Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-01-05
HEAPHEY'S GHOST.
A Story That, il True, Must Take Rank
Among the Most Astound-
iog and
Astonishing Manifestations from the
Night Side OF Nature-Marvel-
Gus il True.

NEW York, January I.-Mr. Jennings, in
his cable letter to the World, published yes
terday, announces the publication of Charles
story, of which Mr.. Dickens speaks as the
most wonderful story he ever heard of. A
reporter of the World was yesterday. sent to
call on a gentleman Of this city who knew
Mr.. Heaphey and his family, and who has
more than once told the story of Mr.. Hea-
phey's ghost to his more intimate friends in
New York. II appears from this that Mr..
Heaphey, who was a London artist of great
prominence, was in his studio one day, and,
going TO an adjoining room, was startled to
find there handsome young lady. She urged
him strongly to paint her portrait of her for
a friend, which he promised TO do at future
day. She told him tn At there was a likeness
OF another lady in HeatPs Book of Beauty,
which closely resembled her. Suddenly she
disappeared, though the door was locked,
and, going to his table, Mr.. Heaphey found
roll without = postmark, containing the
| picture in question. His servant could not
tell him how it got there. He undertook a
| sketch of the desired portrait and two or
three weeks later, while in Derbyshire, was
asked by gentleman whom be mt al din
ner to paint portrait OF an invalid child.
He finally promised to 60 10 his house and
4 10 60. Ou TIC nc was lOlueO Dy his
mysterious visitant, who rode with him in
the railway carriage for part Of the way.
| She remarked on the fact that he had begun
a sketch OF her portrait. "But how did you
know it?" he asked with great surprise. She
did not answer, but urged him TO finish it.
| Finally she got out at way station. He
| could not resist the impression that there was
something wierd and uncanny about her,
and was glad when she was gone. Finally,
he reached his destination, an old fashioned
country house. On entering the drawing
room he found his late companion standing
| by the fire. "How did you Gomez" he said |;
81 thought mine was the only rain.n /
came by way of my OWL" she replied, and
kept on talking in lively way. Soon the
| host and hostess came in, and made no offer
to present her to him, and in no way
recognized her presence. AS he took the
| hostess IN TO dinner the latter said: "You
| see, we have no one here, and it is very kind
of you to come and give us your company"
This seemed strange remark, as the lady
was citing directly opposite him, taking no
part in the conversation, however. Mr..
| Heaphey was astounded, but said nothing.
Thinking, perhaps, that he had become the
victim OF an hallucinatien, he made re-
mark to the servant, who accompanied him
to his bedroom, about the young sxdy wish
tor. The servant answered la ibid not
know there was any young LADY Sd tk house.
He found he could get no light, andsc quiet
| ly proceeded to execute his COMMISSION OF
| painting the invalid's portrait. He kept all
| the strange incidents TO himself, mol knowing
how TO explain them. The next winter he
was stopping at hotel in Lich6eld, and
was surprised at receiving an invitation
to visit gentleman whom he had known as
a schoolboy, but had not met for years. The
| e tod nd told
him that his father, who was sick, much de-
sired TO see him. "How did he know was
here% asked the painter. The young man
replied that he could not tell, but that his
father had been expecting him. He accepted
4 the invitaticr, and was introduced on his
arrival TO the sister OF his guide, young
lady in mourning. She, too, was al loss to
know how her father knew he was in Lich-
| field, but added her father had been expect
ing him for months. "How can this be?'
he asked, "since have had no communica-
ton with him for years" But you have
been painting my sisters portrait, /" she re-
piled. He answered that she must be dream.
| ing, for her sister had never sat TO him, and
asked where the sitting took place
at must have been before she died, y
| answered she, and then went on to
| tell OF the portrsit from the Book
of Beauty which b ad been sent to him. He
asked the date of her death, and found it
I briefly preceded that of his interview with
his mysterious visitor. He had the portrait
and the nearly completed sketch in his bag
and gave them 10 the father, who was greatly
| delighted. No explanation of the mystery
was offered, and Mr.. Hesphey was sure Of
nothing but the facts above summarized. Ii
| the incidents be as true as they are claimed
to be, they must rank among the most as.
founding revelations of the night side Of
nature Most ghost stories are based on a
single spectral appearance, while in the
present case the ghost seems to have fol.
lowed up her victim with unnecessary per.