The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-25

skull cap, and carried little black cane.
His eyes were full of fire, but, after all,
his features were intellectual.
"Mademoiselle," said he, "be good
enough TO send away your waiting maid.
Nobody but you alone must hear what l
have to reveal"
Niuon was terrified at first, but at last,
remembering that she was in the pres
ence of little decredit old man, she took
courage and sent away the waiting maid.
Don't let my visit brighten you" said
the stranger. ut is true that ! do not
honor everybody in this way, but you
have nothing to fear. You have before
you man who is obeyed, more or less, by
all the world, and who can bestow at will
, all the gifts of nature. ! was present at
your birth. / fashion the fate OF all
human beings, and have come here to
learn from your own lips how | shall dis
pose of yours, l bring you the highest
titles, enormous riches, and an eternal
beauty. Which will you have2 Take
your choice, and rest assured that no NOR
tai on earth has the power to give you so
much
'Really, sir" said the woman, laugh
ing, ''you are very kind, and the magni-
tcence Of your gifts is so great that
''MademOiselle, said he, interrupting
qer you have too much good sense to
know. Choose quickly. Which will you
ave-titles, riches, or eternal beauty"
my dear sir" said she. "there is no
room for any hesitation over the good
things that you offer me I'll take eter-
nal beauty; but what must do TO obtain
this precious gift}''
"Mademoiselle," said the stranger,
''you must write your name upon my
tablets" and he presented to her an old
toh fob rl,
| her name. Then he gave her light tap
of his black cane upon the left shoulder.
That will do now" he said. "You will
be beautiful all through your life, and you
will live for a long time. You will create
passions at period in life when other
women are in the horrors Of decrepitude.
You will never grow old. ! give you the
power 10 charm everybody. During 5000
years / have travelled through the uni
verse from one end to the other, and upon
the earth l have only found four women
who were worthy of this great privilege.
They were Semiramis, Helen, Cleopatra
and Diana de Poitiers. You are the fifth
and the last to receive this gift. Ask me
no question. You will see me again, once
more only, and that will be when you
shall have only three days more to live.
Remember my name is NoctambuleP,
He disappeared, leaving Mile. de Len
clos frightened almost out of her wits.
The career Of the wondrous beauty is
too long to follow. IL is enough TO say
that three days before her death Noctam-
bule appeare before her showed her her
signatur ard in a dreadful voice told her
that SD vas captured that she lived all
her life under the power of Lucifer. and
that h end was at hand On the third
day he came and choked her to death
1t is consoling to think that there is
some doubt about the exact truth of this
story Indeed it is said that it goes back
far beyond the birth Of poor Ninon do
Lenclos, and that it began with Louise de
Budos, the second vie Of Henry l., who
died in 1899. She was wonderfully beau
tiful, but Immediately after her death she
became black and frightful looking. She
was the lady that was strangled by the
Prince of Darkness.