The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-18

'ne same direction after few years, having
In vain, in the meantime, through spiritual
mediums OF all degrees, attempted solu-
ton oil the strange phenomenon; II never
occurred to me again, although l many
times put myself in condition to invite its
temperance. l heard no more OF Blatch-
ford until, in 1862, when found him COM
missioned officer in company Of artillery
that had been recruited In Charleston, 8. O.,
serving on the coast defcnscs OF that State.
He then informed me that, since our
last meeting, ho had become civil
engineer, and had been engaged in
railroad building until the civil war put an
end to all work of that kind in the south
Blatchford was still unmarried, the same
restless spirit as OF old. IL had never en-
tered my mind that he could or would iii
himself to the matrimonial yoke, for In all
our conversations, he had never given me
reason to suspect that he was susceptible TO
feminine influences in the least degree.
We enjoyed each others society for several
days at the Planters house, in Augusta, Ca,
where one evening, under conditions very
much similart to those which prevailed when
the dcformed hand first appeared 10 mo, we
all but prayed for its reappearancc, but in
vain; II never again returned. Blatchfords
whole attention, so practical was his nature,
seemed fixed on the hand ITSELF he INDUCED
in no reflections on the woman Of the hand.
We separated TO meet no more.
Blatchford went through tho war safely,
proved himself to be faithful, honorable.
brave and energetic Confederate soldier
lie had almost been enaced from my men,
DRY by recurring events OF the war, recon-
struction, politics and business when one
day my Office boy in opening the mail found
a copy OF u newspaper from n far western
State addressed to mo and marked "per-
sonal," on opening which 1 found marked
with blue pencil the description Of horror
which brought back 10 my mind most wildly
the ghostly hand OF 1913. II gave what pur-
ported 10 be an accurate account OF the death
of Mrs. Batchford who had long
been an invalid from pulmonary consump-
ton, and II concluded by stating that, after
she died, the nurse who attended her through
her sickness, after performing the usual first
offices for the dead-such as tying the jaws
together closing the eyes and covering the
face-left the dead body with the distracted
husband. Who except that no was weakened
by long vigils as watcher nj his wifcs bed
side, appeared TO her 10 be in very good
health. She had not been absent more than
fifteen minutes when, on returning 10 the
room. she found Mr.. Blatchford dead lying
prone across tue body Of his wife, as marks
Of ne three fingers Of her misshapen hand i'm
printed upon his throat
Who could have sent me the marked
paperP
The story done, various opinions were
expressed, but the party broke up without
n consensus having been established. Mr..
X, who, in telling the story, had done
nothing more than recite faithfully an
experience Of his own, had almost for.
gotten the fact that he had told il, when,
one day. a week later, he found upon his
desk copy OF the san Francisco Argondui
Of March 3. 1883, and with il the card Of
one OF his fellow-guests at the dinner
party, Mr.. Y. On examining the paper
he discovered that IL contained story
entitled "Tho Withered Hand, " translated
from the French Of Guy de Maupassant
expressly for the Aryonam. II struck him
as singular that this paper, printed
80 far away from Memphis, ant
containing n story 30 similar 10 the one he
had himself told should have fallen into
the hands OF his friend. lie gave the eco.
incidence" however, but little considera
ton until the next day or two, when there
came 10 him directly from the San Fran
cisco postofiice another copy OF the Argo-
nda Of the same issue. sent, "a initials OF
the wrappcrindicated, by a friend. Mrs z.
who had just reached Sam Francisco from
the South American coast. Nothing in thu
second copy was marked. And this wa
| the story tie irQ0ndtd contained: