The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-03-16
ties before. This feeling paralyzed me

JUST long enough 10 permit nef 10 eS-
cape me. Then, coming to my senses.
| ran after her and down the stair
case. l was too late. She had either
passed on to the rooms at the other
end of the corridor or had left the
building. Probably she had entered
some private apartment. for 1t was
growing dark and too late for any
lady, especially one young and beauti-
full, to be out on the street alone.
The next morning at an hour when
the most light made its way into the
corridor. having bribed the maid to
lend me her pass key, | opened every
door of those in the mysterious region
and explored every room for some
exit. ] found none. Then / tapped
the terminal wall, but got no sound
indicating anything wooden or hollow.
The mural painting was q landscape In
which was woman's figure in the
dress OF ancient Rome. The picture
must have been very old, for the col
ors were much faded, and 1t had evil
IDENTIFY been painted In the stiff style
that had been in vogue when the
palazzio was built. My examinations
led me to no discovery whatever
When 1t rains In Rome 1t rains hard.
One afternoon when a torrent was
pouring from the clouds and It was
consequently very dark In the palazzio,
going to my room, | saw a marvellous
sight 1t seemed that the wall beyond
my room had been removed and the
corridor had been indefinitely extend
ed There were a few dim lights
about me, and the corridor in its whole
length was lighted by similar ones.
Owing to the dtmness all this was
barely perceptible. Then the extern
sion melted away, and there was only
the III defined space at the end of the
corridor to which had been used.
Thinking there must be something
the matter with my eyes, put fist
against each Of them and gave them
a prolonged rubbing. When l took
my fists away for another look there
was the mysterious lady coming to-
ward me.
She smiled as she passed me. Pos
sibly my senslbilities were much over
wrought and my imagination exag-
me that smile was the sweetest | had
ever seen on woman's face.
Again my superstitious instincts
caused me to stand stock still while
might have determined whether the
vision were ghost or flesh and blood
by means of touch. But 1t seemed to
me that l had been swung back to
medieval times and this woman was
moving within the palazzio as she had
moved there several centuries before
When she had passed beyond me, in
stead of following her l crammed my
fists again against my eyes to restore
normal sight When l removed them
the vision had disappeared.
That was the last view l had of the
mysterious lady at the palazzio In
vain l waited for her to appear again,
vowing that II she did I would seize
her and detain her till | could deter
mine whether she were flesh and
blood. But after several weeks pa
tlent waiting, since she did not appear
and l met her nowhere In Rome,
was forced to conclude that II she
were ghost she had been exorcized
and II she were flesh and blood she
had left the Eternal City. l made no
effort to get an explanation. for In the
first place / didn't care to let any one
know how superstltious or perhaps
stupid had been, and the secret was
one that l preferred to keep down at
the bottom of my heart left Rome
still uncertain whether had been be-
witched by medieval ghost or my
charmer were real person.
Fate brought me n solution. Return
ing to America. a few days out from
Southampton one morning on deck l
passed the mysterious lady sitting In
a steamer chair.
l looked at her in amazement. She
burst into laugh.
you and l don't need an introduc-
tion," she said. I'VE have met before.
Be seated" pointing to vacant chair
beside her, "and / will tell you all
about It."
accepted the invitation and she
continued:
II occupied rooms In the compart-
ment next to yours In the palazzio
One who knew every nook and corner,
every secret passage, In the building
showed me wall dividing corridor
filled by mirror. Touching spring,
me wall swung on a pivot, and when
reversed a mural painting was where
the mirror had been.
1T occurred to me that would like
to astonsh some one by passing
through this passageway. To heighten
the effect | wore a dress which is
modernized costume Of the sixteenth
century. The first person l hit upon
was you, and l enjoyed your look of
wonder immensely. The last time l
appeared to you when l was passing
the wall l saw you near the staircase.
Crouchlng. l turned the mirror toward
you, thus giving you reflection OF
the corridor in which you stood. This,
| knew, would cause the hall to ap-
pear to you continuous. Then when
you covered your eyes l swung back
the reverse"
What a fool l was" l exclaimed
II have been In doubt whether you
were an apparltion of a medieval
dame or flesh and blood"
Have your she exclaimed, with de-
light. Had l known that how much
more pleasure | should have derived