The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-11

it at my side, ! should have fed like a
| coward.
a tall woman clothed IN white stood
directly behind the chair in which
had been sitting. \ second shiidder
ran through all my members. oh! no
! one can comprehend, unless they have
| cNpciio need them. such horrlfying and
| stupid terrors. one feels as If one
was dissolving into nothlngncss: ones
| heart stops beating; ones body be-
| comes rs soft as q sponge.
| ] do not believe in phantoms: oh,
well! | almost swooncd unde- the
| hiGeous fear of the dead. and I suf-
| fcred, oh. | suffered for some in
| sttnts more than i'm all my life. an ir-
| reslstible agony of supernatural ter
rors.
If shc had not spoken | should have
| Gicd or fear, PERHAPS. But she spoke;
! she spoke in Il voice so sweet and sad
! that ii made my nerves qutver. I tarc
| not say that recovered myself. I
! knew not what [ did, but a certain
| pride made me. ut least, present a bold
frcnt. ] remembered everything later,
hut / assure you that at the time
| thought of nothing. | was afraldl
! She said;
oh! Monsieur, YOU can do me a
| great serviCe"
tried to answer. but l could not
| speak a word a vague sound came
from my throat.
she continued "Will you? You can
save me--Cure me, I suffer fearfully
| suffer. oh. I suffer-" and she seated
herself in my chair. she looked eager
ly at me.
"Wll you?"
l nodded Yes" for | was incapable
of speaking.
Holding out a shell toilet comb, she
murmured:
Comb my hair! oh, comb my hair.
that will cure me; l must have my hal,
combcd. Look at my head. How | suf.
fer; and my hair--it makes me ill.,"
Her hair was unbound; it was very
long very black, and as she sat in the
chair. it swept the ground.
How could / have done It? How could
I, even while shuddering. have taker
that comb and gathered up in my hands
those long locks which gave me q sen.
satiOn like that of handling serpcnts,
How could have done it? / know not
] can still feel that sensation, and
shuddcr when think of it.
| took the comb. | handled ] know
not how, that mass of hair! | twisted
it up: / bound and unbound it: braid
ed it, She sighed, dropped her head
ana seemed happy.
SUDDENLY she said Thank yOu!'
snatched the comb from my hand. ant
fled through the door which / had no.
ticed standing half open.
I n,
some moments before could collec
my thoughts. | was like one trying tc
break the bonds of a nightmare. Whcl
! had recovered myself. | ran to tn,
window ana broke open the shutters
with a furious blow.
a stream of light rushed in. ran I,
the door through which the phantom
had disappeared. 1T was closed an,
locked.
Then terror seized my soul and wa,
filled with one dcsire-the desire to &c
away from that haunted place; the dc
sire became a panic-the panic one ex
periences sometimes in battle. | snatchet
up the three bundles of papers; | rushe,
across the room: 7 leaned down tn
stairs. three or four at a time. and a
last found myself in the open air.
quickly mounted my horse. and het
from the place at Il breakneck gallor
| did not draw rein until ! reache,
Rouen and my lodgings. | threw tn
bride to my orderly and entered m
room, where ! sat down to reflect o
my adventure.
| asked myself. again and again If
had not been the victim of ,an halluci
nation. Surely. I had experienced on
of those incOmprehcnsiblc. ineXplicabl
cerebral disturbances which engende
miracles which gives the supcrnatura
its power.
! had just decided that had seen
vision. an apnarition. when | went I
the window to look out. BY chance
looked down at my wastcoat. TIL
front was covered with long hairs
which We're twisted around the but
tons
| tore them off. one by one and thre,
them out of the window. My finger
trembled SO that I could scarcely us
them.
My nerves were too shaken to alloy
me TO visit my friend that day. More
oeVr. l wished to reflect ON what
should say to him. | called my Orderl
and sent him with the bundles of papel
My friend asked many questions. TIL
young man told him that 7 was nc
well, that ] must have had a sunstrok,
or some such thing. This seemed I
make him uneasy.
| went, very early the next day. I
his house. | had resolved to tell hir
the truth. He had gone out the even
ing before and had not yet returned
] Went the next day. | received tn
same answer. | waited "A week. II
had rot returned. Then ! consulted til
authorities. A thorough search wa
made. but no trace could be found {
! him.
The chateau was also searched. NOtl
ing suspicious was found. There weI
no signs of a woman having been cor
! cealed there.
Now. after tifty-siX years | know r
more than I did then. | have nevt
been able to explain my adventure,
| Translated by Mrs. Carlton a. Kings
! bury for the Home Magazine.
JERMYN AND MAYFIELD.