The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-02-19

Jug Wis hdu ustvrSUufhoG 49, 81
II OF the worlGru6 their yacht, dur
~whlc3khey had paid flying visits
trEfca, America and Oceanica, and
they had celebrated their home-com-
Ing by gathering together all their
friends and relatives at their beautiful
country house.
Among the guests we're old DIR. Corn
abuc, an illustrious member of the
Academy of Metaphysical Sciences, so
original, so absent-minded, SO venera-
bic In his blonde Deruke and his cos
tune OF the fashion Of 1850. Then
there was Nine. de Lartigues, an old
school friend Of the MARQUIS, a bril-
liant and ~coquettish Parisienne. And
there was Miss Hawthorne, an English
maiden lady with youthful propensi-
ties. And there were many others, all
OF whom found plenty of amusement to
their hearts content at Kerdall.
@Outside OF the ordinary pleasures Of
life, there were some unusual attrac-
lions. In the first place the host and
hostess had seen and experienced so
much that was novel and startling
that their conversation was always fas-
chatting. Then the rooms Of the castle
constituted u veritablc museum, being
--esaeked with rare and curious objects
from two continents. And, finally, a
menagerle had beer created in one
corner of the park and stocked with
the various animals which Nine. de
kerdall had picked up during the voy-
age and brought back to France for
purposes OF acclimatization. There
were gaZelles, antelopes, Thibet goats,
Nile ibiscs, rose t~lamingoes, opossums.
beavers and an Asiatic ape of the man
drill species, as mild as n lamb, but as
,mischievous as all his kind. An iron
lattice cage had been built for him
close to the conservatory.
AS will be seen, the Chateau de Ker-
dali was a veritable Eden, but this
fact did not prevent Nine. dc Larti-
CUES from dreading the isolated posi-
tion OF the place among tho wide ex-
panse of woods and fields.
81 should be afraid to live here all
the year round" she said.
Afraid of what, my lear ?" asked
the m~arquiso.
"0h, OF robbors.; they. would fairly
Robbers! In this mansion filed to
the caves with guests and servants
Everybody Knocked at the young wo-
man, and old DR.. Cornabuc told horri-
bic stories about burglars and assas-
sins until Nine. de IIartigues, ashamed
OF her chimerical fears, was the first
to laugh, and when the retiring hour
came, she mounted to her sleeping
apartment on tho second door supplied
with a goodly stock Of heroism. With
in a short time all the occupants of
the chateau were in the land OF
dreams.
How long Nine. de Lartigues slept
she knew not. She was awakened by
q rafting at hen window, which she
a left half opened on account Of the
~Aeat.
7 What was the terror when, in the
feeble starlight, she SAY a form climb
ing noiselesly through the window.
She tried to scream, but her throat
was parched with fright, and she
could not uttor d sound.
The man had entered the chamber.
Then the poor woman hastily buried
her head beneath the bed-clothing. |
Half dead with fear, she could hear |
her nocturnal visitor going and coming |
across the carpet with muflled steps.
1t seemed as though he must have re-
moved his shoes in order to tread
softly.
Bathed with cold pcrspiration and
her teeth chattcring she awaited the
mortal blow from the invader. But it
did not come.
After about a quarter Of an hour she |
timidly peeped out. She could see and
hear nothing, Slightly rcassured she
recovered the use of her voice, and
started q series of shricks, 80 sharp,
piercing and terrible that in an in
stant the entire chateau was turned
t~opsy-turvy. Everybody rushed into1
hef~ chamber with lights In their
hands, Nj. and Nine. de Kerdall at the |
head.
What is it? What's the matter p"
they cried.
She recounted her horrible vision.
They would not believe her she had
been dreaming. Who could have
climbed into this chamber, so high
above the ground, without a ladder?
Ibid you see him plainly" asked
the marquis, with % touch of suspi-
zion in his voice.
AS plainly as | soc you; and it
even seemed---" She h~esitated.
"What?"
cit seemed as though | could recog-
nsze DIR. Cornabuc in his blonde wig
md redingote."
Everybody laughed. What! DIR.
Iornabuc A man OF his age and
character scaling windows at mid
night 1t was certain now that Nine. |
lie Lartigues had been dreaming.
They tried to dissipate her fear. and
he was just about to persuade herself
hat che had been the victim OF an hal
%uicination, when she happened to cast
her eyes upon the bureau, where she
',ad left her jewels.
They were gone! 1t truly had been
Fobber!
The laughing suddenly ceased, and
- q