Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-03-07
ROBINSON'S GHOST.

DISCUSS SUCH stun scIlOuSlJ. MOucIu
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 CHESTS? Well, really,
Brown, don't know. But your speak
Ing Of the sciences reminds me / once
had remarkable experience with n
ghost Robinson reached for the bot
tie, filed his glass slowly and held IL up
TO the light with an air of reminiscent
meditation. Aftera short pause he went
on, in answer TO our inquiring looks:
st was five years ago, just after had
opened my Office hero and taken young
Johnson into partnership. One hot July
morning received telegram asking
me TO go at once to B., a little town
out OH Long Island, 10 draw mp will
for man who had been one Of our best
clients. Johnson was out Of town. so !
had TO attend TO the matter myself.
~ glance at the time table showed
me that should have TO stay in B
several hours, and just - | was leaving
it OCT urred TO me that it might be worth
while 10 take my camera along-John-
son and were both Kodak fiends' in
those days--as my business might not
detain me long, and should probably
have mn 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 tho will and started out to
get some views of the sleepy old town.
But b is a rather commonplace vii
lage, and | saw nothing thought worth
snapling my camera at till had
reached the outskirts Of the town. where
| found a picturesque old mansion that
caught my fancy.
at was a quaint. rambling old house.
gabled rooted and overgrown with vines.
Ii seemed 10 DO deserted-in fact, almost
a ruin. II stood ut some distance back
from the road, and rs there appeared to
he no one living there | went into its
garden, which was an unrestrained tan
gle Of weeds and tall grass, TO got a
nearer view Of the building. ! was just
about TO take picture Of tho porch
when an old man appeared in the door
way Ho was very feeble. but a rather
fine looking old boy. at once began TO
apologize for trespassing on his grounds,
but hc stopped me and told me to take
as many pictures as wished. He turned
out 20 DO tho man in charge of the place.
IL soon struck up an acquaintance with
him aud was not long in winning his
good graces. He told me the house had
not been used for many years; it be-
longcd to Mr.. s., who lived in Eu-
rope and who had left this place in his
charge, no having been the gardener.
Ho was very willing TO show me around
and invited me TO look ut the inside Of
the house, which was glad to do. The
first glimpse of the interior pleased me
so much that decided to make view
of it for my first picture.
"Ihe door opened on broad hall run
ming clear through the house; there was
large winding stairway at tho back
with landing place half way up, upon
which there opened beautiful ova,
| window, overgrown with ivy. The light
was good and | snapped my camera at
this tinc old stairway and window.
took a number of views of the house and
grounds and had barely time left TO
catch my train back to the city.
For some time after my return / was
very busy, as johnson was away and all
the work fell on me, so it was at least a
month before got the negatives Of my
pictures of the old house. But remem.
bered all the incidents well, and was
much pleased to find my views "a good
as they were, but you may imagine my
astonishment when looked at the mega
tive Of my first picture and saw in it the
figure of a beautiful young girl standing
OIL the landing place of the stairway.
| THE whole negative was excellent;
the girls picture was especially clear
and we'll marked. How on earth did
| she yet there? ! had certainly never
seen her before. and was absolutely
certain that there had been no girl on
the stairway when took the picture.
"But there the stranger was standing,
as ii she had paused moment on her
way down stairs. with one arm slightly
raised and leaning forward II trifie, as If
looking at some one in the hall below.
II was utterly inexplicablo 10 me. had
never seen that face. and the gardener
had told mo that the house was not in
habited. do not believe that there
could have been such girl in B.,
vet there she was. AS far ns one could
Judge from so small q photograph. L.
was n face of rare beauty. ] was com
pletcly nystified.
"As luck would havo it was obliged
to GO TO B again the next day, and
took my negative with me, promising
myself to look for the mysterious beauty
of the stairway. for the face had a
strange fascination for me, and deter
mined to find the girl whose picture
had 80 unaccountably taken, il could
possibly do so.
IL hurried through my business and
rushed off TO seek my friend the gar
dener. found him and at once showed
him my puzzling negative. The moment
he saw 1t be dropped into seat on the
bench beside him as if he had been shot
trembling like frightened animal ant
with look os terror IN his eyes. In
| 4 3 l..a m