The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-08-10
An Indian Ghost SforY

Two decades before to the east OF Sin
d~uriapati. Calcutta. there stood a
three-storied house in Ram Mohun
Shaha's Lane. This house was dis
mantled a few years ago. but the two
central figures in the story are still
living. These gentlemen, Nitai Babu
and Tulsi Babu. We're then two young
men. strong and brave. One noon. In
summer. they were proceeding TO the
house of a friend in Ram Mohun Sha-
has Lane. AS they passed the three
stored house they saw a young lady
Of sixteen standing at the ~half-opened
street door and were surprised TO find
her reckoning them to approach. The
two friends, curious to know some
thing more of the woman and why
she invited them, entered the house.
They met no one as they passed ac-
ross the courtyard, with a thick layer
of dust, Of a flight Of steps, the woman
showing them the way. In a verand0
on the first floor they found an old
man lying on a mat, his eyes closed in
sleep. They approached and called
him. 1t was after considerable diff
cuty that they could rouse the old man,
who. however, opened his eyes for a
moment only, and then slept as before.
The two friends then followed the wo-
man to the second floor, and here they
found an old lady sleeping in the YER
anda. Here, too, they tried to wake
her up: but, as in the case OF the man,
she only opened her eyes once and
then closed them again.
Babus Natal and Tulsi now saw the
woman enter a room and they follow
ed her into it. The apartment was
we'll furnished. A rich bedstead stood
on one side with a milkwhite and in
vitingly soft bed thereon. There was
also s~ilverplated hukas, betel utensils,
and fire in a pan. They were rather
surprised, and asked their young con-
ductress who she was and why she
had called them. But she did not an
Swer. They asked to order her ser
wants. if she had any, to prepare a
chillum; still she spoke not a word,
but remained standing by the side OF
the khat.
Nitai Babu grew impatient at this
want of courtesy or frankness, and
rose from the farash on which the tN
were sitting to catch hold Of her. The
woman thereupon began going round
and round the bedstead, followed by
Nitai. Her speed gradually increased;
at last suddenly she dashed toward
the door and made off.
The two friends became really
alarmed his time. Fearing consequ-
NiNN ~ ~ mp tI'ClbrSS Al'S
too issued out of the room after the
woman. Now they did not meet, how
ever, either the old woman or the old
man, and this circumstance added 10
their terror. When they reached the
first floor the woman who had led them
on this wild goose chase vanished sud
denly from view. They hastened
downstairs, and, as they were cross
ing the yard, a peal Of laughter indu-
ced them to look up. To their horror
and surprise they foun the young wo-
man standing on the veranda OF the
second floor and laughing immoderate-
ly. AS their eyes met she took the pan
of fire before referred to and threw it
down. The sparks touched the ground.
and at once there shot up tongues OF
fire which reached the second floor.
This incident only demOraliZed them
the more, and they rushed toward the
front door, where they found the -
man of the first floor. They put sa
eral questions to him, but receiving no
answer they ae last ran out Of the
house and reached that Of their friend
GREATNESS and p~erspiring.
On telling the latter Of their adven-
lures, very great was their surprise 10
learn that the three persons they had
met in the three-storied house were
all denizens Of another world, they
havingd led some time previously Of
cholera within a day or two of one
another. The old couple were parents
of the young woman who had decoyed
them into the house.-The Pantha.
In Georgia, at least. the Niger has
left 1.-The woodpile'' and taken to the Of