The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-08-15
a Story by DOMM pint.

Many wears ago IN eminently successful
actor. a tragedian and therefore 81 fraud.
took il into his dramatic skull To build Il
castle on the Hudson. He turned the pro-
iect over to an accomplished architect, and
as he furnished abundance Of money and no
interference, i'll due time his castle was
completed, and looked to the eye Is il il
had been there Il thousand years, more or
less. The architect, n poetical fellow, let
loose his fancy, aud no one looking at Tie
interior or exterior could complain that it
was not castle in and out. and I'LL around.
no complete the illusion. there was no end
of hidden doorways and mysterious pas
sages leading from one part to the other,
and to this work of art, after its compile
ton. the architect, in the absence Of the
owner, brought friends and patrons to
show to them what work he had accom-
plished.
OF this sort, one summers day. was L
marty of visitors. and among them an en-
ceediuply beautiful woman, 1T that time
holdinga high position in society. she was
single, accomplished, and rich, and although
surrounded with Suitors, aStonlSheu her 1T
tie world by remaining single. She had
been for many years abroad, and about Il
mart of her life there was said to be my>-
tery. and one or TWO people claimed to
know all about it. But whether they did
or not they kept all to themselves, and no
one could tell how, at last certain stories
came to be current. SO strong were they
after time, that society gave the poor girl
the cold shoulder, and she was excluded
from the circles where she had once reign
ed.
Such thing could not happen now. Since
the great war we have changed all that. We
don't bother ourselves about little indiscre-
tions, and we glorifv great frauds, and
fairly worship magnificent raScality.
The poor girl disappeared from society
and some said that she had gone abroad
again, and others that She had entered {;
convent.
Be that as it may, in the course Of time
the big actor, having tremendous row with
his wife, grew tired OF his ccastelated play
thinp. and ended by selling it to the Catho
lies at one-half its cost. The Catholics
turned it into school for girls, and put tho
school under the care of some piollS Sisters
They have since built huge brick strur.
ture in the rear of the actors castle that
mnkeEehe last-named resemble a huge mu>-
tard pot, so dwarfed is it by the house be-
hind.
Among these Sisters was one of great
beauty called Sister Agatha. who was Il
dragon of virtue and pious humility. She
had nothing to do with the school, but was
herself preparing for higher walk in rcli-
gous life, proposing III time to take the
veil and pass from ordinary existence into
one of prayer and meditation.
One day a little girl, some eight years O
age, was entered as pupil by motherly.
looking. old woman, who paid the year:
board and tuition III. advance. and giving
the proper references and address, disap
peared. The child was exceedingly deli
cate, and ere the half year was out had tc
be removed to the Inlirmary and put under
medical treatment. All that tender nursing
and the best skill could do for the little SUI:
ferer was done, but done in vain. She
seemed gradually to fade away until the
doctor said there was no hope-the child
was dying of the consumption.
One bright moonlight night the Sister il,
attendance upon the dying child sat with
her face to the only door that opened into
the room, and near which was an altar
with its dim light, the only one beside the
moon that illumined The large apartment
As the Sister sat listening to the quick
breathings of the dying child, she was star
tied by Slight rustling noise of dress, and
turning, was struck with q chill of terror to
see a form in white kneeling by the child's
he'd, Filled with superstitious fear, she
sank upon her knees, and with beating
heart prayed long and earnestly. When
!. she again looked UP, the form in white had
disappeared.
When daylight came the poor Sister, a
sjmDle-1pinded woman. dreadiDg the ridi-
eIle that might attach to her story. said
nothing. But that night again she was sub
ject to the visitation and same fright. BY
the bed knelt the strange figure IN white,
coming she could not tell from where, and
disappearing as mysteriously.
Tits strange event continued night after
plight, until the poor Sister on watch was