The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-11-23
ST. GABELLE'S INN.

chateau, with crimson roof and shutters,
in the environs of Folk. A lawyer by
profession and pressed with business, he
never let a fortnight pass without COM
ing TO see our mother, and there were
many of us to greet him, for Uncle Bayle
was the eldest Of 10 children, all OF them,
with one or two exceptions, living with
their own or their children's children In
the neighborhood of the family home,
my sister and myself in the homestead
itself. with our infirm but pious AND
courageous mother, whom, as | told you
awhile ago, Uncle Bayle came to see.
Uncle" said Dorothy one evening,
the prettiest as we'll as the bravest of all
our cousins, tell usa ghost story, please.
We have heard all the Others"
'.One cold autumn evening" said he,
some 40 years ago, | was returning
from Toulouse, where | had been called
ON business. l was travelling fast and
had already passed Auterive, where
some friends had urged me TO stay the
night, but l was in a hurry to reach
Saverdun, three leagues farther on, and
continued my route. Just in front of the
monastery of Bolbonne, in the forest OF
Secourien, one of those furious tempests
which spring up in the heart OF the
mountains without a moments warning
fell upon me. In less than no time IL
was as black as midnight and the ROAD
invisible. There was nothing for 1t but
to turn about and ask for shelter at
Bolbonne. In a little while my horse
100000 o~l 7 .a W.T. +hat wa y-ara hnfprh
the door of an inn. l entered. The COM
pany was numerous and composed or
merchants, Spanish students aud the
sportsmen of the neighbOrhood, sur-
prised like myself by the storm.
Truly said one of the hunters, the
weather's devilish-a regular witches
sabbat.'
Pardon me- cried a voice IN a dis
tant corner, witches and COLLINS hold
sabbats on moonlight nights and not III
storms"
I'VE all turned to see who had spoken
and saw that it was a Spanish mer-
chant. None of us seemed disposed at
first to answer a remark made with such
solemn gravity. In fact, we were as ST.
lent as owls until suddenly my nelghbor
on the right, a young man of frank and
pleasing appearance, burst into a mt OF
laughter.
".Really,' said he, indicating the mer-
chant who had spoken last, it seems as
if the gentleman understood the habits
of COLLINS. Perhaps they've told YOU
turning to him scornfully, how much
they dislike to be wet and muddyr
THE Spariard gave him a terrible
look.
"'You speak too lightly, young man,
said he, far too lightly Of things you
know nothing about
AND you would have me believe that
ghosts exist?
"'Perhaps,' said the other, if you are
brave enough to look and see. Here's a
purse he continued, rising and APP
preaching the table, containing 30 gold
en- auadruples. | wager them all that
in an hours time | call before you the
face of any n of your friends, even ii
he has been dead a dozen years, whom
you NAV name to me. Moreover, when
you have recognized him, he shall ap.
proach, embrace and salute You with
kiss. Do you agree? And as he asked
the question the manner of the man was
so impressive and stern that we invol
unfairly trembled. My neighbor only
remained unmoved.
"'And you can do all thatY he cried.
Yes answered the Spaniard, 'ant
willingly part with my 80 quadruple'
beside, if l do not, provided you will los.
a similar amount if l hold to my promis
and force you to believe The offer wa
Mt once accepted.
'"To guard against trickery and decep
ton, we decided to use a little pavilion
situated in the outer garden, perfectl,
isolated and pare of everything but
chair and a table. After assuring our
selves that there were no other issue
than a door and a window, the studen
entered and, we left him 70 his fate, moi
however, without placing beside him a
the necessary writing materials and ea
tinguishing the lights.
when everything was ready and W
had arranged ourselves in acircle aroun
the door, the Spaniard, who had waite
in absolute silence till all was done, b,
gan to sing in a low. sweet voice, a vers,
as near as / can remember. runnin
thus:
With a cracking noise the coffin bursts
In the tomb. deep, dark and profound,
And the phantom white places his foot
On the soil of the cold, damp ground!
''Then, elevating his voice, he Gale
to the student shut up within the paw
ion:
lyon have told me- said he, that W
desire to have a visit from the spirit
your friend, Francis Vialat, browne
three years ago while crossing the fer
of Pensagnoles. Now, what do W
see?
81 see nothing replied the studen
\ but stay! a white light begins to Ii
itself yonder by the window, formles
shifting and like q floating cloud
after a moments silence the Spa
lard begins to sing again, his voice deep
and gloomier than before:
And tho phantom white. whom the rushi
rains
Had faded to o tint so fair,
W7Ded with his shroud and his skalatou ha,