The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1868-11-29
tinued ]; and so on, until the verse was
brought to a satisfactory conclusion.

| y
brought to a satisfactory conclusion.
Our professor was a brave little man
who had seen some danger in his time, ant
was not to be frightened by an acou sti,
phenomenon, or what upon subsequent in
vestigation might turn out to be a mer.
freak of imagination. Crossing himself de
voutiy, he passed on to the 'Tantum ergo,
and TREMENDOUSLY intoned the first stanza.
Once more the voice resounded through
out the room.
'Tantum ergo Sacramentum," it began
with the same sweet mournful cadence.
We have said that the accents did not
seem altogether unfamiliar to Monsieur
Evrcmond. Now he remembered them
perfectly they were those of the dead pro-
lessor to whom the book belonged-those
of Monsieur Lucee!
Anew horror took possession of him, and
sent the, blood i'll rushing torrents 20 his
mead. he strOve to rise, hut in vain. His
limbs had lost all power of motion he was
glued to the chair in which he sat. Still
the mystic voice sang on, tenderly, sweet
ly, and even more sadly than before. Our
professor felt that he must1fy, or launch at
once into raging madness. Shaking off, by
4 herculean effort, the paralysis which had
seized upon him, lie rose, tottered few
PAGES, and fell heavily to the ground, as the
last notes of the weird chant died away in
the air around him.
Half an hour later he came down, all pale
and trembling, to the kitchen, where the
lay brothers were making preparations for
the morrows breakfast. Whether it was
to them that he first impaired the story, /
am unable to determine. 1t got about in q
few days in the shape of vague and awful
rumor, which increased in compactness
until 1T attained the tangible form in which
l have recounted it. | should he very
sorry to account for its accuracy yet it was
communicated to me by grave and rev.
and Intimate associate of Monsieur Eyre
mond's. My desig when Introducing it
INTO this paper was that it should serve as
foretaste or introduction to true and
thrilling ghost narrative which it lies with
III my power to relate.
AT the time of my arrival in st. Niche
las, the chair of natural philosophy and
chemistry was occupied by man named
Olivier. a handsome, light-haircd young
fellow was this learned professor, with his
tall upright figure, his clear blue eyes, and
open Flemish face no blighted bookworm
or credulous votary of superstition, but Il
plain, practical man in all his reasonings
Il student OF Nature, deeply versed in her
science, and with profound knowledge of
the laws which govern her inscrutable work. |
ings. Scarcely the stamp OF n hero for n
tale of supernatural import" some of my
readers may eXclaim. Yet it was from the
lips of this gentleman that heard the only I
relation of the kind which ever struck me
as being beyond the province of natural
causes.
l had one day the pleasure of dining
with him, and in the course of our after
dinner conversation the subject of Mon
sieur Lucee's apparition was casually re-
ferred to.
''Do you believe in that story ?" L de-
by way of obtaining his opinion
upon matter which had given rise to SO
much discussion.
He shook his head and smiled. 81 think
that Monsieur Evremond was Mistaken
he said; che was doubtless the victim of
some strange delusion. Yet l am not, per-
haps, the proper person to cast Il doubt up
on his statement"
''And why ! :" asked.
He REDEEMED slightly, and toyed uneasily
with his knife and fork; but he returned
no answer to my query.
"Did you ever see a ghost yourself ?" l
demanded banteringly.
He looked quickly mp, and to my
prise / noticed on his face grave, trou-
bled expression which it had not worn Il
moment before.
81 think did once he said quietly.
l started, and gaZed at him with aston
although, as the subject was de-
licate one, L RETAINED from making any
Presently, to my inexpressible
delight, he volunteered an explanation.
eyes, l have seen a ghost-at least l
think l have" he said, in the same calm,