Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-10-23
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THE TALBOT MYSTERY. :
BY STEPHEN CRANE. \
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BY STEPHEN CRANE,

Twenty years apart in the tide Of
time / heard the two stories here re-
corded, and the tales were told to
me as | here narrate them, one is in
the little village of Northam, in one
of the New England States, the other
| at Silver Creek, Mississippi.
So far apart in time and place, I
heard of the appearance of Talbot's
ghost and the explanation Of its
weird visit.
| was spending summer atNorth-
am, on the invalid list still after a
sharp attack OF typhoid fever, and l
had taken the illness from my moth
err, whom / had nursed until the
bounding, fevered pulse was stilled
by deaths chill breath. / was
broken in heart as well as health
when l came to Northam to take
Mrs. Talbot's back room, reserved
for the one boarder she received ev-
cry summer.
"I'm not to say obliged to take
boarders," she told me, "but I like
to have one from the city. 1t cheers
the place up bit. I'm not country
born, Miss, but I've lived here thir-
ty years, since ever l was married,
and my husband and four boys lie in
the churchyard yonder, and so I'm
fond of the place."
-Four sons ~ / said. "Whar a
heavy lossP'
eyes, Miss, and they were all 10
say growed, for Daniel, the youngest,
was fourteen when he died."
Then the talk drifted on into the
inevitable channel of such conversa-
tons, and she told me OF her hus.
bands illness and that of the boys
who had died ito home,n and from
that we talked of supernatural visi-
tations.
"You don't believe in ghosts 2"
she said, as I smiled over some mar
vellous village story "and / amt
to say superstitious myself, but
there are strange things that hap
pen, there are, indeed!"
saw that she had more TO tell
me, for the whole bent of her conyer-
sation proved to me that she was not
only superstitious in a mild way, as
we all are more or less, but firmly
believed all the wonderful events
she had related.
Il don't often speak of it," she
said, presently, "tor l don't want
all Northsm gossiping about my
Edward but III tell you. You've
minded the room at the head of the
staircase next to mine That was
Edwards room. He was my Oldest
boy, and never contented on the
farm here. So, while he was but q
boy, yet, let him go with nv
brother in Lowell and learn the
business he was in-calico printing.
He was good boy, and he came
home often. Spent the summers here
mostly, and would come and 60
through the year.
"You know, Miss, there's one train
from Lowell passes here after mid
night, and Edward came on that.
So We left the side door unlocked,
far there's not much to steal, and
we've never had burglar on the
place.
"He was very intimate with one
Of his fellow-clerks, Tom Dennis, and
many time they'd come together of
Saturday night, and up to their
room without waking the folks up.
But never once but / heard them.
was always, you may say, listening
for Edward till after that midnight
train had passed.
We'll, Miss, one day had a let.
ter from him, and he said be wasn't
very we'll and was coming home soon
to take a long rest. / cleaned up
his room and watched for him, but
didn t sit up for thst he didn't like,
but l put a supper out for him every
night, just as he liked it, and berries
and milk always for he said there
were no berries like Nor,ham berries.
"lVell, Miss, it come a Saturday.
and / felt sure Edward would be
with us for Sunday. | put out his
supper and left the door unattached,
and when the midnight train passed
| was broad awake. / did net hear
the locomotive whistle as usual, but
| heard the clock strike.
at took Edward matter of twen-
ty minutes to walk over from the sta
ton, SO when it struck one / gave
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