Milford chronicle., 1888-12-28
THE MYSTERIOUS GR0TT0.
Wen. ais is the way Ley toId De story

WAS HllllliE Ol Lut HIh5AuLt DtN0AA
where the lighthouse stands. A storm
breezes, made tepid by the sun, came to
me impregnated with sharp saline odors.
Before me the ocean unrolled its waves
upon the fine sand like green serpent
prolonging the shining coils in the sun.
Behind me was the cliff, with its gray fis-
sures, whence ietted out here and there
thetrunks of siekly trees, brawny growths,
and meager furze plants. Sloping inward
almost at the head Of the cliff yawned a
mysterious cavern, a spacious grottO-
dark and cold.
Twas seized with that unaccountable
emotion with which nature inspires those
alone with her, when hand slapped my
shoulder.
How do you find yourself this morn
ing2"
It was the old college friend I had un-
expectedly met the evening before-Ca-
briel T.. a native Lieutenant
"You must have found your way here
by instinct" he continued. Perhaps
you never suspected that a tragedy once
occurred in this very place where we now
arel"
"a tragedy-here?'
eyes, in that very grotto. It has be-
come famous. The country folks call it
The Love Chamber. l knew of the ro-
nance at the very time when its charac
ters performed their parts Light a Gig
arctic, and let me tell it TO you"
Il listen"
At the time l am telling you about
there was a very pretty girl at Biarritz
named Pascaline-a Basque about Is years
Of age, tall and slight-with that pecu-
liar grace so characteristic Of those little
mountain women. Her black hair CLEANED
under the yellow silk kerchief which she
always wore fastened about her head in
the most coquettish style imaginable.
Her ruddy lips, slightly sensuous, showed
at every smile rows of delicate white
teeth. Pasealine was a great dressmalSer,
and supported her father, a great big
man, half paralyzed, who lived in perpet-
ual revery, and rarely spoke except to
reply with some peculiarly vague Spanish
proverb to any question put to him
Pascaline adored the old man, and took
care of him like child So folks used
always to say, "Pascaline will certainly
do well on account Of the way she takes
care of her father" Anyhow, she had
chance either way-tO do well or
badly; for she had two admirers. One was
Noise Dunez rich, old and ugly, who Of
fered her a fine social position The other
was Maxine Sarrabeyrous, poor, young
and handsome, who offered her his heart.
Maxine was said to be a professional
guide in the Pyrenees. He was really a
smuggler And, as was only right,
Pascaline loved Maxime-for love always
calls for love.
Such was the stateof affairs for several
months. Noise Dunez would often stop
at the store and scratch his nose, and
gravely observe:
u can give you fine social position,
Pascaline-a fine social position"
And she would always reply:
"You are very kind and good, NJ. Noise,
but I love Maxine"
And old Noise would go off grumbling
to himself;
shell change her mind after awhile
she'll change her mind
But things at last came to such a point
that some decision had to be made. The
two young lovers often took long walks
along the cliff and people gossiped about
them great deal Unfortunately they
were very poor. A dressma5er cannot
save very much, especially if she has q
father to support, and smugglers have
their dull seasons. But it is a very fine
profession for all that. Poor as they were,
however, they loved each other so much
that they went to old Father Pascal one
morning hand in hand and said 1--WE
love each other and we want to get mar
ried."
The old man shook his head little and
slowly responded:
Every well, very well.
The lovers knelt down before him, and
L 4 Il II Il
complished. Pascaline accompanied the
youth to the usual scene of their promen-
ade; and that evening they remained out
on the cliffs very very late. As the
young Basque girl was returning home
full of happiness, with the JOY of love
swelling in her heart, she met Noise
Dunez, who observed very gravely
scratching his nose as usual:
Il offer you fine social position, Pas.
caline, a fine social position"
She answered;
"You are very good and kind, NJ Noise
but Maxine Sarrabeyrous and have
arranged everything for the best this
evening"
And old Noise went off, muttering as
he always did She'll change her MIND
after awhile; she'll change her mind.
A few days later Maxine was offered a
/ splendid chance to make a snug little sum
/ A whole cargo of goods was to be Snug
| gled into Guipuzooa. The young contra
| bandista was full Of confidence, but the
weather was bad. All day and ali night {
mighty wind was blowing from the sea
and the sailors muttered is fear: 1T i.
! Our Lady of Guadalupe passing byw Oul
/ Lady of Guadalupe, the pale Madonna
with the green eyes, who when she pas
seth BY, taketh with her in her ghostll
/ flight all who. are belated upon the vast
/ gray sea.
Il will return In eight days, said Max
! ime SarrabeyrOus, as he kissed the reC
/ lips of his sweetheart.
But the eight days passed, and then
| month-two months-three months
went by without any news of the hand
some contrabandista. Pasealine cried
from morning until night. As soon as
/ her work was done she would hurry tC
/ the cliff, to remain there for long hours
at time, with eyes fixed upon the Span
ish coast. Ahi had she only been free
how swiftly would she not have departed
in search of her betrothed, beyond the
mountains towering between her and
lovel But she could not go; she must
support the aged father. One night q
cruel rumor came that Maxine had Oee1
killed by the custom house officers. And
in fact a whole year passed without fur.
! ther news of him.
Misfortunes never come singly. One
/ night the little store took fire aud burned
I down. No one knew how the thing hap.
pened. Pascaline and her father were
I ruined. Noise Dunez. their neiehbor. had