Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1909-01-15
MYSTERY OF A
LABORATORY

When I was a young woman l was
seamstress in the family Of Doctor
B. who was one of the most
prominent end sblest doctors in
philadelphia; his home was a three
story house in Walnut street below
Tenth and was built as we're most of
the houses at that time with back
stairway which practically cut the
house in two. On the second floor
was a large bathroom and adjoining
this the doctor had a smaller room
fitted up as a laboratory. There were
three rooms on the upper floor, one
mine, the other two occupied by the
cook and housemaid.
Like most young girls l was in
tensely afraid Of the laboratory, and
usually ran past it, holding my
breath and keeping my eyes shut
tight; the older women had told me
tales Of the grewsome contents OF
the bottles and Jars on the shelves,
Of the skeleton of a man hanged in
Moyamonsing, Of skulls Of notorious
criminals and the thousand and one
things that only mean horror to a
young girl Only once did I look
into this chamber Of horrors, and
that was on a clear winters after
noon, when l had run upstairs for
something forgotten. But all saw
then was a detached bath tub which
stood near a door on the opposite
side of the room. This door,
learned, opened on narrow stair
case which ran down the opposite
wall of the house into the yard.
When | reached my room at night
was usually too tired to worry
much about what might be going on
In the room below me. One night in
the winter was even more than
usually tired. I locked my door as
usual, fastened my one window,
which looked into the yard, turned
out the gas and got into bed. I had
not slept long when | heard some
one call, Mary! oh, Maryl" in such
a troubled voice that ! thought it
must be the cook or housemaid taken
suddenly i'll. l jumped out OF bed
and answered, yes, I'm comingl
What's wanted?" / opened my door
and looked into the hall, but could
see no one; nobody was about on my
floor
l decided l had been dreaming.
went into my room again, fastened
my door and got into bed, deter
mined to 60 to sleep at once. lay
with my face toward the wall when
some insistent and irresistible force
compelled me to turn toward my
door. A light was always burning
in each hall Of the house and there
was sufficient coming through the
transom over my door for me to see
clearly all the familiar objects in my
room. AS looked l saw distinctly
a woman standing as though she had
just come through the door, though
] knew 1t was locked. She had ON
white bed gown, quite short (for
could see her white stockings and
black cloth low shoesl, black petit
coat and little gray shawl across
her shoulders. Her hair was white
and her face was the most pitiful |
had ever seen; it was pallid and
wasted as though with a long sick
ness. and as I looked at her she
wrung her poor, thin hands and said,
Mary, oh, Mary don't let them
and that was all.
I jumped from my bed again,
lighted the gas and turned to see
what she wanted me to do, but she
was gone. Ny door was fastened, SO
was my window. and there was no
other way to get in or out of my
room. ! again went into the hall,
but It was silent and empty.
There was no more sleep for me
that night, and determined to leave
my place. Next morning went
down stairs about five o'clock, and as
] passed it ! noticed that the door
of the laboratory was open. Impelled
by the same force which drew my
eyes toward my door the night be-
fore, ] went TO the tub and looked
in. And there lay the woman | had
seen in my room. Save that her
eyes were shut she was as | had
seen her, dressed in the short white
gown, the white stockings and the
low cut cloth shoes with the same
pitiful white face framed in white
hair. ran screaming from the
room. and the cook had to call the
doctor TO attend me, for l went into
a violent fit OF Mysteries.
l left my place that day, but l
have always wondered who that poor
soul was. The cook said she had died
of rare disease and her body had
been brought to the doctors house
for dissection. Was she dead when
they brought her there and placed
her in the tub and did her soul have
a tenderness for the body that had
Graded it so long and have hor-
ror Of its being dissected? Why had
she come to me a stranger? | have
never found an answer to any OF
these questions.