Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-07-17

N1E-
Portable. had seen better days; and on
the mantel-piece above the open fire
place a painting of the family coat OF
arms, an alabaster clock under a glass
case, and a wide-branched candelabrum
with long glass pendants. These, with
a small writing-desk, the high, narrow
bedstead, and an old piano, made up the
furniture of the room. To me it was so
much treasure-trove. Avice couldn't
have put me in a room where / would
have been more utterly content. Even
the church-like hush that prevailed did
not impress me as uncanny.
'iBut as | stood amongst these relics OF
the past, wishing that they had been
gifted with speech, / heard a clock in
some apparently far-off steeple striking
one-I found afterward that the church
was within a tone's-throw-and remem-
bering hat Avice had said that dinner
would be served at h~alf-past, | began in
haste to make my toilet.
"a narrow, dimly-lighted passage led
from my room to the back parlor. where
| had expected to find Cousin Avice and
her other guests, but both parlors were
empty, the company having congregated
in the library on the opposite side OF the
hall; it was so much cosier there, Cousin
Avice said and as her mother, a stately
and delightful old lady somewhere in the
seventies, preferred it to the parlors, it
became our f~avorite gathering-place
"After dinner a sail was proposed, and
as our yacht was becalmed for several
hours, we did not reach home till long
after dark. 1t was ten o'clock when we
left the supper table, and as all were
more or less tired, we went at once to
our rooms.
'But in spite of my WEAKNESS | could
not resist the temptation TO open the old
piano and run my fingers over the keys
before putting out the light, feeling sure
that in that remote corner there was no
danger Of my disturbing anyone.
"Old and out of tune as the instrument
was, its tone was still sweet and full, and
presently found myself playing Ger
trude's Dream Waltz" a waltz that !
had always been fond Of, having learned
It when a child from a little music-box
that belonged to my mother. 1t was no
doubt from force of this old association
that | played it through twice. and that
after going TO bed l dreamed that | was
a child again in the old home at Crum-
elbow.
but | had not been long asleep when
| wa reused, not by any sound-the
hush in the room was, If possible. even
more noticeable than it had been in the
daytime-but by the consciousness that
| was not alone.
''The moon was pouring a flood OF
light through the gauzy curtains at the
east windows, and as oon as | was fairly
awake | saw, standing in the centre of
this radiance-my ghost. BUTT was not
one of the gaunt, chill spectres with
which ghost-seers have made us familiar
on the contrary, il was a dainty little
creature ina long white dimity gown,
with "A mass of wavy. gold brown hair
falling over the shoulders.
lit made so pretty a picture in the
moonlight that | had no thought at the
moment Of being afraid. To tell the
truth, it was o till after ii had vanished
that | began to realize that | had actually
seen a ghost; while it tarried | was too
absorbed in watching it to think of any
thing else. For an instant it stood as if
uncertain which way to turn, then, to
my amazement, it went straight to the
piano.
II had left the instrument open, fancy
ing That it seemed somewhat musty, and
seating itself on the old-fashioned stool,
the little intruder began softly feeling
among the KEYS.
SAT first the timid touch scarcely
drew forth a sound, but after a moment
or two my ears were greeted with the
very waltz that | had been playing in
the evening, or rather with what seemed
a far-off echo Of it, so soft and dream
like was the music; and not satisfied with
playing it once, the young musician re-
peated it, just as | had done.
"Then, for a few moments, the fingers
wandered back and forth, as if searching
for some lost melody, and while | lay
wondering if this could be the spirit of
some little maiden who in years gone by
had played this ancient instrument, the
steeple clock struck twelve, and, beforeI
could turn my head to follow il, the APP
partition had vanished.
"When | woke up the next morning it
was hard for me to realize that my vision
of the night was anything more than an
ordinary dream, and not being in the
least nervous about it, / decided not to
mention it to any one. Avice, if she
knew of it, would be very likely to want
me to change my room, and the Others
would no doubt attribute the phantom
to my late supper. would wait, at all
events, until its temperance had proved
TO my own satisfaction that it was not
the Pigment of an ovcrwrought magma
ton.
"But the next night nothing disturbed
my slumbers; in fact. | slept so soundly
that the breakfast bell failed to rouse me,
and when at last joined the Others in
the dining-room, their facetious ques-
tions as to the cause of my hardness made
me thankful that l had given them no
to suppose that it was due to a
ghost.
Son the third night, having been to a
parlor concert, it was late when | reached
my room, aud with the music still haunt
I'M. nv hrofp fav ouaEn until altar mid