Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1888-08-23

fore Will tell you who ! am and
what ! want. AS YOU
see, am a priest of the Catholic
Church, and eighty years ago this
house in which we now stand vac
mite was a good rider, and was
extremely fond OF hunting whom op-
rortunity offered, and one day WAS
lust about 10 stast FOR the neigborine
NEE: when 4 young lady Of very high
falaily called upon me for the pur-
of making a confession. What she
said Of course may not repeat but
it appeared TO IAe of such supreme
Importance that there being certain
complications in the easel commit
tad the grave indiscretioI-tLe sin
even, for it is strictly forbidden hy
our Chnrch-of making notes Of the
confession a. J heard it.
Fc. purposes which I need not now
detail, ! had few bricks loossned in
'lie va. o. ore q the lower passages
O: TINS house aud 4 SINAI! reoess made
Just tie place, ! thought, IN which
my notes would be perfectly safe from
any conceivable accident until my :s-
Turn when I intended to master me
in,ricacies of the case at my leisure,
and then at once destroy the danger.
GUS paper. Meantime | hurriedly
shut il between the leaves Of the book
! had held IN my nand. ran down.
stairs, thrust the book into the recess,
replaced the bricks, sprang upon NV
horse and rode of. That day. in the
hunting field, ! was thrown from my
horse aud killed on the spot and
ever since i. has been my dreary fate
to haunt tins earthly home Of mine
sna try to avert the consequences Of
nv sin-tTy TO guard from any posi-
bilty OF discovery Of the fatal notes
which 80 rashly and wrongly male.
Never until now has any human be-
ing Jared TO speak to me boldly as
YOU nave done never until now las
there seemed aught OF help for ma or
hope Of ieilvsrance from this weary
task bat now->wIll you save me?
II show you where my book ls Ind.
den wiIl you swear by all you hold
most sacred to destroy the paper It
contains without reading it-wlthout
letting any human eye see even one
word OF It's contents > Viii you
pledge your word TO do this ."
Il pledge my word to obey your
wish to the letter. said the Bishop
with solemnity.
Then" said the phan tom, follow
me.
With a strange sense Of unreaIIty
the Bishop found himself following
the aPrarition down the broad 4tair-
case to the ground floor, and then
down narrower one of stone that
seemed TO lead down to some cellars
/ or vaults. Suddenly the priest stop
ped AID turned toward him.
This is the place, he said, placing
his hand on the wall remove this
plaster, loosen the bricks, and you
will find behind them the recess Of
which spoke Mark the spot well,
and-remember your promise
Following the pointing hand and
apparent wish OF the specter, the
Bishop closely examined the wall at
the spot indicated, and then turned
TO tue priest to ask another question
but to his intense astonishment there
was no one there-he was absolutely
alone in the dimly lighted passage
Perhaps he ought TO have been pre-
pared for this sudden disappearance,
but i: startled him more than he cared
TO admit; even 10 himself. He hur-
ried up the stairs, aud presented him
SELF, still breath.e-s with surprise IN
tue dining room.
His prolonged absence mad caused
some comment, and now his aCitated
appearance excited general attention.
I nable ioT the moment 10 speak co.
herently, HE only answer 10 the earn
est questions Of his host was sign
which referred him TO the hostess Tor
explanation. With some hesitation
she confessed the erraud upon which
mex request had dispatched the Bish-
op. and, rs may easily be imagined,
the intensest interest and excitement
were At once created. As soon ss the
Bishop had recovered his voice he
found himself compelled 70 relate the
story before the entire party, con-
realment being now out OF the cues
ton. Celebrated IA was his elo-
Quence, It is probable that no speech
be ever made was followed with clos
er attention than this. After
very short delay a mason was Sc
cured 10 break down the wall, and
the whole company troo2ed eagerly,
under the Bishops guidance. to watch
the result Of his labors The Bishop
could hardly repress a shuider As he
found himself once more IN the pas
sage where his giostly companion had
vanished so unceremoniously. but he
Indicated the exact spot which had