The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-07-15


for as the ghost" said cousin, looking
over her shoulder.
II should hate to think there were no
ghosts" remarked Virginia branch of
the family; Pm sure l saw one once in
our gallery. 1t was dressed in white
and strobe up and down just like real
ghosts do on the stage. Our dog howled
and the lights all burned blue"
~ sat up with Aunt Polly Williams
the night before she died, and heard
three cracks of whip right over the
looking glass. And they broke the
glass into three pieces" related an
aunt.
This had been told SO often that the
original number, lone crack of the
whip" had been increased to three, but
no one noticed that-the ghostly fact
remained.
Ibid you ever account for seeing your
father after his death?" asked one of the
relatives of her hostess.
"No, never! He had been dead a year
on that night when went to the hall
clock to see If it had been wound up.
You know the clock-one of those high
ones? 1t has been in the family for
generations. It's up in the nursery
now. AS put my hand on the door to
open it saw father standing close by
me with smile on his face, as if some
thing pleased him. l was frightened
and ran from the hall, but afterward l
looked into the clock and found a deed
to some land we were dispossessed of,
hidden there. suppose, really, only
imagined seeing him. You know /
don't believe it was really father, but
it was strange it should lead to finding
that paper"
another coincidence" said the fin
de steele matron. when my ghost
walks in with it's head under one arm l
shall look for n rational explanation of
the phenomena"
Talking about ghosts" said an
elderly widow relative, speaking in a
weird, mysterious voice, did / ever
tell you how my first husband appeared
to me when / was thinking about
marrying the man who was afterward
my second-did ever speak of it?"
"a hundred times to my certain
knowledge" said the fin de steele ma
tron under her breath.
IF never did, it was because don't
believe in ghosts. myself, but that was
| just one of the things I couldn't under
stand. was sitting in the parlor just
rs If it might be now, only was alone.
There came three raps-"
Mercy! 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 uncere-
Notwithstanding ghostly was hap
pening 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 flared and went out,
leaving only the light of the full moon
through the lace-draped windows,
mingling with the Pickering freight
lin strange, spectral glare, which was
| focused upon the square of velvet car
pet in front of the portrait they had
been examining that very evening.
But what was this? Had the picture
come to life and stepped out of its
frame? The startled group at the fire.
side could see only a shadow there that
paled and fiickered, 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, wear
ing the same clothes which fluttered
noiselessly. diffusing a cold sweet per-
fume 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 clicked stock
ings and ribbon-crossed slippers of long
ago. There she stood before them all,
yet never noticing them, and then she
began to dance in stately measure q
minuet, as il some unseen cavalier
were treading the meature with her,
and all the time that cold wind was
blowing and a strange, quaint melody
was being played by invisible hands,
aside from which there was not as much
noise as if hummingbird had fut-
tered It's wings.
Then somebody sore AIMED or tainted,
and in moment the music ceased; the
dancer was gone. Somebody lighted
all the gas burners, and there was the
portrait just as it had already been,
and when the four young people, hear
ing the hubbub in the library, came
rushing in they were overwhelmed by
what they missed, nor dared they cast
discredit on the evidence of their elders.
But youth throws off impressions
easily, and Helen and Walter and their
friends made such charming jest and
gayety out of it that with the help of a
warm supper the elders were finally In
duced to throw of the mystery and
solemnity of the astral dance, and
looked upon it as mirage, something
quite explainable by certain laws of hui
man occult development Helen even
declared, saucily, that her great-grand-