Hi David:

What you are seeing is the neon lamp acting as a voltage regulator.  I.e. after 
it fires there's still enough voltage to keep it alive.

You haven't mentioned what you're using for the capacitor.  Is it a 1950 
vintage part or a modern low loss cap?  If the latter then there's not enough 
leakage current in the cap to pull the voltage down below the extinction voltage.

Just add a shunt resistor across the cap.
-- 
Have Fun,

Brooke Clarke
http://www.PRC68.com
http://www.precisionclock.com
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