, 1891-01-23
SPECTER HAUNTED.

certainly do not believe in visions
and have often laughed at Missionaries
when I have heard them relate some
wonderful spectral tale, in which they
placed implicit faith This was my
name Of thinking when / paid a visit
to the enlnneLnE my HeFimeHt-wHe in
habited an old mansion n few miles
from the town. Have | changed my
opinion since that timel | think not.
but certainly cannot deny that there
are some influences which exercise a
strange power over the minds Of human
beings The following history, natural
in its los supernatural details, and
thus different from all unnatural ghost
stories, may prove my assertion;
The colonel was a cheerful, good
humored man, and his wife was a per.
feet RECONCILIATION of calmness and do
nestle quietness, the fitting companion
of a man who liked to repose in the
tranquility Of his home after the fa-
tigues Of service. The family consisted
Of two daughters and a French lady
who played the part OF governess,
though the daughters seemed to have
passed the age ut which young ladies
require governing.
The eldest was a merry girl, spirited
to excess, always dancing in life, jump
ing restlessly from n object to an
other. have seen her reading. dane
ing, singing. and all within the same
quarter Of an hour have known her
to shed tears at the death of some poor
cousin in India, and with the tears stil
in her eyes burst into a merry laugh
over a little dog who would begin to
snoeze violently. After all, notwith-
standing her eccentricities. Augusta was
a girl full of grace and amiability which
charmed everybody.
1t would be impossible to find a
greater contrast than that which ef-
isted between the characters OF Au-
gusta and Maria, her younger sister.
Relative to the latter, imagine a males
tic figure and a face Of wonderful beau
ty, though Of deathlike palcness-
imagine this figure and face moving
slowly, solemniy and in measured steps
through the salon, and letting fall from
time to time, through half open lips.
single phrases in a deep, low voice, and
you will understand that any one would
at first feel himself shivering with n
supernatural feeling, produced by the
aspect of such a specterliIe appearance.
When | had overcome this feeling
and conversed with Maria l soon felt
convinced that her singular and fan
tastic nature was rather external than
internal In the few remarks she made
to me she manifested a delicate, WON
anly feeling, a clear mind and n kind
heart. Not the slightest trace Of an
overstrained Imagination was TO be
found, though her melancholy smiles
and her tear laden looks betrayed a
mtrbid state of feeling which exercised
an unpleasant influence upon this deli.
cate girl.
One thing appeared strange to me,
which was that the family was always
embarrassed when any one held ON
versation with Maria, and hat they in
vRriably tried TO interrupt the dis
even by interfering in an alb
rupt and decided manner. But what
appeared still stranger was, that as soon
as the clock struck S Maria was begged
either by her father, mother or sister,
to go 70 bed These ~entreaties were
accompanied 10y such kind words and
such canessine that the
speakers appeared to forget that they
were addressing a grown up young
lady. The French lady regularly ac-
companied her, and so it happened
that both the goyerness and Maria were
always absent at supper. which used &c
be served at Q o'clock.
Thus my conversation was limited TO
the spirited Augusta. who entertained
me with her sprightly and variable wit.
But as soon rs | began to speak Of
Maria a sadness passed over the entire
family, and the mother, TO put an end
TO my inquiries, told me that Maria
was in a bad state of health, that
every evening about 3 o'clock she was
visited with feverish attacks, and that
the physician had ordered her perfect
repose and tranquility ut that hour.
l felt convinced from the manner in
which this account was given that it
was not correct, and that some mys-
terry was connected with Maria and her
regular disappearance in the evening,
but it was long after l had left the
house that this mystery was solved, Us
follows:
Maria had been a healthy girL, as
merry and as happy as her elder sister
Augusta Her fourteenth birthday had
arrived, and n great many Of her girl
kh friends We're assembled in order to
celebrate it. The party were all con-
regated in q nice little aTGor in the