The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-07-19
miscellaneous.
A NIGHT THIEF.

There was large party at the Cha
teau de Kerdall, near Vannes. The
Marquis de Kerdall and his young
wife had just returned from tour of
the world on their yacht, during which
they had paid flying visits to Africa,
America and Oceanica, and they had
celebrated their home coming by
gathering together all their friends
and relatives at their beautiful coun-
try house.
Among the guests was old DIR. Cor
nabuc, an illustrious member of the
Academy of Metaphysical Sciences, so
original, so absentminded, SO veneer
able in his blond peruke and his COS
tune of the fashion of 1850. Then
there was Nine. de Lartigues, an old
school friend of the marquise, 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 amnse-
ment to their hearts content at ker-
dali.
Outside the ordinary pleasures of
life there were some unusual attrac
| tions. In the first place the host and
hostess had seen and experienced SO
much that was novel and startling
that their conversation was always
fascinating Then the rooms of the
castle constituted a veritable museum,
| being stocked with rare and curious
objects from two continents. And fl
nally menagerie had been created in
one corner of the park and stocked
with the various animals which Nj. de
kerdall had picked up during the
voyage and brought back to France
for purpose of acclimatization. There
were gazelles, antelopes, Tibet goats,
Nile ibises, rose fiamingoes, opossums,
beavers and an Asiatic ape of the
Mandrill species, as mild as a 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 veritable Eden, but this fact
did not prevent the little Nine. de Lar
tigues from dreading the isolated posi-
ton of the place among the wide eX-
panse of woods and fields.
Il should be afraid to live here all
the year round" she said.
Afraid of what, my dear - asked
| the marquise.
',Oh, of robbers. They would fairly
| revel here"
Robbers! In this mansion filled to
the caves with guests and servants !!
| Everybody Knocked at the young wo-
man. and old DIR. Cornabuc told horri-
BILE stories about burglars and assas-
sins until Nine de Lartigues, ashamed
of her chimerical fears, was first to
| laugh, and when the retiring hour
came she mounted to her sleeping
apartment on the second floor supplied
with a goodly stock of heroism. With
ing short time all the occupants of
| the chauteau were in the land of
dreams.
How long Nine. de Lartigues slept
she knew not. She was awakened
by a rattling at her window, which
she had left half open on account of the
heat.
What was her terror when in the
| feeble starlight she saw form climb
ing noiselessly through the window.
| She tried to scream, but her throat
was parched with fright, and she
could not utter a sound.
The man had entered the chamber
| Then the poor woman hastily buried
her head beneath the bedclothing.
Half dead with fear, she could hear
| her nocturnal visitor going and COM
| ing across the carpet with muffied
steps. 1t seemed as though he must
| have removed his shoes in order to
step softly. Bathed with cold per-
SEPARATION and her teeth chattering she
awaited the mortal blow from the in
vader. But it did not come.
After about a quarter of an hour she
timidly peeped out; She could see
and hear nothing. Slightly treasured,
| .ho tho moo of har voiao and
started a series of shrieks, SO sharp,
piercing and terrible that in an i'll
slant the entire chateau was turned
! topsy turvy. Everybody rushed into
her chamber with lights in their
| hands, M. and Nine. de Kerdall at the
head.
"What is it? What's the matter ?"
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 ladder :?
Did you see him plainly ?" asked
the marquise, with a touch of suspi-
cion in his voice.
LAS plainly as see you, and it even
seemed''- She hesitated.
What ?''
st seemed as though could recog
niZe DIR. Corabuc in his blonde wig
and redingote."
| Everybody laughed. What DIR.
Cornabuc A man of his age and
character scaling windows at mid
night 1t was certain now that Nine.
de Lartigues had been dreaming.
They tried to dissipate her fear, and
she was just about to persuade herself
that she had been the victim of an
hallucination when she happened
to cast her eyes upon the bureau,
where she had left her jewels.
They were gone 1t had truly been a
robber.
The laughing suddenly ceased, and
they looked at one another in con-
sternation.
All at once another cry was heard, a
piercing shrek coming through the
stiffness of the night. 1t appeared to
emanate from Miss Hawthorne s
chamber There was a rush for her
apartment, and the English lady was
found standing in the middle of the
room, with frightened eyes.
''There, there ~ she cried, pointing
to the window. "a man He escap-
ed, but | recognized him."
who was it p
DIR. Cornabuc ~
The doctor again! This time no
body laughed. Cornabuc was looked
for among the persons who had been
attracted by the excitement, but he
was not there. He was the only occu-
pant of the chateau who was missing.
Come, let us go to the doctor s
! ROOM" said the marquis, knitting his