The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-08-27
GHOSTLY WITNESSES.
A Tale of the Ghost which HOnOre
MirabeI Saw-The Buried Treasure In
the Garden MfrabeEs Desire TO Be.
femnfeh IL.


MirabeI Saw-The Buried Treasure I'm
the Garden Mfrabel's Desire TO Be-
come Wealthy, and How she At
tempted ia.
Honore Mirabel, aged nineteen, apeasant
and native of the City of Pertuis, France.
was employed as assistant gardener at
the country seat of NJ. Gay, not far from
Marseilles. Weary of the painful and la
borious life which forced him TO endure
the burden and heat of the day, he sought
in his mind for some expedient by which
TO free himself from his unhappy condi-
ton. He resolved to declare himself rich
by reason of having found a treasure, and
arranged the following ingenious little
story TO support his statement One night
at about IL O'Clock, during the month OF
MAY, he was asleep under an almond tree
in the garden of the Gay country-house.
Considering the place he had chosen for
his bed. it is not wonderful that he slept
slightly. Being reused by a slight noise,
he saw by the light of the moon a man at
the window of a neighboring house, which
was only five or six PAGES from him. As
this house was at the time uninhabited,
the sight of this man surprised him, and
he thought he ought to challenge him.
He therefore called to him, but the figure
made no response. This obstinate silence
piqued Mirabel, and he resolved to solve
the mystery. The garden door being
open, he entered and mounted the stairs,
! but when he reached the room where he
had seen the figure ne found no one.
! Thereupon it dawned upon his mind that
/ there was a ghost at the bottom of the
mystery. Scared half TO death at this
| thought, he flew down stairs four steps at
a time, and hurried into the garden. Ar
| -;xr &C. fol a6
recent adventure, and hewent to spring
near by to quench his thirst. While he
was drinking he heard a voice in the sepul-
chral tone which phantoms are SAID to de-
| light in, which called to him, saying,
Pertuisian there is treasure here; dig
! for it; it is yours; have masses said for
| the repose of my SOUL" With these words
a stone was thrown on particular spot in
| the garden. as if to mark the spot where
| the treasure was concealed.
Unable to keep so weighty a secret long
concealed, Mirabel hurried off and told his
story to two of his friends-a woman,
Magdalene Caillot, who had charge of the
farm attached to a neighboring country
seat, and to her gardener. The three
friends determined the next evening to
verify the ghosts story, so they repaired
in company to the spot indicated,
and commenced digging. In a
short time they came to a bundle
wrapped in soiled linen, which, on being
struck with the spade, gave forth a metallic
chink. The party were pleased enough
at this discovery, but seem to have been
pretty badly scared, too, for none of them
dared touch the bundle. Mirabel, how
ever, having procured a crooked stick lit
must have been pretty stoutOne), hooked
it through the bundle, which he bore
home in triumph. There, in default OF
vinegar, he soaked it in wine, though for
what reason he did not state, and on open.
ing it discovered 1000 gold pieces, most
ly Portuguese coins. Here was a great
and glorious change for the hardworked
peasant, now become man OF property.
His first proceeding seems to have been
to pour out libatiOn to Bacchus, for he
went off to Marselles on a spree which
lasted two or three days. His friends had
lost sight of the treasure from the time
! he had carried the bundle home with him,
and when they asked after it, he put them
Offwith an evasive answer.
He soon realized the cares which riches
bring to their possessOrs, for, like the cob
bier in La F0ntaine's fable, he lived in
constant dread for his life from robbers,
and lost sleep, appetite, and voice. lie
had some masses said, Tor fear his spec
tral friend should pay him a second visit
and wiring his neck for him, and had him.
self bled four times to getrid OF the physlc-
al effects Of his great fright.
In this stage of affairs he bethOught HIM
self of a fellow-tOwnsman. one AnQuier, q
wealthy merchant of Marseilles, and to
him he confided his secret. Anquier con-
graduated him on his good luck, but gave
him a fresh cause of alarm by explaining
the laws governing the disposal of treas
ure-trove, which, under severe pains and
penalties, made far different disposition
of it from that which the ghost and Mira.
bel had made. Anquier therefore advised
him not TO expose any of the old pieces
and for his daily needs lent him forty liv-
res. lie also became very attentive to his
recently-enriched feliOw-tOwnsman, es-
cOrted him around the city to see the
sights, treated him at several taverns, took
| him to his house and to dinner, and final
! ly showed him his strong box filled with
a gOodly store of money, all indicating
that he was in easy circumstances All
this had the desired effect, and Mirabel
was satisfied that there was no safer place
for his treasure than in the hands OF his
friend the wealthy merchant.
Ii was accordingly agreed between them
that at 10 o'clock in the evening OF Sep
TENDER 6 they should meet at one of the
city gates, and that Anquier should re.
ceive the ghosts legacy, giving a receipt
for it. On his way to the rendezvous
Mirabel met Gaspar Deleuil, whom he
asked to wait for him in the outskirts OF
an adjoining grove till he had transacted
some business. He then handed over to
Anquier two little bags, one tied with 9
yellow ribbon, the other with a string,
and received from him this receipt:
am indebted to Honore Mirabel 90 900 livres,
which promise TO pay on demand, less 40 livres,
which he owes me.
ISignedD ANQUIER.
Marseilles, q September, l726.
Being now possessed of wealth, thus
safely disposed of, our hero took leave Of
his master, began to enjoy himself as 9
gentleman of elegant leisure, and became
a constant frequenter of the taverns o.
Marseilles. But his adventures were not
over yet. One night, after passing a jolly
evening with his friend Anquier, while ht
was vending his way home, he was sud
denly attacked in a dark part of the roaC
by some one who stabbed him with {
knife. which penetrated coat, vest anC
shirt, but inflicted only slight wound
Who could this be? he asked himself
occurrence excited his suspicious of An
quier, whom he Immediately visited, de
handing his money. Anquier was aston
ished, and asked him what he meant witt
his cock-and bull story of ghost anC
treasure; had he taken leave of his senses
Thereupon our young ghOst-seer betool
himself to law, and lodged an information
with the Lieutenant Criminel. This off
cial Immediately proceeded to search An
quier's house, but no gold was there dis
covered. nothing but bit of yellow ribbon
and two little bags, which Mirabel SwOr,
had contained the treasure.
Anquier was brought forward and inter
rogated. His story was simple anC
,, straightforward. He had some casual &C
quaintance with Mirabel; they had liveC
together once at Anquier's house, and alsC
nc tavern. Mirabel had told him a ram
T bling story abouta ghost and some money
but had never given him any. He de
MED all the rest of his accuser's state
mentS.
The Judge determined, upon hearing
these conflicting statements, to settle til,
question by regular trial, and the wit
nesses for both parties were summoned.