The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-12-24
A WASHINGTON GHOST.
A Story of a Haunted House at the
Nations Capital.
YET THE MANSION is OCCUPIED.
Madam Saw Figure of a solemn Look
ing Man In the Doorway Twice and
She Died within the Year, Though She
Had Left the City.

There is n house in Washington that II
raid to be haunted. In this matter-of-fact
age, however, such reputation carries
but little weight, and the mansion. which
Is large and handsome, is generally rented
to some congressman or diplomat. The
ever changing population of the capital Of
the republic helps TO prevent its reputa-
tion being generally known. IL does not
seem to be always under the fatal ban;
sometimes years will elapse before any
thing happens TO revive the old tales.
Then suddenly some dreadful tragedy
will be enacted within its walls that for a
time will cause it to obtain an unenviable
notoriety, which generally dies away once
more as new people and new interests
supersede tie old. Within the recollection
of the writer, however, three awful events
have taken place in the old house. The
first, which did much to give it its unde-
sirable reputation (although there were ill
omened stories even before that time), was
asupposed but an unproven murder. This
has been followed-at long intervals it is
true, but apparently by some strange ia
tality-by the suicide of two of its lessees
After the last terrible event, which was
the mysterious and self inflicted death of
noted and brilliant diplomatist, nothing
more was heard of any particularly disas.
trous nature connected with the house for
many years, and it gradually became as
comfortable and commonplace AS its neigh
bors. OF late years. however. a new tale
has set the "old timers" talking again
about the strange fatality Of the house.
THE MAN IN TIE DOORWAY.
Several years ago the spacious dwelling
was taken by the second secretary of lega-
ton of one of the great European powers,
who, with his lovely and rich and charm
ing wife, dispensed its hospitalites in a
way long TO be remembered. All went
we'll for the first year, and then followed
strange occurrences. One late afternoon
in the winter of lSS- Nine. de -, who, it
WAS averred, knew nothing of the stories
connected with the house, sat at the piano
in her drawing room softly playing in the
twilight.
Hearing the door opened behind her, she
supposed it was the servant bringing
lights, and for "A moment went on playing.
Feeling strong draft, however, and hear
ing no sound. she turned her head and
saw in the doorway the tall figure of a
man looking az her very flxedly. AS she
moved he closed the door and she was
alone. Being supremely matter of fact,
and not imagining for moment it was
on business in the hall, she crossed the
room aud opened the door.
No one was tAefe-She found darkness
there but nothing more" She promptly
rang the bell, ordered lights and asked the
footman who had been let into the house;
the servant declared positively that no one
had entered since madame herself had re-
turned from her dinner
But saw him distinctly" she insisted,
she was tall, dark man and wore a large
plaid shawl with one end flung over the
shoulders; noticed the shawl particularly
because il was so old :" she continued, turn
ing to her husband who had appeared on
the scene.
Every likely some ole came in and find
ing he had mistaken the house went out
again." said NJ. de -. THAT would be
impossible, SIR" said the footman respect
fully; "the catch is down and the door can
not be opened from the street"
AGAIN THE STRANGE VISITOR.
And so the matter ended-one Of those
strange, incomprehensible occurrences that
cannot he explained. month or two
passed without any further annoyance
from the ghost" as Nine. de - laugh
ingly persisted in calling her intangible
visitor, when there occurred one of those
sudden visitations of delicious spring
weather so common in Washington in the
early days of March, when the air became
so warm that the windows were left open
on the little iron balcony that ran in south
ern fashion along the front of the house.
Again Nine de - happened to be alone
in the drawing room amusing herself with
a novel waiting for few friends to come
in for afternoon tea. Feeling suddenly the
uncomfortable sensation of being watched,
she looked up from her book and once
more distinctly saw the man-dark south
ern face, plaid shawl and all-standing on
the balcony at the open French window.
As she looked he again disappeared.
Thoroughly frightened at this second
visitation, she rushed up to her husbands
"den," and together they explored the
premises with the same unsatisfactory re-
suits This time the strange occurrences
were told among their circle, and many
and various were the comments. 1t was
said that the description of the man tailed
with that of one of the former inmates.
BE that as it may, the saddest aud truest
part of the whole story was that the beau
tiful and popular Nine. de - died with
in the year at Rome, whittier they had
been sent after the expiration OF her hus-
bands term Of service at Washin gton.-