Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-08-15
A TRUE GHOST STORY.
by CORA MTEAD NEIL.

The facts here narrated occurred II
the International hospital at Maple!
in the spring Of 1892. For obvious rea
sons the full names Of the persons con
cerned are withheld An illness, con
sequent upon the dire epidemic, intiu
enza, made me for few weeks pa
tient in that excellently managed an(
beautifully situated institution, for
merly the Villa Bentinck. The kline
and skillful resident doctor was from
the University of Vienna; the matror
was young Englishwoman; the nurses
were German, Scotch and Italian; the
patients were even more cosmopolitan
than the corps OF officials. Thus the
epithet international was well war
ranted.
1t was a dark, sullen afternoon in
that tardy spring, when | was taken tC
the hospital. The carriage wound
slowly up the long hill, and at length
to my relief, stopped before a broad
two-leaved door, resembling the en-
trance of New England barn. AS
one leaf of it was slowly opened,
peered in, and saw what looked at first
like globe of fame at the side of the
corridor but while ! wondered what
manner Of lamp this could be, it partly
revolved and disclosed profile, and,
as the door swung back, revealed it.
self as the head OF tall, etlcient-look-
ing woman, who was directing man
bringing the chair in which was to be
carried upstairs The head was very
round one, and was covered thickly
with short, brilliant locks of the color
which in hair is for some reason com
monty called red; the tufts Stood out
like little lambert flames all around
the owners face. This was Miss C.,
the matron. She soon turned me over
to the care of my faithful little Ger
man nurse, and began my life in a
bosnital
1t was very regular life, with its
daily morning visit from the doctor,
attended by the matron, an afternoon
visit from the matron alone, and the
tender ministrations Of my good nurse
In the meantime Occasionally. how.
ever the matron would make me a
call bv herself and bring me- perhaps
a snrav of FRAGRANT ORANGE blossoms
from the pardeu or MS pot better in
vito ma IN sit IN the tcrrace in front Of
her room where looked down over the
citv upon that norton of the Bay of Ma
nlcs which is inclosea between the pro.
montories Of posillino and Of Sorrento
with Canri tloatinc opposite me like a
yiolet.hued mountain taking a sea
bath in the vivid vitriol-blue waves,
and Vesuvius, at my left, raising its
swelling cone in curves of fascinating
beauty, and emitting trembling
breath of sunlghted vapor.
came to have a homclikc feeling
among nv kind attendant, in the hos
pital, and it gave me painful shock
of surprise, therefore, TO learn, within
three weeks from the time had left it,
that Miss G-,the matron, after only a
few days Illness had died. had gone,
on leaving the hospital, to recruit
further at the beautifully located and
well-kept Pension Weiss, in Castel.
lamare. But few weeks later | re.
turned to Naples, and Carl and | soon
paid visit to the hospital, lie had
been to see me every day while | was
patient there, and was almost as ia
miliar as myself with the place and
with the persons in charge.
1t was a hot afternoon in May when
we climbed the shadeless hill, and the
white, glazing street reflected blind
ing heat hardly less intense than that
which smote from the clear sky. In
the open doorway we were cordially
greeted by the old Italian woman who
cared for the patient in the basement,
and we hailed the refreshing contrast
of the dark, cool corridors as we en-
tered and went upstairs. On the floor
reached by ascending one flight, and
To the rirht OF the staircase and fac
iur down the length of corridor, Is
the door of the matron's room. Just be-
fore we reached the top of the stairs a
tall woman, wearing nurses cap and
apron, plided out of this room with the
quick, noissless movement acquired by
those who care for the sick, passed q
few yards down the corridor from
right to left in front of us, then turned
suddenly and glided back from left to
right, and reentered the room. The
door stood open at an angle OF nearly
forty-fve degrees; but when we looked
In at 1t she had already disappeared in
to the part Of the room which was CON
cealed from view. Although we had
been SO near her she had not looked at
u.s. nor greeted us with good day"