Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-05-03
A TRUE GHOST STORY.
The Portrait from An Apparition.
Being the Experience OF Thom.s

narrator is Thomas Heaphy, an E5rljsh artist
Oh reputation OF high character, and the pre-
tiers from Charles Dickens to Mr.. Heaphy show
Ing the great interest taken In the ehostIy
experience OF the painter by Mr. Dickens, Bull
and ofheGs 'ae p nSrei aS Austen Layard
had peen contributed to Al the Year Ro,nd nv
solne one VINO mad heard the story. and this
ma maS s ans occasion OF MT Heaphys writing his
1uh anu corIect narrative, which is as follows:
Mr. HEAPHY's OWN NARRATIVE
am painter One morning In Nav. 1s5s 7
was seated In my studio at my usual occuna.
IIcn. "a paragraph or two Is omitted as only
introducing R,sT,oduclng lady and gentleman, Mr. and Mrs.
NY new visitors were strangers to me. They
tnr seen portrait had painted, and wished
aUr HkeneSSeS OF themselves and their children
Inc pr1ce named did not deter them, and they
ASKED ata' 70 look round the studio to select the
fi0n n an9 SIZE sney should prefer The inspee
Sion growing SATISFACTORY, they asked whether
S0uto paint the pictures at their house In the
country, and there being no difficulty on this
n1 1n,, an engagement was made for the follow
tne autumn, subject to my writing to fix the
time when might be able to leave town for the
PuIpose. rms 1eing adjusted, the gentleman
sa,s me ms card and they left: Shortly after
efs, was somewhat disappointed to find that
tnougn it contained the name Of Mr.. and Mrs.
ATkQeck, there was no address. tried to find
tst by looking at the Court guiai66, but it con-
G afu NO 5 s9ch name, SO put the card In my
transaction. AVA ''"o 'n0 0n0'c
autumn came, and with it a series of engage
%o l-au made In the north of England. To-
d1nner-party at a country house on the con-
nnes OF Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The party
was q numerous one, and as the meal ap-
side into the dessert, the conversation became
general. should here mention that my hear
ing Is defective; at some times more so than at
Others and on this particular evening I was
extra deaf-so much so that the Conversation
only reached me In the form of continued din
AT one instant, however, heard q word dis
person at a considerable distance from me, and
that word was-Kirkbeck. In the business of
the London season had forgotten all about
card without the address. The word reaching
me under such circumstances arrested my at
tentfon, and Immediately recalled the transac-
ton to my remembrance. On the first oppor-
was conversing with If family Of the name in
question was resident In the neighborhood.
was tod In reply that Mr. Kirkbeck lived at
A, at the farther end of the county. The
next morning 1 wrote to this person, saying
that believed he called at my studio In the
spring, and had made an arrangement with me,
no address on his card; furthermore, that /
should shortly be in his neighborhood On my
return from the North, but should be mista
trouble himself to reply to my note. I gave, as
my address, the post-Off1ce, York. On applying
tnere three days afterward, l received note
from Mr.. K1rkbeck, stating that he was very
glad he had heard from me, and that ii would
cali on my return, he would arrange about the
pictures; he also told me to write day before
proposed coming. that he might not otherwise
engage himself 1t was ultimately arranged
that should go to his house the succeeding
saturday, stay till Monday morning, transact
afterward what matters had TO attend to in
London, and return In a fortnight to execute
the commissions.
The day having arrived for my visit, directly
after breakfast took my place In the hen morning
stop at DOncaSter, and after that at Retford
junction, where should have to get out In Or
der to take the Lac through Lincoln to A.
The day was cold, wet, fOggy and In every way
as diSagreeable as I have ever known day TO
be In an English October. The carriage In
which l was seated had no other occupant
than myself, but at Doncaster lady got In.
Ny place was back to the engine and next to
the door. AS thai Is considered the ladies' seat,
offered 1T to her; she, however, very graciOuSly
ing, In a very agreeable voice. that she liked TO
feel the breeze on her cheek. The next few
minutes were occupied In locating herself.
There was the cloak to be spread under her, the
be frightened and such other tri1ing arrange
ments OF plumage as ladies are wont to make
before settling themselves comfortably at
church or elsewhere, the last and most impor-
tant being the placing back over her hat the
veil that concealed her features. could then
see that the lady was young, certainly not more
u
erately tail, rather robust In make, and de-
cided In expression, she might have been two
or three years younger. / suppose that her
her hair being of a bright Drown or auburn,
while her eyes and rather decidedly marked
eyebrows were nearly black. The color OF her
sets on to such advantage large expressive
eyes, and an equable firm expression of mouth.
On the whole the ensemble was rather hand
than aed
that rendered her face and features, though
not strictly regular, Infinitely more attractive
than II they had been modelled upon the strict
est rules OF symmetry.
dull, long journey to have an agreeable COM
panion; one who can converse, and whose con-
Versat1On has SUFFICIENT substance In 1e to make
one forget the length and drear1neSs OF the
journey. In this respect had no deficiency to
complain of, the lady being decidedly and
agreeably conversational. When she had set
allowed to look at my Bradshaw, and not being
q proficient In that din1cult work, she requested
my aid in ascertaining at what time the train
from london to York The conversation turned
afterward on general topics, and, somewhat to
my surprise, she led it Into such particular
recia lly familiar with; indeed, Icould not avoid
femarking that her entire manner. while 1t
was anything but forward, was that OF one who
had either known me personally or Dy report;
reliance when she listened to me, that Is not
usually accorded to q stranger. and sometimes
she actually seemed to refer to different Cir
cumstanceS with which had been connected
In times past. After about three-quarterS OF
an hours conversation the train arrived at Ret
ford where was to change carriages. On my
aliohting and wishing her gOOd-mOrning, she
made slight movement Of the hand, as IL she
meant me to shake it, and on my doing so she
said, by way OF adieu, 81 dare say we shall meet
again;" to which 1 replied, 81 hope that We
shall all meet again." and 50 parted, she going
On the line toward London, and through Lin
colnshire to A.. The remainder OF the
Tourney was cold, wet, and dreary. / missed
the agreeable conversation, and tried to supply
IFS Mace with book had brought with me
from York. and the Times newspaper, which
had procured at Retford. But the most dtsa-
0reeabIe tourney comes to an end at last, and
RaIf-past s In the evening found me at the ter
mination OF mine. carriage was waiting for
me at the station, where Mr.. Kirkbeck was also
pxpected by the same train, but as he did not
aDT,ear it was concluded he would come by the
next-half an hour later; accordingly the car
rage drove away with myself only.
The family being from home at the moment,
and the dinner hour being I. i went at once To
INV room TO unpack and to dress; having COM
Melted these operations. l descended TO the
draWtng-room. 1t probably wanted some time
fo the dinner-hOur, as the lamps were not
iiohred but in their place large blazing fire
threw a flood of light into every corner OF the
room. and more especially over a lady, who
dressed In deep black, was standing by the
x,too ina c no foot