The daily Alaskan., 1912-09-09
She Appeared Only
 to a Child
sy F. A MToEl

ture. Science. while |, has advanced us. has taken much of the imagination out of us. leaving us like the stalks from which flowers have been stripped. have envied those untutorcd persons who still believe the dead may at times mingle with the living
 While travcling in Spain l stopped for n few days in the province of Ia Mancha. The peasants of the region are much given to legends and believe in ghosts l was walking through . valley one day when came to n little church surrounded by the typical yard studded with tomlpaoues. l went through the gate and came upon the sexton. who was digging q grave It was a peaceful place, hamlet of the dead. leach Hn his uarrow cell" and | found myself regarding IL as such rather than that the heaped mounds should cover only earth. spoke to the sexton. who got out of the grave to answer certain questions asked him
 Do you believe the dead ever come out of their graves and walk about hereg"
 T have seen them myself. senor." he replied.
 "ln what fOrmr
 "0f a moonlight night I have seen airy figures moving about among the tombs."
 "Near by or from distanceT'
 Prom a distance They are shy of us mortals."
 Don't you think what you say you have seen we're rays of moonlight com. ing through the branches of the treesT
 "oh, no. senor," he replied They are really the dead. But it Is of no use to try to cet near them. for as soon as mortals approach they become in visible"
 Are there no persons they will per init to approach themT
 Now. asked the question with purpose. for confess am not dis believer in communications between the living and the dead and have be- lief in the theory that some persons are susceptible of being impressed by spir. its-in other words. are mediums.
 The man leaned on his spade and ap. peared to be thinking The southern sun gilded his wrinkled brow as he framed his reply, and 1t occurred to me that he would make a fine model for m artist.
 "The only persons have ever known them to appear Co in their human shapes are children. There Is one per son buried htre-a woman-who will always manifest herself to a child. They say, senor, that she lost all of her children before they reached the age of twelve If a child comes here she will arise from her grave and sit upon the tomb built over lt and look at the little one wistfulIy."
 This was something definite, and l became interested. "wilI she permit child to approach herT' asked
 ''The children who have seen her say that as they approach she fades away and when they get to the tomb there is no one there"
 Do the children only see her when they are here aloneT
 "Children are never here alone. They are not admitted when alone. If they come 1t Is under the care of older per sons"
 And do the older persons see this spiritT
 "No. senor: they do not"
 q cannot believe your story. but admit there is something about 1t that appeals to me"
 If senor will bring a chlld he will be convinced"
 That would t,e easy. I was travelling with party of Americans. among whom were several children. I could easily bring one of them to the church yard. chatted for some time longer with the sexton; then, putting piece of money in his hand and telling him would be with him the next afternoon. left him.
 There was a boy of seven in our party. delicately organized little fel- low. and asked him the next day to 20 to walk with me. He gladly ss- sentei. and I took him to the church yard. The sexton was there putting supports under some of the tottering stones. and chatted with him while the boy played among the tombs- l kept my eye on the child and presently saw him looking in the direction of the tomb of the lady who appeared to children. Then he began to move slowly toward it. The sexton noticed | him and gave me a knowing look. The boy kept his eye fixed on the tomb and approached 1t with timid steps. When he came near it he paused. Then presently he turned and retraced | his steps.
 why did you go to that tombT I asked him
 Because I saw lady sitting on It who beckoned inc to come to her. But when I got to the tomb she wasn't there"
 What became of herT'
 q don't know"
 What did she look IikeT'