The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-06-06


81 faced round and looked the gen
! tleman square In the eye, but he never
| wihccd or gave the slightest indication
Of recognition. Then | went away
with my mind in a turmoil. If | had
been called upon TO swear 10 the mans
| Identity In court OF law, l would have
| done so without hesitation but for the
| fact that, though returning my glance
with one as prolonged and steady as
/ my own, he had shown no sign OF rec
ognitlon.
Now, l needn't tell you how my fa-
ther and myself began to speculate or
what thoughts were exchanged. Suf-
flee to say that none of our surmises
/ approached the truth.
And now, TO go back to Mr.. Temp
kins' sudden seizure and the events
which followed. or course our maui.
Ties after the sick man were frequent,
aud my father called several times, but
Mr.. Tompklns did not for some time
recover consciousness. At length he
began to evlnce some slight intclll-
gence. and my father or myself was
thereafter with him day and night, so
that If he recovered hts senses we
might be ready to 40 anythlnss eo~ n,rA
he might desire IN relation to tho ar
rangcment of his affairs. He had no
relatives near at hand and, IN fact,
none with whom he ever directly COM
municated. He had younger brother
who had disgraeed himself and been
convict and was occasionally helped
through us by Mr.. Tompkins. but al
ways In so Indirect manner as to pre-
vent his discovering the whereabouts
of his henefnctor. So far as we knew
Mr.. Tomplins had made no will, and
yet we knew that he must be worth
over 81, 500, 900.
But will come TO the occurrence to
which | alluded at the outset. was
sitting IN the sick mans room one
night reading before the fire. He grew
restless, and | arose and saw that he
was moving and struggling rs though
trying to rise. | spoke to him, and he
tried hard to respond aud gripped my
hand with extraordinary vlgor for so
sick person. Seeing that he was using
every cxertion to sit up In bed, l helped
him rs well rs could, but Just rs he
had acquired nm apparently upright po-
stlon his frame relaxed, and he fell
back. | stood by him for some min
utes, and. as he seemed to be breathing
easily, | resumed my place at the fire.
side. once and again casting glance
at the bed.
Suddenly l experienced strange
sensation, and, ON looking up, saw n
| spectral figure standing right opposite
me. rose with an exclamation OF sur
| prise and approached the form, Won
derlng how the sick man could have
left his bed and passed me without my
having observed him. | did not lose
my presence of mind. but took step
toward the dlmly outlined figure. Then
saw that one hand was pointing to-
ward n small old fashioned desk which
stood on the top OF IL bookcase. As
my eye followed the direction indicated
the form disappeared. | turned, ex-
pectIng to see the figure moving to-
ward the bed. Nothing, however, was
visible. | went TO the bed and gazed
upon UUi rUcs
"Thc man was dead beyond question
| summoned the housekeeper and other
attendants, and when the body was
properly disposed all of us quilted the
room locked the door and gave the
key into the custody of the housekeep-
or, directing her to allow no one to en-
ter the room until my father came next
day With the undertaken.
"Nc't morning | accompanied my ia
thcr T. the house. had already In
formed him what had occurred, and as
soon as some other matters were ar
ranged my father took the desk, and
we retired TO another room. On open
Ing the desk there was apparently
nothing In 1t but n quIre OF note paper.
We made close examination; but, as
1t was simply Il desk to be carried In
the hand or In IL trunk, we found moth
Ing that would Indicate amy secret
drawer. took up the note paper and
carelcssly turned over tho sheets.
surprise was In store, for on the inside
sheet there was writing. 1t turned out
to be the Photographic will of the de
ceased that Is, n will wholly written
bN HiHhtlI. II DDIt uult INC Ntiy hhy
when he last visited our office and was
struck down by apoplcxy.
''rhe Will left nll In trust to II certain
woman for the benefit OF the estetor's
five children. mentioned by name, with
their places Of abode. The name of the
trustee cannot, of course, mention,
nor would II be right to give the nd
dress. The viii was duly admitted to
probate The trustee did not bear the
name Of the testaior but MI the chill
drcn did.
How do | account for the spectral
form? Well, ! think he had felt symp-
toms Of the attack which carried him
off and wrote the VIII and came direct
ly to our office, intending TO inform my
father Of the fact OF its existence. At
the point Of separation from the body
the spirit obeycd the last impulse OF
the diving man BROOKLYN Citizen