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

But the cat the kitten 7" exclaimed
my wife. "Is that not real ?"
There has not to my knowledge
said he, "been a cat in the house for
years.
"Good gracious" exclaimed she.
He seemed on the point of explaining,
when the approach of "A carriage with
baggage drew him away to receive his
new guests.
"Tll tell you about it," he said, "by
and by.
We met the new guests at luncheon
Mr.. and Mrs Vansittart. and two grown
up daughters. Mrs. Nansittart was a
good natured matron y person, clearly
fond of taking charge of people. After
lunch she took my wife's arm and led
her away to have look at the baby.
This done, she sat down with my wife
by the babys cradle, and, her face full
of concern, said
$50 | hear from my old friend, the
housekeeper, that you, too, have seen
the child. That gives us an exclusive
interest in each other: for We are the
only people in the house, or, for that
matter, in Mr.. Clyde's present circle of
acquaintance, l believe, who have seen
it. How much, may l ask, have you
SEEM"
81 saw the child on the stairs with
black kitten"
"No further than the stairs"
No further 1t went in at door on
the right, and the door was closed as l
passed; it is always closed.
Not always. But never mind that;
and-oh, my dear Mrs. Brooks, what
ever you see, or whatever you do, don't
go in! 1t would be the death of you, or
of your lovely baby here! | went in
once-followed the child-iust year
ago. and never shall | forget it,"
Just a year ago!" exclaimed my wife.
VI was here just a year ago, and | saw
nothing then"
1T is all very strange; when and to
whom it appears. | saw it twice while
poor Mrs. Clyde was alive: and Mrs.
Clyde saw it once before her first child
died, and once when she was about to be
a mother again. A dreadful story that;
but | can't tell it now. And then | saw
it again last year. | saw nothing be-
tween those times, and no one besides
saw anything, except, of course, Mrs
Clyde Now you have seen it: but you
did not see it last year. 1t is very strange.
But who and what is the child z" my
wife asked.
"Nobody seems quite to know 1t is
peculiar possession of Silverladies, like
the birch wood at the back, and it has
been for generations. But what story is
there to tell about it Mr.. Clyde likes to
tell himself, said she. with a smile; "he
will not tell it to everybody, though I
dare say he will tell it to you; you've
seen it,"
My wife came to me little while after
that interview with Mrs. Vansittart, con-
siderably affected. She told me what
had passed. and then broke into flood
of tears. She had been turning all that
was said over in her mind, and she had
come to sinister conclusion.
81 believe" she declared. "that Mrs.
Nansittart meant to imply by what she
told me about poor Mrs Clyde that the
apparition of this phantom child meant
death to her children! And what if my
seeing it meant death to my darling
baby! o, Will! it makes me sick with
dread!"
l tried to comfort her after the man
ner of husbands, and TO dispel her fear.
But she shook her head and would not
heed me. | then advised her to lay the
whole matter-her dread included-be-
fore Clyde.
Before dinner she inveigled Clyde into
his study, and got from him the follow
ing story: "In the buccaneering days of
the last century, " said Clyde. "an ances-
tor of mine, the then second son of the
house. was in the navy. He is said to
have been bold bad man, though his
portrait (Which I'll show YOU presents
only roy jolly sailor, who might, how
ever, at times have an awful temper
His elder brother died childless, and he
inherited and brought home presently a
foreign wife, from heaven knows where.
They had a daughter, it is said-a fair
haired creature, whom the foreign
woman hated with the hatred of the Pit
The child too, had a favorite cat, and
the foreign woman could not abide cats.
What followed the story is not quite
clear about. The child, however, died,
either through constant ill treatment or
by some immediate violence, and my
ancestor took some terrible vengeance on
his wife, so terrible that, it is said, she
was ever after his trembling slave. You
shall see her portrait, too, and note how
the face seems impressed with a contin-
ual terror-a terror of which. it is said,
she speedily died. But the strange thing
is that in memory of these things it is
not the ghost of the mother that visits
the housr, but the ghost of the child;
and the only explanation | can offer is
that the child. as is said, was passion
ately fond of her mother. The spirit of
the child and of her kitten appear at sin
gular and Ominous intervals. The appar-
ition is said to prognosticate an infants
death, and | must confess it has been
strangely coincident with the two grrfs
of my life. My dear wife first saw it
|, as | have told you. have never seen
it-just before the death Of our little
girl. She saw it, As You dad, climbing
the ~tairs, and ut first She t.iou ;il. it w;ls
her own child, except that she did not
under ,tanI the presence of the kitten.
1t entered the room you know of ON tn
right. which was then her room, and she
followed, owe t1king it. She WAS sur
prised t. find tn door Clo,,l when she
came to it. and s i'll mpr' aur?ris"d
sne her own child asleep in h ~ cot, ana
the stranGe child with til" X tt"us',J 10 ,li-
ing at M fire. Sie ; ool fix Il for a little