MYSTERY: The veiled lady mystery appeared again at a Hilton Street home as the lights were turned on, The Era story of Sept. 16, 1944, said.

“With her came hundreds of people to stand before her in silent awe or gesticulating explanation. Her fame has spread quickly.”

It seems that when the streetlights came on, and the residents of 22 Hilton St. opened their door, the mysterious figure of a veiled woman would appear. Crowds flocked to their home to see the “miracle,” trampling their flower garden in the process.

The homeowner implored the crowd to observe from a distance. He opened the door, the crowd surged, police were called to maintain order.

A scientist in the crowd stepped up, to murmurs of protest and looks of scorn from the faithful folk.

He explained, “the figure was formed by the reflection of the street light shining against the eves of the house on the right, and the hood was the outline of the piling on the eaves in one place on the roof. The sharpness of detail was merely the distortion of the light on the clapboard wall.”

Another scientific-minded fellow added his rationality to the argument against a fanciful explanation. He posited the “figure” had probably been there a long time, and wasn’t fussed about until an imaginative person gave it meaning.

The whiteness of the figure, upon which many faithful hung their claims, was merely the color of the reflected light, which could be seen on the house next door as well. The figure disappeared when the porch door was closed, or when people walked in front of it.

“Whoever heard of an honest-to-goodness miracle disappearing when a mere mortal stood in front of it?”