News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-04-19

| Count lefke0 at MS curtains, DuG IHey
fell back without resistance, for the
knot had been united. Once again the
| figure retreated sorrowfully, turning but
seldom to beckon, rs though the attempt
had been given up III despair.
1t was now near daybreak. The
Count awoke his companion, and they
sat up together till morning.
Shortly after dawn the caretaker, ac-
cording to previous agreement, knocked
at the door, which the Count unlocked
without difficulty, and the morning
meal was brought in. The caretaker
looked curiously at the two visitors as
| though inclined to ask questions. He,
| however, did not carry out his intention.
| The travellers, mindful of their prom
| Use, made no remark. The horses, well
groomed and refreshed, were ready for
| their journey, and the two companions
| left the chateau, the caretaker refusing
to accept any payment or gratuity. The
two men rode away, reached their port
of embarkation, and arrived safely in
England.
Not many years later tie elder of the
two returned to France and accepted
the new state of things. The Bona
parte Government offered him an ad-
ministrative post in the north. This the
Count accepted, and among the other
inducements which led to his acceptance
was the chance of elucidating the mys-
terry which constantly required to his
memory. A very short time elapsed
after assuming his duties when he made
inquiries as to the chateau and its own
ers.
The story told him was that the cha
teau belonged to the Marquis de-, a
gentleman of great wealth and retired hab
its. When somewhat advanced in years
he had married girl of low extraction,
but of great beauty-the daughter of the
peasant who now took care of the cha
teau. A year or two after their mar
riage a half-brother of the Marquis had
left the army and come to reside with
his brother, and some months lat-r all
! three disappeared from the country to-
gether, without leaving any address, the
chateau being placed under the care of
the father of the Marquise, an old game
keeper. The rapid succession of Incl
dents in the Revolution, by absorbing
public interest, had prevented inquiry.
The caretaker led gloomy, solitary life
at the chateau He was little seen ex-
cept when he went out to make pur-
chases; but he always seemed to be we'll
provided with money.
Arming himself with the necessary
legal authority, which probably lent it
self 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 priest well known in the
IL L., l. = I
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.
4 think" said the priest, this affair
at present belongs more to me than to
the law. Allow me to spend the night
here alone. All require is q lantern
and pistol. There will be force within
hearing, but 1 believe the mystery can
be solved more easily by one man than
by many" The brave old mans offer
was accepted. The Count and his at
tendnnts POSTED thernseIves in other
parts of the house, keeping the care
taker with them. A 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 beckoning to 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 long
corridor, then into a 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 appa-
rition. 1t led to a small vestibule which
opened into a chapel. The figure walk
ed slowly up the aisle, assembled the
steps of the altar, then suddenly disap-
peared.
The priest, following with his lantern.
perceived after some search 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.
and his attendants came to his help.
The door raised, a steep ladder-staiI-
case led into q vault. At the bottom of
the ladder lay human skeleton, dressed
in clothes similar to those worn by the
apparitiOn, and with beard still hang
to the chin. A ring was on the finger
The caretaker made little difficulty in
confessing the real facts The Marquis,
who was man of the kindest disposition
and had treated his half brother with
unwonted indulgence, had discovered
that too intimate relations existed be-
tween him and his wife. Frightened at
his orders 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 living in Belgium under an assumed
nanre, supplied with money by the wo-
mems father, the caretaker, from the
resources of the property, to which the
half-brother was the natural heir. He
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
dramatic force and undoubted good faith.
The lady declared to me that she fully
believed the story had been officially
recorded in the archives of some munich
pal or provincial department in France.
She was by birth of considerable rank,
and members of her family had been in
close friendship with many emigres.
She promised to let me know if she ever
heard of it again; but I saw little of her
afterward, and she is now dead It
would be interesting to know whether
her narrative hadany foundation. Some
one who may have heard this tale may
supply the information / have never
heard of it from any other source nor
read of it in any book. The narrator
told me that those who first related the
story were evidently believers in its
truth Aur'ray's Na9azine.
'IF that lawyer had not been so fresh