The National tribune., 1882-01-21
A REAL GHOST STORY,

| We were large party, assembled in a country
house in one of the home countess to celebrate
the coming of age of the eldest daughter. The
family consisted of Mr.. and Mrs. Franks, two
sons Harry and Lionel, and two daughters, Nora
and Bab AS many as fourteen young people
were staying in the house. and in few DAYS a
large ball was to be given. We were all at that
happiest time of life, between seventeen and
twenty-ive; we were all old friends, had known
one another from childhood, and were in the
widest spirits; many innocent fiirtations were
! being carried ON, with much discussion about
our partners and dresses for the forthcoming
ball, and were, indeed, very happy party,
| whilst MI. and Mrs. Franks were kind and in
dulgent to a fault to us young people
1t was large, rambling old house, the rooms
opening one out of the other, with unexpected
doors in the walls, concealed by being papered,
leading up narrow starcases to other rooms never
inhabited, hardly ever entered Four bedrooms
opened one into the other in this way, large and
curiously shaped: and in these four rooms all we
girls were located-seven of us. 1t was narrow
wing of the house, some of the windows facing
the lawns and strawberries, some overlooking
courtyard, into which opened the kitchen and
the dairy. My readers must forgive me if this
description seems tedious, but it is necessary in
order to better understand the rest of my story.
The night of the ball arrived. AS many as
two hundred members Of the surrounding fami-
lies, from far and near, came. The arrangements
were perfect, and dancing was kept up with much
spirit to a very late or rather to a very early
hour 1 we'll remember that we saw the last of
the guests off in broad daylight, and that some of
us preferred having tea and a stroll in the gar
den in the lovely morning air to seeking our
beds at all. We were very popular set of young
people, and ball succeeded ball in the neighbor-
hood, all given in our honor, and our kind host
and hostess insisted upon our prolonging our visit
to participate in all these gayetes.
It was the evening preceding one on which
ball was to be given about five miles distant. A
dressmaker was to come in the evening to look
at our dresses, and by putting new bows and
flowers to freshen them up for the occasion We
had just finished dinner, at about o'clock, and
were chatting over dessert when servant came
to tell Nora and Bah that Miss Saxby was ready
to try on their dresses. They Immediately went
to her, and in few minutes 1 followed them up
stairs to see what they were having done 1t was
wide, handsome staircase, terminating in
long corridor, off which opened most of the prin-
cipal bed rooms. Half way up, at the turn of the
stairs, was high painted window.
went up in the dark, and was surprised to
see standing by the window a man, apparently
in uniform, with short military cloak thrown
over one shoulder AS / went on this |
figure seemed to vanish, and l distinctly heard
the opening and shutting of two doors at the end
of the corridor leading into some of the vacant |
rooms. thought it might possibly be trick |
played on me by some Of the young men in the |
house, so l returned to see who was absent. but |
they were all there in the dining room. 1 pro-
cured candle and again went up to the girls,
making no remark ON what had seen until the
dressmaker had gone, when told Nora She
turped quite pale, made me repeat my story aid
then told us she had seen the same figure in the
same position and in the same place. Of course
we were laughed at, and no one would believe a
word of our story.
We went to bed early that night, having late