| Page. | |
| THE BECKONING MONK, | [1] |
| THE HAUNTINGS AND MYSTERIES OF LAUSDREE CASTLE, | [7] |
| A HAUNTED MANOR HOUSE AND THE DUEL AT ST ANDREWS, | [15] |
| THE APPARITION OF THE PRIOR OF PITTENWEEM, | [21] |
| A TRUE TALE OF THE PHANTOM COACH, | [27] |
| THE VEILED NUN OF ST LEONARDS, | [31] |
| THE MONK OF ST RULE’S TOWER, | [35] |
| RELATED BY CAPTAIN CHESTER, | [39] |
| THE SCREAMING SKULL OF GREYFRIARS, | [44] |
| THE SPECTRE OF THE CASTLE, | [49] |
| THE SMOTHERED PIPER OF THE WEST CLIFFS, | [55] |
| THE BEAUTIFUL WHITE LADY OF THE HAUNTED TOWER, | [59] |
| CONCERNING MORE APPEARANCES OF THE WHITE LADY, | [62] |
| A SPIRITUALISTIC SEANCE, | [66] |
| THE APPARITION OF SIR RODGER DE WANKLYN, | [70] |
| THE BEWITCHED ERMENTRUDE, | [75] |
| A VERY PECULIAR HOUSE. | [80] |
The Beckoning Monk.
Many years ago, about the time of the Tay Bridge gale, I was staying at Edinburgh with a friend of mine, an actor manager. I had just come down from the paint-room of the theatre, and was emerging from the stage-door, when I encountered Miss Elsie H⸺, a then well-known actress.
“You are just the very person I wanted to meet,” she said. “Allow me to introduce you to my friend, Mr Spencer Ashton. He’s not an actor, he’s an artist, and he’s got such a queer, queer story about ghosts and things near your beloved St Andrews.”
I bowed to Mr Ashton, who was a quiet-looking man, pale and thin, rather like a benevolent animated hairpin. He reminded me somehow of Fred Vokes. We shook hands warmly.
“Yes,” he said, “my story sounds like fiction, but it is a fact, as I can prove. It is rather long, but it may possibly interest you. Where could we foregather?”
“Come and dine with me at the Edinburgh Hotel to-night at eight. I’ll get a private room,” I said.
“Right oh!” said he, and we parted.