The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-16
SELECT STORY.
[From All the Year ROund.l
WHAT HAPPENED IN MY STUDIO.
A Painters Ghost Story.
cHAPTER ]

had occupied my studio, which was
situated in one of those old squares
which fashion has long since passed BY,
for about two years
The locality was essentially an artis-
tic one, and the whole Of the house IN
when was domiciled was let ont in
studios. The ground floor occupied bv
my particulars friend Duncan, who went
in heavily ier stained glass and tiles. ]
occupied the first floor front, with anoth-
er friend Middleton, on the same floor
at the back Overhead were a landscape
painter and lady artist, who. from the
fact Of their spending q great deal Of
time in the eountry, occupied their
studios in the sqaare only for day or
two, now and then, and frequently at
long intervals. The lower premises
consisted of . wilderness of kitchens
scnlIcries, pantries, areas, and cellars,
which 1 had never had the courage thor
oughly to explore, and which believe
were terra incognita, even to the old
couple who, until within a week or two
of the events 1 am about to narrate,
lived in one of the kitchens, and under
took the small amount of attendance
which was eqnired, By the occupants q
Duncan, Middleton, and all lived at
some little distance from the squire; and
were only there by day. The lnndseape
painter, Howarth, slept in n!a-Eoom ad-
joining his studio whenever-h he came up
10 town, and Miss Rehden also had
rooms on the second floor, in addition to
her studio. ssBE aA
We we're all of us somewhat matter.of
fact people, quiet, methodical, and indus
trious. Our lives were as plodding. and
free from romance as can weltbe- imagin-
ed. To my friend Duncan, who wasnot,
however, the chief actor in the strange
event am about to narrate, would
give the palm for imagination. His
imagination did not, however, run away
with him, for he Immediately reduced
its widest flights to practical form on
paper, thence transferred them to glass
and tiles, and burnt them into immor-
tality in his adjacent kiln. That he
lived in a world of dragons and ghonis,
angels and cherubs, saints and devils, !
do not deny, and in one form or another
they were scattered pretty freely about
the house; but they had no possible bear
ing on my table, and ] mention them
merely to give my readers fair idea of
the house and its inmates.
Previous to my taking possession of it,
my studio had been occupied by an ar
tist who had died there. very suddenly,
of heart disease. He was seized with
the attack which carried him off while
at work, had staggered back, and expir-
ed upon a sofa which was just behind
him. He had been man Of undoubted
ability. His later works were even much
sought after, and realized a considerable
sum in the market. He possessed, how
ever. singularly retiring habits, and one
of his peculiarities was, that he never
would allow even his most intimate
friends to be admitted when he was at
work, and would never allow q pictnre
to be seen until itwa- completed. had
not been personally acquainted with him
but had gathered these particulars from
Duncan, who knew him-well, and was
the last person who had seen him alive.
=.
to explain, the old couple to whom have
referred as having been in charge of the
house, were obliged to leave somewhat
Unexpectedly, and for several days we
were unable to find any suitable person
to take their place. During this inter
val no one slept in the house at night
as both the occupants Of the upper floor
were absent. We had made a Temporal
~ Arrangement with man who was oc-
casionally employed on odd jobs to re-
main in the the house until nine o'clock
to answer the door, in the event Of any
one calling. After that hour, if We
wished to visit our studios, which wa.
not very frequently the case, we were
obliged to let ourselves in with our latch
keys. A box Of matches and candle
were always LEFT on the mantelpiece ir
the hall, 40 that we could obtain fght
when it was required.
/ have written the foregoing descrip
tion without any particular attempt a
seriousness, and with that strange feel
ing uppermost in my mind which impel
people to laugh at a funeral, or unde
other solemn circumstances in whicl
the feelings are really very, deeply NOV
ed. When say that the event whicl
am about to describe affected me 81
deeply that have never since entered
that studio. and that nothing would eve
induce ME to do SO, it will be at ono
serious light indeed. l-4tr
i had been spending the evening a
the house of friend who lived in. tn
fieighborhood of the square. / left hir
at about IL O'Clock, and as had bee
for some days expecting q letter of cor
siderable importance, i thought woul
take the opportunity Oflooking inlat th
studio, on my waylto the station, to Sc
if il had arrived. We had had a Ion
discussion at my friends house on til
subject OF spiritualism, and ] had, .
usual, expressed in tolerably stron
terms my entire unbelief in those VIII
professed to hold converse with tt
spiritual world, by means of table; an
who weregnevertheless, so little impres
ed with the startling issues involved
supposing their belief to be we'll foun'
ed--that they could sit down afterwal
and eat hearty supper off the very !
bic which had been the means of pr
ducing such wondrous manifestation
Many mavelous stories Of supernatur
appearances had been related by son
of the guests, not as evidence of sO-call'
spiritualism, but in proof of our occ
sional intercourse, under exceptional ci
cumstances, with the spirit world, sor