The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-11-08
MY MIDNIGHT VISITANT.
An Unexpleined Mystery-Marry-
ing a Ghost.

always believed that the seemingly
most supernatural occurrence could be
satisfactorily explained by natural
phenomena if one could only make a
little rational Investigation. And yet.
with all my skepticism and boasted
common sense, Twas obliged to confess
that there are occasional mysterious
happenings which the keenest re-
searches of wisdom and experience
fail to explain. One midnight / fell
into deep study on this subject. The
place was cosy room on the lower
floor of pretty country cottage.
had purchased the property-the
cottage and the inclosed grounds sur
rounding it--only few weeks before.
And for more than a year previous to
that event it had been unoccupied 1t
had belonged in the past to a Mrs.
Moray-a widow, who had resided
there with an only child--a lovely
daughter. The daughter, Ethel Moray,
had been my affianced wife. But in
q foolish moment we had differed
about some trife; the little difference
had been aggravated into painful
misunderstanding Ethel was too proud
to yield and / was too stubborn; and
90 our engagement was Cancelled and
we parted in anger and forever.
! left the little country village at
once, and started for Europe When I
returned from my prolonged tour, /
learned that Ethel was no longer
among the living. Some months after
my departure she and her mother had
LEFT the village. They had started
with yacht party for some point
down the southern coast; there had
been tempest and a collision, and the
yacht had gone down with all on
board. Only asingle seaman--strnned
and half drowned-had been rescued
% bring the story of the doomed yacht
back to the village. And so it hap
pened that their old residence had
been sold, and that l became possessor
@ the home where my lost loved one
aaa dwelt from her childhood, until
NE fatal day she joined the doomed
YACHT party. 1t was with a mournful
satisfaction / settled myself in place
haunted by so many bitter-sweet men,
cries.
1t is superb little villa, and would
Y Q bargain at double the price. Put
some sober old couple in charge of it,
aaa you will have a capital resort of
sour own for your summer vacations,
" ior any time when you feel like
'eaVlng the city for bit of a hunting
y nshing or breath of country air."
ssla Ine real estate agent from whom
had bought 1t.
had not yet succeeded in securing
scare-taker for the place, and in the
aleantime had restored the grounds
!" order and had refurnished the cot
'asc Ihe room had selected for my
psh ~, was the one which had been
a'nel parlor. had desired to have
very thing as nearly as possible like
ss .aa' u was during the happy summer
aen had met, wooed and lost the
sAs woman had ever loved, and the
S1s woman should ever live to love.
a.sa the exception OF narrow brass
ssas'eaa, canopied with pale-blue net
-, me room looked almost precisely
: = oid on that last bitter day when
ssquarreled, and parted to meet again
more. Perhaps with SO much to
.laa me OF her, need not have
aaered that Ethers presence some-
@'aes seemed very near me.
nus that wouldn't account for the
Ss'erious sounds of approaching and
49, s;sng footsteps in the deep mid
sas OF whispers which seemed
q aa.ned through the lonely silence. of
aaa soucn Of the lips upon my face" I
auefed as / sat there on this partic-
IS nlght For those were the sounds
iancles which had aroused me
saa ~ ny slumfer, night by night, ever
sn's, had occupied the cottage. l
rsulo awake with start, feeling that
vas no longer alone, that something s ,i,,,,
S ] moving slowly and surely toward