The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-11-13
BY Or I. Y B GH( Is.
M COLONEL PRExT1ss INGRAHAa1.


ICopyrighted BY Daily Story Pub. Col
Upon the eastern shore Of Maryland,
WITHIN soand OF the restless waves Of the
Chesapeake, there stands an old church,
surrounded with tho moss-groWn graves a
century and a half old In the long age
the church was the haven of hope every
Sabbath day to the planters and their fam.
lies for a score Of miles around, the rich
people attending In carriages or on horse
back, the poor people going in canoes.
Among the many who were won't to at !
tend the church, and whose beautiful voice
of melody won the admiration Of all who
heard her, was Celeste Manning, the child
of a rich planter who dWelt half a dozen
miles away, and whose home at that time
was one Of the grandest in the country
Beautiful in face and form, lovely in char
acter, and accomplished in education, Ce-
leste Manning was beloved by all who knew
her, and naturally, had suitors by the
score. IF she had preference for any par
ticular lover, she did not reveal the fact
in public. She possessed the happy faculty
of retaining the friendship of a man whose
love she had refused.
One of two of her most ardent lovers
| was young and handsome sailor who had
distinguished himself in the revolutionary
war, and after it's close had become cap
| tain of a merchant brig trading between
Baltimore and the West Indies. The other
| was a comparative stranger in the neighbour
| hood and tutor in the family Of a dis
tinguished landowner. His closest friend
| was young man residing in the village
near by, who was known to be wild and
dissipated, and who gained living by means
| Why the young tutor was so friendly with
| him no one could understand, but certain
| it was that the two were boon compan-
| ions.
will it be the sailor or the tutor" was
| the question that was constantly asked
when Celeste Manning and her beaux were
/ discussed.
/ An answer came sooner than anyone had
| anticipated, and in way that dealt a bit
/ ter blow upon the neighbors and a cruel
one upon the devoted parents of the young
/ girl. She was taken suddenly i'll, and after.
4 only few days Of sickness the news went
about that she was dead. From far and
| near the neighbors came to offer sympathy
/ to the family, and, as it was summer and
those were not the days of science in the
undertaking business, the funeral was ar
ranged for the afternoon following the
death of the young girl. The tutor lover
was there and seemed heartbroken at the
death of Celeste; but her sailor lover was
away, not having returned from cruise.
Many mourners stood about the grave in
the shadow Of the old church, through
which her voice had so often rung in melody,
and saw the body lowered into the ground
1 It was Just sunset as the last words were
said, and, leaving the grave covered with
/ flowers, all went their way homeward.
As the Manning carriage reached home a
/ horseman was seen to dismount before the
door Of the mansion. It was the young sea
captain, whose brig was anchored IN the
bay, having just returned. Taking advan-
! tage of the calm, the captain had landed,
procured horse at the nearest plantation
and rode over to the Manning home.
From the fathers lips he heard OF Ce-
leste's death, and the blow fairly stunned
| him. Declining to remain at the manson,
he remounted his horse to return to his
brig, taking the road by the old graveyard.
/ It was a perfect moonlight night, and,
hating among the cedars, he hltched his
horse, leaped the fence and was approach
ing the grave, when he heard wild cry in
a mans voice a second one quickly 1ol-
lowed, and, bounding forward, he came upon
a startling scene.
The moonlight revealed two. men running
away as if for their lives. The grave was
open. the coffin had been taken out and
/ the lid removed, while sitting up in it was
4 the shrouded form of Celeste Manning.
4 Her eyes were turned toward the two forms
! bounding away, but she heard; the footstep
near and beheld the sailor within a few feet
!. of her.
1 Celeste! the grave has yielded up its
1 dead Ny dear girl, what a horror is this
to you But you shall be safe in Your
i home.
She heard him, knew all that had passed
and family said:
II was buried aliveI will live now
i ..Y es, for me-
i Yes, Andrew, for you.
1 He raised her in his arms, noticed that
1 her left hand was bleeding, vet not speaking
i of it. he bore her to i.ls iserse, mounted,
bearing her in front Of MIN. and started at
a gallop,f for her home.
i Alone he went I'M and told the parents
what had happened, and it nerved them to
j act quickly. The doctor was sent for, and
3 while awaiting his coming she told her
8 story, and how she had been in a trance.
She had been buried with every particle
& Of her jewelry, and it was worth small
i fortune, for. her parents would nave 1t SO,
!, and the two grave ghouls had dug her UP
\ to. rob her. The cut Of a knife upon her
4 finger to get off a ring had revived her and
4 frightened the grave ghouls nearly out o.
4 their wits.
The two robbers she had reorganization
n being the tutor and the other his chum
a But they had fled, stolen a yacht and made
good their escape. #
Celeste was quickly restored to health
and when the captain went on. his next
voyage he was accompanied by his beautiful
wife, for she did live for him, and lived
for many years. Their descendants still
dwell at the old plantation home, while il
n the graveyard lie Andrew and Celeste, side
by side, their moss grown headstones hold
ing strange attraction for all who know
q the weird romance Of their lives.