Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-16
THE PHANTOM CHILD.

night smoking by the fire, each with tall
drink at his elbow. We talked of Mr.
Myers and physical research, of spooks and
vampires, of luminous shadows and wan
dering, wailing ghosts, when Brooks, who
is large red man with soul attuned to
tales of diablerie and a fatal sympathy
with things supernatural, told the follow
ing from his own intimate knowledge and
experience:
My wife and | spent our honeymoon in
the house of "A friend of mine in a lonely
but picturesque part of Sussex. We had
the house TO ourselves, not only because my
friend desired not to intrude upon our first
conjugal happiness, but also because he
hated the house aud seldom lived in it. He
had had some years before a great grief; his
wife, beautiful, fragile creature had died
in child bed, after short period of perfect
wedlock, leaving him the lonelest and
most melancholy Of men. He had made
his ancestral home a treasure house of art
TO enshrine the crown and center of all
his bride, 80 that when she was gone its
beauty and its interest were fled for him
We, with the sellishness of the newly mar
ried, forgot what the place meant for him,
and reveled in its beauties within and with
out
II was called Silverladies because Of a
notable plantation of birches that protected
the house from the bitter winds of the
north and east, and that rustled and swung
in the breeze with plaintive grace and
whitened into fair, slim ghosts in the moon
light. Within the furniture, the rugs and
carpets and tapestries, the pictures and
pottery, the metal work and lacquerware
and the books were constant springs of de
light to us; and they were all so harmoni
ously and unobtrusively disposed through
out the house that every day, almost every
waking hour, brought us new discovery
Of beauty--beauty but no mystery.
A year later we were there again with
our first born At the beginning of the
last week OF our stay our host joined us to
receive some additional company, whom
he felt compelled to treat with more cere-
mony than we required He arrived just
before dinner. He was courteous and kind;
he tried to be cheerful and laxative, but
frequently he lapsed into abstraction, and
he retired to his room early.
When | withdrew found my wife--not,
as was her wont, Struggled into bed, for it
was autumn time but sitting rocking
herself by the bedroom fire, with her hands
behind her head.
"Will," she sad, when | stood before
her, you never told me that Mr.. Clyde
had child"
"A childY" said.
II suppose, she continued, "he is good
father and always takes her about with
him A lovely child'
81 have heard" l said, "about one child
he had"
"IIe must" said she, take her about
with him; for never saw her before to-
night. o Will the most delightful play
mate for our darlingl the sweetest, pretti
est child in the world with her long,
golden, curling hNir falling over her
shoulders, and with nothing on but dear
nightgown, and'a black kitten trotting be-
hind her, twining about her little legs till
thought she would be tripped up ever so
many times"
where did you see this child, my dearp"
"On the stairs us ] came up to bed She
toddled on before me and went in ut the
door opposite ours"
Which," said !, sis u room-the only
room-we have not been into; it is always
locked"
$50 it isl'' said she.
"lt'sall right about the child, Isupposc,"
said l, "but Ibid not know Clyde had II child
living. The only child ever heard he had
died mere infant, | believe before her
mother"
~ shall be very sorry if that is true"
said my wife. 81 think nChild would have
done Mr. Clyde SO much good; it would
save him from his weary depression and
loneliness. However, shall find out in
the morning what child it was"
Next morning my wife made it her bust
ness before the new company arrived to in
quire concerning the child. The house
keeper to whom she first referredD declared
with emphasis that there was no child in
the house except our own, which was Ger
tainly too young to be toddling about with
n kitten. But my wife sGidD the woman
looked somewhat asNanCc and was over
emphatic phenomena which her astute
mind regarded MS suspicious. She there
fore went TO the master of the house, whom
she found walking in the sunshine ON the
terrace in front Of the house
~ am curious. Mr.. Clyde" said she,
"about the child | saw on the stairs last
night"
He turned shade palcr than was his
wont and looked troubled. lie made her
wonder aud shvcr (she declared) by the
strange suggestivencss of his reply
$50, Mrs Brooks" said he, you, too,
have seen it; wondered if you would.
have never seen it."
ado You mean," she asked, that it il
not real child Of flesh aud bloodF
"That's what mean said he,
but the catY-the littcup exclaimed
my wife. as that not realY'
"There has not to my knowledge" said
y. lie, "bccn cat in the house for years"
Good gracious" exclaimed she.
He seemed ON the point of explaining,
when the approach of IA carriage with bag
gage drew linn nway to receive his new
guests
"I'll tell you about it," he said. "by and
bye"
We met the new guests at lunchc0p-Mr.
and Mrs. NAusittart and two grown up
daughters Mrs. NuusittOrt was IA good
humored, matronly person, clearly fond
of taking charge of people. After lunch
she took my wifes arm aud led her away
To have look mt the baby. ThGt done, she
sat down with my wife by the baby's era
die. and. her face full of concern, said:
$50 hear from nay old friend, the house
keeper, that you, too, have seen the chile
That gives us an exclusive interest ia each
other, for we are the only people in the
house, or, for that matter, in Mr.. Clyde
present circle of acquaintance, | believe
who have seen IT, How much, may | ask
have yOu sccnP'
II saw the child on the stairs with q
black kitten"
mo further than the stairsg"
"No further 1t went in at n door on thC
sight. and the door was closed rs passed
il is always closed
Not always But never mind that; and
oh, my dear Mrs. Brooks, whatever you