The Lambertville record., 1911-02-24
The Mysterious
Lady
1t Was a Question Whether She
Was Ghost or Flesh
and Blood.
By F. A. mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

peans and Americans-is Rome. For
twenty-five centuries she has been
passing through exciting scenes such
as have been but occasional with other
cities. And her changes have been
no less remarkable. There was the
austere purity of the republic, the
protligacy of the empire, her almost
obliteration following the many at
tacks of her enemies, the petty quar-
rels and villainies of the middle ages.
Perhaps the most despicable period
at Rome was during the fifteenth
and sixteenth centuries. Within this
period every head of a family inhabit-
ed his tower or stronghold. in which
he defended himself against every 9TH
er family. There were the Orsini, the
Borgias, the Colonna and many other
clans whose business 1t was to fight,
slaughter or poison one another. Some
of them grew rich through plunder-
there was then no other way-and
built enormous palaces, where they
lived with their retainers In princely
style.
During a visit to Rome l occupied
room in one of these palazzios. The
building Is very long and has been cut
up into sections by partition walls.
Not that there is any regularity In
these partitions; they occur any and
everywhere, and 1t Is not easy to tell
which ones were a part of the original
palace and which have been built in
since. / was curious about the pile.
for though l was then but twenty-five
years old had read much about medi-
eval Italy, and knew the history OF
the house from its building. 1t was
erected by one of the most villainous
of the Roman family leaders that
fourished In the fifteenth century. A
number of times his enemies besieged
his palace. overcame his followers, but
could never capture him. The fox had
means of escape that enabled him TO
go forth a free man, though every
avenue of exit was carefully watched.
My room was on the second story
on a corridor with apartments on ell
ther hand and was near one extrem-
ity. On the terminal wall was mural
picture.
Being Interested, as / have said, In
the building, / one day questioned the
maid who took care of my room
about Its construction. The only in
formation l elected was that none of
the rooms between me and the near
end of the hall was occupied. This
may have been because the summer
season was coming ON, when travellers
seek more northerly climates.
Nevertheless one morning on leaving
my room l was just in time to see q
lady advance from this unoccupied re-
gion. Perhaps 1t was the work of my
imagination, perhaps some arrange.
ment of her costume borrowed from
two or three centuries agone, but II
seemed to me that the lady belonged
to medieval times. There may be an
other reason why should have thus
considered her, the fact that had not
expected her to come, so 1t seemed
out of the wall. For had not the
maid told me that none of the rooms
from whence she came was occupied?
However, l was SO struck with the
vision of loveliness that swept by me
that whence she came or what's her
name" occupied q comparatively small
part of my thoughts concerning her.
watched her till she reached the CEN
ter of the corridor and passed down
the staircase. At that moment the
maid came along. with her brooms
and bucket, and l asked her about
the rooms she had told me were va
can't She assured me that they were.
Slipping couple OF Ira into her
hands, | asked her to unlock them,
She opened every door, and there was
nothing but the bare furniture in any
one of them. Nor was there any OPEN
ing or stairway leading elsewhere. In
other words, the end of the corridor
was complete pocket.
From whence had the lady come?
/ regretted that | had not followed
her downstairs to see whittier she
went. 1t was but o'clock In the
morning, and 1t occurred to me that
she might have gone TO the cafe on
the first floor for breakfast. l went
down there. but she was nowhere to
pe seen. Sne was III street costume
and had doubtless gone out
For several days / spent all my time
going about the city, hoping to meet
the mysterious lady. visiting every
gallery, ruin or subterranean excava-
ton in Rome. l did not happen to
meet her. kept an eye for her in the
palazzio, both in the cafe and other
parts of the building where I would
be likely to meet her. My watchful-
ness availed me nothing. l experienc.
ed strange sinking about the heart
at thinking she might have left Rome.
Then one evening, ascending the
staircase In the palazzio. l started
down the corridor. No lights had yet
been lit. and objects were very dim.
AS was putting my key into the door
Of my room felt current of air and,
turning, caught glimpse Of the mys.
terious lady going in the same direc-
ton as before.
! was then young. and superstitions
that have greater hold think on
youth than experienced age had not
yet worn away. Somehow was i'm
pressed with the belief that the mys-
terious lady was one Of those who had
Inhabited the pnlazzio several centu-