The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-03-12
ROBTNSON'S GHOST.

ilho thdVi dlld Tvs lIOoltlNcig dDouIu lOI
such men as we area party of three
lawyers, doctor and journalist-"who
pride ourselves on our common sense, to
discuss such stuff seriously. Modern
science has thrown so strong light on
those illusions that they ought to be rec
ognized everywhere for just what they
are-nothing more than the result of
mental disorder What do you say,
Robinson; do you believe in ghosts, as
our friend, the doctor, seems tor" The
speaker contemptuously threw away the
stump of his cigar as if it were the Of
fender he was berating instead of the
doctor, who had just been spinning an
after dinner yarn Of supernatural kind
"Do believe in ghosts? Well, really,
Brown, don't know But your speak
ing of the sciences reminds me l once
had a remarkable experience with a
ghost" Robinson reached for the bot
tie, filled his glass slowly and held it up
to the light with an air of reminiscent
meditation. After short pause he went
on, in answer to our inquiring looks:
"It was five years ago, just after had
opened my Office here and taken young
johnson into partnership. One hot July
morning l received a telegram asking
me to go at once TO B., little town
out on Long Island, to draw up will
for a man who had been one of our best
clients. johnson was out of town, so l
had to attend TO the matter myself.
GA glance at the time table showed
me that should have to stay in B
several hours, and just as l was leaving
it occurred to me that it might be worth
while to take my camera along-John-
son and l were both Kodak fiends' in
those days-as my business might not
detain me long, andl should probably
have an hour or two to spare, had
barely time to catch my train, so has
tily picked up the camera from my desk
and rushed off Just as / expected, ]
soon finished the will and started out tc
get some views of the sleepy old town.
But B. is a rather commonplace vii
lage, and saw nothing thought worth
swapping my camera at till had
reached the outskirts of the town, where
found picturesque old mansion that
caught my fancy.
at was a quaint, rambling old house
gabled rooted and overgrown with vines
1t seemed to be deserted-in fact, almost
a ruin. 1t stood at some distance back
from the road, and as there appeared tC
be no one living there went into its
garden, which was an unrestrained tan
gle of weeds and tall grass, to get g
nearer view of the building. was just
about to take a picture of the porch
when an old man appeared in the door
way, He was very feeble, but a rather
fine looking old boy. at once began t
apologize for trespassing on his grounds
but he stopped me and told me to TAXI
as many pictures as | wished. He turned
out to be the man in charge Of the place
II soon struck up an acquaintance will
him and was not long in, winning hi
good graces He told me the house hat
not been used for many years; it be
longed to Mr.. S., who lived in Eu
rope and who had left this place in hi
charge, he having been the gardener
He was very willing to show me arount
and invited me to look at the inside O.
the house, which / was glad to do. Th'
first glimpse of the interior pleased m'
so much that decided to make a view
of it for my first picture.
"The door opened on a broad hall run
ming clear through the house; there wa
a large winding stairway at the bacl
with landing place half way up, upol
1 which there opened a beautiful ova
window, overgrown with ivy, The ligh
was good and | snapped my camera a
this fine old stairway and window.
took number of views Of the house an'
grounds and had barely time left t
catch my train back to the city.
For some time after my return l wa
very busy, as johnson was away and al
the work fell on me, so it was at least ,
month before ! got the negatives Of m
pictures of the old house But remem
bered all the incidents we'll, aud wa
much pleased to find my views as goo
as they were, but you may imagine m
astonishment when looked at the mega
tive Of my first picture and saw in it tn
figure Of a beautiful young girl standin
on the landing place of the stairway,
THE whole negative was excellent
the girls picture was especially clea
and well marked. How on earth di
she get thereg had certainly neve
seen her before, and / was absolutel
certain that there had been no girl o
the stairway when took the picture.
"But there the stranger was standing
as if she had paused a moment on he
way down stairs, with one arm slight
raised and leaning forward a trife, as
looking at some one in the hall below
It was utterly inexplioable to me. l ha
never seen that face, and the gardenG
had told INC that the house was not il
habited. l do not believe that thei
could have been such girl in B.
yet there she was. AS far as one coul