The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1875-04-16

Had ne beard and a moustache?-
long brown beaId?" be asked.
"Yes," | answered getting more and
more astonished, ''and a wonderfully
and wore his hat pushed back off his
forehead" .rr
Duncan rose from his chair, looked at
me for moment with peculiar ex.
preston; then, without a word, walked
to the table and began turning over the
leaves of photograph album. watch
ed him in some surprise, with a dim
kind of prescience of what was to fol-
low. He took loose photograph from
the book and came toward me. -.=
'Did you ever see poor Heseltine?'
he asked, holding out the photograph.
"Never," / replied, as l took it from
him. The next moment l had staggered
back into chair as pale as corpse.
"Good God! Duncan" ] gasped; "this is
the man that / met in the hal- last
night
There was dead silence for a few
moments; then Duncan said very COM
posedly. - a-5s.
"That's impossible; for poor Hesel-
tine has been dead two years. It's an
awfully -queer thing, though; for Hesel-
tine was not an ordinary looking man,
and he hadn't relation bit like him.
Who ia the world could il have been?"
Duncan" / answered, very solemn
ly, you may laugh at me if you will;
but / tell you distinctly that this is a
last night; there is no shadow of differ
ence; features, expression, character, are
all exact. What it means Heaven only
knows; but would swear to the man in
a court of justice"
They were both impressed by my
words and manner, though it was evil
dent they still thought me under some
delusion.
az declare" said Middleton you be-
gin to make me feel there is some truth
in the report that the house is haunted" !"
Haunted" I echoed.
"Oh! yes, ,@said Duncan; "they have
said that ever since poor Heseltine died
but that's what they always say of a
house where a murder or suicide, or sud'
den death has taken place. DoL't tell
Miss Rehden." he added, with laugh,
cor she'll be giving us notice to qnit."
Upon my word" said Middleton.
eve ought not to bo standing here
without inquiring into the matter
Ghost or no ghost, it's as we'll to exam
inc the rooms.
Mechanically l followed them from
the room. Although could not ex-
pect to impress my companions with the
feelings that filled my own breast, /
could no longer doubt that one of those
mysterious DEGREES of Providence which
brings US at times into communion with
beings from another world, and concern
ing which I had previously been SO
sceptical, had actually taken place in
this case. If had ever seen either
Heseltine or his portrait, my imagina-
tion might have played me this trick;
but his features had been utterly un-
known to me, and was positively con-
vinced, though l failed to impress this
on my companions, that the man 1 had
81 h. ,,,,rI1k o-I ho
represented in the photograph. were one
and the same. / was utterly confound
ed, and could with difficulty bring my
self to speak, or even to think, of other
subjects. What could have been the
purport of this visitation? / could not
believe that the appearance was pur-
poseless, or for any idle end, and long
ed to penetrate the mystery in which it
was at present enveloped. was so lost
in thought that, for some minutes was
regardless of the proceedings of my
companions.
They had loitered on the landing, and
Duncan was talking. '''
lou nave never HedIu SAboul TIC IOSt
picture?" he said.
"Never," replied Middleton.
"Oh! I thought every onein the house
had heard about that" r
81 never heard it," interposed.
ais it anything in connection with
poor Heseltine?" asked Middleton.
"Well, yes, it is; very important
matter in connection with him. A,
least, very important, as far as the fami-
| ly are concerned, as it is a loss of sever
al hundred pounds to them"
"Tell us about it."
"Why, it seems that at the time Hes
eItine died, he was at work on very
| important picture. No one had seen it
for you know his peculiar feeling about
showing his works before they were fin
ished; and he was more than usually
strict about this one. He had sold hi:
previous picture for FIVE hundred
pounds, and he told his wife he quite
hoped to get half as much again for the
last, which was nearly completed
Strange to say, after his death the pic
ture could not be found. 1t was knowr
that he had been working on it the pre-
vious day, for he mentioned having ad
vanced immensely, and that it was nea
completion. was the first to go int
his room after the servant gave tn
alarm. The picture then on his ease
was portrait. saw nothing of tn,
ubject picture he was engaged on.
locked the door myself, and, until TIL
family arrived, I know no one entere'
the room; yet the picture was neve
found"
"What a very odd thingP'
eyes, and n most annoying one int
the bargain. The only explanation W
could arrive at was, that Heseltine ha
himself sent the picture away some
where, and that whoever had it was nc
honest enough to reveal the fact. In
quiries were made everywhere adve,
tisements inserted in the papers, an
even rewards offered; but to no purpos'
No trace of it has ever been discovered