The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-24
fSiatsd By Special Arrangement cith the Anthor.
THE GH0STLY LADY.
By HARRIET PRESCOTT sPOFFORD.
copyrighted 1884, by the Author-An Rights
Reserved.
A STORY.


hills where the day comes late and goes early,
thrust back upon themselves by the great con-
fronting masses of forest and precipice and en-,
downing stock and stone with potentiality of
occult life and will.
The rosy CLEAN of the Snow lying on the crest
of old Silyertop when the rest Of the earth was
In gloom would send Jasper, the lonely, dis
traught youth of twenty winters. to bed with a
sense of happiness in the world, although it
might not be for him; and the gray shadow there
on another night frowned over him with fore
boding of evil for him and all the world besides.
The gray shadow was there on the night
wayfarer came up the valley and paused for
shelter before the breaking storm. 1t was on
the night of the gray shadow, with the moon be-
hind the mists, that the strange noises were al
ways heard in the old house, the strange sights
seen.
The wayfarer was a man past middle life, but
still full of erect yigor and strength his
black eyes keen as the eyes of the youth before
him, although brow and beard were white;
face of fine line, pure tint, and passionate seri-
BUSINESS. The face of the youth before him
gave one a singular sense of it's being the same
face reflected in glass with all the aura and
remoteness Of its magic atmosphere, and with
the addition Of some strange phosphoric element,
as you might say.
The elder man looked about him with an air
of seeking and finding familiar things that
Jasper, with his observation made the surer for
its narrow limits, or else through some other
channel at once recognized. Yes" he said.
"Stay, if you will. Only warn you; it is the
ghostly lady's night"
'"The ghostlv lady! There was no"
''But there is now" said Jasper And he led
the way into the house, the door opening directly
upon big blazing chimney in room where the
size, the wainseotng and carving told that it be-
longed to one of those colonial houses that were
outposts on the old wilderness where some adj
venturous trapper had made his fortune, had
built his dwelling and founded his family.
Opposite the fire hung portrait rude paint
ing, hardly more than a daub, but even the I'M
skilful painter had not been able to disguise the
beauty of the subject and the eyes of the lovely
woman painted there seemed all at once to fasten
upon the wayfarer as he glanced up and met
them and stood transfxed. Through all the
rude smear and touches of the paint, there
seemed to swim bloom, light, a color, till the
fair face of the living woman for whom the
thing was meant glowed on the panel, and with
her great dark eyes was looking him through and
through where did it come fromg was what
the stranger contrived to gasp.
IT paintedit said Jasper. 'It is the ghostly
lady. Yet could not keep my Margery out of
it. A fair woman, you see."
"a fair woman said the stranger with
shudder.
For ghost" said Jasper.
The stranger shuddered again. "Tell me
what you mean" he said, with an air of author
ity.
Sometimes, said Jasper. quietly, 'there is
no woman there Again-as to-night-you see
her."
ST see her." said the stranger, dropping into
seat where the freight famed over him till he
hid his eyes with his hand Jasper regarded
him ixedly There was something in his young
eyes as intent and eager as in the eyes of the
portrait; they both glowed as with bale-fire be-
hind them.
''Yes,' said Jasper again, "a fair woman 1t
is my mother he added presently.
"Your mother!" said the stranger, and his
tone was piercing cry. A gray haired woman,
with kerchief on her head, leaned forward
from her dark corner and Withdrew again at
once.
'The way of it all is this, said Jasper calmly
1T was twenty years ago. She was the
daughter of the family that had been established
here kings of the mountain country, for g
century and half. All the land and all the
gold of their long accumulation were hers. Per-
OH urilfr nj xha at
please She was used to command. And then
she was so beautiful. You have seen chat for
yourself"
Il have seen it," said the stranger. 'She had
alover resumed Jasper, who came from some
remote spot, a madly-impassioned lover man
Of beatty equal to her own man Of power and
mark. well-ftted to rule,the fields and thousands
she would have given him if they had not been
80 secured to herself that she had no power to
do so, the reason, perehance, that / am not a
beggar to-day, 1t would be bad enough to be a
began said they youth with short, sharp laugh
'sbut to be mad beggar! Wildly as Jasper loved
her-that was his name--she returned his love-
and they became husband aud wife. To her ap-
prehension the world held but one being
went but for one being, had no
OGner emu tnan the happiness oI one pelng- She
directed every movement by him as the needle is
governed by the star. She could hardly sear to
have him out of her sight; in his preence she was
at rest. at peace and full of Joy; away from him
she was all unrest and fever. The house was
gay one, flled with friends much ofthe time; she
wanted it so gay that her lover should never
weary When friends were not there the two
were away on their journeys often bringing
back with them new friends, And here the
youth rose and threw fresh sticks upon the fire.
and walked restlessly about the room, and
looked through the window at the storm which
had already begun to beat the mountain side
with sleet. The stranger rose and himself stood
moment looking out into the unreasonable
darkness up which the wild white storm was
winging his forehead cold upon the pane. ut