The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-10-13

Guided by Ludovico they fled down the stairs behind Emily's chamber and thence into secret passages that An- nette's lover had discovered and ex- plored with view to some such em- ergency as this. As. they hurried along he said: "A party from the mountains has just arrived with wine and the horses have been left beyond the outer gate. If we can cajole the warder there we may seize the beasts and es- cape
 Soon they came to passage in- closed in the thickness of the walls of the court at the end of which q com cesisd door ersase near the outer gate. Leaving his companions there, Ludovico went back and. emerging from another door came leisursly stroiiing across the courtyard. "Oh, hot" said he to the warden. "why are you not in drinking with the others? They will swili all the good wine before you get . taste. I have just had my share and 1t Is going rap-
 .sTne pigs!s replied the warder T would had some of it to quench this thirst"
 aWeli you are . good fellow" said Ludovico. ''Go you in and will watch until your return. I know you would do as much for me. But make haste"
 
 Ludovico and ran toward the castle doer Instantly the fugitives emerged from the secret passage and rode or down the trail to freedom.
 The warder fingered long over his wine. and Montontand his companions did not realize until after a protracted search that the fugitives had escaped from the castle. The. result was that they reached Legmorn In safety. and fharA tooE shin for Franco.
 F A great etorp1 compelled the vessel to put into b little bay on the coast of Fralice In proximity to the Chateau la Blanca, near which the orphaned girls father had died. and close to the con- vent where he lay buried. The vessel had been 70 strained by the storm that all the passengers disembafked. Tho present owner of the chateau, the Count de Villefort i, recognized in M. DuPont an old friend, and invited him and his companions to the castle.
 On learning the story of the fugitves the Count de vi1lefort insisted on Elm fly considering him her guardian and he immediately set In motion process ses to secure to her the fortune which belonged to her.
 The Count. who had but recently come to ihhabit his chateau, was much disturbed by the reputation which 1t had of beiny haunted and by the
 
 The M&rchioness de Vilierio had died in one of the rooms and her spirit was still supposed to walk there. It was believed that she had been poisoned by her husband
 In the castle was a portrait of this dead Marchioness. It bore such striking resemblance to Emily that Emily observed with agitation that 1t was a/picture of the same woman whose miniature she had taken from Nher fathers papers and a confession of love for whom she had read in the lines in the destroyed papers upon which her eye had sccidentiy fallen.
 The haunting of the chateau was solved simply while the party was there. 1t was discovered to be due to the presence Of a gang of sniugglers who had a secret passage from the shore leading into the rooms where the Marchioness had died; but the mystery of the relation between tho dead Marchioness and her father was still an occasion of distress to Emily. There was 6 legend that before her marriage the Marchioness had been in love with a Squire of Gascony and Emily recalled the emotion of her dy- ing father when he learned the name of the nearby castle and his desire to be buried near the tomb of the Vile rois.
 one day, when Emily had repaired as was her wont to tne convent. she encountered an aged nun, who instant ly exclaimed ''It is her very self All the graces which were my ruin! What would youe what reparation can maker
 "sister Agnes.r said the Abbess, hushinR the half-crazed nun. Sis excit- eds Pray excuse us." And she led the aged woman away A few nights after a messenger came In haste for Emily. Sister Agnes was dying and would see her before she died.
 Emily found the nun raviAg; but, be- coming calmer. she poured out to the astonishmed girl confession of who she was and of the great sin of which she had been guilty. She had first taken Emily for the ghost of the Marchioness de Villeroi, but now knew that she was her niece, for the mar chioness had been her fathers sister! M St. Aubert had carefully concealed from his daughter the sad story of her aunt ana had extracted a promise from Madame Cheron that she would never tell 1t. The Marquis de Villerio, trav- cling in Italy. had fallen in love with Signora Laurentini, mistress of Udolv pho; but during a visit to the castle he had been so shocked at what he had discovered of her character that he
 
 married the sister of St. Aubert Sig nora Laurentini had not been murder cd by Montoni. as was reported, but | had secretly followed De ViIleroi to France, and. finding him married, had again entangled him in the meshes of her fascinations and finally induced him to poison his wife.
 When the deed had been done the Marquis, overcome by remorse. fled to a distant country. where he soon died. Signora Laurentini retired to the con vent where she was then dying. to ex- | plate her sins by lasts and vigils. Hurriedly and brokenIy Emily told the nun of her connection with Udol- pho and exclaimed: What then. Mad anne, was that horrorI saw in the hall of portraits? thought thought 1t was your dead body?"
 No" returned the dying nun. This sinful body must soon return to that condition; but what you saw was the l waxsn imsge Of decay. Long years ago. for his sins, a Lord of Udolpho was compelled by the church to make