Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-07-30
MISS MILDRED's WARNING.

EllIlud hlOOlt DClN hlOlJ DGlOlO uS q
dreadful image. "a house-made ghost
she called it, laughing at the terrific re.
suit of her half-hour of sedulous occu-
patton.
1t Wds horrible!
We had been reading, that afternoon,
about the Princess Amelia, that ill-fated
sister of Frederick, King of Prussia.
One thing brought up another. And
when an allusion was made to the
"Woman with the Broom" who was
said to have haunted the Prussian pal
ace, at that time, Elfrida sought a car
pet-brush, with long handle, in the
closet at the head of the stairs, and,
standing in the outer chamber, alone,
began to dress it artistically in sheet,
by way of showing us her own idea of
the phantom that troubled the rest of
Prussia's Kings.
We girls were alone in the wing cham=
Der, which had been allotted for our oc-
cupancy by Miss Mildred Fay, the own
er of the lovely farm, and the comforta-
BILE, old-fashioned farmhouse, in West
ern Pennsylvania, where, with our
parents, and other friends, we were
spending the early vacation months OF
the opening summer.
One other girl, Elfrida's first cousin,
Evelyn Moore, shared the wing cham
Der with us.
She had now gone to the village, two
miles distant, for the evening mail.
And Elfrida, who was somewhat envi-
GUS of Evelyn's scholarship, social posi-
ton and good looks, declared that she
would leave her "woman with the
broom so near the door of our cham
Der, and in such a position, that it would
inevitably fall against Evelyn, as soon as
she entered, to bring our letters,
"She says that she is afraid of no.
thing-that she does not believe in ghosts
or apparitions, she said to us. "Now
let's try her courage. We will hide in
the unfinished chamber, outside, where
we can hear and see all that passes be-
tween her and my phantom.
While we were eying the image from
a respectable distance, and feeling half
afraid of the hideous face and flaming
eyes, which Elfrida had drawn with u
few touches of her crayon and little
phosphorus on the white surface of the
sheet, a rustling sound and movement
in the outer chamber made us all hud-
die together and strain our eyes fear
fully toward its dusky entrance.
We all felt relieved, think q own
that / did, for one), when our hostess,
Miss Mildred, emerged from the gloom
and entered our room without pausing
to knock.
Elfrida tried to thrust the homemade
ghost into a corner, quite out of sight.
But it was useless to try and conceal
from Miss Mildred's searchingly-com-
prehensive glance the helpless appari-
tion.
(Which of you girls made thisp
Why did you make itP'' she asked,
holding it out at arms length.
Elfrida told her
'And please, Miss Mildred, don't tell
Evelyn - she said coaxingly. "We only
wish to find out whether she is reaiIY
braver about such things than we are
She says she is; and she declared the
other evening thatthe real woman with
a broom would not have frightened her
in the least-if she had seen and heard
her sweeping, mean, in the passages
of the royal palace" "
"And did you believe herP" asked
Miss Mildred, bending her keen, gray
eyes on Elfrida's eager face.
'tNo; did not" confessed Elfrida.
"Did you?"
Miss Mildred addressed us.
Iowned that L had my doubts.
Marian Hurst, with a half-averted,
timid look at the dreadful object, that
was still held by our hostess, declared
that she had no doubt whatever.
"No one could help feeling terrified
at such sight coming suddenly upon
them," she averred.
"You are none of you without your
fair share of common sense" said Miss
Mildred. "And you can deliberately
plan and aid and abet deed like this ~
She tossed the image out into the
dark, open chamber.
With an angry exclamation, Elfrida
was springing after it; but she found
herself held back by strong hand.
No, girls That same thing has
been done in this very house once be-
fore. Wait till tell you what came of
it before you try again to carry 1t out. T"
At the thought OF hearing a story, FL
frida forgot her momentary anger, and
crowded in beside us, near the chair at
the window, where Miss Mildred had
seated herself.
She looked at us very sadly. The
halElight may have deceived me, but
thought then, and | still think, that her
keen, gray eyes were full of tears, as she
began TO speak.
j did not always live here by my
self, girls, in the old homestead" she
said. I" Hve-and twenty years ago, my
dear mother and father were here; and
l had darling brother, one year older
than myself, named Oliver, and sister
younger than either of us, who was
called Isadore, after the heroine of a
story that my mother had read and
liked very much, just before her birth.
II was always tall, and thin, and
gaunt, as you see me now, girls. took
after my father. He looked well enough,
for man, mind you. But his features
and figure did not suit girl, and ! was
always called 'homely from child.
"But Oliver was handsome like our
mother. He had great blue eyes and
curling brown hair, and the brightest
color, and the sweetest smile. And Isa-
dore was like him, only far more beauti-
ful. You have seen her portrait down
stairs.l'
"Whatl that lovely, that angelic
childPn cried Elfrida, wonderingly ~
thought that was an artists ideal pic
turel'l
''It was the image of our Isadore at
nine years of age" replied Miss Mil
dred, trying to cover the sudden break
and tremble in her voice by a loud
" Heml"
"And at 16 she was far beyond that
painting for beauty continued Miss
Mildred. "Strangers used TO stop in the
street TO look at her, and to inquire who
she was. But she appeared to know
nothing and care nothing about her Won
derfu good looks. She was good and
gentle, and always amiable, without the
least apparent sign of vanity.
"'Ripe for heaven, our good old min
lister used to say. wish she might have
gone there thenl" said Miss Mildred,
with stihed groan.
"She did not die thenl" exclaimed
.Elf.i1a ..yaa ~, of.asI 80, ..,o..,