-an aWeSOme Joy, an eX-
quisite terror. The solemn soughing of
the winds among the pines, heard in the
pauses of ghostly recitals, added its Won
drous, wierd effect to the theme.
Just as young John Pcrclval had con-
Guided a wild German legend, which he
declared "splendid stuff for dreams" the
outside door was heard to open suddenly
All looked round, more or less fearfully,
to see standing on the threshold the slight
form of a fair young woman, clad all in
white, and looking strangely pure, and
cold, and luminous, like incarnated
moonlight
With the glide of spirit" she came
forward. Her feet were quite bare, and
her arms were dropping YEARLY. Masses
of fair hair fell over her shoulders, but her
eyes were dark and fixed with a melan-
choly stare. Her lips were slightly parted
and almost colorlcss. She came into the
circle about the hearth, and there paused,
standing utterly mOtionless-a beautiful,
appalling figure
For moment, all the startled group re-
manned as silent as that strange visitor
then one young girl caught her breath in
hysterical scream, which was instantly
answered bya cry from the pale lips Of
the "woman in white, into whose blank
eyes rushed a wild, keen light. She gazed
about her in terror and bewilderment, then
glanced down upon herself and SUM
covering upon the floor, covering her face
with her hands, and giving way to child
ish paroxysm of weeping.
The farmers wife, woman Of rare
sense and presence of mind, at once
OWNED the truth
"She is IA sleep walker," she said. "She
must be half dead with the cold. Girls,
bring some wrappingsi'
Immediately all was hustle The farmer
and his son discreetlyssvanished from the
scene, and the kind mother, daughters, and
niece devoted themselves to their be-
wildered charge, who still wept and sobbcd
under their kind ministratiOns, but de
clared that she felt no cold and no pain,
though her delicate feet were actually
bleeding from her long walk up the icy
hillside and over the crusted snow.
After having been tcndcrly put TO bed,
however, she became sufficiently composed
to reply to the few questions put to her.
She said she was Lucy Ellet, the niece of
the village physician-tllat she had lately
been taken from school, on account of
nervousness, and sent to him for medical
treatment, but that hOmesickness and
loneliness had made her worse. She had
occasionally walked in her sleep before,
but only about the house and grounds at
home, and on summer moonlight nights.
9 l think the moon bewitchcs me-" she said,
smiling through her tears. That night
she had, before going to bed, looked across
Tic littio valley to tho pleasant house on
the hill, watched the cheerful Christmas
lights cleaning through the pine-trees,
and longed to be one of the happy party
there, though she was stranger to ALL
She had cried herself to sleep, she said
and that was all she knew OF her mysteri
ono mid IN =. fuar cr,O,v opJ .tnCoc
and ice Not memory, not thought
could she recall till the moment when she
found herself standing on that hearth, in
her night-drcss, with SO many wondering
eyes fixed upon her
go dear, what did YOU think of me-?
What cdn you think of me nOw?' she
mOaned.
"Never mind what we think Of you. my
poor Child" said good, mothcrly Mrs
Percival, eve lore you already, SO just
drink this nice ginger-tea, and 90 to sleep"
The poor child got little natural
sleep, and in the morning appeared some
what less ghOstly than the apparition Of
Christmas night But she was still very
pale, with a playfuliy shy, grieved look.
She was suffering less than was expected
from the exposure, but more from the ner
vOus shock of the night before, and by the
advice of her uncle, who had been sum
moncd, consented to remain with her new
friends for few days.
Young John Percival was Hospitality
kind to the invalid guest, not seeming to
perceive that she shrank from bis atten-
tons in a sensitive, disqueted way. Yet
when his eye was not on her, she was OBJ
served TO study his face with peculiar in
curing expression. She could not re-
member having seen that face at the fear
full moment OF her awakening, and she
hoped he had not been a witness of that
walking trance, which she regarded with
absolute horror fs fs-f
Finally, on the last day of her visit, find-
ing herself alone with him for n moment,
under a desperate impulse, she asked (:
"Did you too see me that night, Mr. Per
cival? - rks -
He was touched by the tremblc in the
voice and the wistful look in the dark
eyes; but he answered honestly: / can
not deny that | did see you"
90 sir ! what must you have thought?"
Thought ?-why, thought if ghosts
would always come in such shapes, Il
would never fear them more
The shy smile and rosy blush that his
playful answer called forth seemed first
to reveal to the young collegian the pale,
sad vision of the night as lovely waking
flesh-and blood reality.
l never heard of Lucy Ellet "revisiting
the glimpses of the moon as q somnam-
bulst after this, but | did hear that on
another Christmas night she stood on the
hearth of the old farm house, dressed all
in white, in the midst Of the same family
circle, and that she gazed about her, and
said, " am afraid | am walking in my
sleep again" and that she then put up her
hands in a pretty, deprecating way and
added: !" But if | am, John, don't wake
mew-HdrM and Home.
The Waist of tho Dariod