The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-11-11
L'APPARITION.
BY Guy de Maupassant.


yon has "aused me such anguish Of
mind, such troublc-.so profound. SO
mysterious, so IneXplicable--that /
have never been able t. relate it. I
have kept 1t hidden in the inne ermost
yecesses of my soul, os one hides dis
tresslng secrets, those which are
shameful. or unconfessed weaknesses.
win tell you Of my adventure. with
out attempting To explain it.
1t was ir the month Of July, 1927.
| was stationed at Roueu.
one day, as l was walking along the
quay. / met a man whose face seem.
cd familiar, ana yet could not recall
ever having known him. The s!rang-
er looked az me. rushed toward me
ana threw himself in my arms.
IL was a friend of my youth whom
j had dearly loved. [ had not seen
hi,r in five years, but in that time
lie had aged half d century. His hair
was entirely white, and he was bent
and almost dCcrepit. lie saw my st
prise and related his story to me.
y terrible misfortune had brfallen
him. He had become enamored Of Il
young girl whom he had married in
great haste. After a year of almost
heavenly existence. she died very sud
| ucnly.
He had left his chateau on the day
kof the funeral. and had established
| himself in his house in Rouen. There
| he led a solitary, miserable lifa. con-
suined with grief. and SO desperate
! that he thought only of suicide.
Now that | have met you. | am
anX!Dug to ask q favor of YOU: ii is
| to 80 to my chateau and briug back
| 20 me Al package of papers Which you
wiz ind iE desk in my room papers
which | need very much indeed.
! cannot send Il subaltern or lawyer
! tor them, because it will require the
greatest discretion end absolute sill
cuce. AS for me--nothinc IN earth
| would induce me to enter that house.
| ~ will give you the key of TIC room
which ! locked when I came away, and
| also the key of the desk. I will write
Il note to the old gardener. who will
| open the house for you. Come and
breakfast With me tomorrow, and we
| viii talk it over"
| promised to do what he asked. 1t
was only few leagues out of Roucn,
| ard | could go there on norsa back.
! he next day we brcakfasted toGeth7
| cr. He seemed very pre-. occupied and
! deeply moved, ever agitated. He CN-
| planned just the service he required
| oG me. He wished to obtain posses
sion OF two packages of letters and 4
bundle Of papers which would find in
| the first right-haud drawer of the
desk.
| II need not ask you not even to cast
l n.
was almost offended al thes,
words, and made ?r abrupt movement.
| Ilc hastily begged my pardon.
| IF YOU knew how I suffer- And
! he began to weep.
| A5out one o'clock | started on my
| journey. II was a beautiful day. and
anticipated delightful rice.
| In due time I reached the chateau
] hunted through my pockets for The
l"tter which ! had brought TO The gar
| Cener. Imagine my astonishmcnt
| when | found it sealed. was sur.
| priscd and angry, and was about t.
turn about and &c back without ac-
| conrlishing my mission. But a Sec
| ond thought restrained me. My friend
! had thoughtlessly sealed it in mis-
| troubled state of mind he had not mo-
| tlccu Wbat he was DONG,
| The chateau looked as if it had not
been occJpied in score of years
| Everything was going to rum; tn
| lawn was knee deep with weeds.
Th" noise Of the loud and resoun ling
| blows which | dealt upon = shutter
brought an old man to a side entrance
| He seemed stupciied at sight OF me.
dismourtcd and gave him the letter.
"Wcn. what do you want
| | answered brusQuely: "fou know
Very well. since your master has giy 81
YOU his orders. ! am going into III,
house"
He seemed thundcrstruck
Ana you are going toto his room p
nc stammerCd.
"Parbleu! But what business is it o
yours to question me?"'
"No!--no. Munsier-but ii is--it i
that it has not been opened since
sincc--the death If you will wal
i've minutes, ] will go and see--go anC
see II"
/ angriIy interrupted him.
An. go and see? what are yol
giving me? How can you go in II ere
wncn here is the key"
| He rad rCthing mole TO say.
"%hen, Monsieur, l will show you th
way"
SHOW me the staircase and Ieav
me. ! shall find my way very vel
without YOU"
"But-Morsieur-- ----"
Hold your tongue! or ! shall max
Trouble for YOU"
rushed him one side and entcre,
the house.
crossed the kitchen and tra smal
rsons which the Ole man ana his wifi
occupied ! entered the hall an
mounted the staircase: | easily tount
the door which my friend had describ
eC, | unlocked it and entered.
Tn. room was SO dark thac ut tirs
could see nothing. stopped. over
come by that heavy, nauscous. must,
odor peculiar to closed rooms an
death chambers.
Little by little my eyes became q.
cuslomed To the darkness, aud wa
able 10 distin guish the objects abou
me. / saw "A large room in great dis
order: bed without clothing, In
mattress and pillows uncovered, an
ono Of the pillows seemed tn have
Gaut in ii, as IL someone had bee
leaning an elbow on it.. | saw. AT IN
opposite side of thr room, a halr-upcr
GpcI. which belonged, no doubt, Ia
wardrobe.
went ar once to the Wiuduy L Ope
the shutters ami Let in lighs ana air
hUt the bolts were so rus,rd lEat
? could nnl move them. | tried To brea
thqm with my sword, hut could not
was angry at these useless efforts. an
, / a. my ewes mad now become ncCus