Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1874-10-20

reached me by reflection!
The horror was so great that do no
know how long l looked. | am sure
saw her start to go. and l know | follow
ed hcr. lost sight OF both mirror and
staircase before reached the door, but
certainly | heard door shut at the top oi
the stairs as | reached the lower step. Ii
was The door of Mr.. Ayscough's apart.
ment
The vision was gone, but two senses
had been appealed to-sight and hearing.
| had sense enough 10 open the front
door, sound my whistle, and then |
dropped senseless. When | resumed my
consciousness / found myself on the sofa.
The private watchman was bending over
me and told him my story.
You're getting brain fever,
ma'am, "said he; you're alone too much
you must Try for n little more company.
If you saw woman goin' upstairs we'll
soon catch her; but | guess she was
here tapping his forehead So, sum.
moning some of his brotherhood, We
went to Mr.. Ayscough's rooms, which we
found locked, every thing undisturbed: {:
the portrait was in its accustomed place.
Was it true that she had stepped from it
to come and speak to me? Or had my
brain furnished that tall, white figure?
or course it was the latter, and | did
not intend TO be conquered by such an
illusion had an interview with ply
sician. who told me that these things are
not uncommon.
at is very natural, my dear madame, ~
said The doctor, "lhat you should have in.
vited this particular appearance, both by
your having looked so much at the pic
ture aud by your after conversation with
Mr. Ayscough on Spiritualism. You did
not know how much lojgment those
topics had made in your brain. We never
know until the time is past how i thing
has taken root Now, advise you to
leave this house and travel. Alter your
course of life, and you will not be troub-
led by specifies"
Alter talking with The doctor, | deter
mined 10 remain; | did nol feel that this
was thing TO be airaid OF. My natural
courage came TO my rcici and deter
mined to stay and fight my Battle ON the
same field Richard returned, heard my
ghost story. and was very much amused
tha: his prosaic relative should have had Il
vision
i went on with my work. lived my old
lie, and saw no more ghosts | knew l
could conquer my nerves. ii had any,
but was very glad when Mr. ny scough
came to spend few days,
The next morning after his arrival,
however, he came down to breakfast with
very perplcxed countenance. As he
walked around my writing table he took
up and examined my letter paper Ii
was of the plainest kind. loolscap, gen
orally, and as he laid it down he laughed
rather nervously and said:
Mrs. Martin, you must pardon me. l
have met with n singular loss. You re-
member my writing table; it hail guam
tiiy of note paper with my monogram on
it. was in the habit oi wiring my
notes here, and last evening looked lOr
some and found ii Nil gone. OF course II
is very trivial question; but do You
know anything about it?'
OF course my Indignation smolhered
every other sentiment. For n moment,
however, | remembered that to MIR. Ays-
cough | WAS but a poor old woman whom
Mrs. Morton had placed in her house 10
take care OF il, and was in the habit OF
using a greet deal OF paper. So he put
the two together and supposed was
guilty OF the petty theft.
| answered him Us calmly rs could
that knew nothing about his paper.
lie came again after spending an hour
in his apartments, and asked me TO come
and examine them with him. After 4
moments embarrassment, he began: Il
don / know, Mrs. Martin. but | am sure
these things are not as left them. miss
nothing, but they hare been disturbed !
These dresses of Gerirude's, do they not
seem TO you to have been displaced-l
could almost say corn ?n--he turned pale
ii feel almost as if she herself had been
here. There is 4 certain perfume in the
air which she used to use. Could Nancy
have been fumbling amongst these
things?" We called the housekeeper,
who owned TO having swept, but who was
above all charges as 10 the wearing oi
the dresses.
We dismissed poor Nancy. and looked
over the valuabes. They were intact.
not jewel had been moved; but not my
most assiduous eloquence could induce
Mr.. Ayscough 10 remove these valuables
to a safer place.
As was looking through The rooms
before leaving them, picked up little
embroidered slipper, of which could not
find the mate, but | showed it 10 Mr..
Ayscough, asking him il it could have
fallen out of one OF the trunks. He took
it and looked at it long and earnestly,
and finally said that he thought it belong
ed to a costume that Gertrude had worn
in some private theatricals in Florence.
II did not look TO me exactly like the slip