Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1888-05-05
A GHOST STORY.

The following story was told me by q
ln,ly. She was the wife of n rich squire In
the east o. England, after whose death
she married well known Italian. She
was u woman of remarkable ability and
OF great information, though somewhat
eccentric. She had heard the story, with
dates and names Of persons. These she
hud forgotten, anh had never been able tC
supply them.
She declared, however, that she was
positively assured that all the details had
been verified by the French public author
tiles where the events narrated had &C.
currc,l, and that the records still existed
somewhere, II the place could only bs
found.
During the first French revolution, two
Frcnchmen of high birth, Count a. and
Viscount D., were despatched by the Roy.
alist party on a mission To England.
During their journey ON horseback TO q
northern port of France. where n vessel
awaited them, they We're on one occasion
bcni,slitcd In the middle Of q wide heath.
Riding slowly forward they perceived a
light from what turned out TO he large
aud solitary chateau. After some knock.
ins. steps were heard slowly coming IN
the yard within, aud at last the door was
cautiously unlocked. a porter or care.
takcr pccrc,l through the narrow opening
and asked the reason Of the knocking.
/ "We have lost our way aud are tired
anil hungry. We require shelter and food
for ourselves an,l our horses"
''lmp,ss;bic. was the churlish reply,
and the ,l,Dr was about To he closed when
one Of the travellers intercepted II with his
foot. and. producing a pistol, said:
! Eve are quite ready 20 pay for our
lodging aad supper, but we cannet go fur
thcr Tonight"
/ The carctakcr paused for moment rs
though rejecting, AMI at last hc said:
/ II will give you shelter for the night,
and foUi for yourselves aud your beasts,
on one condition, viz, that You give me
your wnrti of honor rs gentlemen, which
/ ] am sure you are, that nothing will In
ducc you 10 leave the roam ! give sou,
and that Tomorrow ut daybrrak you will
so on your journey withon: asking any
questions"
+ The promise given, the door was opened,
and the horses taken To the stables, which
were within the court. The porter then
lc,l the two travellers up n splendid stair.
case and through long corridor hung
! "
/ large empty runn, furnished as "a drawing
rom. and evidently belonging to the
dwcllin. of n wealthy nuhlc.
| Near the ,!oor was u large fireplace, In
which fire soon hlazc,l. Candies were
I lighted, and the travellers saw two large
niid luxurious beds, with rich hangings,
one nearer 10 the entrance than the other.
a table was placed near the fire. AMI he-
! (.arn La, lsgt Nin1 txs0a
! brought, the utensils supplied for the
meal, and all the belongings Of the house
showing considerable luxury.
After eating their supper the two trav-
c!ers went To- rest. The elder took the
l bed nearest the door. leaving the other,
nj some feet OF. to his companion. Logs
hal been placed on the fire sufficient for
the night, the door WAS locked. and the
wayfarcrs gladly betOok themselves 10
sleep.
| About IN hour altar going 90 sleep TIE
elder suddenly woke, starting In his bed.
| lie could not account for this sudden
waking. The r,om was strongly lighted
l'y the tire. there was n0 noise. nnd Count
a. was ahnut To lay himself once again
on the pillow when remarkable sight
met him. 4 man of striking appearance,
with u gray heard. hut dressed In blouse,
4 walkr,l slowly toward the bed. When he
hal approached within few feet he
bccknnc,l three times tn the count, as
thua:h wanting him to follow.
/ The count gazed at him without NOV.
I ing, when the figure, bowling cOurteously,
turned round and walked slowly away,
stopping from time To time and looking
j back, repeating his beckOning gesture
with nm imploring gazc i'll he reached the
dOor. when he disappeared. Naturally
startled Ut this unusual appearance. Count
Z 4. rose from his bctl aud walked 20 the
tloor To sec II IL lad been tampcrc,l with,
but II was still locked. Very weary, he
returned to his he'd and once more fell
asleep. Ahout an hour later Le again
I started In the same sudden manner.
Again he saw the same figure, this time
nearer the bc,l. Again did IL beckon him
to follow, and, moving toward the door.
turned with great eagerness, aud still
Oflcncr than before, to repeat the same
motion with his hand. The band was
1 that Of u gentleman. small and white, ard
with ring on one Of the fingers.
! Frightened nt this extraordinary mp
partition, Count 4. this time woke his
companion and narrated what had passed.
"Non>clisc. replied the latter, "you ate
too much supper and have been awakened
by nightmare. am really too tired 70
talk about it,"
The nervous earnes.ncss with which the
elder traveller repeated the story, however,
/ Impressed the younger, until he proposed
that the curtains Of the counts bed
should bc tied to the bc,lclothes Of his, no
that Ia the case of third visit he could
be awakened without noise. After Sc
eurcly fastening the curtains Of one bed
60 the coverings of the other, each re-
turned to his own couch.
A third time the count was awakened
IN the same startling manner. The figure
stOO,l close 20 his bed. aud the face Of the
visitor leaked down ON that Of the awak.
ened sleeper. The features Of the ap-
partition were plainly marked. They ex-
hiblte'l great pain and sadness. The
cOnnt graspcd the hangings. The appari-
tion held up his hand. The count jrrked
nj his curtains, hut they fell hack without
resistance, for tho knot hal become un-
tic,l. Once again the figure retreatel sor-
rowfully, turning hut seldom To heckon,
~ though the attempt hal been given up
Ia despair.
II was now near daybreak. The count
nwokc his companion. and they sat up to-
gether I'LL morning.
Shortly after dawn the caretaker. &C
eor'ling to previous agreement, knocked
at the ,luor. which the count unlocked
without ,liIllculty, Rnd the morning meal
was brought In. The carctaker looked
enriously at the two visitors ~ though In
eline,i t0 ask questions. lie, however,
did not carry out his intention.
The travellers. mindful of their promise.