Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-07-13

bCAA OAllllh ~ llOE heINCOs Ill u1l1 CtloC
it is very sad. ="
This reminded me Of his own jerking
band.
SIT may be hereditary" says I. "Your
own nerves are little disturbed, are they
notP"
"MineP" he answered TRANQUILITY. "Not
at all. have always possessed the calm
est nerves" Then suddenly, as If be-
thinking himself:
"For this, touching his hand, lis not
pcrtCs, but tho result IF :. SHOCK, u JoI4l
BILE shock that suffered once. Fancy it,
sir. This child of mine has been buried
alivo"
could find nothing to say. Twas dumb
with surprise.
eyes" he continued, "buried alive, but
hear the story-it IS not long. For some
time past Juliette had seemed affected
with disordered action Of the heart. We
were fully certain that the trouble was
organic and feared the worst. One day
It came. She was brought in nfeless.
She had fallen dead while walking in the
garden. Physicians came In haste, but
nothing could be done. She was gone.
For two days and two nights 1 watched
beside her myself, and with my own hands
placed her in her coffin, which followed
TO the cemetery and saw placed in the fam
lily vault. This was in the country, in the
province of Lorraine.
1T had been my wish, too, that she
should be buried in her jewels bracelets,
necklace and rings-all presents that had
given her-and in her first ball dress You
can imagine, sir, the state of my heart in
returning home. She was all that had
left. My wife had been dead for many
years. 1 returned, in truth, half mad,
shut myself alone in my room and fell in
to my chair dazed, unable to move-mere-
ly O miserable, breathing wreck.
''Soon my old valet, Prosper, who had
helped me place Juliette in her coffin and
lay her away for her last sleep, came in
noiselessly to see If he. could not induce me
to eat. shook my head, answering moth
ing. He persisted:
Monsieur is wrong. This will make
him ILL Will monsieur allow me, then,
to put him to bedP
"'No, no, answered. Let me alone
"He yielded and withdrew.
"How many hours passed 1 do not know.
What night! What night 1t was very
cold. Ny fire of logs had long since burned
OuU III GllG BIGtlO liz p4tbCSI eAAN viz 'AAAN
a wintry blast, charged with an icy frost
-howled and screamed about the house
and strained at my windows with a Curl
ously sinister sound.
Long hours, say, rolled by. sat still
where 1 had fallen Frustrated, overwhelm-
ed; my eyes wide open, but my body
gthless-dead my soul drowned in
despair Suddenly the great bell gave a
loud peal.
Il gave such a leap that my chair
cracked under me. Tho slow, solemn
sound rang through the empty house l
looked at the clock. 1t was 2 in the morn
ing. Who could be coming at such an hours
Twice again the bell pulled sharply.
The servants would never answer-per-
haps never heard it. 1 took up candle
and made my way to the door. was
about to demand:
"'Who is there?' but, ashamed of the
weakness, nerved myself and drew back
the bolts. My heart throbbed, my pulse
beat, 1 threw back the panel brusquely
and there in the darkness saw shape
like phantom, dressed in white.
81 recoiled, speechless with anguish
stammering:
"'Who-who are your
IA voice answered:
"'It is 1, father.
SIT was my child-Juliette.
"Truly thought myself mad shud-
dered, shrinking backward before the spec
ter as it advanced, gesticulating with my
hand to ward off the apparition. 1t is that
gesture which has never left me.
Again the phantom spoke:
"'Father, fatherl See, am not dead
Some one came to rob me of my jewels
they cut off my hnger-the-the flowing
blood revived me.
"And 1 saw then that she was covered
with blood. I fell to my knees painting,
sobbing, laughing, all in one. AS soon as
/ regained my senses, but still SO bewil-
dered 1 scarcely comprehended the happi-
ness that had come to me- took her in
my arms carried her to my room and rang
| frantically for Prosper to rekindle the fire,
bring warm drink for her and go for the
doctor.
HE came running entered, gazed a
moment at my daughter in the chair, gave
gasp of fright and horror and fell back
| dead.
''It was he who had opened the vault,
who had wounded and robbed my child
| ana Unen abandoned ncr, IOr ue COuuu AO'
efface all trace of his deed, and he had not
even taken the trouble to return the collin
to its niche, sure, besides, of not being
suspected by me, who trusted him SO fully.
We are truly very unfortunate people,
monsieur"
He was silent.
Meanwhile night had come on, envelop-
ing in the gloom the still and solitary lit
tie valley. A sort Of mysterious dread
seemed to fall upon me in presence OF these
strange beings-this corpse come to life
and this father with his painful gestures.
"Let us RETURN" said l; 1.-THE night has
grown chill"
And still in silence we retraoed ou1
steps back to the hotel, and shortly after
ward returned to the city. / lost all fur
ther knowledge of the two peculiar visit
ors to my favorite summer resort.-Guy
de Maupassant.
Crusty Carlyle.
Carlyle suffered from dyspepsia and dis.
appointment. He was therefore neither
| IL with his