River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-05-23
THE DEAD LOVER.
a French Actress story.
NV lrIfIIA LOGAN

last century the same position on the
French stage that Rachel did in this, she
was the greatest tragic actress OF her day.
She wrote her autobiography, and relates
some singular events as happening to her.
Her story is corroborated by many people
of note, among others, the Duchess
D'Abrantes, who wrote so many interest
ing particulars of the French revolution
and of Napoleon, she being a member of
the imperial household. She states that
when Clarion was about seventy years of
age she made her acquaintance, and heard
the story from her own lips. Thus in
brief, it ran: When Clairoa was young,
she numbered among her admirers one
Monsieur S. After a time she became
convinced that she could not be happy as
his wife, broke off their intimacy. even re-
fusing to see him. He had been in fail
ing health, but the disappointment hur-
rjed the end, and on his death bed he
sent for Mademoisellc Clarion. She de-
clined to go to him, and he died, having
no one near him but an old lady who for
some time had been his only companion.
He expired at eleven o'clock at night.
The actress begins her narrative by saying
that that night she was playing hostess
to some friends, and the supper was very
gay. had been singing to them, and
they applauded me, when, as eleven
o'clock struck, piercing cry was heard.
It's heartrending tone and the length of
time it continued struck every one with
establishment. | tainted"
The record of the ensuing circumstanc-
es is still to be found in the archives of
cd
over period of two years, and then
ceased | condense the recital:
every succeeding night, always at the
same hour, the same cry was repeated,
sounding Immediately beneath my wind
ows, and appearing to issue from the va
cant air. My people, my guests, my
neighbors, the police ell heard it alike
/ could not doubt that its was intended for
me. Iseldom supped from, home but when
did nothing was heard there; and sew
eral times. when | returned later than
eleven, and inquired OF my mother or the
servants if any thing had been heard of
it, suddenly it burst forth in the midst of
us.
Zone evening the President de b., with
whom had been supping, escorted me
home, and, at the moment be babe me
goodnight at the door of my apartment,
the CRY exploded between him ana my
self. He was quite familiar with the
story, for all Paris knew it; yet he was
carried to his carriage more dead thaa
alive.
another day / begged my comrade,
Rosely, to accompany me, first to the hue
SAINT Honore, to make some purchases,
afterward to visit my friend Mademoisi-
ellie de Saint-P., who resided near the
Porte Saint-Denis. Our sole topic of
conversation all the way was my ghost,
as used to cali it. The young man,
witty and unbelieving, begged me to
evoke the phantom, promising to believe
If it replied Whether from weakness or
audacity, acceded to his request Thrice
on the instant, the cry sounded, rapid and
terrible in its repetition. When we ar
rived at my friends house, Rosely andsl
had to be carried in. We were both
found lying senseless in the carriage.
After this scene, | remained several
months without hearIngsany thing more,
and | began to hope that the disturbance
had ceased. / was mistaken. The theatre
had been ordered to Versailles, on occa-
sion of The marriage Of the Dauphin. We
were to remain there three days. We
were insufficiently provided with apart
ments. Madam Grandval had none. We
waited half the night in hopes that one
would be assigned to her. At three
o'clock in the morning | offered her one
of the two beds in nay room, which was
in the Avenue de Saint Cloud. She ac-
cepted it. occupied the other bed, and
as my maid was undressing, to sleep be-
side me. said to her, Here we are at
the end of the world, and with such
frightful weather! / think it would puz-
zle the ghost to find us here
The same cry on the instant! Mad
anne Grandval thought that hell itself
was let loose in the room. In her night
dress she rushed down stairs, from the
.op to the bottom. Not a soul in the
house slept another wink that night.
This was, however, the last time | ever
heard ii.
Seven or eight days afterward, while
chatting with my ordinary circle lof
friends, the stroke Of eleven o'clock was
followed by amusket- shot, as if fred at
one of my windows. Every one of us
heard the report every one of us saw the
flash, but the window had received no
injury. We concluded that it was an
attempt on my life, that for this
time it had failed but that precautions
must be taken for the future.
'sThe Intendant fastened to M. de Mar
vile, then liutenant of police, and a per-
sonal friend of his. Officers were instantly
sent TO examine the houses opposite mine.
Throughout the following days they were
guarded from top to bottom. My own
house. also was thoroulv examined. The
street was provided with spies. But, in spite
all these precautions, for three intro
months, every evening at the same hour,
the same musket-shot, directed against
the same pane of gass, was heard to ex-
| plode, was seen; and yet no one was ever
able to discover whence it proceeded.
| 81 gradually became in measure ac-
| customed to my ghost, whom | began to
consider a good sort of fellow, since he
was content with tricks that produced no
not noticing the hour, the Intendant and
myself, having opened the haunted win
| dow, were leaning, over the balcony.
Eleven o'clock struck; the defamation in
stantly succeeded; and it threw both of
us. half dead, into the middle of the
room. When we recovered, and found
/ that neither of us was hurt. we began to
compare notes; and each admitted to the
other the having received, he on the left
cheek and / on the right, a box on the
ear, right sharply laid on. We both
burst oLt laughing. Next day nothing
happened. The day after, having re-
eeivcd an invitation from Mademoiselle
Dumesnil to attend nocturnal fete at
| her house, near the Barriere Blanche, ]
got into hackey- coach, with my maid,
at eleven o'clock. 1t was bright moon
light, and our road was along the Boule-
wards, which were then beginning to be
built up.
" We were looking out at the houses
they were building, when my maid said
to me, Was ii not somewhere near here