The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1895-04-11

~ his young wife
-s xE<Sy had just re-
turned 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 homecoming by gathering to-
gether all their friends and relativesat
their beautiful country house.
Among the guests was old DR.. Corn
abuc, an illustrlous member of the
Academy of Metaphysical Sciences, SO
original, SO absent-minded, so venera-
BILE in his blonde perulSe and his cos
tune of the fashion of 1850. Then
there was Nine. de Lartigues, an old
school friend of the narquise, brilliant
and coquettish Parisienne. And there
was Miss Hawthorne, an English maid
en- lady with youthful propensities.
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-
tions. In the first place, the host and
hostess had seen and experienced so
much that was novel and startling that
mating. Then the rooms of the castle
constituted n vcritable museum, being
stocked with rare and curious objects
from two continents. And, finally,
menagcrie had been created in one
corner of the park and stocked with
the various animals which NJ de Ker-
dali had picked up during the voyage
and brought back to France for pur-
poses of standardization. There were
gazelles, antelopes, Thibet goats, Nile
ibises, rose flarningoes, opossums, beav-
ers, and an Asiatic ape of the mandrill
species, as mild as a lamb, but as
mischievious as all his kind. An iron
lattice cage had been built for him
close to the conservatory.
As will be seen, the Chateau de
Kerdall was veritable Eden, but this
fact did not prevent little Nine. de
Lartigues from dreading the isolated
position of the place among the wide
expanse of woods and fields.
81 should be afraid to live here all
the year round" she said.
''Afraid of what my dear?" asked the
marquisc.
''oh, of robbers; they would fairly
revel here"
Robbers! In this mansion filed to
the caves. with guests and servants!
Every body Knocked at the young wom-
an. and old DIR. Cornabuc told horrible
stories about burglars and assassins
until Nine. de Lartigues, ashamed of
her chimerical fears, was the first to
laugh, and when the retiring hour
came she mounted to her sleeping
apartment on the second floor supplied
with goodly stock of heroism. With
in 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
u rafting at her window, which she
had left half opened on account of the
heat.
What was her terror when. IN the
feeble starlight, she saw form
climbing noiselessly through the win
dow. She tried to scream, but her
throat was parched with fright, and
she could not utter 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 mufaed steps.
1t seemed as though he must have re-
moved his shoes in order to tread
softly.
Bathed with cold perspiration and
her teeth chattering, she awaited the
mortal blow from the invader. But it
did not come.
After about quarter of an hour,
she timidly peeped out. She could see
nor hear nothing. Slightly treasured,
she recovered the use of her voice, and
started aeseries, of shrieks, SO sharp,
piercing and terrible that in an instant
the entire chateau was turned topsy-
turvy. Everybody rushed into her
chamber with lights in their hands, M.
and Nine. de Kerdal 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 a ladder?
Ibid you see him plainly?' asked the
marquis, with q touch of suspicion in
MS voice.
.'As plainly as see you, and it even
seemed" She hesitated.
s'What?"
SIT seemed as though could recog-
nize DR.. Cornabuc in his blonde wig
and redingote."
Everybody laughed. What Dr.
Cornabuc! A man of his age and char
acter scaling windows at midnight 1t
was certain now that Nine. de Lar
tigues 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 gonel 1t had truly beena
rohberl
The laughing suddenly ceased, and
they looked ut one another in conster-