The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-21
WI sr PLAYED BY A SPIRIT.
Wonderful knowledge Acquired by q
Phantom.
From the P.Lddelpaid Times.

From the Philadelphia Tines
THIS story l advance with reserve. 1t was
told me by young medico, and we all
know that medical studehts are Of a
peculiarly reserved, reticent and sober race,
everse to exaggeration and remarkable for
the veracity of their anecdotes. He who
related the following astonishing experience
told me that iu took place at Sc. Bartholo-
news, or perhaps it was at Guys or St.
Thomas The essential thing is that It tooA
place at a hospital.
| 1t WAS evening, and not late One of the
resident house physiciaas-a young man,
with friend also IA young medical man,
whose evidence can be procured 10 corrobor-
ate the stOry-was playing double dunn
my, with an accompaniment Of tobacco
and whisky and water They had been
playing some time, nothing unusual hap
pening.
They wereHseated at n square table. One
of them at the beginning of a new game
had to deal with his own dummy, as is
the rules at double dummy. When he had
finished most wonderful thing happened.
The cards Of the two dummies were taken
up by invisible hands, which arranged
them and held them IN the usual fan-like
form. lr was SAID the cards were In the
air. The two men looked at each other and
If they had not been men
of science they would have fed Shrek
ing. Then one of the dummies hands were
sharply raped on the table. THAT means
play" whispered one OF them, and, with G
gasp, he LED. The play of the invisi BILE
dummies was all right. The leading part
Der took the trick and returned, changing
the suit to show the hand she held. | say
she, because by this time there were visible
the hands hat ha1d no .ards k,,1t
nothing more. One of the players was a
woman with bare arms showing from a
| sleeve of white lace; her fingers had rings
upon them. The other was a mans, with
| an ordinary coat-sleeve and white cuff.
The men put down their pipes and re-
moved the whisky and water to another
table. They played the game in solemn
silence. Presently 1t became apparent that
the lady played a mastery game. She held
good cards; SO did her partner. They scored
in the first rub-double, treble and the rub,
and III the second-treble, single and the
rub
Never" my narrator told me, did 1
play with a finer player. She seemed to
know by instinct where every card in the
pack was. At the end of the double rubber
the arms disappeared. They went away as
they came. l have never seen them since,
though | often invited them to come by
often wondered who the lady was; young,
as l gathered from the appearance Of her
arms; a gentle woman, as was shown by
the taper fingers and the rings and the lace
and certain way Of carrying her arms.
Frolicsome, as was proved by her sitting
down to play with only her arms visible
unmarried, from the absence of wedding
ring.
"Who could she be7 Why was she
brought to the hospital2 What is her story?
Why did she die SO young! Above all, how
could she, at her early age, have acquired
such knowledge of whist! 1t is very rare
to find girl playing whist even decently.
Perhaps, after leaving the hospital" he
added, with some delicacy Of experience,
''she may have found opportunities for prec-
tice. As for her companion, he was COM
paratively undressing, He had chalked
stones on his fingers, and he was only a
mediocre player. He neglected his part
ner's lead, be bottled her trumps, and once
he threw away the king Of trumps, not even
trying to save it by any obvious finesse.
But the lady-the lady-she, indeed. was
divine"