Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-04-01

6uduo uorS6ll G1db SIG udu DGGn the VIC
tim of an hallucination when she hap
pened to cast her eyes upon the bureau
where she had left her jewels.
They were gonel 1t had truly been .
robert
The laughing suddenly ceased, ant
they looked at one another in consterna
tion.
All at once another cry was heard, c
piercing shrek coming through the still
ness of the night. 1t appeared to ema
nate from Miss Hawthorne's chamber
There was rush for her apartment,
and the English lady was found stand
ing in the middle of the room, with
frightened eyes.
There, there' she cried, pointing
to the window. IA mani He escaped,
but l recognized him.. :"
"Who was it?''
CDR. Cornabucl"
The doctor againl This time nobody
laughed. Cornabuo was looked for
among the persons who had been at.
tracted by the excitement, but he was
not there. He was the only occupant of
tho chateau who was missing.
Come, let us go to the doctor 9
room," said the marquis, knitting his
brows. "He will doubtless solve the
mystery for us. -
All followed Kerdall, the men half
dressed, the women in their white night
robes, all carrying candles-a weird
procession. Upon the entrance of the
crowd, the doctor hurriedly wrapped
himself in the bedclothes, his wrinkled
countenance alone being visible over
the top, and this convulsed by anger in
to comical grimace. Tho candle light
was reflected from his bald pate, which
shone like old ivory.
is this some ill timed joker" he
stormed what is going on? Is the
chateau OH fire? heard terrible out.
cry and was about to inquire into il"
"You must come and join us, doc
tor, (" said Kerdall
"And how shall l do it," cried the
doctor furiously. "Some rascal has run
off with my clothing, and in exchange
has left me this, " and he savagely hurl-
ed white object into the middle of the
room.
my corsets!" murmured Miss Haw-
thorne, modestly lowering her eyes,
"And this!" continued the doctor,
wildly brandishing another article.
my hat'' cried Mme 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 trapdoor in the marionette
theater.
They knew not what to think. The
mystery was growing more complicated.
1t certainly looked as though a robber
had entered the chateau perhaps
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 a strange sound was heard
coming from the ground floor. 1t was
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 muchr cried the mar
quis rushing toward the staircase, with
all the crowd, except DR.. Cornabuc,
close behind him.
They hastily penetrated the salon. II
was empty. The mysterious visitor was
gone, but he could not be far away. The |
crash of china and glass announced his
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 himr' he cried
The men seized guns and knives from
q hunting rack in the vestibule and start.
cd across the garden and park in pur-
suit OF the fugitive, while the women
barricaded themselves in the salon and
anxlously 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
smong the branches of large oak. AT
lis call the marquis and his guests has
;ened to the spot.
Come DOWN. commanded NJ. de
Aerdall, 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
,er upon the trigger when the domestic
luriedly pulled his arm and said:
"Do not fire, monsieur. 1t is DR.. Cor
labuc!"
And, sure enough, the blond wig and
ong redingote could now be seen among
he leaves. But at this moment the first
ay Of sunlight cleaned in from the
asst, and the oak was illuminated. The
marquis suddenly broke into fit of OK. :
losive laughter and, as his guests gazed !
lp into the tree they could not keep
rom following his example. 1
"The aper'
Everything was explained. The ami
1al had escaped from his cage the pre-
ious evening and had managed to ef-
cot an entrance into the chateau. Ami.
4 q tp1 bv hic ;,,c%;,,o% 80 ;.~.:L.A: -