Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-07-25
ONE GENT

We returned to the room together--but
the apparition was gone. She was ter
ribly overcome with the dread of what
was TO ensue. She was sure our child
was going 90 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 q
night or two in her room to re-
ceive IL, 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 a 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 II / 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 appari-
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 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 year,
mot until she lay expecting to be a
mother again; tried to prevail on her
to quit that room; pleaded with her to
But, no; she would remain there. She
did remain; and at the critical time she
declared that the apparition came into
the room, and sat down by the fire,
showing its face-she died with 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 wife's 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 a 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. ats our child she is so alarmed
about, said /.
"And well she may be, poor thingl"
that has come of seeing the poor little
image on the stairs even in my time.
There was dear Mrs. Clyde's two mis-
fortunes, and Mrs. Vansittart's last
year.
@Mrs. Vansittart's?" said. what
was that?"
"She was telegraphed for home, cause
her daughters child was dead
That, must confess, impressed even
me, and made me more than ever anx-
ious to get to the end of the mystery. /
declared to her my wife and must fol-
low the apparition that very night or
whenever 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 i
don't hold with ghosts Of any sort, and
it's shame for them, whoever they are.
to make ghost of a poor little babyl"
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 q
fixed eye, do you see it?" / saw moth
| ing. / followed silently, till she came TO
the fateful door through which accord
ing to my wife) the apparition had dis
appeared. / tried the door. 1t was GER
tainIy 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 Pickering fame of the
fire. my wife caught my arm, and whis-
pered again, @Lookl Do you see it?"
saw nothing.