The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1909-01-26
What a Child Saw.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Copyright, 1908, by American Press Asso-
ciation.1

w mere IS the gnOStF
1.-THE ghost, herr. Is only to be seen
by children. They describe it as wo-
man raking leaves. When she looks up
at them they see only skull instead
Of a face She may be raking over
there now. Yet we cannot see her"
Annette, who was with me, looked at
me with a frightened expression. We
were in the valley of Chamonix sur
rounded by snowy peaks, among
which Mont Blanc rose highest. Hear
ing of the legend, I had engaged
guide to conduct us to the spot the
ghost was said to inhabit.
your children hereabout," l said to
the guide, "are doubtless under the in
fluence OF the story. Imagination paints
the image on the retina of the child's
eye"
The guide shook his head negatively.
eff herr will bring a child here who
has never heard of the legend he will
know better"
THAT is a proposition which meets
my concurrence. An American family
arrived at the hotel this morning,
among them little girl Of seven.
What do you say, Annette? Shall we
make the test with herT'
Annette WINGED. She placed the tips
| Of her fingers on my sleeve as If for
| protection.
| The act gave me a suggestion. 1t
was not clearly defined, nor had much
faith in it. Nevertheless, had a mind
to proceed
1--WE VIII bring the child here" I
added, then, turning to the guide,
'and, Herman, If she sees the ghost l
will give you an American gold eagle
for memento of the OCCASION
Thanks, herr 1 consider myself
richer by that amount"
Don't say zoe will bring her here"
said Annette, with a shrug II shall
have nothing to do with the matter"
surely you do not expect-wen,
then, Herman must lose his eagle"
''I'll come" said Annette after a bit
Of struggle with herself.
We succeeded In getting permission
from the chfld's parents the next aft
ernoon to take her to walk with us.
felt sure that If spirituality would en-
able her to discern the ghost she
would see It. She was like a waif
from spirit land, large dreamy eyes
wonder eyes l would call them-the
face of child Madonna, senS%ive lips,
the figure of sprite She walked
with us in silence, treading the ground
so lightly that I sometimes wondered
II she touched it at ALL Annette could
not keep her eyes of her, seemingly
enthralled by her, though our quest
may have had much to do with that
Besides, our surroundings were i'm
pressive What is there more typical
of the infinite than a mountain rails
ing its white head into the heavenly
blue? And what more typical of In
f1nity than a host of such mountains
looming on all sides, three snow
fringed glaciers wriggling like ser
penis down their sides? Our little
friend looked up at the peaks with a
sort of tTustfulnesS, as If they were
animate-her older brothers, resting,
silent, conscious of latent power. The
wind was fresh, and it seemed that 1t
would take up the child and carry her
to some far peak gilded by the after
noon sun where she would be nearer
) her own country.
AS we drew near the spot we sought
Annette weakened / saw In her ex-
preston that she feared we would
have evidence of the specter's pres
ence The child was walking before
us, and Annette, siding toward me
laid her hand on my arm, as before
! this time clutching it in terror.
We stood on the ground we had oc
cupied the day before, looking out OF
: the spot Herman had referred to wher
he said, "She may be raking ovel
there now" A wind rolled over some
E dead leaves where we fancied the wo
h man worked Annette drew near me
so near that her silken sleeve rubbed
e against my arm. The child stood {
: few steps before US, looking at the
mountains. the valleys, anything, ev
erything that made up the view.
:, Herman has lost his eagle" l sait
: in a low voice to Annette. "She see'
! nothing unusual
Thank heavenT was the whispered
reply.
f What a desolate spotr' 1 remarked
e aloud mot a living thing here bu
: ourselves"
i Eyes, there is" said the child
I ''There's a woman over there rakinl
dead leaves"
+ I felt convulsive grip on my arm
. l knew Annette needed support, and
n put my arm. about her to steady her.
: confess l was startled myself
il "Where?" l asked Of the child.
It ''Oyer there" pointing. "She sees Us
S There are only holes where the eye
should be-"
"Oh, come away"
It was Annette who walled tn
=. words. But she had no power to &C
v My plan had worked Too we'll. It's OF
4 ject--to excite in her that craving 70
II protection which would throw her int
i my arms-had succeeded, but feare
: the shock. 1 took her in my arms an
n put my face against her cold cheek.
looked love into her wild eyes. All t
no purpose. I could get nothing bu