Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-06-01

| dream, till some one tell him the
truth that on that night there was no
other sleigh but his own, and that he
saw the shadow was of his own, in
some way | know not the exact, the
moonlight make that effect by what
you call projecting the shadow. and
when he know that, he take again the
pistol and with it end his misery and
his life"
A long silence succeeded this weird
| tale and then Clotilde asked in q
broken voice:
SIS it then that the sleigh is ghost? ?"
eyes, petite, a-what you call phan-
tom."
''1 am not. afraid. I accept, and
will pray to give the poor ghosts
peace"
1t was not like the Loup. Garou, not
to the mind OF C!otilde half as dread
ful, but she was no5 really afraid of
these because her old uncle had much
sense, and he did not believe one of
these stories, although tell them he
did, and most graphically
Again on the following evening
, came the sound OF bells, and this time
Clotilde went not near the door, but
sat moving her sweet lips in prayer.
Then the door was flung violently
open and a brusque, CHEEKY voice
called:
"Hello, there, Victor, Alphonse, you
, var,ets, where are you hidingY"
Certainly this was no ghost, and the
three women who chung about his neck
gave frantic evidence of Joy at his
, coming. Clotilde was not one of the
three. A big old man in fox-skin
coat had taken her in his arms, and
was talking to her in gentle burr, the
! old uncle who told her the dreadful
stories, and then she slipped one small
hand into her lovers and looked at him
with shy, happy eyes.
SIT was so good of you to come in
stead OF the ghosts" she said, when
later they SAL cooling in corner, while
the uncle, who was Il great favorite
with the young Gaspard, was making
himself agreeable to the ladies.
"Then you know, dear little one?"
said the young man. "And you are
not afraid to make your home in the
Chateau Fron.enac?"
"iot with my Gaspcrd," came the
soft answer, "out like it better if the
ghosts came not, and your sisters,
they are sorry, too. But afraid no p
"What of this SO much being
afraid ?" asked 4 grulf voice, and the
old uncle OF CIotilde hobbled over to
the corner where snatches of their
conversation located the two lovers.
Then he was told tho story of the
ghostly sleigh, and looked wise and
thoughtful for the restof the evening.
The shrewd French Canadian was
filled with marvellous stories of ghosts
which he loved to relate, but none of
which ne believed, not even his stock
fright-story, the legendary Loup-
| Garou.
The next morning Uncle Pierre was
missing from the chateau, but no one
was disturbed he hal taken his gun,
and would return when he pleased,
which was at niehtfall, and simultau-
eously with his coming rang out the
jangling, invisible bells.
He 9oun1 tho family shivering
around She great fire as If they wei
stricken with deadly cold. Even Gas.
pard looked troubled and the little
Clotilde was trying to assure. aim that
she was nos-"Oh, no, not the least
afraid !"
"Fine is the night" he said in salu.
tation, sand the air is the clear, so
you hear-r-r, oh, so far Heard YOU
not, my Clotilde, the sleighbells that
come me with?"
sob, oh, cried the ladies of the
chateau in II faint chorus; "the bells
do make our hearts to shake" and
they said an audible prayer.
"Wha5 Won mako afraid? Not the
| halls of oobn ~, ,r;,,J
|