The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-26
A STRING OF GHoST STORIES.

others, great curiosity IN all matters con
nected with the supe natural.
Without desiring to prove logically that it is
often more difficult to doubt than to believe,
the writer cultivates mind in allegiance,
ready to believe what is supernatural, on the
same proofs, and with the same faith, as what
is natural.
Direct ocular evidence, or the strongest
circumstancial evidence, being the rule in
courts of law, nothing is hereafter stated on
the warrant of the writer that would not be
considered good legal evidence. The facts
come direct from the witnesses themselves
and were by them related to the writer
Sir W. S. was a general officer, well known
in the Indian service. He died
lately at Florence. His widow is alive, and
she related what follows:-
They had been living for many years in
India, with a sister, to whom Lady S. was
tenderly attached. Both had arranged to
return to England about the same time, but
Lady S. left first, much against her wish.
Her sister was to follow as soon as possible.
On reaching England, Lady S. anxiously
looked for letters with news of her sisters
plans In this state of anxiety she dreamed
one night that her sister appeared before her,
in long white trailing clothes, dripping with
wet, her face ghostly pale, her fair hair,
which was remarkably long and beautiful,
falling around her, save on the right side Of
her head, which was closely cut.
The dream was so shocking, and so dis
tinct, that Lady S. became greatly alarmed.
She carefully noted the date of its occur
renee. Her anxiety to receive letters in
creased. They came at last. Her sister
had embarked shortly after her, and died at
sea- BY her own request a portion of her
beautiful hair was cut off before she died, to
be sent to Lady S. She was buried at sea at
the precise hour of Lady S. 8 dream.
Captain Campbell, of s., is we'll known as
a spirited writer on Indian field sports. He
and his wife were staying with me in the
Highlands of Argyleshire, when he related the
following circumstances
S. Castle, his family place, stands on
the coast of Kintyre, that widest part of
Argyleshire facing the sea. 1t is regular
feudal stronghold, small, square-turreted,
placed on pile of rocks, Tapped by the sea.
Behind rise barren hills in long monotonous
lines, broken below into grass-fields divided
by walls, or dykes, as they are called in Scot
land. There are no trees, nothing but the
clouds, the hills, and the sea. Under the old
castle, along the shore, nestle a few grey
novels. These, with the grey castle above,
form the village of S.; place that, oven in
summer, chills one with its suggestive look
of wintry blasts and roaring sea storms
One special autumn morning Captain Camp
bell started to shoot grouse on the moors far
away beyond the hills. His path lay along
the shore by little pier and low wall
raised as a barrier to the waves. Under this
wall lay moored the fishing boats of his
tenants, who, on the borders of Loch Fyne,
look to the famous herrings of those waters
for their support.
As he passed this low wall he saw four men,
well known to him, preparing their nets for a
start. The day was boisteroas, the wind
moaped along the shore, and the white
crested waves rode in, angrily striking
against the wall. Captain Campbell halted
for a few moments to speak to the men and
to wish them good haul.
All day he was out on the moors, inland.
The wind had risen, and stormy gusts of rain
swept over the water and the land. AS he
returned he again took the coast road, al
though it was further round. He felt, he
said, strange necessity to do so he could
not explain to himself at the time. The
sea was now very rough and lashing
furiously against the low wall; the sun was
setting in bank of lurid clouds opposite.
Leaning against the wall, as if resting, the
sickly sunshine lighting up distinctly their
forms and faces which he fully recognized
he saw the same four men with whom he had
spoken in the morning. Being late, he did
not stop, but merely bade them good night in
passing, and scarcely noticed that they neither
IdlhSu lux IcPiOu W
As he entered the enclosed court of the
castle, his wife ran out to meet him, excaim-
ing, "Oh, Campbell, how thankful am you
are returned The most dreadful accident
has happened. The boat, with So-and-so on
board (naming the four men he had Just
seen) has capsiZed in sudden squall near
the shore, lower down; they are all drowned,
and their poor wives are almost mad with
grief"
Impossible, my dear!" replied Captain
Campbell 81 have this instant seen those
very men by the low wall at the jetty."
''Seen themi" cried she. ''It is but ar
hour ago their bodies began to drift on the
beach, and one still is missing, but the morn
ing tide is expected to bring it in AS the
boat capsized in the bay, it was all distinctly
seen by the watchers"
Then Captain Campbell understood that
the forms he had seen were the wraiths of
the drowned men, standing there to bid good.
by to the laird, and he went down to the viii
lage to comfort the widows.
At Walton-on- Thames, close to the river,
was a villa, long the property of the T.
family. 1t was the favorite residence of a
certain eccentric countess of that house,
known as ''the bad countess" " who was so
fond of the place that, being of violent aud
strange temper, she declared that she would,
after her death, haunt the house should any
one dare to destroy or alter it, specially
should they meddle with her own private
room. In the course of years the villa
was sold to wealthy people, who entirely
disapproved of its small size and gloomy
rooms, and unmindful or ignorant of the
threats of Lady t., pulled down most of the
old house, and built very fine modern man,
sion in its place. This family, immensely
rich, whom we will call S. r., were happy
merry people, with many sons and daughters
happy and merry also. Visitors always filled
the house; the rooms were large and spacious