Mariposa Democrat., 1858-02-11

the stone stairway, bound in chair, she com.
PEELED the masons to build in the girl alive, her
body to de--and her soul to return to God
unsoiled.
But another crime perhaps more dreadful
certainly more mysterious and undefined-is
said to have been perpetrated in the same To-
cality. A young daughter of the house, (sc
goes the tradition,) either married beneath her
rank, or else loved unwisely. An innocent
offspring in the fulness of time revealed her
folly. 1t is said that in his rage, her own father
dragged her from the bed by her long hair into
the middle of the apartment, where she lay
and there murdered her and the infant with
repeated blows of his dagger. He left them
weltering in pool of blood, but that blood
oozng through an interstice dropt upon the
floor Of the room beneath; and once a year,
from that midnight hour to this period, on the
anniversary, it is firmly believed in the pro
vince, that gouts of blood may be seen and
heard to drop and splash from that accursed
ceiling.
One gloomy winters night, about the mid
die of the last century, three young men were
seated in small cabinet in the Castle Alboni
The wind howled without and rain and seet
ever, all was light and gay and joyous; on the
hearth burned brisk fire, and on the tables
were displayed brave wines. The party con-
sisted Of the lord Of the castle, (now raised to
ducal rank) his companions were French.
man and an Englshman.
It was the anniversary of the murder, and
one of the party thoughtlcssly proposed that
they should adjourn to the apartment and test
the truth of the tradition. This proposition
was as thoughtlessly agreed to, although II was
asserted that no one who had witnessed the
occurrence had ever been fortunate in life
afterwards. Taking with them single light,
they visited the room. 1t had been disused
for very many years, and all about it wore the
appearance Of neglect and abandonment.
There, in that gloomy place, lighted dimly by
single lamp, they awaited the midnight hour.
Suddenly that harsh, whirring sound which
used to preccde the striking Of the horologes
of the olden time, grated on their ears, and
the dull sounding bell proclaimed the hour.
Then all was again silent as death, and they
could almost hear their own hearts beat, when
they perceived a halfliquid half-congealed
mass Of red-colored matter oozng from the
ceiling above their heads; they distinctly saw
it fall, and heard something like unto the dull
heavy spashing of gouts of clotted blood as it
settled on the floor at their feet They hurried
in silence from the room, not even the joyous
ness of the cabinet could revive their spirits,
and each sought his dormitory without ex-
changing word with his fellow.
As if to confirm every point of the tradition
$50 goes the tale) the days of these men ended
miserably.
The young Duke, hot blooded, passionate,
imaginative, became madly in love with a
beautiful young lady of the Court, who was,
like himself, spoiled favortc of fortune. She
rejected his addresses with cruelty and disdain.
He committed suicide
The Frenchman, after running short career
of dissipation, was killed in duel; whilst the
Englishman, abandoning himself to mere sem
sual qualifications lost his rank and standing in
society, and whilst yet young, died confirmed
sot and common drunkard. B.