The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-01-08
THE MYSTERIOUS MANOR HOUSE.
FROM THE FRENCH.

Ii was one rrluay evening in tue mOntn VI
December, l725. The greatest silence reign
ed on the road towards Orleans, which was
at last broken by the sound of horses appar-
emily approaching; shortly two riders came in
sight, and one might have heard from them
the following conversation.
"At last we are arrived at this mysterious
chateau"
"Not YET, Alfred de Courcy."
Our two travellers, following this route, had
reached an old manor house, which was fast
falling to decay. A peasant called out to
them
"What are you doing there! that chateau
is the abode of goblins and evil genii; for
more than hundred years no one has dared
to enter it,"
"What difference does that make!" return
ed Alfred de Courcy, with an air Of skepti-
cism. "Stories about dead men returning,
were formerly useful, to frighten women and
children, but now they amount to nothing
and without the slightest trepidation he en-
tered. The other cavalier and the peasant
drew back in establishment. The staircase
almost sank under the footsteps Of our young
dare devil. He mounted boldly, and seeing a
door before him he advanced toward it. 1t
opened Of itself.
"What's the matter there 7" he cried in as
constituent; "nobody lives in this old cha
teau ~
"This old chateau" was echoed back to
him, and again the most profound silence fell
upon all around him.
He entered gallery, and the moonlight
streaming through window lent an air of
diabolism to an apartment which would 9TH
erwise have been no way remarkable.
"COme on, courage!" he said to himself,
and the most frightful silence succeeded these
words, which was broken only by the sound
OF his footsteps. He continued his walk, and
at the end Of the gallery he found bedroom
the only furniture being bed, and table on
which he laid his pistols. Midnight sounded
from the clock of a neighborug church; the
moon was covered by cloud, and the deep
est obscurity reigned throughout the room
Presently the sound of chains was heard, and
then muffled voice pronounced the words
"Who are you, rash young man! Why
do you come to my abode" and instantly a
cold hand seized hold Of Alfred, who caught
up his pistols.
"Man or DEVIL" said he, "depait, or I'll kill
you"
The phantom laughed.
"Quit this room, or fire."
Sire ii you like, returned the phantom.
The report of firearms was heard; Alfred
had discharged his pistols at the ghost, but
the balls bounded back to him again.
"Impotent attempt" said the spirit, "the
weapons of men are destitute of power over
u.s."
Alfred became almost rigid with terror
He trembed before the spirit which advanced
toward him. At last he seized his sword and
attempted to strike with it, but the sword
flew out of his hand with clash. Then came
a voice which said:
"You have trembled for the first time in
your life, Alfred de Courcy," and all fell back
into the most profound silence. The cloud
which obscured the moon passed of, and the
dead body Of Alfred de Courcy lay stiff on
the chamber floor.
The next day il was reported 10 the neigh.
borhood that young cavalier had entered
the chateau and had not been seen to come
out again; but nobody dare 60 near the manor
in order to ascertain his fate. .,--
Some ten years after, one day during the
year 1895, some persons who had stopped in
front of the chateau, at short distance Oft,
saw monk enter. CONSERVATION was at its
height, when, after about quarter of an hour
he was seen to come out; every one ran up to
ask him who inhabited it.
"No one," was the reply.
"How!" they cried on all sides; "sonle years
ago young man went in there and never
was seen to come out again"
at was who assassinated him." replied
the monk.
"Tell us how" they all demanded.
"The recital is too painful to me-have
pity on me-spare me this. Yes, killed my
friend. alone was the cause of his DEATH"
And when they insisted upon having the
story, he spoke nearly as follows:
For long time this chateau had the repu.
.ation of being haunted. One day, in the
year l725, us was speaking of il with Alfred
de Csurcy, he smiled. "What, you doubt"
said ], "do not believe in ghostsY"
am lay a wager" he replied, "that ] will
pass night there without trembling"
A month after, we directed our course to
the old chateau. | had drawn the balls from
my friends pistols, and taken away the blade
Of his sword and replaced II by one of glass;
covered myself with a sheet and toward
midnight entered the room where he was
He attempted to fire at me, ort threw back
his balls; he tried to strike me with his sword,
but IL broke in pieces-when, alas! he fell
down in a swooD. / threw myself upon him,
but the swoon was--dcath! Since that day
my crime has been continually present to my
mind; was guilty Of murder. became a
monk, and leave my retreat once year, on