The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-13
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 heavy. like all that she had seen in the gloomy castle. oppQslte the door by which they had entered was another one opening outward to a stone stair way that led down into the darkness. The bolt of this door was on the out. side. so that 1t could not be fastened from within. A high easement looked out over rampant. but beyond all was dark ness.
 Disturbed at the fact that she was unable to fasten the door opening on the stairway, Emily commended Annette to help her barrfcade the doorway with such heavy pieces of Furniture as they could move. and then, ioath to dismiss the maid and be left alone. gave her permission to tell what 1t was that Ludoyico had told her of the history of the castle.
 well. ma'am." said Annette, ",ou must never tell, but Ludovieo says that this castle was not always Signor Mon- tonis, nor his fathers, but by some law or other 1t was to come to him when the lady died."
 What Lady7: said Emily. "Oh, Lady LAurentini that was her name, and the Signor was in love with would not have him being in love with somebody else. Hody Virgini what noise was;that7"
 Tt was oniy the wind,s said Emily. Where was i? weli. she had a great temper, the lady did, as well as tho 5ignor; and the man she loved would not have her and went away, and Oh, ma'am, look at that iight--see how blue 1t burns. Well, at last the Signor Mon. toni left the castle and never came near it again for long time. and In the meantime the Lady I.aurentini went out walking in the woods all alone and was never seen again. But her ghost walks ak hAe ali <.f A. .Ish aS. many of the servants who have been here before can testify. Holy Peteri What was that noise beh ind the door?" Emily now distinctly heard knock ing on the door leading to the corridor. Annette screamed. The door opened to tell the maid. that Mime. Montoni wanted her: BuS Emily had been so unnerved by the strange surroundings. the tales she had heard and the ghast- ly sight she had witnessed in the room of the portraits that she was scarcely less startled than Annette.
 When the. maid had left her she found 1t impossible to compose herself to sleep. Among the many griefs and anxieties that crowded on her was the fact that for a long time now she had received no letter from valancourt. That this was not the fault of her lover she was we'll assured. She was convinc. eQ IlaB 14out0HtY or n0F 6unty acting py his orders, had conAsticated the letters she had attempted to send to the young man and that his had by the same | agency been prevented from reaching l her hands. The castle clock struck one | before she closed her eyes to sleep. ' When Emily awoke, daylight dispeiied | from her mind the gloom Of supersti- tion but not of apprehension. l She discovered that the door leading to the stairway had been locked in the l ntght--the bolt drawn on the outside l and the chairs which she had placed | before 1t had, she saw, been clightly | moved as if some one had attempted to | enter the chamber.
 At breakfast she told signor Montoni of the door and its condition, and asked | that she be assigned another chamber l ---if possible, one nearer her aunt, who l was lodged on the other side of the cas- | tie. "I have no time to attend to. these Idle whims.1 answered Montoni, That
 chamber was prepared for you and you 1 must occupy It."
 The days-that followed saw the arri- val of many men at Udolpho. 1t was evident that preparations were making | for some event of importance. At first | Emily and Mme. Montoni took their meals at the table with the lord of the 1 castle and his guests; but when the l guests increased In numbers the ladies had their meals served in their rooms. Meantime Emily heard from Annette more gossip about the castle and its oc- cupants, and learned that 1t was be- | lieved by many that the Lady Lauren
 tini had been murdered by signor Mon- l toni or at his orders.
 esS one day as Emily Eazed from her window she saw a large body of troops 1 with glittering spears and nuttering l banners come riding up the road to the
 castle gates. The sun shone on their l bright armor and the burnished hel- | nets of their officers. The lonely girl l would have enjoyed the beauty of the spectacle had not the appearance of the | armed band, evidently expected and de- | sired by Montoni, given her fresh cause for disquietude.
 The castle was now garrisaned like citadel in time of war. Beneath the
 window of Emily's chamber sentries | held nightly patrol. Montoni rode away 1 frequently at the head of the troops
 When the party returned SfteEthe ab- l sence of a day or two they brought with them what were evidently the 1 spotls of their foray and all night the l castle would resound to the sounds Of | debauchery and drunken revelry. Some- times bound men were brought into
 the castle by the returning band, and l Annette declared that in the dungeons 1 of the place were many prisoners taken l on the forays.
 1 Whenever Emily saw her aunt now
 she found that unhappy lady sunken in l the deepest dejection. She treated her | niece with an unwonted and sorrowful
 affection and often begged forgiveness | for her former harshness. Her spirit
 was broken by the cruel treatment she
 had received and the ruin of all her ann l bitions, and her health was rapidly fail
 ing.
 s:.gdfep -Coev-r nqdp ftamd moeth he
 One night she drew Emily into her dressing room and poured out the story
 of her woes. Montoni she said had
 treid in every way to induce her to give
 up to him her entire property, declaring
 that only if she did so would she be all | lowed to leave the castle, where she | was really a prisoner now. He had | threatened her with terrible fate If 1 she persisted in her refusal, but she was obdurate. Emily begged her to comply i with the Signor's demands, but with
 some of her old spirit Mme. Montoni de- 1 clared that she would die first.
 A few days after this interview Mon
 toni came to see Emily and informed l her that her aunt was i'll and had been | taken to @ remote part of the castle he would not specify the part-where
 she would be kept in seclusion until she
 was ready to do as he wished. He
 warned Emily not to try to seek her
 out. and intImated that she would bet
 ter concentrate all her thoughts on
 what was likely to be her own fate.
 As the distressed girl sat that night
 by her easement looking out on the
 monlIt mountains she suddenly heard
 s+raip of music coming apparently from