The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-06-20

not into my study
81 tell you | saw herr cries Bessie,
'.and you are not infallible, you know,
Hugh You declared you had seen me in
the garden last Tuesday, when had been
up stairs with Mrs. Brown all the time,
and now believe it was this lady you saw,
because of her blue dress.
At this reminder Mr. Darrell looks visi-
bly, disturbed What was the story Mr..
Ryle told him and they both laughed at,
about some apparition at the parsonage, and
was it possible that this phantom in blue,
which had appeared to both Bessie and
himself, had anything to do with it? A
chilly feeling seems to creep down his back
as he reflects upon the possibility of such
thing, notwithstanding his serpent brain
and lion heart And he does not know
whether to tell his wife the truth or to
leave her to cope with her suspicious as she
best may But as he is deliberating with
himself the cook appears in the passage and
approaches the open study door.
ssHearing the mistress upstairs, sir, |
make bold to say few words to you. /
don't know the way as they go on in the
country, but as a London woman consider
it tempting of Providence to leave a
Christian house all on the latch, as this be. !"
"Why, cook What on earth do you
mean ?" says Mrs. Darrell.
Why, maam, there isn't door that
fastens, not to say properly; and Liza and
me have been frightened out of our wits
more than once since coming here by stran-
gers hanging about the premises.
"You need be under no alarm, cook, +"
interrupted her master "No one in Sar-
celett would come up to the parsonage with
dishonest intention, and don't suppose
there is house in the village that is bolted
at night; so | should not like to be the first
to set an example of distrust."
"Well, that must be as you choose, sir, :"
grumbles the woman: "but faint pleasant
to have strangers a-coming and going at all
times
"What strangers, cook? What do you
mean ?" repeats Mrs. Darrell.
"Well, ma am, there's woman-a lady
I 'spose she calls herself-always a-prying
and peeping about the place Wherever
we 60, Liza and me, we're pretty sure to
come across her blue back, peering into a
cupboard or door.
''Her blue back Do you mean to say
she wears blue gown p
''Yes, ma'am, an old-fashioned concern
of 20 years back guess she's some pry-
ing old maid out of Sarcelett; but she dom t
pry into my pantry, and that TIL tell her
before she's many days older.
II know who you mean, cook l have
seen her, too, and so has the master-that
is, her back. But what is her face like p
II can't tell you that, maam. I've only
seen her back and her ugly blue gown"
"How strangel and SO have we. Oh,
Hugh! who can she be? This must be
inquired into"
The look of alarm In his wife's eyes
makes the husband decide that honesty
will be the best policy.
"Come with me, my darling, and we will
talk the matter over together. And as fol
you, cook, will see that proper bolts and
bars are placed upon the outer doors, so
that Eliza and you may sleep in peace foT
the future,
He draws his wife into the study as he
speaks, and then and there makes clean
breast of all that Mr.. Ryle told him. He
is very uncertain how Bessie will take his
intelligence, but he tries to soften it by re-
minding her that Except for the parsonage
being haunted) they might never have
been married to each other.
81 feared the shadow it might cast upon
our first married days, my darling but
hardly believed that it was true, and |
hoped if it were so that my love might
have the power to remedy the evil. You
trust in God, Bessie, and you TRUST in me-
Will not these Two tFusts-humaR and
diyine-help you to cast out your natural
dread of the supernatural II"
He is terribly afraid of the effect his
words may have upon her, but to his de-
light she seems as fearless as himself.
"a ghost, Hqghr' she exelaiWe, with 4
pidly.chaRgiAg cnlor. $40 you really
think it is a ghost that we have SEEM
How very strange! But do not be anxious
about me- | am not in the least afraid ot
it. Why should l be? Poor thing
Next time she comes l will speak to her
see if I do not, and ask her what she wants
in our beautiful parsonage
Even as she speaks the evening shadows
seem to gather in the little study, and
through them CLEANS the blue dress of tht
phantom woman.
"See, there she isl cries Bessie, clingins
to her husband elbow strange and weirC
it seems that she should stand there, yet
never show her face. Are you afraid o.
us?" she continues, addressing theiF ghostly
yisitapt siyou need not be. We are youl
friends Show us your face; tell us if We
can serve you by our sympathy or o4
prayers, and we will do all in our power t.
give you rest
But the onl y answer she receives is con
veyed by a backward waving of the phan
tom hand as the spirit melts into thin air
''Let me go after her" says Bessie
struggling in the clasp that would detair
her..
"No, dearest; do nothing rash, !" Feplie
Hugh DARRELL, ~ am thankful heyon(
measure to find how little this story ha
affected you, but there is no necessity fol
you to court the mystery that surround
US, Let US hope 1t may die out as 1t ha
arisen"
But the parsons hope is not realized.
The lady with the blue dress is seeT
oftener than ever after that day, and tn
occupants, both of the kitchen and drawin!
room become so familiar with her appear
ance as to mind her no more than if sh,
had been one of themselves, They NEE
her everywhere; up stairs and down stairs
her blue back goes before them, and tn
servants, discovering at last that she is an
apparition, make almost as much fun ou
of it as their mistress. Yet they never SCI
her face The know exactly how he
dress is made and how her hair is worn
but no one has had the good or i'll fortun
to view her features. 1t has become
regular custom to follow the phantom AM
banter her on her modesty respecting he
charms; but no jesting has induced her t
turn and look at her pursuers, until on
day as Mr.. and Mrs. Darrell are dow
stairs together, fearful scream calls then
to the upper story where they find thei
housemaid, Eliza, foaming on the grount
in fit. Restoratives are freely applied