Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1890-01-17
BUTLER, Pa, FRIDAY, JANUARY II. 1890.

i they gathered around the little name
and got sight 81 one another the virgin
ian drew forth very re-assuring looking
flask, with & metal cup fitted Oh the out
side at the bottom. de poured small
portion OF The contents OF the mask into
the metal cup and drank, by Way of
showing it was not poison, aud then pass
ed the iask and cap to the major, and So
it went around, aud they became ae-
| quainted. As soon as the eolored man
had done what he could in these various
ways To make the officers comfortable,
he asked civilly ii they needed him any
more. As they did not expect 10 move
until there would be light enough for ttem
to find their way out, they let him CO.
the richer for some loose change.
Major Ingersoll, as seen By tue light OF
this little IRE, OF BY any other light, was
fellow of reassuring aud pleasant aspect.
II was u Inan of forty, with gray hair and
beard, all cut very close, the gray making
ID happy harmony with his blue eyes, and
not less happy contrast with the smooth
brown uf his skin. He was man Of
sturdy rather than of graceful person, with
that repose in act and speech-that total
want Of the element of irritability-which
is a guarantee of sound nerve and brain;
fellow used to looking death in the face,
and not to he much moved by lighter rea-
sons; yet amiable at that, and ready for
any fun that was on foot.
Crane was queer fellow. His name
was not Crane and all those who daily
called him by this name were we'll aware
that it was not his; yet this was q camp
compromise. He was Russian or q Pole.
and was possessed of q name pronouncea-
BILE only in his own country, and being
very practical fellow, had adopted name
that should be easily to the ears and
tongues of our people, and while he was at
it, chose the easiest he could find. He
was short. round, tough fellow, very
brave, and very superstitious, polite, cere-
monious, proud and naughty. Crane said,
as he sat on u convenient stone beside the
ire, Mr. Wrayburn, 1 wish to request
from you favor"
Certainly, sir; shall be happy to do
you any in my power
'1n my country there are also many
ruins just like this, and to every ruin there
| is story. This ruin has been palace.
| Splendid people have lived here-hne gen
| tlemen, beautiful ladies; that is very eyi-
dent. This ruin must have story, and 1
| have all the time great curiosity to know
it, Can You tell me this story
We'll, sir am sorry to disappoint you,
said Mr. Wrayburn, but these ruins have
no story 1t was, as you have said, q grand
old house, and the home OF a notable fam
! lily which came to very melancholy end,
and the country people say the ruins are
haunted by the ghosts OF those who lived
there, as they say of all ruins, but there is
no story in all that"
| There I told you 50. That is the be-
| ginning of the story--the melancholy end
Of the family the haunted ruins Do you
believe in ghosts'" said Crane.
| why, no, sir; I can hardly say that
belieYe in ghosts as visible realities do
believe in ghosts as part of the machinery
of the popular imagination; as things or
| fancies that affect the common mind, as
| part of the common religion or superstition
Of ages Some strange and unexplained
| appearances have been seen in these ruins.
| What they are, know not The people
in such q case always say ghosts, and the
people are very apt to be wrong in every
case"
who were they that lived herei" said
Ingersoll
The name was Saldagnia, sir. 1t does
not sound like an English name, but is
rather Portuguese OF Spanish. They were
not Virginia people, indeed-that Is, they
were not of any OF our known Virginia
families Only two generations OF them
| lived here"
Where did they come hoInf'
That was never known with any GER
tainty They came TO Us here from New
Orleans; from what place before that Ii
was found impossible to learn. There was
a story, however, that their enormous
wealth had been acquired in the slave
trade"
Then they were very rcLf'
"Oh, yes; there was nc fortune in these
parts that would compare with theirs In
deed, to have built this house would have
impoverished any Virginia family"
Evidently it was u great house"
| Everything was Oh the most magnih
| cent scale, sir; stone castle, or palace
rather, as the gentleman said, built BY for
eign artists, furniture ht for the houses Of
kings, and hospitality on u footing with
the rest of it, The whole valley was al
ways astir with the entertainments and
festivities here when the owner was here;
but good part of the time he was away,
at New Orleans, Paris, London OF else
where"
"And you mentioned that all this splen-
dor came to a melancholy end" said Tai
bot. What was that endf'
| well, sir, Mr.. Saldagnia had one son,
fine young fellow, with the Same lavish
extravaganza and generous tastes rs his
father, and the same ardor In his love for
| nOTses. nut iHlS young ech'iSh'oh !" -
not SO popular with the other youngsters
Of the neighborhood as his father would
have liked. He had not grown up here,
you see, and had some contempt, perhaps,
for the simplicity OF Virginia life. Mr..
Saldagnia's wife was never here; she had
died before the father had determined to
make hil home permanently in Virginia.
But there was great deal said about a
very beautiful slave woman who was part
OF the household, one of those women that
are very nearly white, ard though there
was not trace of such parantage in young
Saldagnia's appearance, the opinion be-
came accepted as the truth tn at that wo-
man was his mother. Nothing can be
more hurtful than such all opinion OF q
taint in the blood, and this opinion became
known to young Saldagnia himself and
poisoned his life"
"Retribution for the slave trade" said
Crane.
Perhaps sor, si," said the old gentle
man
.'on certain day young Saldasnia ap-
peared at one Of our local race meetings on
one of the finest horses ever seen ia the
country Some ladies, admiring this
horse, ked his name. Saldagnia said he
had no name, and gallantly requested the
lady to name him. She, at d loss, asked
| n. S..rl., A captaYnap ,,aar b... o., auar