, 1884-07-09
A GHOSTS sTlRY.


aud when the fancy took me TO rent for the
summer an old mansion by the SEA, whose
owner was abroad, and occupy it alone, with
the exception of two servants, my friends
sal it was just like inc. and expressed no
surprise. 1t was June when l took up my
quarters by the sea, and ! spent nearly all
that month in becoming acquainted with the
house and its history, and in exploring the
surrounding country.
In July the heat was extreme. and / passeC.
my days lying in some sheltered nook on the
shore where 1 could hear the lazy muir
nur OF the waves, and with half shut eyes
give myself up to revery. The evenings,
and, in eed tho nights, ifit were very warm,
spent in a hammock on the long piazza,
where the moonlight filtered through the
vines and fell upon my face as 1 swung
gently 10 aud fro or lay asleep.
One day a storm arose thnt lasted far into
the night. After a struggling sally 10 the
beach, | came back with a broken umbrella
and drenched Clothes. aud having no mind
to hattie further with powers so evidently
superior. l dressed in dry clothes aud gave
myself up to meditation and reading by a
bright fire Of driftwooI. This day wore on
and night fell, so that l could no longer ses
rom the parlor windows the white caps as they
tossed like signals of distress far out at sea.
lcould still, however, hear the swirl Of the
wind as it flung itself around the corners Of
the house, and the cracking OF the old trees
IS their stiff, aged limbs tried TO bend
befoie it. o
These sounds, with the occasional dash Of
rain upon the panes of the side windows,
gave a feeling OF additional comfort to my
safe and comfortable retreat The leaping
flames in the Fireplace shone on tho polished
andirons and lighted spectral fires in the
wainscoting. The candles In their brass
sconoes remained unlighted, and only tho ft-
full blaze of the driftwood gave me occasional
gliinpses of the tall, straight-ba backed chairs
and mahogany table and cabinet. Ga the
walls hung two or three portraits. one of the
young owner of the house, who was now in
Europe on his wedding Journey. l had often
examined the face and thought it handsome,
to night In the i'm light | seemei to see
traits that were hidden by day. The lips
looked self-indulgeni. the eyes languid, the
whole face APPEARED that of one WHO could
not bear pain, who shrank weakly from suf-
teiing of any kind
l fell into n train OF thought 30 absorbing
hat l sat for hours motionless In my arm
chair. only aroused by the old clock In the
hallway. which struck Il.
l arose with a start and went to the win
dow. The rain and wind continued. though
in a somewhat subdued fashion, like the sob
bing of a child after a burst of tears.
As stood there, a strange feeling came
over me that caused me to look back over my
shoulder, as IL l expected to see some one be.
lind nc. | did see some one The chair
which l lad just left, pushing 1t back as / did
30, was again urawn up to the fire, and In 1t
sat u wonan. Wondering IL by any possibil-
ny this could be an insane person conhaeI in
TIE house and waited ON by stealth, l stood
still looking at her and waiting to sec what
she would do. Her dress was apparently OF
-nnta fhtp xyhfIa ,nata.{.I orl ..L~.. l.
ridel lines OF any KIND, seeming simply to
euvelop her perso and then to cease In some
vague way, like the neecy edges of a cloud
Her face-l C uld see 1t in profile only-was
pale, painfully pale, and her dark hair looked
as II II were htnvily streaked with gray.
Afterwnrd, when l came TO lJok at 1t more
closely, l saw that it was covered with the
nmo thin mist that dulled the Ices of her
gown. 1 could scarcely see her eyes, for she
was looking straight at the lire, but i know
from the ex preston of her mouth that they
must show the deepest detection. She put
out her thin hands to the tire with a slow
SILVER, saying;
at Is 50 cold-so coldi"
On her left hand, 1 noticed, cleaned a
heavy welding ring, almost too much of a
weight for her fragile finger to bear. Coming
to the conclusion tnat, whoever she might
be, she was c~ertninly a subject for hospitali Y
on such n night, l appr' acned her slowly AMI
quietly, not to startle her, and said:
"You have surely not boen out in tho
storm, madam
She did not start though she showed by hor
look that she had not before known of nv
presence.
"No-no-l have not been in the Storm
she said, "but it would not have hurt me II
had"
@Mad as Hamlet" thought /, as ! leaned
against the high mantel-s helf and looked
down at her. She continued TO gaze into tho
fire for awhile, then sal simply, by way OF
explanation, not apollo ";
81 Always come at IL, because then every
one IS asleep, and the house Is still. l sup
pese the storm kept you awaken
AS she spoke, she raised her eyes and looked
directly into my face, which she had done
not b fore Lar-c, dark eyes they Rero, but
perfectly lus'erless-even the frelignt was
reflected In them dimiy. There seemed TO 10
n chill in the atmosphere about her, as about
one Voc comes in from wintry weather with
the frost In his clothes.
Yes, it was the Storm l replied; but she
seemed already to have forgotten what she
had asked me, and was again deep in her
musinE.
question, she said, softly:
"If you are not going, will you not have A
CHART One tires so soon standing. You will
find the old chair by the cabinet comfortable
If anything can DO comfortable" she added
drearily.
l certainly had no thought of going to bed
and leaving the house aud its inmates to the
caprices OF a mad woman, and / turned in
voluntarily to the corner she had indicated.
An old chair stood there which, to my recol-
lection, hal not been out OF its place since ]
fat.f eanN.l tho ln.,A, Oh. - - 4
her bead as she spoSe, TO look for 1t, but re-
ierred to its position with perfect confidence,
as II she herself might have placed it there.
l L brought it nearer to the fire and sat down,
finding it as she had said very comfortable.
As soon as was seated she began in a low
monotone and with many pauses to talk, but
not more TO me apparently than to herself
and for her own relief. The quality Of dreari-
ness in her voice that l had already noticed
did not prevent its having e sort Of minor
music VIII. oh was far from dlsagreeable.
~ cannot help feeling that this is my
house. 1t was once, not quite two years ago,
before I-died."
/ gave a start which she must have noticed,
for she repeated: Eyes, before l died. am
. ghost. Docs that brighten youi Dc not
let it'll never harm any one-l am only un-
happy"
She lifted her hand, and, though it was
held between me and the fire, / saw none of
the rosy color which freight makes as 1t
shines through translucent human flesh and
blood. She twisted the welding -riug slowly
round and round-everything that she di
was done slowly and lifelessly-and said:
Sometimes ! wish to take my ring off, it re-
minds me so; but l died with it on, and !
must wenr t."
While sue hal been speaking I had called
N min the fact that the owner Of de hol.s
The best smoking tobacco is Little
! III