The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-07-19
A TRUE GHOST STORY.
Experience ofFour Literary Feminine Bread
Winners.

ueDeccd w. EdSUerDro0kS an author Oh c0nSlQ-
cradle promise, who died in 1879 now alive
Their names are: Miss Caroline B. LIE Ross
teacher of elocuton in Vassar College; Mrs f.
M. Butts, a well-known writer and Journalist,
who resides at Westerly, r, l.. and Mrs, Eleanor
Ames, better known to the literary world as
Eleanor Kirk" These ladies are willing to
attest the truthfulness of the following nara
tive:
1t was pleasant, brown stone, cosily-fur-
nished abode, bearing every external and inter
nal indication of peace and comfort. There was
nothing to distinguish it from other houses on
Columbia Heights, save that its inmates were
all bread winners, and so occupied day and
evening as to leave very little time for claims of
society. Three of them were contributors to
New York daily newspapers, and to the current
literature of the day These ladies worked, and
did not entertain much The other ladies in this
aristocratic locality entertained more and did
not work. But there was a greater difference
between them, so puzzng, so entirely off
the common, so exciting, so opposed to all known
laws, as to furnish constant theme of specula-
ton, and persistently to worry and alarm
the members of the household. The house
on Columbia Heights was even a more wonder
full place than that of John Wesley, or of the
grandfather of Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Our
four literary feminine bread-winners displayed
no seeking after the supernatural, and had there
been inclination for such seeking there was no
time for it.
Two of the ladies', sisters, occupied the front
alcove room on the second story, and third
occupied the Dack room on the same f100P Inc
performance opened one night about Il o'clock,
soon after they had moved into the house, with
the sound of shutting footsteps in the rooms, "A
light was struck and the noise ceased. The doors
leading to the hall were locked, and no intruder
was visible The gas was turned down, and silence
had reigned for few moments, when the same
singular shutting was distinctly heard, accom-
panied by new sound, like the dragging of a
stiff silken skirt on the carpet. This was fol-
lowed by loud knockings in different parts of
the rooms. Sometimes these raps were on the
beds, sometimes on the doors, and again on the
floor and the window-panes, and winding up
with whack, crash, and bang. With fear
and trembling the gas was again turned up, and
with the same result as before. Nothing nor
nobody anywhere A midnight conference was
held, and when the ladies again retired the gas
was left burning full blast. All was quiet but
upon waking in the morning strange sight met
their astonishmed eyes. Chairs were turned
upside down. bureaus were dismantled cush-
ions and mats, hair-pins and hair receivers were
strewn about the floor, and, worse than all, the
garments, which had been earthly arranged for
the morning together with the slippers and
stockings-in fact all the paraphernalia of three
Wardrobes-were so mixed up and ehurned to-
gether that it was almost impossible to separate
them.
This was q house-warming with avengeance,
and the quartette of bread winners met at the
breakfast table in a state of wonder and
nervous anxiety impossible to describe A care
full inquiry as to the kind of night that had been
ELECTED nothing unusual On this occasion no
one had been disturbed but the ladies on the
second floor and the occupants of the ada
cent houses who called in to ascertain the cause
of it. These exercises proved to be only an
overture; for, during the whole year spent in
this house, there was literally no rest from these
phenomena. About three nights in week the
same noises were heard on the second floor with
the Same aggravating mixing up of clothes and
oyerturning of furnitere
One dav ahnut tha 1St IF lima the ladv If tba
house returning from her New York Office, rang
the doorbelL The door was Immediately opened
indeed, quicker than a fiash-by tall, strange
woman in black. She wore large cameo pin at
her neck and on her head three-cornered piece
of lace, trimmed with lavender bows There
was nothing in the least ghostlY about her APP
pearance with the exception of the singular way
in which she backed from the vestibule into the
front parlor.
Wondering who this woman could be who had
taken upon herself the Office of door-opener. the
bread winner followed her instantly into the par
lor. Nobody there, Up stairs down stairs in
every nook, closet and creyice the seeker hunted
and peered without the least trace of human
or spiritual being In short, there was not a
person in the house save she who had just en-
tered Even the servant, finding that she
needed some article for dinner had locked the
doors and gone out to get it. This was the first
and last visible appearance Of this particular
spook upon the scene.
But afterWard it was impossible to partake off
meal III peace IL WAS u common proceeding
the table to tip at one end in such manner as
to send the dishes in heap together, without
respect for gravy boats, butter dishes, soup
tureens, or coffee potts. although, strangely
enough nothing was ever destroyed, andno one
was ever hurt in these out-of-the-way perform
ances.
A guest at the table was the signal for grand
demonstration. The most awful knocks would
be heard under his or her plate, the table would
lurch, creak, and dance about like something
alive, much to the modification of the bread
winners, each Of whom have deep seated alb
horrence to being classed among spiritualists
Not one of them even credulous. From
first to last every incident was carefully weighed
and sifted, and the supernatural was the last
theory to obtain. But who tipped over the Ia
bles2 Who dragged stiff silken fabrics over the
carefully locked and bolted2 Whorang the bells
and banged the doors2 Who so persistently
mixed up the wearing APPAREL
The most aggravating feature of the whole
remarkable business was the stealing or the hid
ing of valuable articles, for the invisible thief or
thieves always returned the things that were
taken. One was never certain that an article of
dress could be found unless it was on the body
of the owner. Cloaks, shawls, dresses, hats
gloves. in broad daylight under ones very eyes
would suddenly disappear and no amount of
hunting would bring them to light. So it came
to pass that the ladies were frequently obliged
to borrow clothes from each other, and neither
knew in the morning what description of dry
goods would be worn in the afternoon. The in
visible presences were especially partial to back
hair. 1t was never disturbed on the head; but
on the dressngcase, or when hung over gas
fixture, or when lying in a drawer, it was GER
tain to walk off. Indeed the only way to in
sure the presence of the necessary back hair was
to keep it pinned to ones pocket or buttoned in
in ones dress while the natural hair on the head
was being combed.
One morning one of the ladies forgot to be
cautious, and left her valuable back hair on the
dressing case for a moment. She was entirely
alone in her room with her door bolted. Il
turned around she said, land as did so inn
mediately bethought myself of the switch.
turned back again and the thing had gone"
pair of six-and-a-half gloves could be worn
by five hand and cloak for small person
could be stretched to do service for q larger one
but a black switch could hardly be worn on