Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-05-27

lhtt thc ghost or your husband, or {
the man who was condemned as hi
murderer, is more likely to confront 70
In this house than anywhere elser'
"Why do you say these things to me
Count de Lisle"' she asked, leaning bac]
in her chair and regarding him betwee,
her narrowed eyelids. "Do you think i
Is quite considcratc? am not of a hys
terlc temperament, but if | have an,
nerves, you are not taking the bes
means to soothe them; and what has m,
late husband to do with our acuuaint
ance or with this dinner? | am not su
perstitious; don't believe in ghosts. lac
cepted your invitation to come here be-
cause l wanted to come; | wanted tc
greet the first guests who came to Harry
Trent's house. At the time of his death
he was planning reception here, and il
1t had taken place | should have been
the hostess. Our marriage, as you may
have heard, was q secret one. l Ihad fell
for long time the injustice of my posi-.
ton, and looked forward very eagerly
to that reception in our own house as a
public recognition and acceptance. In
stead of that | was forced to tell my
own story in a courtroom.
"lt was more of disgrace than vim
dication. Now. after years have passed,
and have kept to myself, your request
appeared to me in the light of long de-
layed opportunity. Society here knows
that this house has just passed from my
hands to yours, and am glad to be able
to stand hero beside you tonight and
say 1T was mine to give, and gave 1t"
do not mind their criticisms. | have
the means and the power to take my
place in New York society, and tonight
my new life begins. If l meet with
some antagonists, SO much the better; it
will make life more interesting | don't
wish to stagnate in success any moro
than in failure. l have sometimes
thought that l should value deadly
enemy more than the dearest friend
War is wholesome. WE'LL" she added,
i'll different voice, rising and standing
before him with smile, what do you
think of me?'
"l was not mistaken in YOU" said the
count, noddins his head amusingly. II
ask forgiveness for my discourtesy and
brutality, but DO not regret it, since it
has moved you to speak rs you have
done. There is something akin in us,
madame; we may perhaps find some
means Of rendering life moro interesting
for each other. But am not going to
bore you any further at present. Come
and see what | have done to mako the
house pretty"
The lower rooms of the house were SO
arranged that when the sliding doors
were Withdrawn they seemed TO consti-
tute single large hall, interrupted by
massive, irregular pillars rising from
the polished floor to the ceiling. AS you
moved from one point Of view to an
other the scene took on new changes Of
beauty, the tone of the decorations in
clined to warm depth of hue, against
which stood out here and there delicate
shafts and arcs of brighter color. Lamps
in jeweled shades hung here and there,
looking themselves like pendant jewels,
but the main illumination of the rooms
came through the friezc, which was of
transparent sheets of alabaster and
other oriental marbles, cut as thin as
panes of glass, and lighted from within,
SO as to appear self luminous. The
ceilings of the rooms had been covered
with white and pink roses, arranged in
geometrical figures. The house, though
kept at summer temperature, was per
fectly ventilated, and the freshness Of
the perfume of the flowers circulated
through the air like an ethereal essence
of fragrant life. The deep embrasures
OF the windows and the alcoves that
broke the uniformity Of the walls were
curtained with eastern fabrics, soft as
gossamer to the touch and oxquisitely
tinted. There were many hooks and
corners that would be regarded by hand
some youths and lovely mi.iGens u, ideal
retreats for love making. The ample
scale OF the apartments was partly dis
guised by their accurate proportions
They seemed not too large for the daily
habtation of an ordinary household, and
they would easily accommodate three or
four hundred guests. The hosts fair
colleague had nothing but admiration to
express. But at length, when they have
made the circuit of the suit, she turned
to him in perplexity and said: "But
what have you done with the dining
room-and the dinner?"
'"Tbey are in the back yard" replied
ne with a smile; "come and see!"
A portiere was drawn aside from a
broad doorway, and through the open
ng came a fresh blooming of brightness
md color and vision of new space and
beauty. Here extended vaulted
aloon, oval as an egg, and walls and
,eiling all one solid surface of flowers.
such sight had never been beheld in
New York or elsewhere. For height
# seven feet from the floor all was
'iolets; countless nyriads of the tiny
'urple blossoms overlapped one another,
o that but the tip of child's little
niger could have been inserted between
hem. Above the violets was a bunch
f yellow jonquils and narcissuses, three
BET in width, forming frieze, and
bove all, the doned roof was a vault
roses, the color perfectly graduated +
rom white below, through pink, to red
t the top. Three great candelabra Of
'enetian glass, shaped in the form of
lany branching flowers, depended from
10 ceiling. By some invisible contriv-
nee fine sprays of water played over the
overs and kept them fresh.