The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-02-12
lE written for the Akheviiie Citizen.
4 GHOSFLY EVENING
AT THE SWANNANOA.
A TRUE STORY,

The Colonel lit his cigar, and, drawing
an armchair within easy range of the
genial warmth and glow of the Queen
Anne stove of mine h st of the Swanna-
noa, proceeded to make himself thor
oughly eomfortabe e. He stretched his
legs to their fullest extent, and unbut-
toned the three bottom buttons of his
vest; for the Colonel, (though why Colo
mel, no one knew, and he least of all; and
if it ever occurred to him to wonder why
this title had been given him, he dis
missed it with the reflection that it was
the custom of the country.) The Colonel.
partaken of light supper of two or rmore
steaks, broiled ham, tongue, quail on
toast and waffles; and now as he sat
there listening to the rain and wintry
wind driving against the windows, and
clamoring 50 boisterously for admittance;
the smoke lazily floating away from his
cigar; his figure and face expressive of
material comfort and satisfaction; I'll
leave it to any one to say whether he
looked like fit person TO figure in a
ghost story.
IA very singular thing happened to
me just now at the supper table, said q
voice, and the Colonel, lazily turning his
head, saw gentleman, q stranger, in the
act of drawing chair up beside him.
sit made me feel deuced queer, let me
tell you," continued the strange gentle.
man. sand haven't shaken off the feel
'' sIh" replied the colonel, and dipping
the ashes from his cigar, awaited further
developments. n
Eyes, indeed, a very singular circum.
stance. distinctly felt the grasp of
hand ,1,>o11 NM chaU1lau krr al
thinking some acquaintance, perhaps,
the grasp was withdrawn. No one was
there. / was alone at the table"
Pardon me-" said the Colonel, "are
you bank.teller or cashier, or, anything
in that line, confidential book-keeper,
for instance?"
No ."Why do you ask?"
again pardon me. You see, it fre-
Qaently occurs that gentlemen Of those
professions make sudden and unexpect-
ed journeys, and didn't know but that
this might be case of-ah-in fact OF
guilty conscience, you know; and so-ah
lin imagination, you felt the official
grasp oEah-a detective-ah-" /.
"Ha ha! Very good. Oh yes! very good
indeed. But really now, don't you be-
jieve in that sort of thing?"
what sort of thing. Absconding
Cash."
"No, no." interrupted the strange gen.
tleman, Il mean spiritual manifestations
and appearances, and that sort Of thing"
Decidedly not" replied the Colonel,
with strong emphasis.
Sir" began the strange gentleman, 81
can tell you of a most remarkable thing
that happened to me Once,"-here the
l., @k1~ kal
two other Colonels and three Captains,
who drew up chairs and formed circle
of expectant faces around the new Queen
Anne. at was in New York." contin.
ued he. can acquaintance of mine, q
downtown merchant, one day handed
me ticket of admission to spiritual Sc
ance to be held that evening in the pri-
vate parlor of friend of his had heard
of these seances, at which the medium
professed to materialise the spirits, and
had several times expressed q wish to
attend them. Well, you. may be sure /
was on time that evening. After the
guests had arrived, the lights were turn
ed down very low, andn ----- 81.
Z "Boshp CALCULATED the Colonel. 81
mean, ah--I beg your pardon; but why
are the lights invariably turned DOWN.
"Tbe spirits cannot be seen in the
glare of q full light" replied the strange
gentleman.
"HumP groWled the Colonel.
"Well, atany rate, the lights having
been turned down so that obi ects could
be but dinlly discerned in the room, the
medium placed herself upon lounge,
and in few moments apparently fell
into deep sleep.
about that time / became aware of
some luminous points that appeared to
rise from the floor, as.throlgh trap-doors;
and as they grew higher and higher,
they became more distinct and lumin-
Gus until finally they assumed the human
form and moved about the room. They
came thronging up thick and fast, until
and yet, there was no jostling, no crowd.
ing. no sound such as would have been
made by such q throng Of living persons
ITO say / decidedly shakV and
weak about the knees, would but feably
express my emotions. At last, however
by strong effort, / 'braced up and ap'
preaching one Of the figures, that of q
man, / extended my hand, whereupon
the figure clasped it in one of his. Now
although could see the furniture on the
other side of this figure quite distinctly
| through it,and even noticed that the pat
tern of the carpet was not at all broken
by its shape; yet felt the grasp ofa Nv
ing. warm and substantial hand in nina
and the throbbing of its pulse. just a
! this moment, some person, either from
nervousness or q desire to detect aHy en-
isting fraud, turned up the gas, Wbere
I np0,l the figures seemed to melt ava,