St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-04
WHAT DID I SEE
A Strange Story of a Mysterious
Visitor.
The Experience of Traveller While
in Italy.

in Rome and other Italian cities. A perfect
network of vines clambered about it, and
the moonlight made black patterns of them
on the floor as the slight wind blew them
across the window. The hour was quite
late. L could not hear the sound Of any
living thing. remembered. as l listened.
The world seemed to have gone to sleep. l
had stayed up to smoke another cigar after
the friends who had spent the evening with
me had gone away.
Suddenly thought of John Grayle came
into my mind. John and had been the
best of friends in comedy days. We had
been students together, and in after-school
life we had kept up the friendship student
life had begun. OF all nay friends L counted
John Grayle first. looked forward to my
meeting with him as one of the pleasantest
events of my return.
A strange sensation came over me. 1t
was very much the same feeling as that we
have when we feel that some one is looking
at US, and look up to meet persons eyes.
1t seemed to me that John was near me. L
could feel his presence.
Suddenly the houses faded out of sight,
and the hills were swallowed up in the
white sea of moonlight. Before me rose
vapor that was strangely luminous. 1t
f1oated up and about my window. and there
slowly resolved itself into shape like that
of person. 1t was like shadow growing
out of a shadow shadow cOndensing and
taking Oh the look of substance. yet remain
ing all the time a shadow. For a moment
l was not frightened, and for a moment l
was frightened. and l shut my eyes to keep
out the strange sight but; as if fascinated
by what had seen, opened them again
and Saw-JOhn GraYle!
The features of the man l savior the
shadow-had all the distinctneSs of life.
Even the garments he wore were so plainly
outlined against the moonlight acting as
background, that l could describe them
afterward, l saw everything in that one
brief moment.
''John!" | cried, ''what does this meap?"
''I have come to tell you to look in the
hollow oak at Densmere, l heard voice
make answer. There you will find proofs
of who has done this" Then the shadow
lifted a shadowy hand and pointed to a
gaping wound in his breast from which
the shadow garment fell away that might
see what he called my attention to. Then
there was a sound like the rustling of a
wind among the corn. and the figure seemed
to dissolve before my eyes. l saw 1t one
moment. faint. vague, shadoWy, and the
next it was gone.
Had l been dreaming? I shook myself.
l got up and walked about the room. 1
satisfied myself that l was as wide awake
as ever was in my life. If had not
been dreaming what was it [ had seen?
A month later l sailed for America. The
first person to meet me when | stepped
ashore was Carl Thiel, an old artist friend.
Have you heard that terrible story
about John Grayle's murder?" he asked, as
II-ad mn tho Sfrppt fop6tbar
John Grayle'S murder?" l cried. ''Mv
God. man, you don't mean to say that it is
true that John is dead?"
Yes. L d." he answered.
My memory flew back to that moonlit
night in Rome, and what l had seen there
LET Inc ask you question before you
tell me anything more about it," l said
WAS he killed on the 31st of June. and
did it happen at Densmere?"
Yes" he answered. They wrote to
you about it. see. l thought perhaps you
might not have heard Of it,"
Il had never heard word about it from
any one but you," answered, ''unless l
heard it fro m John Grayle himself" Then
l told him what had seen. He heard my
story with a grave. alf-frightened look
Percy" he said. when [ had finished,
''shall we go up to Densmere tomorrow?
L
your spirit visitor told you about. If John
Gravle came to you after death, and he
certainly was killed on the day. when
YOU saw him. why should there not be some
reason for US to believe that the message he
gave YOU meant something's"
On the morrow we went up to DenSmere.
where John Grayle had been spending
few DAYS when he was murdered by some
unknown pers9n-no clew had ever been
obtained to the murderer. The affair was
enshrouded in deep mystery.
MIR. Grosvenor, the owner of the place,
gave us a cordial welcome. We were so
impatient to find out the truth or falSfty Of
our clew, if clew it could be called, that we
would not sit down until after we had salts
fed our curiosity. told my story, and
why we were there.
II don't understand it." he said, with a
nuzzled look Oh his face. ''It is certainly
a strange story, and it sounds like an i'm
probable one do not think you will find
your hollow oak for Lave never seen
one on the place, but there is no harm in
looking. Let us begin the search at once.
am actually getting excited over the mat
fer myself, though | have absolutely no faith
whatever in ghosts and spiritual manifesto
TONS"
We set out in our search. The beeches
and hemlocks grew thick on either side of
the avenue, but no oak trees.
II am afraid your ghost was drawing
on his Imagination when he told you of
an oak tree at Densmere," said Mr.. GroS-
venOr.
Isn't that an oak leaf?" asked Thiel,
STOPPING and picking up leaf from the
path. Sure enough 1t was.
Looking up we saw a gnarled, crooked
q
thicket of young bushes. The top of the
tree had been broken off years before, and
only this one branch remained.
| dashed into the thicket. | saw before
me the body of an oak tree. and about four
feet from the ground there was hole large
enough for the insertion of mans arm.
never was more excited in my life. l
felt as if all things depended upon the re-
suit of my search in the cavity of that
hollow tree. l thrust my arm into the
aperture and felt my fingers come in contact
with something that sent shiver through
me from head to foot. | drew out knife,
about whose end was wrapped a bloody
paper | held these things out for my
friend to see. and neither of us spoke a
word. but | know our faces were very
white.
| unr0lled the paper from about the blade
of the knife. l read:
John GraYle. Esq.-Dear Sir: Happen
ing to hear that you were stopping at Dens-
mere. l take the liberty of addressing you
and asking if a person calling himself Man
uel Garcia is there also. If he is. beware
of him He is an imposter. He is a gam
bier and villain. and would not for mo-
ment be tolerated in the society into which
he has thrust himself if his true character
were known. If you have any doubts of
the truth of what tell you. write to Sebas-