The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1890-10-11

mounting and descending the winding
st0irways until even The dormer windows
Of the mansards had their sparks Of fete
and life. The entire Hotel of Nesinond
was illuminated as if the setting sun
had flooded IL with its brilliancy.
Great Jovel they'll burn tie house
DOWN. cried M. Majesty. And, recov-
ering from his stupor, he strove " shake
the heaviness out Of his legs and de-
seconded quickly 90 the court yard, where
the servants had Just ltindled q rousing
fire. M. Majesty approached and re-
monstrated with them. The servants
made no reply, and continued to talk in
low tones among themselves without the
least vapor escaping from their lips in
the ICY gloom of the night NJ Majesty
was uneasy. but one thing reassurt
him, and that was that this great fire
which famed so high and so steadily
was a most singular fire--a flame devoid
Of heat which sparkled but did not burn
His fears having been tranquilized, the
good man descended the steps and en-
tered his warerooms.
These wareroolns, which We're on the
ground foor must formerly have been
magnificent reception salons. Particles
of furnished gold yet .glittered at ali
the angles Neurological paintings
adorned the ceiling, surrounded the mir
rors and hoated over the doors in vague
eolors, somewhat soiled, like souvenirs
of departed years Unfortunately there
were neither curtains nor furniture.
Nothing but baskets, great boxes filed
with siphons. with pewter heads, and
the dried branches of an old lilac
bush which still hung in inky black
ness behind the windows M. Ma
jesty on entering found his ware
rooms fun Of light and company. He
bowed politely, but nobody paid the
least attention to him. The women, in
their satin cloaSs, on the arms of their
cavaliers, continued their ceremonial
atfectations. They promenaded, chattod
and separated. Truly, all the old mar
quises seemed to be perfectly at home.
A little figure paused, all in tremble,
in front of painted wall. "Thats me
exactly Look at my portraitr and she
gazed smilingly upona Diana on a panel,
slender and pink, with n crescent on her
forehead.
"Nesmond, do come here and look ut
your ARMS. And everybody laughed as
they saw the arms of the Nesmonds
stamped upon some bagging with the
name of Majesty underneath
'Ahl hal Majesty They still have
majesties then in France?' And there
We're endless gayeties, little fife like
bursts Of laughter, uplifted fingers and
affected speeches.
Suddenly sono one cried ont: "Here's
champagnel Here's champagnelr
''No, it isn'tln
eyes. it is-it's champagnel Come,
countess, let's have a bumper"
1t was NJ. Majesty's seltzer water they
had mistaken for champagne. They
found it tribe fat. but they drank it
all the same, and as these poor ghosts
were not strong in the head little by lit
tie the weak seltzer water animated
them, excited them and put them in a
frame of mind for dauoing.
Minuets were organized. -Four good
violins that Nesmond had brought in
his train began one of Rameau's airs,
simple and melancholy in its vivacity.
tt was u sight tosee all these old women
turn and salute their partners gravely,
keeping time with the music. Their at
lire seemed to grow young again, aud 80
did the gold embroidered waistcoats,
the brocaded coats and the shoes with
diamond buckles The panels them
selves appeared to revive on hearing the
ancient melodies The old mirror, in
closed in the wall for 200 years, recog-
nized them also, and scratched as it was
and blackened at the corners lighted up
softly and sent back to the dancers their
images somewhat dimly, as if melted by
regret by all these elegancies. NJ
Majesty felt himself out of place. He
got behind a box and looked on.
Little by little, however, the day
broke Through the glass doors of the
warerooius the good man saw the court
yard grow lighter, then the tops of tbs
windows, then all one side of the salon,
As the brightness increased the figures
faded and were confounded together
Soon NJ. Majesty saw only two violinists
lingering in a corner and eyaporating as
the light touched them. In the court
yard he could still see, but very vaguely,
the shape Of sedan chair, a powdered
head adorned with emeralds, and the
last sparks Of torch thrown by tht
servants upon the hagstones, which min
gled with the light of the wheel lanterns
of truck at that instant coming through
the open gate with tremendous clatter
-Alphonse Daudet in Chicago Mail.