The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1895-09-27
ATRUE
GHOST STORY.
BY CORA arrEAD NEIL.

the 4llSfudtiOGdl nOSplbal az Naples
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, infu-
enza, made me for a few weeks a pa
tent in that excellently managed and
beautifully situated institution, for
merly the Villa Bentinek. The kind
and skillful resident doctor was from
the University of Vienna; the matron
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 dark, sullen afternoon in
that tardy spring, when was taken to
the hospital. The carriage wound
slowly up the long hill, and at length,
to my relief, stopped before broad,
two-leaved door, resembling the en-
trance of a New England barn. As
one leaf Of it was slowly opened,
peered in, and saw what looked at first
like globe Of flame at the side of the
corridor; but while I wondered what
manner Of lamp this could be, it partly
revolved and disclosed a profile, and,
as the door swung back, revealed it.
self as the head of tall, eficient-loOk-
ing woman, who was directing a 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 I began my life In a
hospital,
1t was a 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 q
call by herself and bring me, perhaps,
a spray of fragrant orange blossoms
from the garden, or, as I got better, In
vite me to sit on the terrace in front Of
her room, where looked down over the
city upon that portion of the Bay OF Ma
Piles which is inclosed between the pro-
montories of Posillipo and of Sorrento
with Capri floating opposite me like a
violet-hued mountain taking sea
bath in the vivid vitriol-blue waves,
and Vesuvius, at my left, raising it's
swelling cone in curves Of fascinating
beauty, and emitting a trembling
breath of sunlighted vapor.
I came to have homelike feeling
among my kind attendants in the hos
pital, and it gave me a painful shock
of surprise, therefore, to learn, within
three weeks from the time had left it,
that Miss c., the ma iron, 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 l re-
turned to Naples, and Carl and I soon
paid a visit to the hospital. He had
been to see me every day while l was
a patient there, and was almost as IA
miliar as myself with the place and
with the persons in charge.
1t was hot afternoon in May when
we climbed the shadeless hill, and the
white, glazing street reflected a 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 fight, and
to the right of the staircase, and fac
ing down the length of a corridor, is
the door OF the matron' room. Just be-
fore we reached the top of the stairs
tall woman. wearing a nurses cap and
apron, glided out of this room with the
quick, noiseless 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-fYe degrees; but when we looked
in at it 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
US, nor greeted us with good day"
in either of the -four languages. It
being always the custom on the conti-
nent to bid good day to anyone you
may meet on a staircase or in a corri-
dor "a custom generally observed,
from those in highest rank down to
the lowest menials-this omission was
noticed by US But our momentary
surprise at it was Immediately oblit-
Grated by our FemaTking another cir
cumstance.
THAT must be Miss G-'s sister,
said Carl.
What a striking resemblance Ian
swered,
Wonderfully strilzingr' Carl re-
spoGded, as we passed on to the dos
tors rooms in the east wing Of the
building.
The good doctor gave US q most
friendly welcome, and after the pre-
liminaries relating TO my health were
ended. ne naturally spoke Of Miss
G-'s sudden death, and he told Us
the particulars of her last days
lyon have her sister to take her
place. we see. ? said Carl
40, we have no one yet IN heF
place, said Dr.. S.
+No2 Why, we just saw some one
coming out Of her room who resem-
bled her so strongly that we inferred
she mist be her sister. answered Ca.i.
Tie doctor was greatly surprised.
and questioned further, and when he
f1 1911 a. .--rl