The Opelousas courier., 1893-08-05

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The next morning the mother sent tc
his room to waken him, but he was moi
there, nor had his bed been slept in.
An hour later came the news that he
was drowned at the very time that his
mother had seen him, while crossing a
ford on his way home.
''That was merely a coincidence"
said q fin de steele matron who was
present; "his mother dreamed it oil,
Of course"
"I should find that as hard to ac-
count for as the ghost" looking over
her shoulder.
81 should hate to think there were
no ghosts" remarked a Virginia
branch of the family; "I'm sure ]
saw n once on our gallery. 1t wa
dressed In white and stroke up and
down just like real ghosts do on the
stage. Our dog howled and the lights
all burned blue"
81 sat up with Aunt Polly Williams
the night before she died, and heard
three cracks of q whip right over the
lookingglass. And they broke the
glass into three pieces" related an
amt.
This had been told SO often that the
original number, zone crack of the
whip" had been increased to three,
but no n noticed that-the ghostly
factNremained.
"Hidy you ever account for seeing
your father after his death, asked one
Of the relatives of her hostess.
"No, neveri He had been dead a
year on that night when I went to the
hall clock to see if it had been wound
up. You know the clock-one OF
those tall ones. It has been in the
family for generations. It's up in the
nursery 10Y AS [ put my hand on
the door th@ open it, [ saw father
standing close by me with a smile on
his face as if something pleased him. ]
was frightened and ran from the
hall but afterwards I looked into
the clock and found a deed to some
land We were dispossessed aof, hidden
there. I suppose, reallyA 1 only
imagined seeing him. YSh know /
can't believe it was really father, but
it was strange it should lead to finding
that paper"
"Another coincidence" slid the fin
de steele matron. "When my ghost
walks in with it's head under one arm
I shall look for a rational explanation
of the phenomena"
"Talking about ghosts" said IN ell.
derly widowed relative, speaking in a
weird, mysterious voice, "did I ever
tell you how my first husband appeared
to me when [ was thinking about mar.
rying the man who was afterwards my
second-did l aver speak of
"a hundred times to my certain
knowledge" said the fin de steele ma.
tron under her breath.
eff never did, it was because ]
don't believe in ghosts myself, but that
was just M of the things I couldn't
understand. I was sitting in the par
lor just as if it might be now, only ]
was alone. There came three raps-"
"Merey! goodness! what is that?"
No one responded, no one moved,
and for that time, at least, the ghost
of the widows first husband was laid
uncermoniously = something ghostly
was happening under the very face
and eyes of the party.
A puff Of cold air ran through the !
room with such startling rapidity that
the wax candles fared and went out, !
leaving only the light of the full moon
through the lace-draped windows.
mingling with the Pickering freight
in a strange, spectral glare, which was
focused upon the square. of velvet
carpet in front of the portrait they
had been examining that very even
ing.
But what was this? Had the picture
come to life and stepped out of it's !
frame? The startled group at the
Preside could see only q shadow there !
that paled and fickered, but stepped
bodily and audaciously into the light. !
Was it the semblance of the portrait,
or was it really the beautiful form and
face of that woman of a century past,
wearing the same clothes which
futtered noiselessly, diffusing o cold
sweet perfume that affected the senses
like the incense of death? Her eyes
were fixed as in the picture, but the
red was on her lips and cheeks, and her
little feet peeping from the founces
and laces of her wide skirts, wore the
ribbon-crossed slippers of long ago.
There she stood before them all, vet
never noticing them, and then she be-
gan to dance in stately measure n
minute, as if some Unseen cavalier
were treading the measure with her,
and all the time that cold wind was
blowing, aud a strange, quaint melody
being played by invisible hands,
from which there was not as
much noise as if q hummingbird had
duttered its wings.
Then somebody screamed or tainted,
and in a moment the music ceased, the
dancer was gone. Somebody lighted
Ill the gas burners, and there was the
portrait Just as it had already been,
when the four young people hear.
the hubbub in the library, came
'ushing in they were overwhelmed by
what they missed, nor dared they east
iiscredit on the evidence oftheir elders.
But youth throws off impressions
EASILY, and Helen and Walter and their
friends made such charming jest and
out of it, that with the help of
warm supper, the elders were finally
induced to throw off the mystery and
olemnity of the astral dance, and
ooked upon it as q mirage, something
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