Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-05-19

their amusement They were once talk
ing in their drawing-room of private
fancy ball to be given by friend in
Calais, and to which they were especial
~ invited. Speaking of some of their
young acquaintance, they mentioned
one whose affectation made her general
ly disagreeable, and who was at the same
time SO exceedingly plain that it was
difficult to find partners for her at any
of the parties where they met
"Would it be curious" said tine older
Miss r., elf Gaspar were to go to the
ball in his full dress as a Spanish officer,
and with profusion of bows, solicit the
honor of dancing with her?'
eyes p replied the other sister, "and
when the dance was ended take her back
to her mamma, with a complimentary
speech on the elegance of her daughters
dancing" They then made up a speech
for the occasion, and laughed heartily at
their own conjectures. The day on which
the ball was to be given arrived, and III
the afternoon the sisters walked into
Calais, as they were to dress, and after
wards sleep, at their friends house.
During their walk they necessarily heard
footsteps behind them, yet on looking
back no one was in sight. On entering
the streets of Calais, they distinctly heard
the clinking of spurs on the pavement,
and made sure that some officer was
following them but could see no one.
Having dressed in costume in the even
ing, they joined the gay circle in the ball
room, and at first sat down with some
young friends, the young lady of whom
they had spoken, as well as her mamma,
being present. Great was their astonish-
ment when aSpanish officer, masked and
In full costume 0hey knew it was Gaspar),
walked up without once looking at them,
and asked the young lady to dance
her back to her mamma, and with a
number of courtly bows made speech,
word for word the same that Misses r.
had improvised for him at home.
Years passed on; the elder Miss r.
married Monsieur ST. L., and inseper-
able from her sister they all went to the
pretty chateau near Cologne, where they
still lived when I knew them. Gaspar
went with them, and was much talked of
in the neighborhood. The peasants said
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 them
went by choice the lower road by the
canal, to avoid the chance of meeting
him. Madame st. L. had only two chill
dren, both sons, who at the proper age
entered the French army. They had
hardly attained to manhood when Mon
sieur St. L. died, rather suddenly, after
long and distressing illness. Soon
afterwards, the two ladies had a law suit
In England decided in their favor, but
found a vexatious opposition made to
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 personal
influence with the opposing party.
They went, and in paying a visit to the
lady, their opponent, we're 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 day or two, and to send the
keys to Madame st. L., which was DONE
The two sons of this lady 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 on leave, and overhearing his
mother and aunt talking of Gaspar, pom
dered much on thesubiect, and unknown
to his family, resolved to watch for one
night III 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. L. s custom to remove the wine
decanters and glasses into large cup
board, which stood at the end of 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 herto 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 well trained dogs, used for
sporting, and thoroughly obedient to his
voice, were his only companions, and
having carefully secured the door and
windows he sat down to read, the dogs
lying at his feet. When his few prepar-
ations were completed, it was about IL
o'clock, and he read quietly for nearly an
hour. When the clock was on the stroke
Of midnight, a strange agitation seemed to
pervade the room. The dogs at their
master feet began to howl and whine and
crouch to the ground, with every symptom
of terror, and at length, quite regardless
of hisvoice, skunk under thetable atwhich
he was sitting, the heavy cover Of which
hid them from view. AS the clock struck
twelve, young st. L. distinctly saw Gas
per, as he had always been described to
him, enter through the closed door, and
stop opposite the cupboard where the
wine and supper had been put away.