The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1890-01-02
A STRANGE CASE.

bone sod profession to search the crack
aud crpniss Of Europe Tor fossils: sn
there we're not waiting those amons u
friends Of Monsieur Anesssiu aho shoo
their heads significantly whenever b
name wss mentioned. aud pointed ig
nihcsri iingsr No their f0febtsds, II
not, hor ever. 40 uncommon thing 10 cot
slider peapla the victims IL mental aberra
,iou when they stray irum the path !
which Ne bAse decided /, TO be wise an
proper for them TO make their eartll
/ p iffimsge, and il is pot unlikely tis
Monsieur Aucassin abroad was quite a
much 10 bis right mind as these who IA
mented his idiosyncrasi,s At home. b
thsi as Il may, be died saidenly, one day
and IA was found that no provision hai
been made for the support Of his dsuRhts
Aimee. except sueb money as she nigh
derive from the sale Of the motley collec
'ion Of specimens which be had with pa
iient zeal accumulated, and which, b,
firmly believed. would be Of immense val
ne 10 the scientific world
These hopes were no, realized. A sun
barely Sufficient for her msutenance wa,
received, and Aimee came under the guar
dianship OF Mr. Mallock. friend who hat
believed 10 Monsieur Aucassin and BIZ
vagaries when the rest Of that gentleman, ;,
little world had held him 10 light esteem
To bis home therefore. Mr.. MsllocA
went and fetched Aimee rs soon as h,
had learned that she Was left alone in th'
world
II was q stranee, rambling old place
tbat che found to be her new home.
The house, which had been built in TIE
cd baronial times was grim erougb
specimen OF architecture at best, and seen
10 the twilight when Aim re arrived from
her journey, tired and homesick, il look
ell Rhosily
The house was curiously built, with
nun arous smaller buildings connected by
struggling passsgewsys to the main struc-
ture On ber later explorations sbou. the
place she noticed that the door leading to
the tower was always locked and its win.
dows were strongly barred The manor
had the reputation, as such half.ieuanted
old places will, Of being haunted. Strange
sounds had been heard by passersby and
lights seen through the barred windows
OF the tower The son OF the house. il
was said, had di appeared suddenly, and
vague rumors clustered around the feet
The aerie tales that were told gained easy
credence among the superstilious villagers
aud there was not Que of them who wonld
not rather go five miles out of his way
than be found after dark IN the neigbbo
b bod Of Msllock's tower.
After the first week OF Aimee's stay, Mr.
Mallock, who had at first made some effort
Jr the entertainment Of bis young guest,
relapsed into his previous studious and
habits, and Aimee was left to
her own devices, She had not, indeed,
been long in the house before she discoy-
'red that there was mystery connected |
With its owner. There is something about
! mystery that cannot successfully be con
,eale1.
Only once had she seen the interior OF
hr. Malloch's study. He had sent for her
me day by an old servant, who alone seem
ID to have access to all parts OF the house,
md, as Mr.. MalIock raised his eyes from
he volume over which be was pouring, she
vas struck by the haggard, bsffled look
n his face. The volume before him was
'Spuizheim's Diseases Of the Mind" and
Iimee observed with surprise that the
'ooks, which were crowded into the
he'ves nearest him, and piled in confus
pon the table, we're medical works, com
'nsing, for the most part, tresiises upon
insanity.
Has Mr.. Msllock lived here always in
bis lonely placer she asked one day of
he old servant
II was different before the young msste,
Tent away and the mistress died, he ans
'eted sadly. then there was gay company
! the time coming aud going Those
'ere grand times, be continued warming
nth the recollection. but suddenly check.
4 himself as il he bad been betrayed into
OF forbidden fruit.
When did Mrs Mslock dit? asked
imee timidly.
The year after young master went away
nd the old man, wbisking a tear from his
ripkled cheek with the cuff Of bis cca
eere. She was that lonely without him
IA, she jus, pioed off aud died.
But where did yonr young master go2
u siioned Aimee
The old man shook bis ,ad and walked
way without answering, mnttering TO
mself and sigbiug deeply
Aimee questioned the housskeeper with. ,
~ bfittf tucfftt va MI uthtr SUBJECTS 7
e was loqusciou. to a fault, but abou, !,
. Young maste' she maintained the 81 !,
Bc- Of sphinx 4
At any rate il is not for me to pry into I
g family affairs Of my guardian. she said
herself and. being young woman lit !,
given 10 curiosity or to morbid imAg'
alton. .he soon uearly forgot the subjec
d 10 her bright, CHEEKY way had made
ends With every child and pining old !,
,mab. and silh every horss aud dog 10 r
e stables .,
S.,nrc bad eudosed Aimee with sing. 4,
ariy beautiful voice. sod wbatevef msy h
se been Mon. nr Auca sins shor,com II
p, be had yet siieuded carefully TO bis
nsLi.rs edncaiiou. snd her voice espec a
ly be bad had trained By the beet mas a
:, sliboush 10 compsss this result he si
= often himself out a, The eibous. Mus "A
sss uow Aimees sbsorbiug delight. b,
A f.,.f. a. h.