Abilene weekly reflector., 1912-01-25
CHAPTER /.
Is n the chostf


performance to mark their retirement
Suddenly the dressing-room OF La
GorelM. one OF the principal dancers
was invaded by haK-a-dozen young
ladies OF the ballet. They rushed IN
amid great confusion, some givins
want to forced laughter, others to
CRIES Of terror. Sorelli, who wished
20 be alone for moment to run
through" the speech which she was 70
make to the resigning managers,
looked around angrily at the mad and
Humultuous crowd. 1t was little
yammes who gave the explanation In
q trembling voice:
..It's the ghost!" And she locked
1ho door.
"Haye you seen him?"
"As plainly as see you nowl" said
little Jammes.
Thereupon little Giry added:
eff that's the ghost. he's very
ngly!"
.oh. yes!" cried the chorus OF bal
1ot-girls.
And they all began to talk togeth'
ar. The ghost had appeared to them
N the shape Of gentleman IN dress
clothes, who had suddenly stood De-
fore them in the passage. He seemed
% have come straight through the
vail.
FOr several months there had been
nothing discussed at the opera but
4hia ghost IN dress-clothes who stalked
about the building, from top to Dot
Son, like q shadow, who spoke TO mo-
hody and who vanished as soon 90
IA was seen. The dress-suit had
DecuIiarity Of its own. It covered q
sksleton. At least, so the ballet-girls
aAid.
The idea Of the skeleton came from
xhe description Of the ghost given oy
1oaeph Buduet, the chief scene-shifter.
He had rum up against the ghost on
4ha little staircase, by the footlignts'
which leads to the cellars"
aHe is extraordinarily thin and his
Aress!coat hangs on skeleton frame.
His eyes are so deep that you can
hardly see the fixed pupils. His nose
ss 20 little worth talking about that
Won can't see 1t side-face; and the
absence OF that nose is horrible
thing to look at" l
This chief scene-shifter was seri-
Gus. sober, steady man. very slow at
amagining things. And then, one after
the other, there came q series OF IN
Eidents so curious that the shrewuest
people began to feel uneasy.
FOR instance, a fireman Is o brave
eelIow! Well, the fireman, who had
rome 10 make round Of inspection In
fhe cellars and who had ventured .
little farther than usual, suddenly re-
appeared on the stages pale, trembling
ana practically tainted in the arms
cE the mother Of Jammes. And why!
Because he had seen coming toward
him. at the level Of his head, but with
out q body attached to It, head OF
Grei
The fireman's name was Pampin.
10 return to the evening in Ques-
don.
sorelli, stealthily, with the tip Of
her pink right thumb-nail, made q 81
Andrews cross on the wooden ring
which adorned the fourth finger Of
sher left hand. she said to the little
haIlet-g girls:
.Come: children, pull yourselves to
getherl l dare say no one has ever
seen the ghost"
Gabriel saw him. tool salc
Jammes. "Only yesterday"
Gabriel, the chorus-masterf"
.Why, yes, didn't you know? Ga
hriel was in the stage managers OF
nee. Suddenly the door opened and
sha Persian entered. You know the
Persian has the evil eye
"Oh. yes!" answered the little bal
let-girls in chorus.
And you know how superstitioui
Gabriel Is" continued Jammes. "How
ever, he is always polite Well. tn
moment the Persian appeared in thu
doorway, Gabriel gave one jump from
hie chair to the lock Of the cupboard
- az to touch ironl He rushed on
Of the ONCE like Q madman, slippes
On the staircase and came down tn
whole Of the first flight on his back
was Just passing with mother. w
,Dicked him up. Then he told us b
Aad seen the ghost behind the PEI
ian. the ghost with the deaths head
ssst like Joseph BuQuet's descriE
seal"
A silence followed. It was brOksI
~ little CRY.
-Joseph Buquet would DO better :
hoId his tongue. Mother aays n
ahost doesn't like being talked about.
@And Why does your mother e.
mr
epecause -bocaune e-noth thing
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