Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1880-05-20

her back to her mamma, ndwith {
number of courtly BOWS made a speech
EXoM forwprd thes SANG tlAts Misses r
ovised Tor himat hoinne:sasr
Years passed on; the elder Miss. r.
married Monsieur ST. L., and inseper
able from her sister they all went to thu
pretty chateau near Cologne, where they
| still lived when I knew them. Gaspa1
went with them, and was much talked O.
in the neighborhood. The peasants sale
that he might often be seen, after night
fall, pacing slowly backward and forward
on the bridge which led to the neighbour
ing town of st. Pierre, and many Of then
went by choice the lower road by thu
canal, to avoid the chance of meeting
him. Madame st. L. had only two chill
dren, both sons, who at the proper agt
entered the French army. They hai
hardly attained to manhood when Mon
sieur St. L. died, rather suddenly, afte1
long and distressing illness, xSoo1
|;afterwar IDS, the two ladies had alhw suit
iii Eng gland decided II Their favor, but
found vexatious opposition made tt
their taking possession of the small prop
erty which had been in question, as the
person inhabiting the house positively
refused to give it up. At last Madame
st. LIS English lawyer wrote to advise
their coming over to try their persona
influence with the opposing party.
They went, and in paying visit to The
lady, their opponent, were agreeable
surprised to find that all difficulties had
been smoothed away by the visit, few
days before, Of Spanish gentleman,
who had fully explained every circum-
stance connected with the property, and
had placed in very clear light the JUS
tice of Madame st. LIS claim. The
lady agreed to leave the house in the
course Of a day or two, and to send the
keys to Madame St. L. > which was done.
The two sons of tlis1lady were natu-
rally subjected to much quizzing on the
part of their acquaintance, and always
strenuously denied having the slightest
faith in the family ghost; indeed, were
very angry if any allusion were made to
it. The elder son, however, being at
home Oh; leave, and oyerhearing his
mother and aunt talking of Gaspar, pom
dered much on the subject, and unknown
to his family, resolved to watch for one
night in the room where his father died,
and where Gaspar was said to be con-
tinually present, as it was much used by
the family; their evenings were also
spent there, and supper partaken in one
corner Of the room. It was always Ma
dame st. LIS custom to remove the wine
decanters and glasses into large cup
board : which Stood at the end 5of the
room nearest the door, and also any dish
from supper which would be required
for the next day; having done this, she
invariably locked the cupboard and took
the, key up with her to bed. On the night
in question the young man prepared for
his lonely vigil by placing his lamp and
book on the table at the far end Of the
room; he then laid his loaded gun within
reach Of his hand, and also his drawn
sword. Two we'll trained dogs, used for
sporting, aud thoroughly obedient to his
voice, were his only companions, and
having carefully secured the door and
he sat down to read, the dogs
lying at his. feet. When his few prepar-
atoms were completed, it was about IL
o'clock, andshe read quietly for nearly an
hour. When the clock was on the stroke
of midnight, strange agitation seemed to
oervade the room. The dogs at their
master IS feet began to howl and whine and
'rouch to the ground, with every symptom
If terror, and at length, quite regardless
If hisvoice, skunk under the table at (which
le was sitting, the heavy cover Of which
1idthem from view. AS the clock struck
welve, young St. L. distinctly saw Gas
Der, as he had always been describedsto
lin, enter, through the closed door, and
top opposite the cupboard where the
vine and supper had been put away.
With bunch Of keys, which the young
nan clearly recognized, as his mothers,
Jasper opened the cupboard quite wide, 4
ut slice of pate, and began to eat;
hen poured out some wine and drank.
When he had finished, be turned and
ooked fercely at the young man, who
ried to rise, but felt chained down by
ONE invisible power. He stretched out
lis hand for his gun and pointed it at the
igure, but it fell from his hand on the
'arpet, without even exploding, and un-
Ter the mysterious influence of Gasper's
teady gaze he fell back in his chair ut
erly insensible and remembered no more
i'll the broad sunlight streaming into
DOM reused him to find the gun lying at |
lis feet and the dogs still hardly recov-
red from their terror, the cupboard I
ocked as usual and himself alone in the
DOM, where no trace of Gaspar's pres
nee remained; but when the cupboard
vas opened there was a remnant of pate
N one Of the plates and portion Of vine !
n one of the glasses. On being ques-
Toned Madame St. L. declared that the
leys of the cupboard had never left her
lressing table till she brought them
Town that morning. |
This was probably the last time that
casper appeared in a visible form to any :,
if the family: "A long time before he had
old the two ladies that it would be i'm
possible for him to let them see and hear
lim as they had been accustomed to do;
hat he would never leave them, and that
wherever they went he would go, but
hat hia presence. would be- manifested
'nly BY noises of different kinds; that
hould any misfortune threaten the |
amlly, or any great changes be impend-
ng, they should without fail receive
imely warning. This promise was
literally fulfilled; for when they took
efuge for q time in England, during the
Franco-German war, when oth.'Madame
st. LIS sons were engaged in the
truggles of the French army, she always
received some intimation Of the arrival
# letters, which indeed 7reached her
afely in the most mysterious manner,
vhen oftentimes the young men had
ither lost them in the confusion of al
amp or beingutte unable to post them. /
my loss by death was also commitment
ID in some unmistakable fashion. Both
listers found themselves unable to sleep
me night from soft, continuous tap
ing on the window pane, sseeohlpanied !
" a low moaning, Which continued fol-
many hours. In day or two they heard
# the death On that. very night of be-
owed friend who had been their school.
elbow in early days. Such were the few
# the anecdotes Of Casper which, I|
from the lips Of the dear ladies'
whose 'guarDhan' aigel he undoubtedly
proved himself to be- For one of them
he enigma Of his influence has been
olved in another world; two; years 1agoo,|
Mss r. died, to the deep regret Of AN
circle Of friends. Madame sc
1xo, d.. II 50!