The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1890-09-20
THE WOMAN IN BLACK.
Strange Tale of a Midnight Spec
ter In Paris.

Strange Tale of Midnight Spec
ter In Paris.
It was in Paris, during the summer OF
1889, that / heard the little anecdote
which I am about to relate.
OF course I had been attracted there,
Hike every American who could tear
himself away from business, by the ex-
position in the French capital What
moment would be more propitious for
the long expected trip abroad than the
time when Paris, the great cosmopolitan
city, was celebrating the anniversary OF
the bloody event thatshook every throne
in Europe?
Marvellous, indeed, was the scene that
surrounded me that evening. l had
wandered at random from the Troca-
dero, with it's flashing colonades and
towers, to the central dome, with its
wreaths OF light and transparent roof;
from the gigantic tower which q multi
tude Of lights had turned into monu-
uaent of red-hot iron towering thou
sand feet overhead, to the more dark
and picturesque colonial exhibit, where,
lost among the trees, one could lind
African villages, Indian temples, and
Siamese theaters, in which the actors
strutted around shriel1ing under their
masks like SO many wildcats.
At last the closing time had come; it
was eleven o'clock. A long, dense line
of policemen, starting at one end of the
grounds, pushed their way in the d.
rection Of tho opposite exit, sweeping
in fl ont Of them the few remaining
visitors.
Not feeling sleepy, yet not caring to
follow the crowd, sauntered leisurely
along by the river. Presently q soldier
overlook me, and tipping his small, red
cap asked for light. [ held out my
cigar, and undertook to air what little
French I knew. In the conversation
that followed ! heard from the young
officers lips the story of the woman in
black.
" y
It was about q month ago, but re-
Nom Der it as if it were yesterday, that
the sergeant called cut to me TO re-
lieve the sentry outside. Being new
recruit and tired with the days work,
did not hear, and it was not until he
had cursed and sworn by every saint
in the calendar that l recovered my
senses sufficiently to pick UP my gun
and button my coat to face the stormy
night. It was nearly twelve o'clock,
the Sky was black as ink, and the rain
poured down steadily In a very un-
promising manner 4 high wind, which
was blowing it in clouds through the
streets, made the position still more un-
conaforta bic.
After getting my instructions from
this man whose place I was to take. I
made for the sentry box, fully decided
not to venture forth from it's shelter.
Once there began to examine the po-
sttion, and glanced through the small
window up and down the street. There
,yas not q soul to be seen; che lamp
overhead swung to and fro in the wind,
cracking disnally, and trying it's best
to spread It's light along the wet and.
deserted thoroughfare. On each side
the old houses, with their greenish
walls, arose grim and somber in the
darkness. Away off in the distance
could be heard the confused rumble OF
the streets that are still awake at that
time Of night, but the distant sounds
only seemed to increase the silent lone
liness Of the quarter that was to watch
until daylight.
Having nothing else to do, and know
ing how unlikely it was that anybody
would disturb me, filed a pipe and be-
gan to smoke, in order to keep awake
think ON such OCCASIONS and my
thoughts carried me far away to my
home in little Southern village; !
made endless comparisons between my
old life and what had to expect during
the next three years. The result, I
need hardly say, was far from fiattering
for the company's mess and night duty
IN stormy weather.
How long I had been meditating I
could hardly tell; it seemed like hours,
but was probably not over thirty min
utes. At oil events, when I happened
to look up saw some one down the
street about two blocks away. Natur-
ally watched to see which way the
person was walking, for in such solitude
the slightest object becomes interest
ing. / was soon able to see that it was
woman, and that she was coming
toward me. noticed that there was
something strange about her, and re-
member wishing most fervently that
she had been going the other way. Per-
haps my pipe gave me a guilty con-
science; perhaps it was some other
feeling; at all events, watched her as
she came toward me.
She was dressed entirely in black; .
long black wrap, with a hood over her
head, afforded her little protection
against the rain. She seemed to glide
along noiselessly, stopping every now
and then to look around her. I am not
4 coward, but the Intense solitude. COM
bined with the bowling Of the wind.
the creaking q the lamp and mys-