The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-03-05
THE SCARLET SPECIR E.

| can tell you story that you may not
believe yet stranger things happen every
day and will tell you just as it was,
| just as see it before me now, written in
| characters that cannot be effaccd.
| am sitting at the window, looking cut
| upon the lighted street. 1t is a clear, cold
evening after the storm. The snow has
been falling Cor twelve hours, but now the
last flake is down and the wind is rising,
scattering The f1eecy white, barring the
earth in some places, that it may put ten
fold cove, ling upon others. The Pickering
freight is casting dancing shadows over
the wall of my room; butthe genial warmth
will hardly keep out the chill, as l sit and
think of the story l am to tell
1t was just such night as this, five
years ago. There were three of US loung-
ing about the Office of the detective police
in the city of Frankfort and the chief,
whose name was Karl Bunson, sat at his
, desk. Max, grown gray in the service,
was by the fire smoking his pine, as usual,
and, no doubt, conceving some new plan
for working up different cases. In the
was Stein, the best fellow that ever caught
a rogue, aud the shrewdest detective in the
whole force. I was sitting by the window,
just as am Tonight only l was thinking
of nothing in particular, but watching the
passers as they toiled through the snow,
homeward bound.
There was nothing to break the stiffness
Of he ba atob; bao o1,
pen as he ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and SEEM
ed that it never would stop. The dropping
Of pin to the floor, or the football of a
| mouse, would have produced distinct
and welcome sound.
never knew what impelled me to turn
my eyes toward the door, for there was no
sound-no indication of the entrance of any
one; yet there stood the most beautiful
woman / ever saw. Her great mournful
eyes-I shaIlnever see the like again-were
turned full upon the chief he knew moth
ing of it, and her hands were raised in sup
plant attitude. as if craving some boon that
he alone could grant. Her head was
adorned with profusion of soft brown
hair, which fell carelessly over her shoul-
utlSs giving Hcl d WltIu, udttIdi appear
ance that was startling, and enveloping her
person was cloak like garment of the
brightest scarlet hue.
Max was putting away at the everlasting
pipe, taking not the slightest notice of the
visitor Stein had turned his face to the
wall, while the chief still kept his pen in
| motion, not once lifting his eyes from the
l. r
one who saw her? If SO, it became my
| duty to learn her wishes. / was Fastening
to her, when my steps were arrested by a
groan of bitterest anguish from the chief.
| He had whiIled about ON his stool, and sat
facing the door, his eyes widely staring,
his hands clasping the desk, and his whole
! aspec. one of the most terrible agony.
''Quick. Herman ~ he cried to me- ''She
must not leave me again. Do not let her
! go. There she is going! Too late, Her.
man ~
Impressed by his earnestness, I turned
again to the door, but the strange being
was nowhere to be seen.
l sprang forward, threw open the door,
and rushed into the passage. Before
reached the outer door, l was sure heard
the rustling of female garments and was
equally positive felt a touch upon my arm,
| reached out my hands, and grasped-
nothing. Almost stupefied with astonish-
ment, | closed and bolted the door, aud
then called for Max, for Stein, for the
chief, for any one, to bring light. Stein
answered with a lantern. snatched it
from him, and searched everywhere, but
found nothing.
''I'n tell you what, Herman" whispered
Stein, glancing towards the Office door to
see that the chief was not there, ''you had
better leave this affair to some other
hand.''
81 am not afraid to try my hand at it,
l replied, somewhat annoyed at his man.
ner.
''You'n wish you hadn't, Herman 1t
was no woman
"What do you mean, Stein ?''
sI mean, Herman, that you have been
chasing spirit-a spectre-a real ghost" !"
''Stcin, don't be a fool, said I, vexed at
what then considered the most stupid su-
perstition that ever cursed mankind.
''IIgive you the same advice Hel man.
was his reply. "But if you are really
earnest in your belief that she is living
woman, I'll say no more,''
Max was of .he same opinion and was
not surprised, for l knew that he had a
good deal of superstition in his nature.
But when Karl BunsOn told me seriously
that we had witnessed visitation from
the land beyond the grave, l knew not
| what to think.
eyes, Herman, it was spirit, ghost or
whatever you may chose to name it, said
he solemnly. 81 would give everything l
am or hope to be in this world if l could
know it was not so but it is no use. We
| shall meet again only as we have met tos