The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-10-08

acrobatS, u man and a woman, who were
entirely independent of the law of gravi-
tation, and who sailed through the all
ION the flying trapeze'' with all the aplonb
and fearlessness Of birds. Richard used to
laugh at me as |, night after night, declared
in favor of the acrobats The woman was
a beautiful creature, and had for me a
weird attraction which | could not ac-
count for, but it is unnecessary to try to
account for some things. | began at this
time to believe that I was growing fanci-
tul, a thing which never had occurred
before Once OF twice | had sleepless
nights | thought a great deal too much
about the jewelry and silver in Mr. Ays-
coughs room, and | began to make my
anxiety,
One Of my great pleasures, particularly
of u Sunday evening, had been to have
Thomas light all the gas that | might see
the works of art to advantage; and ii gave
me, too, a sense of companionship which
needed. On that evening Nancy and
Thomas took their only pleasure. They
Went out leaving me entirely alone The
policeman in the square had become some
what of an acquaintance of mine, and I
had provided myself with n whistle by
which | could call him If necessary in
these periods of utter loneliness Some
times rs he walked under the window, |
would step to the balcony and speak to
him. so long as heard his tramp, tramp,
was not utterly Isolated
One Sunday evening | was walking up
and down, looking particularly at a tine,
Venetian picture-a wilderness of color
and action l. one OF those pictures of
Leutze in which a myriad of events are
pictured as going on ut the same time
when my eye was nresistibly drawn
toward a mirror. and | saw-good God
what did see2-a tall, straight, female
figure, covered with protusion CT light
hair. | saw the dead Gertrude, stepped
from her grave, the very presentment OF
the picture had so often studied She
was leaning on the balusters of the grand
staircase, and the image was reflected
through two or three mirrors, for | could
not see the staircase where | stood. She
reached me by reflection,
The horror was so great that do not
know how long | looked. | am sure
saw her start to 60, and know | followed
her lost sight OF both mirror and stair
case before reached the door, but Ger
tainly heard a door shut at the top of the
stairs as reached the lower step. 1t was
the door OF Mr.. Ayscough's apartment.
The vision was gone, bat two senses had
been appealed to-sight and hearing |
had sense enough to open the front door,
sound my whistle, and then | dropped
senseless When resumed my conscious
ness found myself on the sofa The pri-
vate watchman was bending over me, and
told him my story.
"Youre getting u brain fever, ma'am, y
said he; you're alone too much; You
must try for a little more company. II
you saw Il woman goin' up stairs we'll
soon catch her but guess she was here, .
tapping hs' forehead SO, summoning
some OF his brotherhood, we went to Mr
Ayscough' ; rooms, which we found locked,
every thing undisturbed the portrait was
in its accustomed place. Was it true she
had stepped from it to come and speak to
me? Or had my brain furnished that tall
white figure
OF course it was the latter, and did not
intend TO be conquered by such an illusion
had an interview with 2 physician, who
told me that these things were not uncom-
mon,
.'It is very natural, my dear madam, y
said the doctor, THAT YOU should have in
vlted this particular appearance, both by
Your having looked so much at the picture
and by your after conversations with Alr
Ayscouoh on Spiritualism. You did not
know how much lodgment these topics
had made in your brain. We never know
until the time is past how q thing has
taken root. Now, advise YOU to leave
this house and travel Alter your course
of life, and You will not be troubled by
specters"
After talking with the doctor, | deter
mined to remain did not teel that this
was a thing to be afraid Of My natural
courage came to my relief, and | deter
mined to stay and fight nv battle on the
same field Richard returned. heard my
ghost story, and was very much amused
that his prosaic relative should have had q
vision.
| went on with my work, lived my old
life, and saw no more ghosts. | knew
could conquer my nerves, If had any, but
| was yerv glad when Mr. Ayscough came
to spend a few days.
i AZ Ilipl stllNA mo "a ~ ~ "
ever, he came down to breakfast with 9
very perplexed countenance. AS he
walked around my writing table he took
up and examined my letter paper Itwa;
OF the plainest kind, foolscap generally
and as he laid it down he laughed rather
neVously and said
"Mrs Martin, who must pardon me.
have met with such a singular loss. YOU
remember my writing-table it had 8
quantity of note paper with my mono
gram on it. | was in the habit of writing
my notes from here, and last evening
looked for some and found it all gone
Of course it is a very trivial question; bui
do YOU know any thing about it,"
Of course my Indignation smothered
every other sentiment For moment
however, | remembered that to Mr.. Ays
cough | was but poor old woman, whom
Mrs Morton had placed in her house tc
take care OF it, and | was iii the habit OF
using a great deal of paper. Sohe put the
two together and supposed | was guilty OF
the petty theft.
| answered him rs calmly as | could
that | knew nothing about his paper.
He came again after spending an hour
III MS apartments, tllt dShttt ilic W COME
and examine them with him After a mo-
ment's embarrassment he began Il don't
know, Mrs. Martin, but | am sure these
things are not as left them. | miss moth
ing but they have been disturbed These
dresses Of Gertrude's do they not seem tC
you to have been displaced-i could al
most say worn ?n-he turned pale-'I fee
almost as if she herself had been here
There is certain perfume in the air which
she used to use Could Nancy have been
fumbling among these things'' We called
the house-keeper, who owned to having
swept, but who was above all charges Is
to the wearing of the dresses.
We dismissed poor Nancy and looked
over the valuables. They were intact, not
a Jewel had been moved but rot my most
assiduous eloquence could induce Mr.. Ays
cough to remove these vaIuables to a satel
place.
As Il was looking through the rooms be
fore leaving them picked up 8 little EN-
broidered slipper, of which | could not
find the mate, but showed it to MIR. Ays
cough, asking him if it could have fallen
out OF one of the trunks. He took it anc