An Indian Ghost Story

Two decades before to the east of Sindurlapati, Calcutta, there stood a three-gtoried house in Ram Mohun Shaha's lane, says the Pantha. This thouse waa dlsmantled a íew years ago, but the two central figures in the story are etill living. These gentlemen, Nital Babu and Tulsi Babu, were then two young men, strong and brave. One noon, in summer, they were proceeding to the house of a friend in Ram Mohun Shaha's lane. As they passed the three-storied house thsy aaw a young lady of 16 standing at the half-opened street door and were surprlsed to flnd her beckoning them to approach. Th two friends, curious to know something more of the woman and why she invited them, entered the house, They met no one as thuy passed across the courtyard, with a thick layer of dust, up a flight of steps, the woman showing them the way. In a veranda on the flrst floor they found an old man lying on a mat, nis eyes cloaed tn sleep. They approached and called him. It was after considerable difficulty that they could arouse the old man, who, however, opened his eyes for a moment only, and then slept as before. The two friends then followed the woman to the second floor, and here they found an old lady sleeping on the veranda. Here, too, they trled to wake her up; but, as in the case of the man, she only opened her eyes once and then closed them again. Babua Nitai and Tulsi now saw the woman enter a room and they followed her into lt. The apartment was well furnlshed. A rich bedstead stood on one side wlth a milk-white and invitingly soft bed thereon. There were also silver-plated hukas, betel ' utensils and fire in a pan. They were rather surprised and asked thelr young conductress who she was and why she had called them. But she did not answer. They asked to order her servants, if she had any, to prepare a chlllum; still she spoke not a word, but remained standing by the side cf the khat. Nitai Babu grew impatierit at thia want of courtesy or frankness and rose from the farash on which the two were sitting to catch hold of her. The woman thereupon began goitig round and round the bedstead, followed by Nitai. Her speed gradually increased; at last suddenly she dashed toward the door and made off. The two friends became really alarmed this tima Fearing the eonsequenees of their imprudent trespass they, too, issued out of the room after tbe woman. Now they did not meet, however, either the old woman or the old man and this circumstance added to their terror. When they reached the flrst floor the woman who had led them on this wild goose chase vanished suddenly from view. They hastened downstairs and as they were crossing the yard a peal of laughter induced them to look up. To their horror and surprise they found the young woman standing on the veranda of the second floor and laughing immoderately. As their eyes met she took the pan of are before referred to and threw it down. The eparks touched the ground and at once there shot up tongues of fire which reached the second floor. This incident only demoralized them the more and they rushed toward the front door, where they found the old man of the fir3t floor. They put several questlons to him, but recelving no they at last ran out of the house and reached that of their friends breathless and persplrlng. On telling the latter of their adventure very great was their surprise to learn that the three persons they had met in the three-storied house were all denizens of another world, they having died some time previously of cholera withín a day or two of one another. The old ccuple were the parents of ihe young woman who had decoyed them into the houee. i - -