Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-09

OFFICE, &C.
4 number Of gentlemen were sitting the other
DAY in q real estate office on street enjoying
,he comparative leisure which August trings to
most business men Of Washington. The subject Of
premontions. strange presentimeEts and other
psychological phenomena came up. and the con-
yersacion naturally drifted rapidly towards
ghosts. 'Iknow ola ghost or apparition or psy-
Geological delusion. or whatever you choose to
call it right in this city said the real estate agent
land not far from this ofiice-a good old
fashioned apparition that makes nightly visits
and fills all the requirements of the regulation
ghost story" OF course all the gentlemen
present expressed desire to hear this ghost
story. and the real estate agent proceeded:
There Is substantial old house near the
center of the city. You would all know the
house 1T once If l mentioned the name of the
family, but of course il would not do to do that
for IHE STAR reporter here WCuld put it into
the paper. and that would hurt the property
In this practical. sheptICal age. every one pooh
poohs at the idea Of ghosts. but still if it is
rUnored that house is haunted it will depre-
catc the property at once Singular isn't it,
that people who don't believe in ghosts should
let "a story OF that kind affect their iudr-
menI aS To the value of real estate
Well. in this old house lives an elderly
widow lady, who has been an invalid for
many years. She is quite we'll known on ac-
count OF her liberal contributions to charitable
institutions. Not long AGO she EMPLOYED a
woman a. her maid or personal attendant As
the truth OF the story depends chiefly on the tes-
tlmony of this woman. | will state that she is
mldGle-a@ed a plain. practical cOmmOn-senSe
person. VINO has ALWAYS been skeptical. and not
likely 10 be deceived tx mere fancy. She lived
a. hoUSekeeper for many wears i'm the family of
an o:d citizen here who gives the highest tpSti-
H"ny as 10 her yeracIty and Judgment. This
attendant has to sleep in the same room with
ter mistress. Soon after her arrival she was
greatly p"rpcXTd by strange happenings for
which her experience and common sense offered
no explanation When going upstairs she
would hear. or will say fancy that she heard.
II you like that better, the sound of footsteps,
aS oi some enc going mp the stairs ahead of her
Enough she could See no one. She could hear,
also. In the dark paSSage-ways upStair footballs
which Tel her on search TO discover who was
walking about the house. She could discover
no enc one night while Size was living awake
IL her mistress ROOM in which irht is ALWAYS
KEPT burnin" dimlv the footsteps drew near
the door. ana the figure of a woman gded into
the room and bent over the bed where the old
lady was sleeping. and then went quickly away
again The performance was repeated on the
following night. hut the appaTtiOn remained
longer. The attendant summoned COURAGE
enough To call TO the Old lady who walked very
easily. and ask. who is that beside Your bed?.
There Is no one here the Old lady said
PARTON gllded from the room. During the (iay
sometimes this maid was required to 90 to a
room on the top floor where large Quantity of
Old family letters and papers We're kept Alter
= lew minutes IN this room she would eXpe-
fleece an indp~cTiballp sensation n thrill of
terror. as u there were some dreadful invisible
presence IN the room. One day She went To
This room To search for something but alter re-
naming there short time was so filed with
li'iS iHIennable terror that she fled precipitately
n -fstET- etv1lr
COOK. who laughed at her fears consented to
return with Eer, hat they had hardly reached
the room before the same feeling seized the
COOK. aId the two gave up their search and
FASTENED down stairs. Meanwhile the nightly
visits al the apiartiOn continued and so tar as
Know stu continue. The figure one night en-
tered til" room and took a chair which was
placed directly beneath the chandelier where
the night i'.! full upon it. There it sat, silent
and EtCtlpnic~S. with its eyes bent steadily unno
the OLD lady. The Old lady denied stoutIv that
enc saw tie ii@ure- All Of the pecu!iarities of
the ortSs worn by the appar.ton and its features
were noted closely 10y the attendant ID Wore n
Iecuiiaf headdresS. Ike Il turOan. fastened with
three large black pms The hair was dark and
gathered ina Knot behind the eyes black and
the face pale and Of fine and delicate mould.
Tie dress Was white and flowing Sometimes
IL PAGES up and down the room tor long while
always Keeping its eyes on the invalid Now
that Is al there is TO tell ut present few gen
temen who have heard OF the ghost are quietly
Connecting al the information they can obtain
OF the subject and are awaiting Developments"
iid The ghost never do anything to the at
PENDANT :: asked listener.
- les; one night when she called ont To her
mistress. and asked ii she did not see the figure
beside her bed. the apnarition crossed the room
I" where the attendant lay. and passed its hand
over her lace 1t was cold ON another night
the arparitIOn Game 10 the attendants bedside
and Placing its hand Oh her throat pressed so
AAfd a. To make Ter cry out with pain The
pam was intense, AID she could feel the effects
u the @trCstiy grip for some time afterwards"
ire C.d laiy cannot see this apparitiOn. you
r.. sara skcptl cal life Insurance. AGENT in
GdiIiI2i!: 1t ! visible only to one uerson?"
me OH lady says she cannot see il" replied
TIE real estate agent. emphasizing the .says."
.but II Il a singular thing that she will not be
Felt alone IN her bedroom at night for an in
slant Fiber attendant has to leave for any
1Hin- she has to call another servant TO remain
IL tie room until she returns. There should be
some romantic or tragic story connected with
1Ee 2E1St IN order to c0mpiete the story. but as
"" f.>i'"r never speaks. and evidently has not
yes i;iii.ed its mission its purpose in revisitinr
thr -iI"'I,t'S OF the moon cannot be stated with
ceGtalGtl-,
THE TTrLE-sEtRCHrR's TALE.
The cd ;i-ie-s1archrr who had been listening
th Sfrdt interest 10 the story, upon its con-
ciU>.'n compared notes quietly with the real
estate agent i know the family 10 which orr
Invalid. ghost-haurted old lady belongs very
well. said the tite-Sea-cher finally. as q resuit
OF lis consultation with the real-eState man
''5ii'I an inclined to believe the story for /
kno" - another very strange and Incredible
tliA- happening in the family II WAS n very
SINGULAR hing. very mysterious affair indeed "
-" Gentlemen Present insisted upon hearing
O. THIS mysterious a;f,i.r ard the ttIe-sparcher
after TIp,nC his glasses. began:
about seventy years ago the uncle of this
gt viii ..ttl
cry. hat that was not his name-was we'll
EGirtTy lived on his family estate a fine old
Place IN MARYLAND. few miles from Washing
TON Like many men Of fine family and excel
lent education in that day. he was somewhat
d.--:ia'ed and al .icied 10 cards Probably he
exceeded the limit OF what vas considered
proper IN young DlcG Of that dav for ! unfcr-
oie hay he played u gone Os cards in this city
VIM three gentlemen who Were prominent in
public life. and whose names Won vonjd All
Know II mentioned them. The game was high
ana Montgomery was unlucky. As his
losses crew larger lie became much excited
Naen he hal lost all his money he said yery
tri'iy. i VII stake laly soul on the cards This,
H. companions Thought. was q mere niece OF
hI"Fdi". and IN a Lattrring way one OF them
accepted ;hc WAGER. Montgomery PLAYED and
face was pale. hut he seemed calm His COM
lannon's laughed over his betting his soul as a
good joke. The condition Of the wager was
thar II should be- paid in exactly three months
time. at II O'Clock in the dav Montgomery re-
q = hfr a