733 A. Prom the Journal S.P.R., vol. vi. p. 230. The following account was sent to Mr. Podmore, by Miss F. Atkinson, of 25 Aldershot Road, Willesden Lane, N.W., enclosed in a letter dated November 5 th, 1893. Mr. Podmore had received a verbal account of the incident from Miss Atkinson on the previous day.

On Saturday, July 1st, 1893, I was in L-- for the purpose of looking over the old churches with a friend with whom I was staying. Among others we went to St. M--'s. My friend had been telling me of a very dear old friend of the family who was buried in that church, and who had left a sum of money to have a window put in to his memory, and had even had the window prepared for the glass to be put in, but that the person who had inherited his fortune neglected his wish. (I don't know how many years he had been dead).

After we had looked over the church, and among other things seen the brass over this gentleman's vault, we came to the window which ought to have been filled in. I remember that the neglect of his wish quite made me angry, and I said, looking at the window, "If I was Dr.-- I should come back and throw stones at it".

Just then I saw an old gentleman behind us, but thinking he was looking over the church took no notice. But my friend got very white and said, "Come away, there is Dr.-- !" Not being a believer in apparitions, I simply for the moment thought she was crazy, though I knew they were a ghost-seeing family. But, when I moved, still looking at him, and the figure before my very eyes vanished, I had to give in. Then it dawned upon me that nobody could have been looking over the church but ourselves.

First, the church had been empty when we went in, and nobody could have come in without their footsteps being heard, and secondly, the part where we were standing ended in a "cul de sac," and the person to get there would have been obliged to ask us to move, as we entirely blocked up the narrow aisle. For the few moments he was visible I saw him distinctly; he was short and broad, and wore an old-fashioned tie, and a waistcoat cut low and showing a great deal of shirt-front. One hand was resting on a pew, and one down at his side holding his very tall hat. But the thing that struck me most was the sun shining on his white hair, and making it look like silver; even now I can see him distinctly in my mind's eye. It certainly surprised me to see what was apparently "too solid flesh" disappear before my very eyes, and when we got outside my friend told me that his was the figure which came to different members of their family so often, and, indeed, had been the cause of their leaving one house. One of her sisters had been so affected by it, that she will never sleep alone, or go upstairs alone. When we got home I easily recognised the doctor by his photograph.

F. Atkinson.

In reply to Mr. Podmore's further inquiries, Miss Atkinson writes:-

25 Aldershot Road, Willesden Lane, N.W., November 9th, 1893.

I have not heard from Miss-- yet, but am writing to answer your questions.

No.1. I heard no noise whatever, not the slightest sound. But I had a feeling that I cannot describe that somebody was behind us. So I turned round.

No. 2. As far as I can now remember we both turned at precisely the same moment. My friend naturally recognised him. I did not think anything of it, until I saw her face when I turned back again to look at the window.

No. 3. Long before we went into L--, my friend told me they had been haunted to a dreadful extent at their old house. But beyond saying that it was a man and an old friend of her mother's, [she] did not describe it, and I did not [pay any attention to it] - knowing them to be a highly nervous, hysterical family. We otherwise never talked about it, as she can't bear the subject. Afterwards she told me it was Dr.--, the figure we saw in the church, who haunted them.

No. 4. The photograph was in a frame and Mrs. -- said: "Was it any-thing like this?" And it was exactly like the figure. I forgot to tell you that afterwards my friend told me that on going into the church she had felt as though she could not go in, as if something was there, but did not like to say so to me, as she knew I very much wished to go over it. She also thought it might frighten me.

My only other experience was when I was a baby of about two or three, when my little brother, who died, came to my mother, and then to me: I don't remember it, but my mother says I cried out that he had come back again, and she herself had just seen him. F. Atkinson.

Miss Atkinson asked her friend to give an account of her share in the experience, but she declined to do so, alleging as a reason her strong dislike of the whole subject. We have, therefore, been unable to obtain any further evidence in the matter.