The National tribune., 1901-06-06

the stairway we concealed ourselves. We
pulled the large pine box in front of US,
so we had a partial screen.
| / had my dark lantern, revolver and a
brace of handouts to seize the ghosts and
make them prisoners should they appear.
We had not long to wait. First there
| came a jingling like chains, seemingly in
| the center of the room, a short distance
above the floor.
Poor SimOns, a gentleman of Hebrew
extraction, was trembling like a leaf. I
laid my hand on his arm, and whispered:
Keep still"
Then there came an electrical flash of
light, followed by faint groan, as of one
| in pain, and | confess that, strong as my
nerves were, l felt a slight shiver of
dread. We were not long to remain with
out further manifestation OF the ghostly
presence.
There came a strange, unearthly light
small at first like n paleblue, wandering
star, which roamcd about the basement,
and gradually changed TO a phosphOres-
cent glow on the side next where the
ghosts usually appeared.
The groans by this time had become
something appalling. 1t was all that L
could do TO hold SimOns. The poor fel-
low was frightened completely out of his
wits, and began to beg most piteously TO
leave the place.
lit pIOSpuOItSttIl llSuI SlbMlN tHdHStu
to a calcium gleam, which broadcded until
it spread over the whole side of the wall,
giving to it an unearthly whteness. A
few moments later shadowy form APP
peared. So strange and unearthly did it
seem, so pale and CHASTITY, that | had all
that l could do to keep my own nerves
strong enough to withstand it. There was
blood on the forehead, and the long, white
hair flowed down the sides of the head,
which was b1l1 on tho
1t was the apparition of an old man,
bTOad-shouldered and strong. The wall
now became scene, there was a we'll
curb, part of cellar door, and a house.
The old man knceled as if in agony, and
wrung his hands. He cast his eyes up
ward, and such an expression of woe as
was on his face | never saw before. Then
beautiful young woman appeared, and
the old man arose and gave her reprov-
ing look.
She knelt before him as if pleading.
Though their lips moved, no sound es-
capped them. The groans ceased as soon
as the specters entered.
The old man darted aside into some
sort of misty place, which might have
been n hedge or house, and dragged forth
a young man, the guilty lover of his young
wife, who had been in hiding. The scene
now became highly dramatic. The young
man protested, and pleaded for his life;
the girl swooned, and the old fellow drew
dagger and stabbed the lover to the heart.
Then he stopped over the PROSTATE form
of the young woman and stabbed her also.
| could restrain myself no longer and
snatching my revolver fired twice in quick
succession. He never looked Mt me, or
paid any attention to my shots, though
knew my bullets were passing through
him. | leaped forward to grasp him by
the throat.
The whirring noise like invisible wings
which | had all along heard seemed to in
crease. As | lcaped to grasp his throat,
went head first against the opposite wall,
and fell upon the basement floor.
A hollow tiendish laugh now rang out
upon the air, and all was dark until |
turned on the rays of my dark lantern.
Every image had disappeared and / cOnld
hardly believe that had not been dream
ing.
/ searched the cellar carefully and
found nothing. Not even SimOns was Wis
ihle. | had nothing to do but return to
the hotel. Jones was waiting for me, and
when | related my strange experience he
shook his head Sagely and remarked:
'Yes-yes; it is always so. / know it
is always so; everyone finds them"
/ was puzzled, but not satisfied. /
went with Jones next morning, and we
found two specks on the snow white wall
where my bullets had struck. From the
range where | was standing at the time
fired l knew my bullets had passed
through the shadow, yet they seemed to
have made no impression whatever on
him.
| have forgotten to mention the fact
that during the ghostly pranks ] had smelt
an odor that is familiar to any chemist
ard / had begun to form theory.
AS Jones and l left the house l asked