a ghost, perhaps

We leave Matouk and proceed to our next stop, the home of Lizzie Borden.  Lizzie is the one who was tried and acquitted of the 1892 axe murders of her father and stepmother.  Her home in Fall River is now a bed and breakfast and museum.  I guess the city was looking for a new revenue source when all the cotton exports became victim to globalization and foreign competition.  Imagine today, for example, if they made Sharon Tate and Roman Polanski's home into a museum slash bed and breakfast and then re-staged the Manson killings there every August 9th?

We go to the museum store to get our tickets and learn we are between tours.  There we meet the sales woman who is also the tour guide.

The next tour starts in 45 minutes, and unfortunately we cannot wait.  "That's okay, we can just self tour," I say.  She tells us that is not allowed.  I think M is relieved.  But this woman is obviously quite knowledgeable, and gives us some history.   She is a firm believer in Lizzie's guilt, and also believes that ghosts still roam the house.  As proof, she takes out a photo to show us the "ob."  "The what?" M asks.  "The ob," she tells us again.  "Look, can't you see the outline of a face," she says, pointing to a photo a visitor has taken with a  flash.  "Oh, the orb," M says, strongly pronouncing the R.  The women then takes out another photo.  This one is of Lizzie's bedroom window, taken by another tourist and mailed to the museum.  In it, you can clearly see a female in a bonnet, looking out the window.  It actually looks like some kind of doll, visible from the waist up.  "See, that's Lizzie's stepmother."  We smile and agree, not believing a word.  

But I decide to take a picture of the same room anyway.

I blow it up.  I swear I can see the outline of a face.  Let me know if you can you see it too? 

We plan on coming back this summer.  August 4th, the date of the annual re-enactment.  I'll take another photo then and see if the ghost is still there.