The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-05-18
HAS DAGGER IN HAND.
Threatening Her Life Apparently. It 80
frightens The Young Lady That She
Breaks Her Eogagemont, and
the Young Man 10 Much
Worried.

history OF photography has caused
Miss Gladys Manning, Q beautiful
Southampton girl, to break her en-
gagement with Lieut.. Gordon Wa.
tiers, now on service IN India.
La every one of q d. q photographs
the camera revealed d ghostly figure
with dagger In hand lowering over
her. She recogn'z,d the figure as her
hance and immediately broke the en-
gagement, believing that it was g
warning OF what would Ispper
should she bec0ms his bride.
The course OF true love ran smooth
for this couple until Lieutenant Wat.
ers was called to India. He expected
to return to return to E,gland on q
furlough in o year and take his bride
back to India With him for tho re
mainder Of his service.
Letters were Exchanged With reg-
ularlty ddring six months and tic
preparations for the wedding hac
been CONNER C ID. Then one day an
old friend, al unsuccessful rival OF the
Indian tn;er, paid a parting call. II,
was on his way 90 America in a few
days and begged for . photograph.
Miss M INNING had 40 recent pic
lures and was easily persuaded to ST,
Tor new ones. The next day she found
time during her shopping tripiu Lon
don to call ab d we'll known photo
graphers studio.
Two days later, instead OF the ex
pected proOfs, came o. short letter or
pnnlnrU Wnn11 eln ,1.Ono r,olo
another appOintment-an ac-i en-
had ruined The plates.
Her London trips were very frequent
just then. She sat again without I
murmur. Again a letter Of apology
instead OF proofs This time the let
ter was lorger and spoke vaguely OF
strange action Of the light.
The photographers +, quest for a
tlird sitting was granted with the
mjldly expressed hope that nothing
would happen this time. Several
strangers we're about the studio dur.
Ing the thlrd attempt. Miss Manning
observed with tic well trained pert
phery Of a wolnan's eye that they
were watching her with evident cur
iosity.
Though tbis es espionage was annoy.
ing au lnt1tiOl told uGr something
was ~fotg she Bho"ei no sign Of dis
pleasure even when ono Of the ohSery-
ers stole up aud rrappcd her with q
hand camera. Mis-, &nGing's IN
casinos mas further incr ased when
for the third time q latter Of apology
arrived Instead of pro,fs. There was
no explanasiOl. Tne photog "a pher
h0UppH i,pr tn If,r,n to, 80, ...),
soon as possible al d brig so>e one
with her. He wou d chen, he said en-
deavor to explain why IL vas impossi-
Bile to photograph her.
Mrs. Manning and har daughter
tooK the next train to the metropul s.
The photographer led them into ?
private o and produbed a handful
of plates.
Before showing the plates TO the
mystitied women, la asked Of Miss
Mannlng: DO you you happen to know
o very tail young lieutenant with dark
skin ard light hair?"
Why, yes, l do" answered Miss
Manning, glancing at her mother.
We'll perhaps you can account for
these plates" SAID the Photographic
handihtf them over. IL never had
anything like this happen Go me but
Once before.
With successive gaSps OF amaZemant
the young woman looked at the plates
and then at the proofs, which showed
things much mora clearly.
In each case her picture was clear
Il quite good. They we're the aver
age work OF a first class Photograph
er. But In every case there locmed
close to her q strange, ghostly, vet
distinct figure. la the figures right
hand was a dagger.
There was no question Of Identify.
II was Lieutenant Waters, tall,
frowning and sinister. Sometimes the
Lieutenant's figure was on the lef5,
sometimes oD tie right Of his fi&ncee,
but more often behind her. In every
plate the dagger was held close to
Miss Mannlng. Three plates showed
him holding it point downward lust
above her head. In others it was at
her throat and breast. The poise OF
the mysterious figure showed that it
was not In the act Ct striking a blow.
but held itHelf balanced in readiness
to stab.
SO ominous and threatening was
the tiTsct that the two women were
quite overcome.
What GO you think it means?"
they asked.
We're you thinking or worrying
very hard about him?" he asked in
reply.
Miss Manning was quite sure that
during the first two siGlings her mind
was full OF shopping, and at the third
her thoughts were trying to account
for the curiosity she was Inspiring.
II hoped 1T might have been
thought larSfercnCe from your mind
to the platte" he said. II have
Of this happening oft0n to other pho
iographcrs, but 1t happened to me
only once"
Pressed for details OF this ore pre-.
vious case, the photographer reluct.
antly gave them. They we're far from
re%as8nlitg.
a oar just before his wedding had
sat tor Ills picture. The figure OF 4
woman appeared on every plate. She
too, was slnbtcr and had a,~artyolvGr
instead OF a dag ger In her hand. The
nan rcchRn 2ed her as n who be.
sho had claim Oh MA affection
was much disturbed by the Plates and
on destroy ing them.
He was married, and c after
get Cut With bis bride FOR Sv6npv