Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-01

pvsb IN the north. This the count &C.
cepted. and among the other inducements
which led to his acceptance was the chance
of calculating the mystery which con-
stantIy required to his memory. A very
short time elapsed after assuming MS
duties when he made inquiries as to the
chateau and its owners.
The story told him was that the chateau
| belonged TO the Marquis de -, gentle
| man of great wealth and Of retired habits.
When somewhat advanced in life he had
married a girl of low extraction but Of
great beauty-the daughter of peasant
VINO now took care Of the chateau. A
year or two after their marriage a half
brother Of the marquis had left the army
and come to reside with his brother, and
some months later all three disappeared
from the country together, without leay-
ing any address, the chateau being placed
under the care Of the father Of the mar
quise, an old gamekeeper. The rapid
succession Of incidents in the revolution,
by absorbing public interest, had pre-
vented inquiry. The caretaker led a
gloomy, solitary life at the chateau. He
was little seen except when he went out
TO make purchases; but he always ap-
peared to be well provided with money.
Aiming himself with the necessary legal
authority, which probably lent itself easily
to the functionaries Of the state. the count
prepared to investigate the mystery. He
accordingly repaired to the chateau with
the agents Of the law and a priest well
known in the neighborhood, to whom the
story had been told.
On arriving at the house the caretaker
endeavored TO withstand the Intrusion,
but, yielding to force, the gate was opened,
and the count and the priest proceeded
straight to the room where the incident
had occurred.
~ think" said the priest, ''this affair
at present belongs more to me than to
the law. Allow me to spend tho night
here alone. All require is a lantern and
pistol. There will be force within hear
ing, but / believe the mystery will be
solved more easily by one man than by
many" The brave old mans offer was
accepted. The count and his attendants
posted themselves III other parts of the
house. keeping the caretalIer with them.
4 fire was lighted in the large room, and
the priest was left there alone with his
prayer book.
He had not remained long when the
figure appeared reckoning him. and he at
once rose to follow. 1t passed through
the door, always looking from time to
time to see that the priest was behind.
1t led the way through q long corridor,
then into room which still contained all
the appearance Of lady's. In the corner
was a small staircase, down which the
priest descended in obedience to the
summons Of the apparition. 1t led to q
small yes-ibule which led into a chapel.
The figure walked slowly up the aisle,
assembled tire steps of the altar, then sud
denly disappear.
The priest, following with his lantern,
perceived after some search 4 brass ring
on the very spot where the figure had
vanished. 1t was evidently the handle Of a
trap door, which, however, resisted all the
attempts of the priest to raise it. He fired
his pistol, and soon the count and his at
tendants came TO his help.
The door raised, n steep ladder stair
case led into the vault. AT the bottom of
the ladder lay q human skeleton, dressed
in clothes similar to those worn by the
apparition and with beard still hanging
to the chin. A ring was on the finger.
The caretaker made little difficulty in
confessing the real facts. The marquis,
who was q man OF the kindest disposition,
and had treated his brother with I'M
wonted Indulgence, had discovered that
too intimate relations existed between him
and his wife. Frightened at his orders to
them to leave the house the two had
murdered him as he slept in the large
room and conveyed his body along the
passage through which the figure had led
the priest. The caretaker was taken into
confidence, and left to look after the
house and property, while the criminal
couple had left the country and were liv-
ing in Belgium under al assumed name,
supplied with money by the woman's
father, the earetaker, from the resources
of the property, to which the half brother
was the natural heir. lie and the woman
were brought back to France, tried and
executed.
This story was told me nearly forty
years ago, at Jersey, during the year of
the first exhibition. Though in simple
language, it was related with great dra-
matte force and undoubted good faith.
The lady declared to me that she fully be-
lieved the story had been officially re-
corded in the archives of some municipal
or provincial department in France. She
was by birth of considerable rank, and
members OF her family had been in close
friendship with many enigres. She prom
ised TO let me know il she ever heard of it
again, but l saw little of her afterward,
and she is now dead. 1t would be inter
esting 70 know whether her narrative had
any foundation. Some one who may have
heard this tale may supply the informa-
ton. l have never heard it from any
other source nor read of it in any book
The narrator told me that those who
had first related the story were evidently
believers in its truth.-H. Drummond
Wolf in Murray's Magazine.