Arkansas true Democrat., 1858-08-18

| sacred document"
 "My son." replied the cure, "I was present to-day at your first meeting with the mortal re- mains of your father (the Lord assozie him. l shared that accident with others. Your spr- itual meeting will be best without any witness, save that eye that never sleeps--Benedicite"
 So nolseless and so rapid were the cures movements, that when the count raised his head he found he was alone.
 Perhaps 'tis best,'' he murmured. "But my heart tells me that the great mystery of my life IS at last to be revealed!' With the manuscript of the coffinin his hand, the count passed up and down the long hall of hls ancestral chateau whose oak carved sides were peopled with evidences of former deeds in war, love and the chase
 Not here! not here!" at last he calculated. Tn my own study, where my dear father breathed his last, will meet his spirit in this mysterious packet'
 Then sudden doubt came over him. "Ah! ought l to violate the sanctity of the dead?'' And again he paced the room. ITO be buried with mel" he muttered to himself
 The count paused. Il will restore them to the cofin.'' said he. "Ths contains some se- cret not meant for the world! Yes. although l never saw my father, and he never saw me; died without knowing that he had called into the world an inheritor of his name and lover of his character, yet will respect his command and restore to the tomb this confession which has so wonderfully been placed in my hands" With this determination he sought his own chamber, and having related to his aged stew ard part of the days events, concealing the fact of the manuscript, he told him he was so much worn with the ordeal that he would not be dis | nrtla al. wishes, and left the young count to the solitude of his chamber
 His mind and body, overstrained with the days settlements, Francos Machell, without undressing, threw himself upon his couch and was soon in deep sumber His dream was almost as extraordinary as the realities of the day had been. He thought that as he laid in his bed, skeleton hand undrew his curtains. and after looking at him with eyes of fire, the ghastly thing said, Son, how dare you despise the bidding of Heaven? Think you that the hand of nature put that manuscript within your 1 grasp without Its own mysterious obleGt?" 1 At this minute characters of fire were traced on the wall and Francois read "B Be sure your sin will find you out,' When the skeleton saw these words it fell into dust at the counts feet. With deep groan the count awoke. The lamp had expired, but the moon shone into the room, and threw blue shade of light upon the full length portrait of his father, which was on one side of the hearth A sense of superstition overcame him, and recommending himself to the saints, again he closed his eyes and soon fell into disturbed sleep partly the result of his unusual hbatons and partly of his mental ex citement
 He was again tormented by dreams He thought that he was awakened by the rattling of bones, and looking round saw the etfigy of the Gaston de Folk, so strangely shattered by ihe lightning, stealing towards the table on which the count had left the manuscript of the tomb, and about to clutch it with his guant, lifted fn- ger when the skeleton of his father suddenly appeared, and gliding before it rescued it from the horror-struck warrior saying, "Avaunt! this is for my dear son whom have seen to-day from my coffin!" The mailed warrior vanished, and the skeleton approachinsthe bed of his son put the roll of paper under his head. Casping his bony hands together and holding them over the young counts head, as though in the act of prayer, 1t became all angel ot light, and scared into Heaven
 The count, starting up, said: "I will read it; 'tis the will of Heaven" Having reperished his lamp he was about looking at his horologue, when the clock of the A obey struck the mid night hour.
 "A fitting time" said Francois Macheli, ito read the manuscript of the dead" Advancing to the table, what was his dismay and astonish- ment to find that the sacred packet had disap- peared.
 The astonishment of the young count was unbounded. Convinced that he had left the manuscript on the table when he threw himself on his couch, his first idea was that some person had entered his room during his sleep and stolen 1t, but on examining the door it was fodnd lock- ed inside, and the window was inaccessble- Again he reflected, but the more he did the irmer became his conviction that he had placed 1t or the table when he entered the room. A supernatural awe came over him, and he sank into his chair overpowered with the feeling of a strange dread.
 'Can 1t be" said he shuddering, "that it was no vision l saw, but that the skeleton had re- visited the room, and reclaimed the confession?' cold precipitation burst from every pore of his skin. "Ha. can it be?' as walking to his couch he raised the pillow, to his delight aIld surprise there was the mysterious packet. | Trimming his lamp he sat down to compose himself; after while he summoned courage. and with mixed feeling of awe and eager ex- | pectation opened the manuscript. It was in his fathers hand writing, and, with the exception | ''''NA'f iN'ASNe'1 ink in some places was so faded as to be deci- Phered with difficulty. It had been evidently written in a state of great emotion, as the writ ing was unequal, as though rejecting the con- | thctng moods of his mind. It ran thus:- l The Confession cf Ctayalois De MacheH-It Is midnight. l cannot sleep The dreadful secret weighs me'down. l feel a strange desire to live over again hat fatal passage in my li(e Let me pour through my pen the sthed agony of my soul
 May the 18th of September, 1909, be forever marked black in the records of time for that | day annihilated the beauty of the universe in the eyes of Charalos de Machelli | On that day three years Gaston de Folk and i I, bosom friends and loyal knights stood at the altar with Helen and Blanche Courvoisier as our brides, and surely never men seemed hap pier than Gaston, when he called Blanche his own for life, and stamped husbands kiss up on the brow of Helen.
 For three years the sun rose and set upon four happy bengs--one day dashed all to atoms | How pleasant our wanderngs were on the banks of the Loire--how murmuringly the stream | flowed through the slowly waving reeds that i fringed its bank, as I, walking by the side of Blanche, dscoursed to her of her husbands wit, learning. and gallantry; how in her innocence | did she congratulate herself and me that her dear Helen, like a true-hearted sister, loved her brother n-law
 We were all seated at supper after day of thls pleasant rambling. Never had Helen look ed more lovely Blanche more innocent, and never had Gaston shown more varied brilliancv. lie sang' and even l, in the joyousness of my neart, sang too. He talked pleasantly, and I listened. The thought came over my heart was too happy--that we were four mortals tasting the joys of immortality. After part Ing glass Gaston and Blanche rose to denart
 The moon was in its full beauty sailino through cloudless heaven, the air was balmv' Gaston asked us to accompany them part of the way home. Helen took his hand, offered mine to Blanche. We saw them as far as the shepherds cot; we there parted, after having promised to dine at their chateau the next day. Gaston and Blanche entered their own park, Helen and 1 retraced our steps to our own | IL .A