Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-04-22
Tale Of Terror.

Whelmed with avalanches, and whose walls
of rock furnish peculiar mineral called
IremOtt At the last turn Of" the wind
ing way is to be seen a huge mass of
stone, on which are inscribed The words
Sawarrow VictOr"-in cummemoration
of the victory gained BY theltussians, under
that general, over the French in the year
1899.
After having crossed the river Tessin
three times, and admired The beautiful
scenery of the impending rrc gafains ahaua..-
and the charming valley js Eessip.Ihal
below we proceeded through XEs Bedret-
to and the fofest OF PiotellasS&Fs az leng1h
treaph the picturesque -vfttnge ol ArloIo---
the principal feature of which is ruined
castle, the scene Of the following incident.
Within the spacious and lody apartments
of this ancient and once splendid family
mansion, poor old beggar woman had
gained admttance, from the compassion of
the lady of the house. No one knew from
whence she came, or whittier she was 60.
ing; but she was old and poor, and sought
but for the humblest corner in which to
rest her weary limbs
The lord Of the castle, harsh and aus
tere man, was absent on hunting excur-
sion, and the Marchioness kindly relieved
the poor creatures most immediate wants
and ordered some straw to be placed IN
corner of the ante room for her to lie upon.
When the Marquis returned, he went to
hang up his rife, as usual and, discover
ing the beggar reposing on the straw, he
ordered her in an angry tone to get up in
stantly and clear out behind the stove in
the adjoining room, saying he would not
have her there.
The old woman got up and stroye TO
obey this harsh command, but in crossing
the polished, slippery floor, her crutches
went from under her, and she fell down,
l injuring her weak, emaciated frame so Sc
verely that although she managed to arise
and totter across the room to the prescribed
= corner, behind the stove, on reaching it
= she sighed, gloaned fell down and expired.
t The tender-hearted Marchioness eXper'
: fenced such shock at this event that she
e was taken suddenly i'll in consequence OF
!. it; and the hope of an heir to the family
h name and estates was destroyed by the pre-
r mature birth of an infant son, who breath
ed but for a few hours, ere his young
spirit was removed to another sphere, il
: may be to Join company with that OF the
poor beggar woman, and be nestled In th'
: bosom of celestial happiness aud love.
9 Some years passed on; during which
d war, scarcity, and mIsfortuEes OF various
kinds pressed hard upon the Marquis, anC
5, his circumstances were greatly TdA-ed.--
d So much SO, at last that he r3s68g5t, II h
r, could but find a purchaser for The Castle 0
"a Airolo, that he would dispose of it, as
had become notorious that nothing ha
gone we'll with him since the event whicl
5 we have recorded moreover, it was rumor
j. ed throughout the neighborhood that tn
re castle was haunted.
Mt At length chance seemed 10 offer il
n the person of Flo entlne poblemen, VII
IN in travelling through the country by tn
j. route we have described, was particular
in struck with the delightful and commaudin
situation of the castle, and the beauty o
"A the surrounding scenery. Being informe
- - that the Marquis had expressed an incint
=" ton to sell the property, he agreed t
',, o, spend the night on the premises, with
Ill view to making an arrangement about tn
ce desired purchase.
or Previous to this visit, the room in whic
he the old woman had lain on the straw ha
Ter been fitted up and converted into hant
mt some and commodious bed-chamber, an
ds the Marquis resolved that here the strange
he should Sleep probably hoping that tn
80 might have an influence in counteractin
~, ~ the evil reports which were in circulalio
W in reference to the circumstanceof the SUI
den awful death of the unhappy mendican
Accordingly, the nobleman was show
to his room, aud retired seasonably to res
The Marquis and his lady indulged II
m hope that they were about to effect the sa
he which circumstances had rendered so d
We sirable; or, at all events, that, should not
in ing mysterious transpTe during the nigh
~. there would be point gained towards a
at laying popular prejudice and superstition
,d- The bright vision was doomed soon
i be dispeled, for the titled pair were distur
'1 ed in the middle of the night by the stra
'S" ger-lOrd, who descended from his chamb
me and alarmed the whole house, saying tn
I'D the room was haunted. His terrified leo
IRE proclaimed the severe fright he had sxpe
uld ienced and he positively affirmed, tht
on. although no form was to be sSea, he hi
oft distinctly heard sound as of some pers,
Wv rustling about on straw in the corner of b
~ room; which was followed by a noise lii
80 30 that of person walking along feeb
n9' 9 with the aid of crutches across the room
my then heavy fall and again steps leadiI
ue' to the corner behind the stove deep sigh
'art groans, and the death.rattle OF one in t
, as last extremity succeeded--the whole tt
Jan, minating with a fall, dull aud heavy,
;sor that of corpse Yet the room was 4
rid void of any living creature save himself!
All the efforts of The Marquis to reassu
,sy the stranger were vain. He could not
induced to return to the haunted chambt
i but passed the residue oil the night in
"a easy chair by fire down stairs, and ]
ly' the castle next morning, early, utterly
low nouncing all idea of seeking to possess il
hite The Marquis was annoyed, dsmay
our and perplexed at this untoward ever
, as which was attended not only with the !,
lea, of purchaser for the estate, but left /
an matter in much worse state than ever,
avs. it was impossible to keep secret what b
ali. occurred. However, he summoned co
H. age to pass night himself nthe apartmt
70 which the stranger had occupied
set Worse and worse was the result, for
oi was obliged to confess to his lady on
'rlor next morning that precisely the same
one occurred to him astEe nobleman had asst
ona- ed he had experienced-the whole see
had been acted over again,as perceptbIy