The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-12
THE GHOST OF A, CHANCE,
A STRANGE STORY.

as the guard said, "by a ghost Of a
chance" How could I call it a dream
or entertain the notion of ghostly infu-
ence, when the earring picked up by
own hand was now safe in my pocket?
Was it safe? looked. Yes, safe enough,
the wheel suspended from the birds
claw. A wheel of fortune it had indeed
proved to me.
.sAnd to you mean to tell me this is a
fact;;o I asked, ironically, as l finished
my friends manuscript.
"Every word of it, as I am living
man." he answered. "See, here is
the earring" and he handed me
the trinket.
"Wellp Icontinued, after examining
it, "What are you going to do2 How
= are you going TO finish your storyT'
"Oh, / don't know. Can you give me
enotiOnT
He knows I3have no eye for dramatic
situations
"Not indeed; you will have to in
vent that, / suspect"
And we talked a. good deal more, of
course, about the strange affair before l
left him; and equally, of course, at
the end Of two years the story was
not flushed. My friend is only dab
bier, and seldom brings any Of his efforts
in art or literature into a fruitful issue.
little thought that itwould devolve on
me to take up the thread of this one, and
6lrish it for him.
Before parting, however, asked:
''Did you see the girls faceT
"Not very clearly. The light was
,,lim. 1 could not distinguish her
features precisely, nor the color Of her
eyes, nor any details exactly, you under
stand"
'eYet there was look"-he went on.
after pause-"which reminded me OF
somebody, or I thought it did, could
not tell whom, that l had seen before.
Itwas mere impression, quite Uniformed,
vague. to degree. / had &Egetten,,
even, that anything Of the kind crossed
my mind, until you asked the question:" ;"
"Would you know her againY'
"Humphw-he hesitated-"I hardly
know! think I should if she was SIM
iiarly dressed and posed"
Then he said good-by; and for two
years do not think we have mentioned
the subject above twice; once, when
inquired if he had finished the story;
and once, later on, when, if ! did not
clear it up, at least threw weird light
upon the mystery; the light by which I
am enabled to throw sort of second
part to the first, which / found him
writing.
My friends rooms again; looking much
as usual, save that he is at his easel in
stead of his desk. Again, as usual, keen
for the time being upon what he is do
ing, he does not rise when / enter, and !
stand talking to him for awhile behind
his chair.
We have not seen each other lately,
and he rallies me good-humoredly about
:, dropping the acquaintance OF careless
bachelors like himself since my mar
riage-for that momentous event has
happened in the last six months. He
was abroad at the time and does not
know my wife yet. Soon we passed
from this interesting topic, and said
something about the water-color drawing
he was working at, as | still stood watch
ing it's progress over his shoulder. 1t
was small study, done the previous
evening at a life-sehool, as he told me,
from what artists call the draped model
"a rustic figure Of girl seated on a
stile.
"But stay" he cried, "you should see
It Under white mount. l have one
here cut to the size. Wait, let nae get
it."
He rose and went to the other end of
the room. An idea struck me; and TAX
ing from my pocket certain cabinet
sized photograph, which l had brought
to show him, stood it on the easel in
front of his picture, which it exactly
covered.
Returning with the mount. and talk
ing volubly of what he was going to do in
painting, he automatically put the hob
low center of the white cardboard just
over the photograph, but without, for a
| moment, noticing the change I had
made.
! Suddenly he saw it, and with an ex.
4 clamation Of wonder. started back.
\ "How came that herep' he went on,
a pale and agitated, as he looked inquiring-
ly from the picture to nae. "Did you
p put it there? Do you know the ladyf'
h "You recognize it?'
r eyes, certainly. I haven't seen her
n for some years now; but should know
\ that likeness anywhere"
I He bit his lips and paused, then add.
{ ed:
! "I didn't know you knew her."
7 II DON'T" answered. ~ didn't know
4 that such person ever lived until yes
4 terday."
4 'Then how do you come by her por-
4 traitf and why do you bring it to me9'
! .ATo ascertain if it really was the same
person"
Z "Same person as who!-what? ! DOM
understandp
'Why, whether, by any strange coin
cidene, this lady my wife's old friend
and schoolfellow- might, happen to b.
the lady Won Once-weII shall T say