The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-04-03
Ghost Stories
That AreT True


ance. once well-to-do. who had ruin.
ed himself by drink. DIR. Ent whistle.
glancing at him as they met, noticed
that his clothing was torn, his face
bruised. and that there was cut un-
der one eye. He noticed. too. that
the other kept looking steadily at him
with "wOe-begone. God-iorsaken eX-
preston" Had he not been in such
a hurry he would have stopped and
spoken to him, but as ii was he pass
ed him with a nod.
At the station DR.. Entwhistle met
his brolher.in-law. and said. while the
train was drawing in:
"Oh. by the way. just saw Charlie
NJ. and he was sight He must have
been on terrible tear
Both men, as ii happened. had bust.
ness at the Grand Pacific hotel and
went directly there from the train.
They were met by mutual friend
who had copy of the Chicago Trib.
une in his hand.
Hello" he greeted them. did you
know that Charlie NJ. is dead? Here is
notice in the paper, stating that his
body is at the morgue. lie was killed
in a saloon fight. The paper hasn't got
the name quite right, but from
the description it's Charlie sure
enough"
But he can't be dead" said DIR.
Entwhistle aghast. for it was only a
few minutes ago that met him on
the street in Englewood"
! Nevertheless, il turned out that
/ Charlie NJ. was dead. and that his body
had been taken TO the morgue sew
/ aral hours before DR. I.ntwhistle
! thought he saw him in the Chicago
/ suburb
OF a somewhat different order but
even more remarkable Is an expert
ence reported by an Englishwoman
whose name, for reasons that will be.
come obvious, it would be improper TO
give. With her husband she had re.
Gently moved into a fine old mansion
surrounded by n charming park, with
broad stretch of lawn between the
trees and the house. The place had
for many years been the home of
family Of ancient lineage.
One night. shortly after II o'clock.
when Mrs. NJ. had gone up to her bed.
room. she thought she heard moan.
ing sound, and someone sobbing as
though In great distress.
Tiptoeing over to window on the
staircase landing she raised the
blind and cautiously peered out.
Below, on the lawn, In the pale glow
Of the moon, she saw an amazing
scene. A midle aged man, stern of
face and wearing a generals uniform.
was standing menacingly over young
girl who, with hands clasped in
anguish was on her knees before him.
At the sight of his hard unrelenting
expression. Mrs. Ms one thought was
not of fear for herself. but of pity
for the unfortunate girl
Without moments hesitation"
she says. II ran down the staircase
to the door opening upon the lawn TO
beg her to come in and tell me her
sorrow"
When she reached the door the fig
urcS OF the soldier and the girl were
still plainly visible on tho lawn, and
in precisely the same attitude. But
at the sound of her voice they disap-
pearcd
Months afterwards. when calling
with her husband al a neghboring
house. she noticed on the wall the por-
military uniform. At once she rec
ognized it.
That" she told her husband in an
undertone. lis picture of the officer
| saw on the lawn"
Aloud she asked:
Whose portrait is that"
why" replied her host. ut is a
portrait Of my uncle. Gen. Sir X Y.
He was born and died in the house
that you now occupy. But why do you
ask"
When she had told the story. her
host explained:
What you say is most singular. For
1t is an unhappy fact that Sir X. Us
youngest daughter. beautiful girl
brought disgrace upon the family. and
was disowned and driven from home
by her father and died broken
hear ed"
Hore. then, are two typical "ghost
stories" They challenge BELIEF. and
most assurcdly would not have 20
lated them had they rot boon WI
authenticated. l. do not follow, lo--
evor, That because authenticity hHs
boon 5,;sLed it is ncre esary -
assume tia they inrly aci1al Vi TIA.
tioas from ;he dead. On tie contrary
the modern theory OF ghosts that III
vasieb,y, when they are real ghosts
2ad nnt a spurious product Of creduiiy
aid dcCe.tiou. ihcr are distinctly SUD-
iectiye in character, and exist only IL
virtue Of conditions permitting their
creation III the minds Of the person
or persons seeing them. In o'her
words, a real ghost is never an obiec-
tive phenomenon like tree or a
house. Less learnedly, it is always a
case of seeing things where they
Mint :. That is To gay il l. a lalll-