Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1870-02-04
Almost A Ghost StOry-A Real In
cident.
BY GRACE GREENWOOD.

about the vide fireplace OF iarSe Ne"
England kitchen, happy family circle
consisting of well-to-do-farmer, who
was magistrate-known as Squire Per-
civar'-his comely wife, two fair daugh-
ters, niece, and last, but not least,
son, Just home from Yale for the holi-
days.
The night without was seasonably cold
and brilliant with moonlight and star
light. The large stone farmhouse stood (
on the brow of hill behind project
ing line of pine trees, the only green in
the wide landscape. The steep hillside
and the valley beneath were heavily
blanketed with snow.
The early part of the evening had pass
ed merrily with games jests and song.
But for an hour or two the conversation
had taken drift in the realm of the su-
pernatural. One ghost had succeeded
another, till. as the "witching time OF
night" approached, and the fire burned
low, the circle instinctively drew closer
together, with thrills and shudders OF
strange spiritual dread, which is yet akin
to the keenest pleasure-an awesome Joy
an exquisite terror. The solemn signing
of winds among the pines, heard in the
pauses of ghostly recitals, added its Won
drous. weird effect to the theme.
Just as young John Percival had con-
cluded wild German legend, which he
declared splendid stuff for dreams" the
outside door was heard to open suddenly.
All looked around more or less fearfully
to see standing on the threshold the slight
form of fair young woman, clad all in
white, and looking 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 wearily. Mass
es of hair fell over her shoulders, but her
ewes we're dark and fixed with a meian-
choly stare. Her lips were slightly part
ed and almost colorless. She came into
the circle about the hearth and there
paused, standing utterly motionless-a
beautiful appalling figure.
For moment all the startled group
remained as silent as that strange visitor
then one young girl caught her breath
in hysterical scream, which was lmme'
diately answered by cry from the pale
lips of "the woman in white" into whos'
black 20 ruehed . wild. keen Light
She gazed about her in terror and be
wilderment, then glanced down upor
herself, and sank covering upon the floor
covering her face with her hands, ano
gave way to childish paroxysms of weep
ing.
The farmers wife, a woman OF rare
sense and presence of mind, at once oil
vined the truth.
sShe is a sleep walker" she said
She must be half dead with the cold
Girls bring some wrappings|
Immediately all was hustle. The farm
er and his son discreetly vanquishec
from the scene, and the mother, daugh
ter and niece devoted themselves to thei
bewildered charge, who still wept an'
sobbed under their kind ministration
but declared that she feltno cold and n
. pain, though her delicate feet were act
ually bleeding from her long walk u
the icy hillside and over the cruste
. snow.
ds After having been tenderly put to be
os. however she became sufficiently compoi
m ed to reply to the few questions that ha
been put to her. She said that she wa
Lucy Elicit, the neice of the villag
physician that she had lately been tax
r.s en- from school on account OF nervous
q ness. and sent to him for medical treat
nd ment but that homesickness and lionel
:. ness had made her worse. She had OF
;od casionally walked in her sleep betol
~. but only about the house aud grounds
o. home, and on summer moonlight night
III "I think the moon bewitched me-, 81
;tb said smiling through her tears. Th'
night she had, before going to bed, lool
, Il. ed across the little valley to the pleasal
;.o~ house on the hill, watched the cheerf'
Christmas lights cleaning through til
,,,n pine trees, and longed to be one OF Il
hoo happy party there, though she was
bee stranger to all.
~ She had cried herself to sleep, she sa
III and that was all she knew of her myst
rious midnight tramp over snow, ston
and ice. Not memory, not thong
. could she recall till the moment VIII
she found herself standing on the hear
in her night dress with so many wond'
ono ing eyes fixed upon her.
~ "Oh, dear! what do you think of m
What can you think of me now?
ken moaned.
~. "Never mind what we think of "
- nv poor child" said the motherly M
- Percival, Eve love you already, so j
drink this nice ginger tea and go