Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-06-14
- = = q.


Is this some. i'll timed joker" he
stormed. What is going on? Is tho
chateau on fire? heard terrible out
cry and was about to inquire into it, -
You must come and join us, doc
tor, said Kerdall.
And how shall I do it?'' cried the
doctor furiously. ~Somo rascal has run
off with my clothing, and in exchange
has left mo tbs" and he savagely hurl-
ed white object into the middle of the
room.
"My-corsetsP' murmured Miss Haw-
thorpe, modestly lowering her eyes.
''And this!" continued the doctor.
wildly brandishing another article.
MY haiti" cried Nine. de Lartigues.
'"This railery passes all bounds, !"
howled the doctor, whose shining head,
with one final grimace, ducked beneath
the bedclothing. like the clown going
through a trapdoor in the marionette
theater.
They knew not what to think. The
mystery was growing more complicated.
1t certainly looked as though robber
had entered the chateau = perhaps a
whole band of burglars and assassins.
Nine. de Lartigues imagined troop Of
brigands armed to the teeth.
"Let US hope they have no guns.
said the marquis, to raise the hopes Of
his guests.
There was no echo to the pleasantly.
Suddenly strange sound was heard
ho r,ro11n6 Anor IT.
certainly the piano in the reception
salon, but it was surely being played by
goblin fingers, and SO furiously that it
seemed as though the keys must be bro
ken.
'"This is too much!" cried the mar
quis, rushing toward the staircase, with
all the crowd, except DR.. Cornabuc.
close behind him.
They hastily penetrated the salon. 1t
was empty. The mysterious visitor was
gone, but be could not be far away. The
crash of china and glass announced his
presence in the dining room. Everybody
rushed thither, and the marquis, who
was in the lead, dimly SAW form es-
Gaping through the window into the
garden.
''This time we've got him!'' he cried
The men seized guns and knives from
hunting rack in the vestibule and start
ed across the garden and park in pur-
suit of the fugitive, while the women
barricaded themselves in the salon and
anxiously awaited the result of the
chase. 1t was about an hour later, in
the uncertain light which precedes the
rising of the sun, that servant discov
cred the mysterious stranger ensconced
among the branches of large oak. At
his call the marquis and his guests has
tened to the spot
"Come DOWN. commanded NJ. de
Kerdall, but the bandit only settled
himself deeper among the foliage and
made no response.
"Come down, or will shootl"
And, as there was still no reply, he
lifted his gun and already had his fin
ger upon the trigger when the domestic
huriedly pulled his arm and said:
''Do not fire, monsieur. It is DR.. Cor
nabuc!'
And, sure enough, the blond wig and
long redingote could now be seen among
the leaves. But at this moment the first
ray Of sunlight cleaned in from the
east, and the oak was Illuminated. The
marquis suddenly broke into fit of ex-
plosive laughter and, as his guests gazed
up into the tree they could not keep
from following his example.
''The apeP'
Everything was explained. The ami
NAL had escaped from his cage the pre-
vious evening and had managed to ef
feet an entrance into the chateau. Ami
mated by his instinct of imitation, he
had first attired himself in the doctor
effects and then wandered over the
house at his own free will. He was put
back into his prison after some little
trouble, and at breakfast the party en-
joyed a hearty laugh at the adventures
Of the night,
But DR.. Cornabuc did not appear at
the table. He left the chateau at an
early hour, furious and without taking
leave. Since this episode he has never
set foot at Kerdall, aud he has never
lost q feeling Of deep antipathy to Nine
de Lartigues and Miss Hawthorne
GLOW could they have mixed me up
with monkey" he wants to know
San Francisco Argonaut.