Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-08-02

| we returned TO Une room lOSetner-Dut
the appartion was gone. She was ter
ribly overcome with the dread of what
was to ensue She was sure our child
was going to die, and she insisted on send
ing at once for the doctor to discover
whether there was not in her some lurk
ing ailment. He came and found moth
ing the matter and tried to reason away
my wife's fears, but without effect. Then
| bethought me of the other tradition,
and reminded her of it-that whoever,
having seen the apparition, should dis
cover and explain the mystery. would
lay the ghost and save the threatened
child. She caught at that with fer
vent hope. She prepared to see the
childish ghost again. She waited
night or two in her room to re-
ceive it, but it did not come Then
another night she remained down
stairs till her usual time for retiring. and
then, when she withdrew, she saw as
before the child climb the stairs before
her, and disappear into her room. She
| entered after it, and saw it, as before,
| sit with the kitten before the fire. She
| could not see the face of either, though
she had an unconquerable longing to do
so. She sat down long way off, and
waited for what would happen. After
| while there came-something hap
| pened too frightening and horrible for
me to tell you'll should be afraid, Mrs
Brooks, for the effect upon you if told
you; but she could see and could think
of no explanation. nor could when she
told me of it. Next night she tried
again. She followed the little appar-
| ton up stairs. entered the room after it,
and with nerves at cruel tension waited
for the event. 1t happened as the night
before, but still she could see and could
think of no explanation. And then
then the next, the third night our child
died. died of Group.
THAT was a great trouble. But my
wife would not leave that room. She
was a woman of high spirit, and she was
determined to get at the root of the mys-
terry, and to lay the poor little death
dealing ghost. She did not, however,
see the creature again for about a year,
not until she lay expecting to be
mother again; ! tried to prevail on her
to quit that room; | pleaded with her to
leave it for my sake, for the childs sake!
But. no; she would remain there. She
did remain; and at tie critical time she
declared that the apparition came into
the room. and sat down by the fire,
showing its facc!-she died with a cry of
agony on her lips.
Clyde suppose, had not, in his pre-
occupation with his own griefS, per-
ceived how all that story of his pierced
my wifes heart; how she was in that
same condition of terror for her child as
his wife had been in. She left him and
came to me with her woe. She, also,
like Clyde's wife, was woman of reso-
lutte spirit, especially where her child
was concerned and she told me she was
determined to explain the mystery, to
lay the ghost and so to save her threat
ened child | said, Very WE'LL" if she
was resolved, | would not balk her.
Immediately after dinner | went to
the housekeeper with whom, | may
freely say. was something of a favorite)
and explained to her the taking my wife
was in. Its our child she is so alarmed
about, said |.
"And we'll she may be, poor thing"
Sdltl lIe IlbtSthttlNI. NolNItltl my tll
that has come of seeing the poor little
image on the stairs even in my time.
There was dear Mrs. Cl de's two mis-
fortunes, and Mrs. Nansittart's last
year.
Mrs. Nansittart's?" l said. "What
was that"
"She was telegraphed for home, cause
her daughters child was dead.
That. | must confess, impressed even
me- and made me IN ,re than ever anX-
ious to get to the end If the mystery. l
declared to her my We and must fol-
low the apparition that very night or
~henever it appeared. and begged that
she give me the key of the room.
"What:" she demanded, "do you ex-
pect to see it, too? They say that never
has a man seen it, nor not all women;
never have | seen it, but | must say |
lon't hold with ghosts of any sort, and
IT'S shame for them, whoever they are,
20 make ghost of poor little baby!"
| However, | begged she would entrust
me with the key. She at first demurred.
but at length said she might-the more
easily, because Mr.. Clyde had ordered
fires to be kept up in the room every
night during the cold season, and there
fore she had the key to her hand.
The result was that when my wife
withdrew | went with her. When she
! reached the bottom of the staircase she
whispered to me, looking up with a
| fixed eye, "Do you see it," | saw moth.
.7g | followed silently, till she came to
fateful door through which accord
20 my wifel the aprarition had dis
. ,eared. | tried the door. 1t was GER
tanly locked, but | opened it with the
| key, and passed in with my wife. When
we were quite within the room, and in
the light OF the tlickering flame of the
tire, my " ife caught my arm, and whis-
pcred again, "Loo>! Do you see it,"
! saw nothing.
For the rest had better tell directly
what my wife saw; for SAW nothing
till the end, when there was something
tangible to be seen. We sat down to-
gcther little way from the fire, she
holding my hand, which she would catch
at hard and hold on to, at, | suppose,
| poignant nstantS of her vision.
Shes:lw the golden haired child sit on
footstool quite close to the fire, and the
black kitten sit near her, both gazing in
Gently, and, As it were, with content,
at the flames. They sat, and the Goals
| assuring lis of our touch with the real
/