Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-06-14


returned to his own couch.
third time the count was awakened IN
the same startling manner. The figure
stood close to his bed, and the face OF the
visitor looked down on that of the awak-
ened sleeper. The features of the appar-
ition were plainly marked. They exhib-
tied great pain and sadness. Tne count
gras ped the hangings. The apparition
held up his hands. The count jerked az
his curtains, but they fell back without
resistance, Tor the knot had become IN
tied. Once again the figure reiterated
sorrowfully, turning but seldom to beckon,
as though the attempt had been given up
in despair.
1t was now near daybreak. The count
awoke his com panion, and they sat up to-
ge5her until morning.
Shortly after dawn the caretaker, &C
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 in
cIined TO ask questions. He, however,
did not carry ont this intention.
The travellers, mindful of their prom
Use, made no remark. The horses, well
gruomed and refreshed, were ready for
their Journey, and the Two com par ions
left the chateau, the caretaker refusing
to accept aHy rate or gratuity. The two
men rode away, reached their port OF en-
barkation, and arrived safely IN England.
Not many years later the elder of the
two returned to France and accepted the
new state of things. The Bonaparte
government offered him an administrat-
IL
cepted, and among other Inducements
which led TO his acceptance was the
chance of calculating the mystery which
constantly REQUIRED to MS memory. A
very short time elapsed after assuming
his duties when he made inquiries as to
| the chateau and its owners.
| The story told him was that the chateau
| belonged to the mUrquis de -, gen
tleman of great wealth and CT retired
| habits. When somewhat advanced In life,
/ he had married a girl OF low extraction
| but of great beauty = the daughter OF
| the peasant who now took care of the
| chateau.
| A year or two after their marriage a
| haif brother of the marquis had left the
army and come to reside with his brother,
! and some months later all three disap-
| peared from the country altogether, with
cut leaving any address, the chateau be-
| ing placed under the care of the father
| of the marquise, an old gamekeeper. The
pid succession OF incidents in the rev
olution, by absorbing public interest, ha6
prevented 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 appear
| ed 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 priest
well known IL the neighborhood, 10 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
| occurred.
81 think" said the priest, ''this affair at
present belongs more to me than the law.
Allow me to spend the night here alone.
| All | req uire is lantern and pistol.
There Will be force within hearing, but
believe the mystery can b0 solved more
easily by one man than by many" The
| brave old mans offer was accepted. The
count and his attendants posted them
selves in other parts of the house, keeping
the caretaker with them. A fire was
| lighted in the large room, and the priest
was left there with his prayer book.
He had not remained long when the
| figure appeared reckoning to him, and
he at once rose to follow. It passed
| through the door, always looking from
time to time to see that the priest was be-
hind. 1t led the way through long cor
ridor, then into a room which still con
tanned all the appearance of a lady's. In
| the corner was q small staircase, down
which the priest descended in obedience
to the apparition. It led to small vesti-
buIe which opened into q small chapel
The fgure walked slowly up the aisle, rs
denly disappeared.
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. He
fired his pistol and soon the count ard his
attendants came TO help.
The door raised, step ladder led into
a vault. At the bottom of the ladder lay
| a human skeleton, dressed in clothes
similar to those wore by the apparition,
and with Il beard still hanging to
| the chin. A ring was on the finger.
| The caretaker made little difficulty in
| confessing the real facts of the CAGE. The
marquis, who was man of the kindest
| disposition, and had treated his half
| brother with unwGnted indulgence, had
| discovered that too intimate relations ex-
| listed between him and his wife. Fright.
ened at his order to them to leave the
| house, the two bad murdered him as he
| slept IN the large room, and conveyed his
| body along the passage throHgh 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 left the country and were
living in Belgium under an assumed name,
supplied with money by the woman's
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 10 France, tried and
executed.
This story was told 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 undoubtfuI good faith. The lady de-
clared to me that she fully believed the
story had been officially recorded 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 emigres. She promised to let me
know if she ever heard of it again; but 1
saw LITE Of her affsruard ord ho l. nom