Ghost Stories

The South Pittsburgh Reporter Story

In this Halloween greeting card from 1904, divination is depicted: the young woman looking into a mirror in a darkened room hopes to catch a glimpse of the face of her future husband.

Written by John Rudiak as told by Julia Tomasic

Rosalind was one of my best customers of my home beauty salon in Carrick. Her little girl Lilly, as she called her, was her constant companion, but she couldn’t be seen by us grownups. We were too old to believe in earthbound spirits and that made us blind to little Lilly.

Rosalind’s presence in the salon would always bring unexplained events. On one occasion, when my son was young, he walked into the salon room wearing nothing but his little shirt, and no diaper. I suspected the diaper simply fell off – or as young children are apt to do, he removed it. Strangely, the wet soiled diaper was found on the third floor, folded and taped ready for the trash bin. Rosalind had already gone for the day and we were alone.

Finally, one day Rosalind told me her secret.  She said she had once visited a psychic who told her she had a little spirit friend, Lilly, who was a lost little girl and she was her constant companion.  Lilly was a playful spirit always looking for a new friend and was always happy to go outside with her everywhere. This begged the question: did Lilly change my son’s diaper?  Did he see her to allow her to do so?  My young son never understood that adults were unable to see spirits – in fact as a youngster he often had “conversations” with my uncle who died in 1994, 8 years before he was born and who he never knew. 

Sometimes spirits make their presence known to the earthbound bodies in the physical world. We do not have little girls in our house. However, one day when Rosalind was at the salon, she, my son and I heard a little girl’s voice clearly speak “hello!” The words were loud and crisp, and hung in the air. We all looked at ourselves and said “hello” in unison. My son was smiling and gazing into the distance as if knowing Lilly was indeed speaking to him, and wanted to make friends. From that day on, my son and I would always look forward to Rosalind’s visit, but only my son could actually see and play with Lilly.

Rosalind told me other secrets. On day, she had lost her very special diamond rings, and she was frantic. She knew they were in the house because while doing chores, she took them off, and placed them safely into a cup in the basement. She was alone in the house all day, so she knew no one would take them from this obscure location. When she returned to retrieve them, the cup was empty. She horridly tore the house apart, searching tirelessly and endlessly for months. No rings were found. How could a very large diamond ring and wedding band go missing? Out of shear desperation she returned to her psychic friend.

The psychic told her she would find her precious rings someday, and they were neatly wrapped and safe in something red. She said Lilly was responsible since she liked to play impish games with objects. However, Lilly apologized for putting Rosalind through so much worry, and the rings were safe and sound.

Two years later, Rosalind’s mother, Abigail, was visiting overnight, and needed fresh towels and linens. She went into the guest room to search and opened a rarely used secretary desk. Surprisingly, she found a beautiful hat box. Never seeing such a wonderful old box she opened it and inside was only a gorgeous red satin scarf. As she picked it up to admire it, the scarf opened up only to drop the lost rings into her lap! Lilly’s secret hiding place was found.

Rosalind moved away a few years ago and I never found out if Lilly, her lost little girl, moved along with her. I wonder if the new owners of her house are Lilly’s new parents or if she will always be her adopted mother, going everywhere with her, maybe meeting each other, finally, in heaven.