Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-04-25
THE CAVERN.

In the dark evenings Of autumn, the
Count st. Valery, accompanied by his
wife and the faithful nurse of their
children. Marie, left the chateau by a
side door, heavily laden, and made
their way through wooden valley to
an old deserted quarry. There they
drew away heaps of fGrze and brush
wood, and crept into hole in the rock
which led to a narrow passage, ex-
panding at length into lofty cavern,
which communicated with another,
still larger. --s='= -
They deposited their loads and re-
turned, closing the entrance carefully
to the chateau. Thus they labored
most OF the nights in the darkest time
of the French Revolution, when no
ones life was safe from day to day, and
when bands of men rOamed about the
country, burning farms and the house
o; the gentry, dragging to prison all
whom they had any cause to hate, ex-
cepting such as met with a speedy
death at their hands.
The servants had been dismissed
from the chateau except Marie and
Andre, the faithful gardener. Stores
of useful things, ready for an evil day,
had long been collected there; and the
count hoped to conceal his family in
the cavern till better days should dawn
on unhappy France. "a - -sA2rF isf
Lose no tiIne!' cried he, one night
to his wife. The farm on the hill is in
flames. Our turn next -,y
Rosanne anil Claude, the two little
daughters of the ST. Valerys, were
fhoir hoAo- nd Maria lod
them through the dark night toward
the wood. -.
sCemev said the countess to her hus
band.
Il will follow you In few monents,
replied he. L must leave all as If the
chateau had been long deserted
Il will not leave your said she; 'Te
must come together
Her husband insisted, and she hurri
ed after her children. tts
The count tried to give deserted all
to the one or two rooms lately occupi
ed. To his great horror flash of light
streamed in through the chinks of &
closed window shutter. He extinguish
ed his own light. Then through {
narrow passage window he discerned
men with torches climbing the lofty
wall of the courtyard.
He made bis way tothe postern gate
by which he should have departed in {
few minutes. He heard voices of mer
without. -. .i,,e
All egress was thus cut off. Ali he
could do was to get out of window
which was closed behind him, into {
bower-garden, and there to concea
himself in a large clump of laurel anC
rbododendrons.
NO one is in the castle!' shouted
voices, after while. The rats hav'
escaped: let US set fire to the rat-holei
So the wretches set fire to the hang
ings in the different rooms and to tn
staircases, and flames soon issued from
the window and lighted up the iittl
flower garden.
I'VE will see II the rats have reall,
escaped. Now / Will tell you why
brought this dog from Chateau Penthi
in Potion; ST. Valery Is on his collar
He belonged to the owner OF this house
who probably gave him to Citizel
Penthil. He will find out any rat
who may be concealed near tn
chateau said the leader of the gang.
Little Charmette, Rosanne's dog
who had been brought to his forme
home, was let loose. He soon fount
out his old master, who was dragged
from his hiding-blace and carried OF
to the prison at Nantes.
A countrywomen with basket o
eggs and chickens often came to th,
prison to sell such things to those of 1t
inmates who could afford to buy them
t She gave little presents OF farm pro
duce 70 the sentinels at the gate of tn
chief entrance.
One day q woman answering her de
scriution was seen wandering about th,
corridors. She had lost her way il
going fs0m the Eoop Qf some prisoner