Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-06-03

1 hch0 tlc piSbuc All ny AokuS Ia q IoPtuIc
for don't know how long, before l SO much
as thought Of explanations Even when l
did think, though, the natural explanation.
as you call it, was not so easy to arrive at.
This grave was some distance from the
Others, and stood quite alone, having no tree
or shrub near it but the yew. / had con-
templated it for some time before deciding 10
take it, and was quite certain that no one
approached it during that time. OF course,
when l focused the scene / necessarily
had my eyes on it, and it was absolutely i'm
possible that should have missed seeing q
face-her face above aD-had it been there.
Now, Spiritualist as ! am, and dreamer as
you think me, l always seek natural ex-
PLANTATION OF any apparent mystery first
and decided on doing so in this case. Had
l not been earnestly in love with the vision
/ should simply have kept the portrait as q
subject for pleasant speculations when / had
nothing better TO do; but l was in love. and
/ made up ny mind 10 solve this mystery
without delay
"And YOU discovered that it was the
curate's wifei' said
mo, / didn.,' was the reply, 3and you
had better have another cigar, Wilde; it
will keep you from making futile Interrupt
tons / could not leave town for two or
three days. and during that time l enlarged
the head into that picture which you saw
first, and when / went to Bringley |
took both pictures with me l got
down there too late TO attempt anything
that night, a nd though turned the subject
over in my mind all the way down. and con
tinued to do SO till fell asleep, could not
arrive at any definite conclusion as to where
to begin.
7 4. a I
one else wouhl have done under the circum-
stances-I We Mt straight to the churchyard,
and to the grave itself. All was as silent and
solitary as Upon the last occasion. went
close to the cfOss, and putting aside the wild
rose, | read:
Sacred t. the memory OF Beatrice La
sale, who did Oct. IS. 1852, aged 81 years.
| Until the dawn
Now it wss impossible for me, think OF
the matter h,Iw l might, to get rid of the
idea that it was no mere chance that had
brought the lady Of my picture to this grave,
and felt absolutely certain that could dis
cover the whereabouts Of the relations Of
the dead woman, should not be far off an.
| other look into the eyes of the living one
| / went back t. the inn, and at once asked
the landlord il any one Of the name Of La
sale lived in the neighborhooi No he
| had never heard the name. How long had
he lived in tho town. About ten years. How
long had the parson of the place held the
living! Only about four years. The last man
had been an old bachelor and had held the
post for forty years Oh! well, who was the
Oldest inhabitant--where did he live, and
was DC in his dotage, or capable of answer
ing Questions. Mine host did not rightly
knos' which was the Oldest inhabitant, but
he knew an old one, and that was not a he
but she, who lived about mile off, and
| could answer questions, but could not hear
them, being stone deaf. Encouraging, wasn't
| itf However, l meant 10 try all knew, SO
| / got this lady's address, and presently
reached the cottage Of the ancient dame who
was supposed TO know all about everybody,
and whose name was Suggidge. 1t was a
well-built, substantial little house, with a
garden much better than most of those
had passed. 4 good looking woman Of
about ~ came out of the door 10 meet me,
as l unlatched the garden gate. Surely,
this was not the afflicted female. 1t wasn't
What might want.
ITO see Mrs Suggidge. Had 1 the pleas
ure of speaking to herr
-Yes-young Mrs. Suggidge. Old Mrs.
Suggidge was indoors.
"Ah. it was old Mrs. Suggidge / wanted
to see, TO ask her few questions about a
family that once lived near
oh, then, it was all right; there was moth.
ing mother liked better than answering queS-
tons if she could lie got to hear them, but
that was an event which seldom happened,
it seemed | was shown into a nice, COM
Portable little room, in which the object of
my search sat busily knitting. The daughter
having introduced me and my business TO
her in voics strikingly like the shrek of
railway engine, she said she should be happy
to tell me anything she could about any
body. Grateful for this extreme anna
bility, l collected all my energies.
and initiating, as nearly as | could, but
still feebly, the tiinbre and pitch of the
daughters voice, asked her if she knew of a
family named Lasalle had ever lived there
abouts. The effort was a failure. She knew
no one named Russell this side OF Bilston
town, and he was butcher who beat his
wife
"Feeiing sure that could never excel, Or
even equal my first supreme endeavor, !
asked the young woman if her mother-ir.
law could read.
Yes, but she was always hurt if queS-
tions were written. she did not want to
lie thought hard of hesring-was even of.
Tended II she thought folks shouted at her.
Ons TOT heavens SAKE, tneE, tell Uer
have q sore throat and cannot spaAk abcve
a whisper, and do you act a. mouthpiecs
for me- said
Mrs. Suggidge junior was not a fanatic
in the cause OF Absolute Truth and
promptly did as wished. 4 temporary
check was even then put upon the investiga-
ton by the mothers commisseration OF my
misfortune. and her Recommendation Of sew Z
eral dozen infallible remedies. The question
was put and heard at last, however, and
tie answer came
Yes, she knew whom | meant Twenty
or more years ago newly married gentle
man and lady Of that name had bought
house and ground close by. She herself had
even lived in tine house several times when
the upper servants had suddenly left
Had they many relationsi None that she
knew Of At least Mr. Lasalle may have
had some, but she had heard Mrs. Lasalle |
say she had not soul related to her. They |
had been here about two years when tie |
lady died in giving birth to n son, and
was buried in tho churchyard in a
grave that stood by Itself. The gentle I
man left the neishborhood at once, I
taking the infant with him, and she had /
never heard of them again Even the house /
itself had practically ceased TO exist, having |
oceh altogether 2itere1 Dy us PRESENT &C. 4
cupier and owner.
Il am free to admit that this was a 'facer" ,
This WAS all, then, The whole affair had |
begun at grave, and. it seemed, had made /
this circle only to end there But | remen- 1
berei my picture. At least could set my /
mind at rest a. to whether that face was the !
face Of a woman or As had sometimes half 1
believed, Of a spirit
Il asked the old lady some quest ions about |
one or two names which | had noticed in the /
churchyard, and believe she told me good .
deal of their family history. When | thought
her mind and memory were far enough from
this dead Beatrice To make possible recogni
ton not quite matter OF immediate associa-
tion. took that face from its case, ami,
holding it out TO her. said:
ibid you ever know any one at all like
thsr
she gave little start All, yes she
said. its poor dear Mrs Lasalle her very
selfr
This was u tremendous piece VI evidence
in favor OF my hitherto vaguely defined
spiritual hypothesis, but | did not depart
from the usual course u investigation
belong to the society for psychical research.
YOU know, ami our method Is strictly scIen-
tific
Il tried - shake the old lady by as much
cross examination poiit.ness would Ier-
NIT, and only desistej cut Of consideration
for young Mrs Suggidge, whose voice
showed signs of crying out under the pro
longei strain
How could be mistaken were the last
words heard on the subject Oughtn't q
know the pretty face | saw most every day. (