The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1857-10-10
The Mysterious Manor House.
FROM THE FRENCH or PAUL ROGER.

FROM 1HR FRENCH OF PAUL ROGER.
1t was one Friday evening OF the month
December 1925. The greatest silence
rcigned on the road towards Orleans which
Was at last broken by the sound Of hor-
ses apparently approaching; shortly two
riders c,nie in sight; and OF e might have
heard from them the following converse
ton:
AT last we have appeared at The mys-
terious chateau"
"Not yet, Alfred dc Cow cy.'
Our two travellers, following this route,
had reached an old manor house, which
was fast falling to decay. A peasant cried
out to them---"What are you doing
there? the abode Of gob!ins aud evil ge-
niuses; for more than a hundred years
nobody has dared to eutcr it,
"W hat difference does that I.ake!' re-
Piled Alfred de Courcy, with an air Of
skepticism; "storics about dead men Coin
ing back again were useful, Formerly to
brighten women and children; but now
they amount to nothing at all, - and with
cut the slightest tripridation he entered
The other cavalier and the peasant drew
back in astonishmcnt.
The staircase Of the house almost sank
under the footsteps of our young dare
devil. He mounted boldly, and seeing
door before him he advanced toward it.
The door opened itself !
What's the matter there" he cried in
as,onishment, "nohody lives in this old
chateau"
"This old Chateau" was echoed back
to him, and again the most profound 81
lence fell upon all about him.
lie entered gallery, and the moon
light streaming through window lent an
air of diabolism to an apartment which
would otherwise been no way remarkable.
Come Oh, courage"' he said to HIM
self, and the most frightful silence sue
ceeded these words, which was broken
only by the sound Of his footsteps. lie
continued his walk. At the end of the
gallery he found bedroom, the only fur
niture being a bed, and table upon which
he laid his pistols
Midnight sounded from the clock Of
the ncighboring church; the moon WAS
covered by cloud, and the deepest
obscurity rcigncd throughout the room.
Presently the sound of chains was heard,
and then Il mufied voice pronounced the
words:
"Who are you, rash young man? why
do you thus come to my abode and in-
.tantly a cold hand seized held Of Alfred
who caught up Lis pistols.
"Man or devil" said he, depart, or
III kill you?"
The fantom laughed.
Quit this room, or fire.
Fire if You like" returned the phan-
TOM
The report Of firearms was heard; AZ
fred had discharged his pistols at the
ghost, but the balls bounded back to him
again.
"Impoten, attempt said the spirit;
"the weapons eli man are destitute Of
power over us
Alfred became almost rigid with ter
ro-. He trembled before the spirit which
advanced toward him. At last he seized
his sword and attempted to strike with
it, bat the sword flew out Of his hand
with a clash. Then came voice which
said:
You have treblel for the first time
in your life, Alfred de Courcy;" aud all
fell back again into the most profound ST.
ienc,: The cloud which obscured the
moon passed OF, and the dead body Of
Alfred dc Courey lay stiaupon the chan
her c9or
The next day it vas reported in the
.noighborhood that young cavalier lal
entered the chateau, and had not b4cu
seen 10 come out again, bat NOBODY dared
to 70 near the manor house in order to
ascertain his fate
Ten years after, one day during the
yes. 1880, some persons who had stopped
in frJat OF the chateau, a short distance
of, saw monk enter. Consternsti ton
was at its hight, when, after about a
quarter Of an hour, he was seen to come
cut, every one ran up to him to ask who
inhabited it.
No one, was lis reply
How" they cried on al sides, some
years a-o young man went in there and
never was seen to come out again"
at was | who assassinated him." re-
turned the monk, Eyes l."
Tell Us how" they al demanded
"The recital is too painful to me, have
pity on me-spare me this. Yes, | kill
ed my friend, alone was the cause Of
his d ,ath" And when they insisted On
having the story, he spoke nearly - fo!
lows:
"For a long time this chateau had had
the reputation of being haunted. Onc
day in the year l725, as | was speaking
of it to Alfred de Courcy, he smiled
Nhst, yiu doubt: said |, you do not be-
lieye in ghosts
In lay wager" he returned, :'that
! will pass whole night there without
trembling
"a month after, we directed cur course
to the old chateau had drawn the balls
from my friends pistols, | had taken
away my friends sword and replaced it
with one of glass; | covered myself with
white sheet, and towards midnight en-
tered the room where he was. lie at
tempted to fire at ire bus | threw back
his balls; he tried to strike me with his
sword but it brok2 in pieces. when, alas,
he fall down il sg0on. | threw myself
upon him bat the IN was--3eath.
"Since that Jay my crime has becn
continually present to my mind; | was
gu ly of murder became a monk, and
| leave my retreat once year, the ami
ycra Of the cri ne have committed.
The monk burst into tears and depart