Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1895-08-02
A TRUE GHOST STORY.
BY CORA M'TEAD NEIL.

BY CORA M'TEAD NEIL.
The facts here narrated occurred in
the international hospital at 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, intiu-
enza, made me for a few weeks pa
tent in that excellently managed and
beautifully situated institution, for
merly the Villa Bentinck. 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.
It 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 New England barn. AS
one leaf of it was slowly opened, l
peered in, and saw what looked at first
like globe of flame at the side of the
corridor; but while / 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, efficient-look-
ing woman, who was directing a man
bringing the chair in which 1 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
hospital.
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 by herself and bring me, perhaps,
Q spray of fragrant orange blossoms
from the garden, or, as / 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 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 sunlighted vapor.
] 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 CT the ma tron, 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. 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 wher
we climbed the shadeless hill, and the
white, glaring street reflected a blind
ing heat hardly less intense than that
which smote from the clear sky. Ir
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 flool
reached by ascending one fight, ant
to the right of the staircase, and fac
ing down the length of corridor, il
the door of the matron' room. just be
fore we reached the top of the stairs {
tall woman, wearing nurses cap anc
apron, glided out of this room with thu
| quick, noiseless movement acquired by
those who care for the sick, passed {
few yards down the corridor from
right to left in front of us, then turned
suddenly and glided back from left t.
right, and reentered the room. TIL,
door stood open at an angle of nearly
forty-fve 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 ha,
been so near her she had not looked a
us, nor greeted us with good day
in either of the -four languages" l
being always the custom on the CONT
,ent to bid good day to anyone yo,
may meet on staircase or in CORR
dor custom generally observed
from those in highest rank down t.
the lowest menials-this omission wa
noticed by us. But our momentar,
surprise at it was Immediately oblit
srated by our remarking another cir
.umstance.
"That must be Miss G-'s sister,
said Carl.
what striking resemblance" i an
,wered.
Il, Wonderfully strilxingr Carl re
,ponded, as we passed on to the do: