THE PURSUING SPECTRE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 33, 8 February 1905, Page 11

THE PURSUING SPECTRE.

The late Laurence liutti»n. once Was disenssing the subject of occultism with some Mends". "All I. can offer" in toe-.way,of personal experience with anythlne of the sort, is a single instance," he said. "On one occaefdn I was face to face With the Unknown. It was on my birthday, and ptiBB&T my presents was a new: dressinggown from my wife. It was a somewhat elaborate affair, with heavy silk cord, with tassels' oh the ends, to tie-around: She waist. 1 spent the evening. uDstairn-ia tie library working. The first thing" I kpew_it was after midnight and all had retired. I started downstairs. .. The house was absolutely still, and no sound came from the street. A* faint half~d»ht shone from the hall lamp below, I was a quarter of the" wiay..dowh r 'the'*'stairs when I hi'afd' a light footstep; behind mc... I glanced over my .shoulder in" surprise. which was deepened . when I saw-, nobody. I took another andagSln distlxSetly' beard the" f o»tf all. . .Ag-ain:;.l_lgoU-ed back, to see nothing, and to have my alarm Increased. Then T went down quickly two or tiaree" steps, with the .sams stealthy tread close behind. ' I looked back once more, saw nothing, and...then fled in .abject terror, to the hall, below. the patter of the mysterious feet..close.Jbehind. I collapsed oh the hall seat, and then saw that it was those- confounded tasaeW at the end'or the' cord, dressing gown which had been trailing behind air*' h»d7Kair frightened the life outjQt.me. )iy'. bßitei"in; sh'pettttnral vlsltorsi.evei? Isfaeer. has been;'rather weafc'!: -- "-".._