Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-10-04
LUCY'S GHOST.
Written for the GLoBE-RFruRLrc.

Written for the GLoBE-REruRLrc.
seven men ana women were discussing
psyche ogical and occult matters in Il parlor
in one of New York tall fats one evening
not long since The scene was something
long to remember In fancy j saw it repro,
duced on canvas, and saw the psople of the
future looking at it with interest becauss il
depicted people who were beginning dimly
to grope into what in that day will, perhaps,
he an open book.
The women wore soft white gowns and
futtered large, bright fans. To me their
faces all seemea won nierfully thoughtful and
earnest, wonderfully handsome, too, wear.
ing the fadeess beauty of the mind
Cool breezes came in at the open windows,
but no rude sounds. The streets were SO far
below us that We heard but the faint echo Of
their roar.
don't remember how we chancsi to de
part from "the great philosophy of the
commonplace' and pursue subjects of SUI
pernatural order. After convers alton took
that trend, however, we all found ourselves
listening eagerly; and each readily contrib.
uted experiences to the general fund.
have often not,cel that whenever occult ico
Is broken in any company most of thoss
present will cheerfuly take u plunge 1t is
the ice breaker who needs to have courage.
One of our company was a man quite
eminent in the scientific world. He might
be described rs the last man one would ex-
pect to hear speak of things not generally
visible with any favor, and the first one
would expect to advocate materialism. We
had discussed the sixth, yes, even the sew
enth, sense almost to the point OF general
conviction, and had brought our minds to a
state OF unusual receptlvity, when our sci ,n-
tifc friend, Dr. Cardi oss, told this story:
When lived in Washington some years
ago rented a furnished house in the west
end-in the First ward--a locality that
reeks with old mansions of old Washing ton
ians, relics of a departed and never. TO- come.
again day. You all know, probably, what
a furnished house in that part of the ca pital
means. You can imagine what an accumu.
lation of the an lique, what relics of former
splendor make up the furniture. Our house
was no exception. 1t stood--indeed, still
stands-on the northwest corner OF + street,
near the Potomac. Like most If its nei Oh
bors, it was old.fash ioned within and with
ou'.
The lady who surrendered it to me wa 5
going abroad to remain some time. She
had an old colored servant, named Lucy,
whom she was anxious - leave comfortably
situated, and she begged us to permit her
to keep her room IN the attic, and she, the
lady, would arrange to have her m ais sent
in to her. We consented, and Lucy contin-
ued to occupy her old quar- ers.
We saw little of her. She was a quiet
soul, never obtrIIding in any way, and her
presence in the ouse was scarcely notice
able. One day after her mistress, Mrs Bar.
rett, had been gone about u month Lucy
bad stroke Of paralysis while eating her
dinner in the basement
l was sent Tor in haste. ] saw at once
that death was at her elbow, and she
realized it, too, without any hint from me-
When able to speak she told me, in strict
confidence, that in her room IN a certain
place. she had concealed a jar Of silver
money, aud in her bed a pocketbook con
tanning a number Of bills. These she begged
me to take possession Of, and after heI
death send them to Mrs. Barrett, for whom
she expressed the utmost affection.
promised, aud a few hours later she died.
l said nothing OF Lucy's bequest to any
one but went to her room in search of bel
treasure, the little hoardings of self-de
nying life. i found the jar, filed to til.
brim with odd pieces of coin but l coulG
not find the pocketbook. / searched tn.
bed through and through, taking every
thing of, turning the mattress over anC
over, and examining it with the creates
care. ] made up my mind at last that til,
pocketbook had no existence outside O
Lucy's imagination. She had been hal
dreaming, perhap', when she told lie abou
1t; had fancied herself wealther than sh,
was lsettlel down On that conclusion ant
gave up the search.
Some weeks after Lucy's death our ser.
want girl, also colored, took possession OF
her room. The first night she slept there
we were all awakened about o'clock by
her screams. She came tearin! down stairs
at breakneck pace, clothed only in her
robe de NUT Sobb ng AM shuddering, shf
took refuge in our room. She was so badly
frightened that it was some time bsfore she
could talk coherently enou sh to make u,
understand the cause of her terror Every
time she tried TO utter word her teeth
would chatter, her legs give way under hel
and her tonsu refuse to move. Finally,
between sArieks and shudiers, she manag I'd
TO say:
''Ole Lucy come and beat on my bedn'
or course, that sounded prep1e,terous Il
my wife and me. You know we are ali
very slow to acknowledge that there may
lie things in this great universe which we
In our learned stupidity know nothing
about We supposed the girl had beer
thinking about Lucy, knowing she occupied
her room, and had dreamed of her, proba
bly, dreamed so realistically that it seemed
more than dream.
Whatever had been the cause Of her
alarm. II had frightened her half out Of her
sense' She not only refused to return te
her own room, but she refused to leave
ours. Size dropped down on lounge aud
sobbsi and moaned pitifully till morning.
No.hng could induce her 10 remain an
other night under our roof.
"Oh, ] soon her" she said, "plain az
ever SOS her in my liis, aud sl,s pulled ths