Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1893-01-17
LA BELLE AMERICAINE

~ ilt4 st.a
Pretty Katherine knit her forehead
under its thatching of natural brown
scurls and reflected profoundly, "T don't
see why" she thought, just because
its picturesque, that mamma wants to
stay in this haunted, crumbling old
place, when we might be staying with
Kenyon's family on the other side OF the
lake, in a nice, new hotel, without a
single ghost, and she raised her brown
eyes and looked critically about her,
Upon her right and left lay rugged
mountains. tending toward circle,
as they enclosed valley of vivid green
and silver. The silver was the glisten-
ing lake. reproducing in rich water
colors. that seemed to sink to its very
bottom, the mountain brown. the valley
green, the sky blue, and the morose out
line OF a castle whose half-ruined turrets
and towers wrapped and twined with
leaves and vines. rose far into the blue
above
What are you looking at, Kath-
erinef" asked a handsome young fellow.
coming briskly toward her from, the
lake landing, where he had just left his
boat,
III Oh, I was thinking that this
would be quite a lovely place to stay in
if it weren' t for an old ghost that keeps
us awake nights, rattling round in the
east tower. -
It's rats, most likely, laughed he.
No, it's not,'' she disputed, rats
don't light candles and stare at you out
of windows, with cold, white faces and
thin, long fingers
Hum, " commented the young man,
stroking his nustache to hide q smile.
" If it is as serious as that you must raid
it; put yourself into some kind of a dis
guise; take candle in your left hand,
broom in your right, and as the clock
strikes twelve at midnight cry. Get
thee gone. bold creaturep and it win
leave the tower never to return"
You are making game of me,
know" said Katherine, Struggling her
graceful shoulders, but am going to
raid it this very night, and tomorrow
will tell you all about it"
"Au right" assented Kenyon, still
laughing. He was Katherine's fiance
and staying with his family on the oppo-
site side of the lake.
'sOf what is thinking la belle Ameri
cainer' asked dark young man Of
Katherine. joining her upon the stone
steps that evening, as soon as Kenyon
had gone. Isit that she is ghost think
ingf"
Katherine deigned no reply to Philippe
Sardineaux, the only son of the owner OF
the desiccating estate and heir to all it
debts and decay Since her stay at the
castle she had dexterously avoided his
rapturous love-mahng. and now, as
often before, she nodded distantly to him
and hastened indoors, while he turned
away mumbling: by all means lei
mademoiselle go on ghost hunt thi.
evening 1t Is not for nothing that
overheard her words to NJ. Kenyon"
Two hours later Katherine. with q
sparkle of audacity in her eyes and hall
disguised by long, black surtout of hel
mothers and the housekeeper's blacl
bonnet, carrying in one hand the pre-
broom, started on her ghost-quest in the
best of spirits.
The castle was wrapped in stillnes.
that became almost audible as ths nib
bling of mice and her own hp-toeinl
footsteps were heard, as she stole along
the passageway to the tower. Reaching
the tower door she pushed against it.
1t slowly opened with a rusty creal
that sounded far down the passageway
Katherine was not appalled,. She entered
a small apartment filed with DISABLED
furniture and unsorted armor; then
finding that her candle flame fickere(
in the draught that blew against he
shoulders. she turned to see anothe
door opening into room beyond. I
stood half open.
"Ahl" she said, utterly devoid OF tn
nervous creeps supposed to accompany
quest of this kind, " this Is more like it T.
and holding her hand shieldingly abou
the fetted candle flame she entered tn
second room.
1t was large, grewsome apartment
walled and hoored with stone and lighte,
by a single narrow window of brokel
stained glass through which both tn
moonlight and breeze filtered.
Some ascetic monk must have ha
his chapel here l'' she exclaimed Wha
a dungeon-lik cold place it isr' an
she shiyered. Still the mysterious win
blew upon her shoulders, and turnin
once more she discovered a dark, cav,
like opening In the farther side of th
stone-wa1led room, through which th
draught came that fingered her candl
flame so roughly.
! AT this moment distant clock struc
4 12 and figure wrapped in white tha
seemed tenfold winter because of ii
blackness from which It was apparent
evolved, crept out of the opening.
Again Katherine shivered, but sh
bravely held her ground, neither shrinl
ing nor hinching as without sound I'll
white creature glided toward her.
Fair intruder, said a low voice. as he
candle suddenly went out, and only th
faint moonlight showed how close upo
her was the ghost, you are here t
night IN frlfiment of a prophecy Tw
hundred years ago was the poverty an
decay of this casrle foretold, and IN th
same writing was it foretold that La bell
T Americana. with her riches. from th
: New World, should come here TO W.
the heir of the castle and redeem it froI
al misfortune, What say youf%
Katherine's wits were still about hel
She caught the familiar words. g La bell
Americana, and suspecting that th
ghost she had to deal with was Philipp
Sardineaux. she asked dfplomatically
. Where Is the prophecy3s
! viii It TO you bring, answered th
ghost. . Remain here; do not stir.
J And it glided INTO the adjoining room