The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-03-20
A PERFUME GHOST.

seek DcIttT tOnNtHlODtb5 fOF ItDOso tDdL
our railway coach afforded and again pur
sue our journey in the morning.
Somewhat 60 my surprise the guidebooi
mentioned our out Of tho way town ant
named It's dozen Of hotels and pensions
One of tho latter we chose
Hore we were beamingly received by
the proprietor of the pension, much In.
deedsas IL we svere long looked for guests.
Madame wore an old black silk dres.
which still bore the stamp Of It's Partisan
origin She carried bunch OF keys which
sho jingled as sho talked.
Yes, madame had rooms-two Of them
There was large one with smaller on,
adjoining She would show them to us.
Very modest appearing apartments the,
werc that we were shown into, yet upon
the subject of their faded paperings ant
unstable upholstery madame was eloquent
/ managed to understand the drift o.
her discourse, madame's expressive ges
lures explaining much OF her hueni
French, but what was this about ''les
cheveux blonde, lie clair do la lune" and
lie parfum des fiuersS"
What could madame meanY But thai
lady was now bowling herself away before
her admirlng audience, and small boy
bearing our baggage entered and left 1t Oh
the floor.
looked at my wife
Evidently they mean us to have thess
rooms" said.
Ny wife did not answer. Suddenly sh,
began:
Long ago beautiful maiden occu
pied this chamber. and here her lover wat
In the habit Of visiting her, bringing with
him bouquets of heliotrope, the maiden.
favorite flower. One day as she restec
upon a couch awaiting his arrival her love-
stole in and presented her with bouquet
AS tho maiden bent her head to inhale tn,
fragrance her false lover thrust a dagger
In her neck and fed, pulling down hei
long hair over the wound.
1.-The room is said TO be still the scent
of the maiden's visitation"
In the course OF our travels had be
come used TO my wifos random readings
from the guidebook
"This roomi" she explained with enthu
siasm.
The romantic tale in connection with
our chamber must have excited my wife's
imagination, for she sat upon the little
lounge and gazed out on the gathering
dusk until the moonlight began to cas-
faint shadows upon the lawn below.
"How delightful it would be to meet q
Rhostl' unused my wife
did not want to seem unsympathetic,
so stiiled yawn. and with all the inter
est could summon responded:
.'Yes."
III you should display such animation
on meeting one, I'm sure the ghost woulo
cut you Immediately after the introduc.
tion."
/ was soon asleep.
In the night woke and found my room
flooded with moonlight. A ray from the
moon had probably fallen upon my fac,
and awakensd me; that, or something else.
turned uneasily in my bed. My mind
seemed possessed with strange idea.
Some one was in the room.
/ was conscious of O subtle fragrancs
permeating the air 1t was the odor OF
holiotrope / recalled the story of the
guidebook, and / instinctively turned my
eyes to the couch by the window.
A woman resting on the couch. tn,
moonlight falling upon her white dress
and on her long, light hair that hung or
the floor
had just nerved myself TO rise when
sunk back again on my bed, for there wa,
movement upon the couch. The figur
stood for moment, as If in hesitancy, ane
then softly and rapidly moved toward my
wifo's room.
sprung up, though without q though
rs to my proceedings
/ kept my eyes upon the phantom al
the time. 1t had now reached my wifo'.
bed
But my wife did not lie there.
The idea that had so feebly chained my
Thought now seized me with conviction.
My eyes at once Travelled from the empty
pillow 10 tho figure beside the bed-non,
other than my wifol
The truth flashed upon me--my wife
was asleep. Leaving her quietly, wen,
back TO my bed.
The next morning l stood by the little
couch, the suns rays mercilessly exposing
every rip and threadbare spot.
My wife came in, and / told her the
story.
Il am certain, though" said when
had done, THAT distinctly smelled hello.
trope in tho room"
SO you did undoubtedly and shall
again, said my wife meaningly os we
left our rooms, followed by the man with
our bags.
In the garden below was madame wa
terlng her flowers l smiled at my wife.
knowingness as my eyes fell upon the bod
of hcliotrope flourishing near the window
of the room had occupied.
Half an hour later we had resumed ouI
journey, my wife with bit Of heliotropt
between the leaves Of her guidslook.-
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