The Red Lady

"The Red Lady" by Katharine Newlin Burt is a supernatural thriller full of mysterious events and unexpected death. The story is written in a gothic first-person style. The narrative revolves around Janice Gale, a new housekeeper assigned to a country place near Pine Cone. The house was accused of being haunted by several ghosts. The majority of the house staff resigned after seeing ghosts many times. Janice decides to investigate this ghost thing and experience several strange happenings all over the manor house. Soon she concludes that the ghost is in search of some lost Russian jewels. Now the matters are more complicated as Janice falls into a trap set by one of the houseguests, who makes her believe she has a split personality disorder. But that's not true because the ghost looks just like Janice…. Excerpt: "I was the housekeeper at the time for little Mrs. Brane. How I had come to be her housekeeper might have served to forewarn me, if I had had the clue. None but an inexperienced, desperate girl would have taken the position after the fashion in which I was urged to take it. I remember the raw, colorless day, and how it made me shiver to face its bitter grayness as I came out of the dismal New York boardinghouse to begin my dreary, mortifying search for work. I remember the hollowness of purse and stomach; and the dullness of head. I even remember wondering that hair like mine, so conspiculously golden-red, could possibly keep its flame under such conditions. And halfway down the block, how very well I remember the decent-looking, black-clad woman who touched my arm, looked me hard in the face, and said, «A message for you, madam.»