Evening star., 1941-04-25

tales of the restless spirits who re-
turn to stride again through ances-
tral mansions.
They ask the unbelieving to eX-
plain away the chair that rocks of
its own will, the door that bangs
open where there is no draught,
the lady in the green taffeta skirt
and the apparition with the fan.
OF course, ghosts are wary crea-
lures not given to careless mean
derings, but believers and otherwise
may 'see ghost" when more than
100 old mansions are opened from
Monday until May 3 for the annual
Garden Week in Virginia tour this
year a Bundles for Britain benefit.
A door banging without explana-
ton at York Hall in Yorktown, for
instance, might herald the approach
of a British soldier, killed there.
Dates to CORVALLIS.
During the siege of Yorktown, the
story goes, Gen. CORVALLIS took over
York Hall as his headquarters. Its
owner, Thomas Nelson, Governor of
Virginia, offered guineas to the
gunner who could strike it.. When
the siege had passed, cannon balls
were imbedded in the brick walls
and natives of those parts began to
insist the house was haunted.
The latest owner of York Han had
never seen the ghost of the British
soldier, but he made good CONVEX
sation. At tea one day, when she
was retelling the old story. guest
asked to be shown where the Brit
iSh soldier was killed.
The hostess nodded to a panel in
the dining room wall.
Behind that panel" she said.
ut hides a secret stairway which
leads to the garrett
She had no sooner finished
speaking than the secret door burst
open with such violence that, in
hitting against the sidebobard, it
smashed several dishes.
Disbelieves Explanation.
The hostess promptly insisted 1t
was just a draught and steered the
conversation away from ghosts.
But later she confided to friend
that there had been no draught.
Perhaps garden tour visitors will
see the lady in the green taffeta
skirt. A veteran Washington doc
tor can tell you about her.
One evening in the late COS he
came to visit Recess -Bremo on the
James River Settling himself in the
paneled drawing room. he awaited
the return of his host and hostess
Servants had left a plate of bis
cults and a decanter of fine old
wine on a nearby table 1t was
quiet in the room except for the
occasional crackle of the open fire.
Suddenly, he heard another sound
in the room, the swish of taffeta
The doctor rose to his feet as
small woman minced across the
room and disappeared into the din
ing room, her green taffeta skirt
rustling around her. The doctor
wishing to be polite, followed her
into the next room to exchange
greetings. There was no one there.
Retracing his steps, he found the
door was locked.
Arguments Against Dreams.
He could have been dreaming, you
say? But he didn't know then that
a green taffeta skirt, belonging to
his hostess grandmother, was stored
in an attic trunk. And there's the
matter of the decanter. When he
decided to steady himself with a
glass of wine, the decanter had
disappeared.
If you are in tune with the at
mosphere of Castle Hill. you may
not see the lady with the fan. A
student at the University of Virginia
said he did see her. Returning from
an abruptly terminated visit at the
Albemarle County mansion, he had
this story to tell:
Lying in great four-poster bed
in the old home, he couldn't per-
suade sleep to come. Half-awake
now, he felt vaguely disturbed. Sud-
denly, he realized some one was in
the room
She was dressed in tight-waiSted
gown of Colonial times and she car
ried tiny fan. The boy thought
he must be dreaming until he heard
her voice.
"You must please 60. You must
go away. You must not stay here"
Traditional Invitation.
The young man slept no more
that night and in the morning he
took his departure, hurriedly. 1t
was not until long afterward that
he learned the legend of Castle Hill,
of one of the first mistresses of the
mansion who appears only to guests
she does not consider suitable visi-
tors because for some reason they
are out of touch with the atmos-
phere of the old home.
If your tour of old Virginia takes
you to Aqua Church, natives of
Stafford County will tell you to pay
your call in the daytime, unless you
are very brave.
They say no one in Stafford