Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-05-26
A Skeleton ID
The Closet.


ter's American guest to see what he desir-
ed him to do for him.
There certainly was something odd in
the gentleman's manner. and he had not
the look of one who had enjoyed refresh
turned to leave the room, he spoke:
Thomas, l have been awake all night. &"
"My lord will regret to hear it," said
Thomas.
Something odd disturbed me-" con-
tinued the gentleman. lone of the maids
kept me awake all last night "
lone of the maids, sir:" cried Thomas.
Yes, Thomas She kept running into
my room at least every half hour 70 look
in the glass and admire herself. She came
out of that dosr''-he pointed to one
in a corner-"and walked straight up TO
the mirror The light from the night
lamp fell upon her face She seemed TO
catch my eye in the glass each time and
smiled at lie as she did SO. She wore a
short, quilted skirt, little black bodice
and full white sleeves She had Il gold
cross tied about her neck by black rib
bon and wore a little cap on her black
braids-a young girl with French face,
Thomas. Do you know her?"
Thomas made no answer He looked at
the gentleman steadily and grew pale. At
last he spoke:
IF have the honor of understanding
you, sir, the young person came through
the door,"
yes" said the American.
"More than once, sir?'
about once an hour from midnight
until dawn"
"And smiled at you in the glass where
you saw her face? l understand she did
not look toward you as she passed, sir?"
Right, Thomas ~
MAY beg you to do me the favor of
looking into this room, sir?'
The gentleman followed Thomas TO the
door through which he asserted that the
young person passed and saw nothing but
a closet about 12 feets quare with no door
save the one that opened into the large
room, and high in the ceiling little win
dow through which bird could scarcely
have flown. 1t contained no furniture
whatever.
"There must be secret door-or-or-
something" cried the American. Il am
not mad, and was wide awake. -
"Yes, sir, said Thomas still more SOL
emnly. IAN ordinary young person could
not have contrived TO disappear, but the
young person you have seen has been an
apparition, sir, for more than 200 years. "
An apparition" cried the American
gentleman
Yes, sir" replied Thomas. AN appari
ton, sir. 1 think you have seen Lady
IS gentlewomsn Rosette, sir. 1t is
ten years since she was seen before to my
knowledge, but she has been seen often'
81 should like to hear more about Ro-
settle, said the gentleman
"Yes, sir, said the valet. This is an
old family, and about 200 years ago there
was Lord Herbert, who was gay, wild
young nobleman and was great adnirer
of the ladies, sir. However, by the time
he was 80 he was married and settled
down and began to be much thought of
and respected. So was his lady, too, sir,
though she was not handsome and was
naughty.
''One thing, however, the English serv-
ants did not nke-she brought foreign
maid with her from France-a girl named
Rosette and as pretty as a picture.
One day, sitting before her glass, Ro-
sette combing her hair for her, she heard
her husband come into the room. Her
D.ith was bONdEO anu IeDctble WAS
behind her, and they forgot The mirror,
and, so, sir, she saw in it, without stirring,
both their faces and she saw the girl smile
at her husband, and she saw him smile
back at her. She understood everything
but she never stirred, and she never said
to him, no, nor to the maid, sir
This was her room, sir. In that little
closet Rosette had her bed, to be ready if
she called her, but one morning my lady's
bell rang furiously, and the maid who an
swered it was told to do my lady's hair,
for Rosette had gone back to her native
''All the time she was doing it the girl
thought she heard a faint, moaning sound
and was frightened and went back to the
rest pale and trembling, and before night
it was well known in the house that that
little closet there was not only locked, but
nailed up.
After that my lord seemed to take to
his wild ways again in q measure and
drank great deal, and my lady lived
much alone. There never We're any chill
dren, but they both lived to be old indeed,
and at last my LADY died in this room and |
was buried in the church yonder
My lord was as old as she By that time, |
but as soon as the funeral was over he |
went into my lady's room and stood
long while before the locked and nailed |
closet door
Then he said to himself, Il cannot die |
until know, and ordered it to be opened. |
There were hundreds of nails in ir, but |
they were ali out at last, and the lock was |
forced, and my lord arose and tottered in |
to the closet
1t WASH 't.much they found, only few |
bones and an ornament or two, but it was |
plain that the girl had been tied hand and |
foot and bound to the bed and left there |
to die-if she. was not murdered outright |
by the jealous lady
But ever SINCE sir, whenever there is |
going to be misfortune in the family, who |
ever sleeps here in this room sees Rosette |
come out of her closet and smile in the |
glass. No one ever sees her face, only its |
reflection. hope no trouble will follow
now, sir
As for the American, he slept elsewhere
jhe next night He had no admiration |
'or ghosts, even the family ghosts of no.
,lemen, and he had no desire to see Ro-
'ette smile at him in the glass again
Exchange.