St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-11


ly interested for my beautiful young
Client. and the case was much in my
mind, the question which oftenest arose
to me being why it was that Mrs. Hill
yard had not gone to her old friend and
regular legal adviser in so important
matter as that of making her last will
and testament. Why was it that she
employed stranger to do it? 10
this question there were several
reasonable answers. One was, OBJ
viously, that her regular coun-
sci, Judge Inwright, had been i'll.
He had been in declining health for
long time, and died shortly after Mrs.
HiIIyard. Another was that marriage
completely metamorphoses woman.
and especially in regard to all the con-
ditions and relationships of her ante
nuptial life. Marriage radically changes
her point of view, and she looks at all
things with her husbands eyes rather
fact that the altar often produces deep
err, wider. more heart-rending chasms
in the family circle than the grave.
Still the question Dersistently presented
Itself to my mind: Why did she employ
a stranger to draw her will?
In New Quarters.
As spring approached my brother
proposed that we should take house,
saying that we would be much more
comfortable, and, indeed. that it was
greatly to his advantage that we should
do so. assented, and he at once put
the matter into the hands of an agent.
After some days the agent reported
that he had found exactly what we
wanted-a small, nicely furnished house
in the best quarter of the city. My
brother examined it and the house was
taken: and Oh the 9TH of the month
of May we moved into it. l
have occasion to always carry wildly
in my memory that date. The house,
which stood Oh corner, was OF the
usual kind. 1t was two stories in height.
A flight of eight steps led up to the
front door, which opened into
hall. On the right were the parlors, the
back one of whichsWe used as dining
room. Up stairs there were three spa
cious chambers. Along the back of the
dining room ran wide veranda, from
which wooden stairway led down into
a small paved courtyard, across which
stood the kitchens and servants quar-
tiers. The yard was separated and pro-
tected from the side street by high
brick wall. in which was door into the
street for the use of servants. ETC., and
on which was strong lock. Our house
hold consisted of my brother, myself
and three old family servants, negro
man, our butler. his wife. our cook, and
their son. my brothers. eoachman, and
they all lived in the servants quarters
across the yards over the Kitchens.
A GllOstly Visitor.
1t was one of those first warm days
that come to us in the South in April
and May. We had enjoyed our first
dinner in our new house, aud cOngrat-
ulated ourselves on our vastly increased
comfort. Ny brother had gone out to
his patients. Tue servants had retired
and | was alone in the house. 1t was
neatly o'clock in the evening. l had
lighted one jet of the chandelier and
the drop light over the table at which
[ was seated, with my back to the man
tel and nearly facing the door. which
stood at this time partly open, and
which led into the hall and thence out
Oh to the veranda before described.
On the table before me were the pa
pers in case which | was to try next
day, and which l had been engaged in
looking over for the last half hour.
Suddenly my ear caught the sound of
wOman's football crossing the paved
back yard. 1t arrested my attention for
moment because it was SO light and
different from the heavy tread of our
cook. the only woman on the premises.
and to whose football l had been used
from my infancy. Slowly the steps adj
vanced, came up the stairs and crossed
the veranda into the hall, until, as bent
over my work. was, without looking,
aware of the presence OF some one in
q work |
was writing, | looked up and saw
woman standing just inside the door,
which, as I've said, was partly open.
The Appar1tiOn.
Her appearance was altogether
striking one. She was tall, thin and
angular, her face sad and of un-
healthy hue. Her hair, dark and drawn
down over half the ears, was fastened
in a knot behind. She wore dress of
some white, soft, clinging material,
caught at the waist by black belt.
From her shoulders there fell a short
cape half to her waist. which
was bound with black ribbon an inch
wide, while it was fastened at the
throat by a knot of narrow black vel
vet ribbons which fell in many strands
drawn over her bosom. On seeing1her
my first impression was that it was
some one in haste to find physician,
and who had therefore entered our
premises by the door through the wall
from the side street, which has already
been described, and with that idea in
my mind said: II presume you are
looking for the doctor. He has gone
out, but if you will leave your address
will send him when he comes H."
To this there was no reply, but the
woman. with her eyes bent on me,
moved slowly from the door across the
room, making slight detour to avoid
the table at which | was sitting, and
passed through the folding doors, which
were pushed apart about two feet, in
the front parIor. This surprised me.
and my first thought was that she was
either a lunalic or somnambuliSt.
With this thought stepped to the doors
and threw one Of them back. The wo-
man had now turned around and stood
facing me near the center of the draw
ing room with her right arm raised and
forefinger extended as il pointing at
something.
Disappearance.
To get more light l stepped back to
the drop light and lifted off the green
shade. 1t took me but an instant to do
1t. MY BACK was N0t Iuflieu W tuc
woman at all and my eyes not off of her
full five seconds. Yet when stepped
back to the folding doors she was no
where to be seen. | threw back the
other door and the room was brigh fly
| lighted. She was not there. tried
the door of the room which led out into
the hall. 1t was locked. l tried all of
the four windows. They were locked.
/ rolled the sofas out from the walls.
She was not there. There was no other
place in which she could conceal her
self. She was gone. But, in the name
of heaven, how? l confess to feeling
which made my flesh crawl-to that
strange sense which makes us feel as it
something weird. uncanny. supernatur--
al, had occurred to us. l knew that l
had not been asleep. In all my life l
have nevar been able to read myself to
oloo,, &c CO n,opy off org pan IN RAPID