The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-04-08
Ts7Ci PRESS.
london Society.l
Seen in the Mirror.
A Real Ghost Story.

the latter course. suppose it was easier
70 write a letter Of acquiescence than of
apology; or possibly the latent curiosity
which had kept il check for so long had
asserted itself at last, to the defeat of reason
and resolution.
Three years before had spent u eek at
Forrest Hall; and when brought my STAY
to an abrupt conclusion, had all lat regis
tered mental vow That | would never re-
peat the experiment of a visit again. Yet
Mr.. Forester, my host, had been courteous,
even cordial; his wife showed herself as
agreeable as foreigner, who spoke English
but imperfectly, could be; and there was no
other visible inmate of the house to give UNI
bragg or disturbance. The adjective NAV
seem expressive; but if 1t is taken to imply
that suffered annoyance from nocturnal
yisitants of a spiritual cast. it SAYS too much.
1t was not thus that my seven DAYS soiourn
at the hall was rendered irritable and al
most uncomfortable. But need not pause
upon matter which will naturally unfold
Itself later.
1t was on Ihe eve of Christmas day that
drove beneath the ivied portal which gave
entrance - flie romantic old place that
-eea0 once looked upon as my OWE. 1t had
belonged a few years ago to my uncle, Mr..
Geoffrey FORESTER. He had never married !;
l was his fayorite nephew; and though the
son of his youngest brother, 1t had been an
assumed, almost settled, thing, that |,
George Forester, was to be his heir. Tie
disappoi, tinent in these expectations came
TO me before that ominouS and mOmentous
day when The will was opened. Some
months before my uncle's decease OWNED
that his intentions respecting the disposal of
his property had varied, and that for no
fault OF mine. but through sudden favor
shown TO another, changes were made,
which were to work strangely Oh my after
life. The son of his eldest brother came
back from long residence in Italy, with an
only and very lovely young daughter They
were naturally invited to Forrest Hall; and
before the visit ended knew that former
estrangement between the uncle and
nephew was disspated by the friendly inter-
course of the present, and more especially
and entirely by the fascination exercised
over the old gentleman by the winning
brightness and beauty of Lucia Forester.
Her mother was an Italian, and was still in
her own country, while the father and
daughter paid this visit of policy to the fast
failing owner of Forrest Hall. They re-
manned with him to the last. and it was
found then that, with the exception of a
small bequest to myself, the whole of my
uncle's property was willed to his elder
nephew, in reversion to his only child Lucia
l had met the latter, had spent fortnight
an, the house with her, and had admitted
that her power of attraction was deep and
incontestabie. l thought of her now as
was borne, swiftly along the drive, and came
presentlyin view of the old Elizabethan
mansion, which was her home. Though
the weather was bleak, with piercing wind
blowing on the open road without the de-
mesne, here there was comparative shelter,
Ny Uncle Godfrey had carried out one of
his fancies toa successful issue, and had
surrounded himself with the green and
shade of Summer when there was Winter
elsewhere. The whole grounds were plant
ed thickly with evergreens which flourished
almost like trees, SO carefully had their
growth and luxuriance been promoted: and
now, at this Christmas season, outer deco
rations as well as inner might have been
specially got. up, judging from the glossy
boughs which filled the view on all sides.
1t was evening: the house was brilliantly
lighted up; and as the hall door was thrown
open, the warm glow within was all the
pleasanter in contrast to the frosty air and
fitting moonshine which held the world in a
cold spell without. Something else was
more inspiriting than all. 1t was sight
which met my eyes in the first moment of
entering. A young lady was crossing the
hall, and turning, just in the doorway lead
ing to room opposite, she gave me smile
Of welcome. She was beautifully dressed
in silk of creamy shade, with some dra-
peres of rich violet velvet, relieving an 9th
erwise colorless picture; for the tint of her
skin and hair harmonized with that of her
dress, and was scarcely deeper in tone. But
there was nothing insipid in a face which
beamed with expression, which had bewitch-
ingiy lovely features, and pair of dark blue
eyes, set like stars beneath the delicate pen
clliDg of her brows.
'Lucia!' l exclaimed, and sprang for
ward eagerly. "Have we met at last?"
Have you come at last?" she retorted
quickly. "Three invitations and three re-
fusals speak fairly for our friendship, but
not for yours"
IAN invitation to place is nothing-thc
people are everything" l said. sWhen l
was last here you absented yourself strange
ly. Can You wonder Ibid not come again?''
This was the mere fact of the Use. On
the occasion of that former Christmas visit
my cousin Lucia had not once shown her.
self. / was told she was ill, and had felt
bound to believe the statement till it was
strangely negatived by a sight which rem
dered me at once perplexed and indignant.
had started one day for ride when some
thing went wrong with the equipment of my
steed, and Twas obliged to return unex-
pectedly to the house. was walking along
the avenue of the hall, leading the horse by
the bride, when. in pathway among the
eyergreens, 1 caught a glimpse of well-re-
membered figure. The tall, slight proper
lions, the girlish step, and che pale amber
OF the hair, which was rolled low upon the
neck and rested on the glossy darkness of
sealskin jacket, were sufficient in themselves
to identity the lady; but any doubt or be-
wilderment on the subject was at once dis
sipated by full view of the face
Miss Forester had evidently heard the
sound of advancing steps on the drive, for
she turned suddenly: A rosy flush mount
ed to her brow at the moment; but before
word or gesture could express questioning
surprise on my part she was gone. Hurry
ing onward l left the horse in the care of
groom and went at once to the house. Nv
quick inquiry for Miss Forester was met by
the reply that the young lady was still very
was confined to her room, and could
see no one. Half an hour later had left
Forrest Hall, anger having predomiuated
over the feeling of mystification which
might have led me to prolong my stay in the
hope of dissipating it by penetration or in
vestigation. felt that my cousin, who was
the heiress now, was determined to arrest
any incipient attentions of the former heir
by showing him, in the most pointed man
ner, her Discrimination even to tolerate his
presence. 1t was CALLING enough to have TO
return as an impoverished guest to place
where had once hoped to dispense hospi-
tality, on my part, without mourning the ad-
ditional humiliation of being subject to an
unjust suspicion. could see nothing else
in the strange withdrawal of my cousin Luz
cia from my society. She plainly thought l
might become too audacious as sutton.
and was determined that the inheritance /
had lost should not be regained through her
This was the view of her conduct which /
took at the time, and which nettled me so
much that when an invitation came each
succeeding Christmas to spend it at Forrest
Hall | refused until the present occasion.
little silvery laugh and a sweet bewitch-
Ing glance dissipated everything but a sense
of enhancement now. They had been the
only reply to my inquiry, but they were suf-
ficient to arrest the questionings Of the past
In view of a less-perplexing future.
l was soon in the drawing-room TO which
Lucia led the way; amid the excitement of
Christmas festivities vas greeted cordially
bv Mrs. Forester and my cousin Geoffrey.
Ny hostess was tall, thin lady, scarcely
foreign-looking in appearance, as her COM
plexion retained in faded form the traces
Of fairness almost as dazzling as her daug-
ter's. She was still III the prime of life, but
peculiar air OF feebleness was given to her
aspect by the way in which she carried her
head. 1t wassalways slightly on one side.
uoa ON vo1nrod with r,,,eI;~