St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1884-05-17
A GHOSTS STORY.

A GHOSTS STORY.
had always been something of a
dreamer, and when the fancy took me
to rent for the summer an old mansion
by the sea, whose owner was abroad,
and to occupy it alone, with the ex-
ception of two servants. my friends said
it was just like me, and expressed no
surprise. 1t was June when took up
my quarters by the sea, and l spent
nearly all that month in becoming ac-
quainted with the house and its his
tory and in exploring the surrounding
country.
In July the heat was extreme. and
passed my days lying in some sheltered
nook on the shore where could hear
the lazy murmurs of the waves, and
with half shut eyes give myself up to
revery. The evenings and, indeed, the
nights. if itwere very warm, spent in
n hammock on the long piazza, where
the moonlight filtered through the vines
and fell upon my face as swung gently
to and fro or lay asleep.
One day a storm arose that lasted far
into the night. After struggling sally
to the beach, came back with broken
umbrella and drenched clothes, and
powers so evidently superior, dressed
in dry clothes and gave myself up to
meditation and reading by bright fire
of driftwood. The day wore on and
night fell, SO that could no longer see
from the parlor windows the white caps
as they tossed like signals of distress
far out at sea. Icould still, however,
hear the swirl of the wind as it flung it
self around the corners of the house,
and the cracking of the old trees as
their stiff, aged limbs tried to bend be-
fore it.
These sounds. with the occasional
dash of rain upon the panes of the side
windows. gave feeling of additional
comfort to my safe and comfortable re-
treat. The leaping flames in the fire.
place shone on the polished andirons
and lighted spectral fires in the dark
wainscoting. The candles in their
brass sconces remained unlighted, and
gave me occasional glimpses of the tall,
straightforward chairs and mahogany
table and cabinet. On 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 in the dim light
seemed to see traits that were hidden
by day. The lips looked self-indulgent,
the eyes languid, the whole face ap-
peared that of one who could not bear
pain. who shrank weakly from suffer-
ing of any kind.
I fell into a train of thought so alb
sorbing that sat for hours motionless
in my armchair, only aroused by the
old clock in the hallway, which struck
twelve.
arose with start and went to the
though in a somewhat subdued fashion,
like the sobbing of child after burst
of tears.
As l stood there q strange feeling
came over me that caused me to look
back over my shoulder, as if expected
to see some one behind me. did see
some one. The chair which had Just
left, pushing it back as I did so, was
again drawn up to the fire, and in it sat
woman. Wondering if by any posi-
bility this could be an insane person
confined in the house and waited on by
stealth, stood still looking at her and
waiting to see what she would do. Her
dress was apparently of some thin,
white material and without decided
lines of any kind, seeming simply to
envelop her person and then to cease iE
some vague way, like the fieecy edges
of cloud. Her face-1 could see it in
profile only-was pale, painfully pale.
and her dark hair looked as if it were
heavily streaked with gray. After
ward. when 1 came to look at it more
closely, l saw it was covered with the
same thin mist that dulled the lines of
her gown. l could scarcely see her
eyes. for she was looking straight at the
fire, but knew from the expression of
her mouth that they must show the
deepest detection. She put out her thin
hands to the fire with a slow shiver,
saying:
'.It is so cold-so cold.'
On her left hand. noticed, cleaned
a heavy wedding ring. almost too much
of a weight for the fragile finger to
bear Coming to the conclusion that,
whoever she might be. she was certainly
q subject for hospitality on such night,
i approached her slowly and quietly,
not to startle her, and said:
You have surely not been out in the
storm, madam"
She did not start, though she showed
bv her look that she had not before
known Of my presence.