The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-04-13
,os1o no remark. Tho aorsss, well

I
rcccpt any payment or gratuity Inc
/ two men rode away, reached their port OF
! embgrkation and arrived safely III Ing
/ laud
Not many years later the elder OF the
TWO returned 10 France, and accepted The
new state OF things The Bonaparte
Government offered him au administrative
( most IN the north. This the count ac-
/ cepted. and among the other Inducements
/ which led TO bis acceptance was the chance
/ Of Calculating the mystery winch con-
! sfantiy required TO his memory. very
short time elapsed after assuming his
duties when lie made inquiries as 70 the
chateau and It's owners.
The story told him was that the chateau
BELONGED to the Marquis de -, gentle
man Of great wealth md Of retired habits.
When somewhat advanced IN life he had
married q girl OF low extraction but OF
great bcauiy-the daughter OF peasant
VINO now took care Of the chateau a
wear or two after their marriage half
brother OF the marquis had lett the army
md come TO reside with his brother, aud
some months later all three disappeared
from the country together without ieav-
inc any address, the chateau being placed
under the care of the father OF the mar
ouisc. an old gamekeeper. The rapld
succession Of incidents in the revolution,
bv absorbing public interest, had pre-
vented inquiry. The caretaker led a
gloomy solitary life at the chateau. lie
was little seen except when he went ont
IN make purchases; but he always APP
Dearcd 10 be well provided with money.
Aiming himself with the necessary legal
authority, which probably lent itself easily
10 the functionarics Of the state, the count
prepared 10 investigate the mystery. He
eccordiprlv repaired to the chateau with
the AGENTS Of the law aud Il priest well
known IN the neighborhood, 10 whom the
story had been told.
On arriving at the house the caretaker
underworld TO withstand the Intrusion,
but. Yielding 10 force, the gate was opened
and the count and the priest proceeded
straight TO the room where the incident
had occurred.
Il think" said the priest, this affair
al present belongs more TO me than 10
the law Allow me 10 spend the night
here alone All require is lantern aud
pistol. There viii be force within hear
inc. but / believe the mystery will he
solved more easily by one man than by
Dgrv.n The brave old mans offer was
ncceo'cd The count and his attendants
pCsted themselves in other parts OF the
house. keeping the caretaker with them.
\ fire was lighted in the large room, and
tbe priest was left there alone with his
prayer book
lie had not remained long when the
leure appeared reckoning him, and he at
once rose 10 follow It passed through
the door, always looking from time to
time 10 see that the priest was behind
Il led the way through long corridor,
then into q room which still contained all
the appearauce Of q lady's In the corner
was a small staircase, down which the
priest descended in obedience 10 the
summons Of the epparition. 1t led TO a
small vesIbule which led into chapel
The figure walked slowly up the aisle
rscendcd the steps Of the altar, then sud
denly disappear
Tie priest following with hts lantern,
perceived after some search brass ring
on the very spot where the figure had
vanished twas evidently the handle OF a
up door. which, however, resisted all the
.lempts Of the priest to raise it. He fired
lis pistol, and soon the count and his at
teudants came TO his help.
The door raised, steep ladder stair
case led into the vault At the bottom OF
the ladder lay human skeleton, dressed
in clothes similar 10 those worn by the
npDarltion and with beard still hanging
to the chin. A ring was on the finger.
The caretaker made little difficulty IN
Il he IS
who was q man Of the kindest disposition,
and had treated his brother with IN
wouted Indulgence, had discovered that
too intimate relations existed between him
| and his wife Frightened at his orders TO
/ them 10 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 liy'
| ing 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 to France, tried and
J executed.
! This story was told me nearly forty
years ago, at Jersey during the year Of
! tie first exhibition. Though in simple
! language, It was related with great dra-
matte force and undoubted good faith.
/ The lady declared TO me that she fully be-
lleved the story bad been officially re-
! corded 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 prom
ised TO let me know if she ever heard of 1t
again, but saw little Of her afterward,
| and she il now dead II would be inter-
esting TO know whether her narrative had
any foundation. Some one who may have
heard this tale may supply the informa-
| ton ! have never heard 1t from any
| other source nor read of it In any book.
! The narrator told me that those who
! bad first related the story were evidently
| believers in its truth H. Drummond
/ Wolf In Murray's Magazine.
| Miserable Homes In India.
In "a p9infui 10 look into the hints az the