The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-15
A Florentine
Episode
BY ELINOR MARSH

- tAl"l iitAl>tItct. rlcn young
American, before settling down TO a
career. concluded To spend season in
Europe. lie sailed from New York Ia
Naples, thence proceeded To Rome and
later to Florence.
1t is supposed 10y persons who have
not been in Italy that one sees every
where relies of the ancient Romans.
There are comparatively few such
relics hut there are many of meliaeval
lldiy. The most costly dwellings are
HalaZZoS," built several centuries ago
HemStreet took fancy to Florence
ana concluded 10 spend some time
there. So he rented palazzo. or.
rather, half one. and, hiring servants.
settled himself down, as it were in the
middle OF the sixteenth century.
The building had been divided into
two parts. the part that HemStrcet did
not occupy being occupied for small
Family hotel. or rather what in Eu-
rope is called a pension. which is mid
way between a hotel and boarding
house
ohc rainy afternoon llemStrcet. who
had spent most of the day in the pic
lure galleries for which Florence is
noted, came t. his palazzo 1t was So
dark that his servants had lighted the
lamps, anu, going upstairs, as he en-
tered the hall on which his bedroom
was located. he was astonished to see
that the hall was double the length he
had supposed it to be- st any rate.
he saw double the lights. but the,
we're dim. as were the objects they
lighted.
liemNtrcct was very much puzzled.
Going into his room he threw of
his wet overcoat anu rubber shoes.
then went ont with the intention of
exploring the hall lie was surprised
to see that it ended as he had under
stood il To end with picture
llcmStrcct was frightened Surely
something had broken loose in his
brain He went to the picture. exam
ined it, saw that IL was what he had
surpassed it was and went away rcsoN
ed 10 watch himself closely for other
symptoms of a diSordcrcd mind But
he felt aS well aS lie had ever felt.
and after awhile lac ceased To worry
about any supposed disorder.
However. hc never went upstairs to
his room without looking as soon ms he
turned into the hallway to see il 1t had
been doubled as before But the dc
ureS of the picture were always there
and the hallway was of its usual
length
one night when IIcmstrcrt was in
bed he heard. ur fancied he heard "A
gisae in the hall. There were no won.
cn in The house except couple of
housemaids who knew their place and
were in bed when lIenlstrcet had come
in Curious To know what the sound
meant lie arose and. cautiously open
ing his door enough to see through the
aperture. saw n sight that amazed him
more than his previous unexplained
one y young girl stood in the hall
facilg the picture laughing and beck
onins. She was all aquiver with ex-
element. though she did not speak
except in pantomme
Thundcrstruck. IIemStrect turned
from the door felt in n closet for a
dressing gown. then hunted for pair
of slippers beside his bed. for he dare
not strike a light for fear of soaring
the apparition without then returned
to the door, threw it open and went out
intending if il were flesh and blood.
10 capture it,
The hall was empty
He looked 10 the end toward which !
the girl had beckoncd There was the !
picture, its figures immoyable as ever
IIemstrcct went back to bed in won
der. Somehow it did not seem To him |
that he had seen a ghost. lie felt no |
terror though he began to worry anew I
lest there was a hitch in his brain. lie |
lay awake most Of the night trying to /
solve the problem. but finally went to |
sleep thinking of it,
lie arose the next morning shortly
before time for luncheon and stood |
looking ont on to the street \ cab /
drove up tu the pension. next door. and (
party alislted. which included sew J.
eral girls IIemStrcet was thunder
struck to recognize in one of these
girls the one who had stood in his hall
way the night before.
1t was now evident that the appari-
ton was flesh and blood aud doubtless
on a lark. IIemStrcct went next door /
ana asked il there was any passage
way between the pension and his domi-
ellie. lat the landlady answered him
that the two wings had been thorough
ly cut of from each other She had
motive in this since she suspected that
Icmstrcct had lost property. which
would be laid to some one in her wing
Hemstrcet kept an eye out for the
appariiiou in the galleries and finally
came upon her She was an American
with party of Americans. After Sc
curing an Introduction to her he nc
cuscd her of having trespassed on his
premises She colored and after some
4.