On this night Nellie awakened to see an apparition standing at the foot of her bed. It was a woman dressed in the style of clothes that Nellie's grandma might have worn as a young person.

Nellie can still vividly describe the ghost in detail. Helen always appeared in a light-colored blouse with a high neckline and wide, prominent cuffs decorated with tiny buttons. Her hair was a dark blonde and she always wore it pulled back in what appeared to be three long burls, that in those days, were called "sausage rolls". Her dark skirt extended well below the knees, just covering the tops of her high-button shoes. On her right hand she wore a large ring. It could never be viewed closely enough to be described in detail.

Helen was described as fine-featured and attractive and appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties. Nellie said, "Except for Helen's out-of-date clothes, she looked just as 'normal' as the next person. Maybe a bit paler." She was not unfriendly, but she never smiled. She seemed always to be in a somber mood. While her dress never changed, occasionally the apparition also wore a dark cloak over her head. The reason for this is not clear, unless it is related to the story of what happened in the house just after it was built in 1893.

According to the unconfirmed story, the big house was built by a well-to-do couple who lived in part and rented out the remainder in rooming house fashion. One day the couple's only son moved in with his new bride. He had no idea of the trouble that he was bringing with him. There was friction between mother and daughter-in-law from the beginning. Even this huge house was not large enough for the two of them. The mother considered her son's young bride an outsider and an intruder and snubbed her at every opportunity. The young girl returned the favor whenever possible, and life in the household became unbearable.

Later, when the mother died mysteriously in her early forties, it was rumored that the daughter-in-law might have had something to do with her demise.