The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-26

Tor being late. While they were sitting
round the fire talking, Mrs. p. remembered
that she had left her pocket-handkerchief on
the toilet-table in her room and went out to
fetch it. The drawing led into the
hall, and in the hall, opposite the
entrance door, was the principal staircase.
large and broad, with spacious landing half
way up, lighted by high windows. On this
staircase Mrs. p. saw a gentleman ascending;
his back was towards her. He was dressed
in velvet suit of such a peculiar form and
pattern that Mrs. Ps' attention was specially
attracted. He slowly mounted the stairs
She paused in the hall to observe him, won
dering who he was, and why he was SO
dressed. As she stood, the gentleman passed
into small dressing-room on the landing,
to the right of the large windows, called 'the
yellow dressing-room." Mrs. z. followed
him up stairs, got her handkerchief, con-
cluded that he was another guest picked up
out of doors, and returned to the drawing
room. Mr.. p. turned to her aud said, as she
entered, ''Nly dear, are we never to have din
ner? We are very hungry. Will you not
ring the bell2"
Had you not better, said she, "wait so
as to give your other friend a little time to
dress l have just seen him 90 up stairs
into the yellow dressing-room. He wore such
curious dress. want you to tell me who
he is"
Mr.. P. turned very pale, and looked
strangely moved AT first he did not reply;
then he turned to her and said, in a sharp,
angry manner, very unusual with him, ''You
must be out of your senses. What are you
talking about? Pray ring for dinner at
once. Let me hear no more of this stuff
about the gentleman in the yellow DRESSING
ROOM. My two friends here are our only
guests"
Mrs. P. began, in a low voice, asseverating
that she had seen some one, who was then in
the yellow dressing-room, begging Mr.. p. to
go up at once and convince himself. But he
checked her by SO stern and strange a look
that she dropped the subject and they went
to dinner.
At night, after the two guests were gone,
Mrs. P. said, 'My dear, why were you so
savage before dinner? 1 really did see most
distinctly that strangely dressed gentleman
on the stairs. I SO par ticularly noticed his
velvet dress-a kind of plum-color, with steel
buttons, and such an odd cut"
Her husband again looked agitated and
angry. 81 beg you earnestly" said he,
mot to revert to this subject: it is a delusion;
you see l do not like it"
Mrs. p. felt there was some mystery she
could not fathom. Her husbands manner
was rough and unusual, he looked PALE and
was silent and dull. The subject dropped.
She went into the yellow dressing room, how
ever, found everything untouched, and heard
through her maid no one had been there.
couple of days after Mrs. p. drove to a
rather distant part of the county, to visit
some relations of Mr.. P.'s. She had often
been there before; but now, as she sat in the
dining-room at lunch, she became at once
conscious that among some family pictures
hanging on the walls there was one of
gentleman in plum colored velvet suit of
antique cut, precisely similar to the figure
she had seen on the stairs. Turning to her
hostess, "Whom, said she, ''does that pic
ture represent
"a common ancestor" was the reply.
''The picture, indeed, ought to be in your
house, as your husband is the head of the
family, but it got into our branch by mar
riage; and, perhaps, on the whole, it is bet
ter that it should be here"
81 ask you," said Mrs. P, "because two
days since l saw q gentleman in our house
exactly resembling it, with that odd coat,
and no one saw him but me; and cannot
understand what became of him."
''Pray," whispered the cousin, 'say no.
thing about it. 1 thought you must have
known that there is tradition that whenever
the head of our family is to die, that figure
is said to appear; but, indeed, don't believe
1t (seeing Mrs. p. turn very pale), have no
faith in such things. Thank God, we are all
well. 1 wish I had not told you. Do not
mention it, however, to Mr.. p, for it is
painful subject with him, believe"
Mrs. p. not being, as L said, imagin ative,
was not Gas she told me) as much alarmed as
might have been expected. She thought it
strange, specially in connection with her
husbands irritated, angry manner. On her
return home she found Mr.. p. in his usual
health; but that very night he was taken sud
denly ill, and a week from the time she had
seen the figure on the stairs, he died.
Mrs. Brook related to me the following
particulars, in presence of her daughter
She and her family we're living at South
ampton, in small house, somewhat out of
the town. Her establishment consisted of a
butler and two maid-servants. Whenever
she spent the evening out, she took the
house-key with her, and desired the butler
to place on table in the hall candle and
some matches and to go to bed, so that
her return might not disturb the rest of the
family.
One evening some friends accompanied
Mrs. Brook to the door, and having seen her
safe inside, took leave, and left her. The
moon was shining, and it was a fine night.
While Mrs. Brook was holding the matches
in her hand, and in the act of lighting the
case into the hall, opposite to where she
stood, still busy lighting the candle.
Thinking it was the butler who had
awaited her return, she sai2:-"Ohl how
can you be so foolish as to sit up, when
you know I have ordered you to go to
bed, and do not wish it? Why did you
do so? ?"
AS she spoke the figure slowly moved along
the hall, and began to descend the kitchen
stairs.
Not receiving any answer, and the candle
being now we'll ahght, she looked up more
attentively, and wondered to herself why the