The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-12
A STAGE GHOST.
The Secret of a Beautiful ACTRESSES
Death ON the Boards.
tBY MARY KYRLE DALLAS

0 in the evening and the night a stormy
one.
What, then, was my surprise, when l
had been ushered into a handsome par
lor in one of the best hotels, to find, sit
ting in a large arm chair and with no
appearance of i'll health about her, a very
beautiful woman, whom ! knew to be an
actress of position and had often adj
mired upon the stage.
She was dressed in the most becoming
fashion, and arose with a smile upon my
entrance.
Her maid, a Spanish looking woman,
with a beautiful olive skin, remained
standing near the window.
"You look surprised, doctor" the lady
began, motioning me to a seat. "You
will be more so before you leave me. /
am not Ill, and l can see that you know
that at a glance"
"You certainly are looking very well,
madame, said /.
II am feeling WELL" said she. .The
question that l desire to ask you, as a
man who has made the brain, in some
degree, a specially, is, Am l mad? You
need not mind my maid; she speaks no
English. / want you to give me your
opinion. Do you think me insane?"
'.That is a very difficult question, ma
dame said I. GA doubt of your ration
ality new would have occurred to me.
Besides, insane people seldom guess their
condition. However, you must have
some reason for asking the question:"
"a very grave one" she answered.
'Either l am out of my mind or there
are such things as ghosts"
DAME said /.
"But illusions of the senses of sight
and touch and hearing all at once. Would
that not be madness?" asked she.
"Not if you were aware they were IL
l~usions," I answered.
"But they seem real to me- said the
lady, ooh, SO reall / suppose you read
the stories about me in the papers? You
have heard of the man who killed him
self for love of me9"
''Ihe Frenchman!' / asked. "To tell
the truth I have read it,"
''They said | was cruel to him. said
the lady, growing somewhat excited. 81
was not. I was kind at first; but he
logged my footsteps and threatened my
life. Not at first, of course, but after I
had accorded him an interview, and re-
fused him as gently as a mi could
refuse a man. He wanted me to marry
him. He was rich, of good family; he
was honorable, apd very, very much in
love. But |, how could / love a stranger
And he was ugly, a great, savage look
ing creature. After that he tried to kill
me. He shot at me. l had him arrest
ed, and he committed suicide in prison"
She paused and %shuddered. ''It is he
who comes" she added.
Naturally" said /, "you have been
greatly shocked. You dream of him,
and your dreams are so vivid that you
fancy them actual occurrences"
81 knew you would say that" she
sighed, ''but l have very vivid dreams.
for in them friends who have been dead
for years come to me. They speak and
move, and touch me. But when / awake
I know l have been dreaming. This is
different. My ghost-or my madness
ZONES to me upon the stage"
"Upon the stagey' / repeated.
eyes" she answered. HE says / shall
not act again. Twas playing a week ago
when he came. He often comes, but
never before did he touch me. This time
he laid his hand upon my arm, and
whispered:
81 tell you you must retire from the
stagei Iexact this penalty of you. The
next time you tread the boards I will kill
your"
"Well?' said l.
al tainted" said the lady, land fortu-
nately it was the correct thing to do at
the moment. Only my fellow actors
guessed the swoon to be a real one. But
the next day I cancelled my engagement.
1 declared myself i'll. The truth is / was
very much frightened. I had grown
used to his staring and pointing to his
throat, but when it came to touching me
and speaking'-
She paused, ~shuddering violently.
"Yours is a case of disordered nerves,
madame" said l. 81 advise you to take
a holiday"
81 don't dare to go on acting!' she
gasped. Don't you see that? Why, l
really believe you do not know why | am
SO troubled! In the very prime of life,
with everything / value at my hand, l
must sink into obscurity-retire on a
small sum of money, when / might
make an immense fortune-give up the
applause I live for, the art I adore-and
all because a ghost will have it sol"
The tears arose to her beautiful eyes.
She wiped them away and forced a
laugh.
-Oh, you know / had rather think N.Y.
self a little out of my mind than to be-
lieve in my ghostI' said she.
$50 should l." said /. ''If you will
take my advice you will give yourself q
holiday, surround yourself with friends,
and forget your hallucinat;on-it is one.
You are just a little upset, and it will
pass"
/ wrote a prescription.
'9Take this at night" / said. 81 assure
you that science has distinctly proven
the fact that ghosts do not appear to any
one."
Shortly I went my way. The fee sent
to my office greatly exceeded my usual
one, and the next day I read in the pa
pers that Nine. -- had taken her