The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-12

AAAaA . vi hOilSCkioC4 4AVuHA Ii b8GIo
were a ghost. we should send yox to
interrogate it, my dearl"
This with a smile OF good-na<ured
irony at me. 1 laughed. Mrs. Fair
leigh was one of those eminsntiy sensi-
BILE persons who had seriously lectured
me on a book known al "A Romance
of Two Worlds" as intoxicating spirit
ualistio theories, and therefore dessrv-
ing condemnation.
/ turned the subject. How long
have you beer here?" I asked.
"Three weeks-and we haven't ex
piored half the ~neighborhood yet There
are parts of the house itself we don't
know. Once upon q time-so the vtllaS-
ers say-a great painter lived here
Well. his studio runs' the whole length
of the chateau, and that and some other
rooms are locked UP. It seems they
are never let to strangers. Not that
we want them-the place is too big for
us as 1t Is"
VIVA was the painters Manner /
inquired, pausing as 1 assembled the
terrace to admire the grand sweep Of
the sea.
"Oh, I forgeti His pictures were %
like those of Greuze that few can tell
the ulIttTe1ce between L1STH-dIu-
1 interrupted her. Tell me-" I said,
with a faint smile. have you any oar
nations growing here?"
Carnations. 1 should think sol
The place is full Of them. Isn't the
odor delicious?" And as we reached the
highest terrace in front of the chateau,
I saw that the garden was ablaze with
these brilliant scented blossoms, of
every shade. varying from the palest
salmon pink to the deepest, darkest
scarlet. This time that subtle fra
| GRANGE was not my fancy. and I gath
cred a few of the flowers to wear IN my
dress at dinner. Mr.. Fairletgh now
came out to receive us, and The CONVEX
sation became general.
I was delighted with the interior of
the house; 1t was so quaint, and old,
and suggestive. There was O dark
oaken staircase. with a most curiously
carved and twisted observation-disclosures
ancient tapestry still hung on the walls
and there were faded portraits OF stiff
ladies in ruffs, and maliciously smiling
knights In armor. that depressed rakhsr
than decorated the dinning-roorn The
chamber assigned to me upstairs was
rather bright than otherwise-it fronted
the sea, and was cheerfuliy and pref
THY furnished. ! noticed. however. that
1t was next door 20 the shut-up and
long-desertsd studio. The garden was,
as Mrs. Fairleigh had declared. fun Of
carnations. / never saw SO many of
these flowers growing in n spot They
seemed to spring VI everywhere. like
weeds, even In the most deserted and
shady n
I had been at the chateau orn Three
or four days. and one morning ] hap
pened to be walking alone IN D sort OF
shrubbery at the back of the house.
when I perceived in the long dank grass
at my feet a large gray stone, that had
evidently once stood upright, but had
now fallen fiat. burying itself partly in
the earth. There was something carved
upon It. I stopped down, and clearing
away the grass and weeds, made out
the words:
"MANoN,
Coeur perf1det~
Surely this vas a strange inscription!
I told my discovery to the Fairleighs.
and we all examined and re-examined
the mysterious slab, without being able
to arrive at any satisfactory expfana-
ton OF its pictures. Even inquiries
made among the villagers failed to
elicit anything save shakes Of the head,
and such remarks as: "Ah. madamei
81 on savait! or "Je crois
bien gully Y q une historic la"
One evening we all returned to the
chateau at rather a later hour than
usual, after a long and delightful walk
on the beach in the mellow radiance of
a glorious moon. When I went to my
room 1 had no inclination to go to bed
I was wide awake. and, moreover, in
a sort of expectant frame OF mind; FIX
pectant, though l knew not what l ex-
pected.
/ threw my window open, leaning out
and looking at the moon-enchanted sea,
and inhaling the exquisite fragrance OF
the carnations waited to me on every
breath Of the night wind. l thought
of many t~hings-the glory of life; the
large benevoience of Nature; tho
mystery of death; the beauty and GER
tainty of immortality; and then, though
nv back was turned to the interior OF
my room, | knew-I felt, I was no
longer alone. 1 forced myself to move
round from the window; slowly but de-
terminedly I brought myself to con-
front whoever 1t was that had thus
entered through my locked door; and l
was scarcely surprised when l saw the
Lady with the Carnations" standing at
a little distance from me, with a most
woe-begone, appealing expression on
her shadowy, lovely face. L looked at
her, resolved not to fear her. and then
brought all my will to bear on
ing the mystery of my strange visitant.
AS [ met her gaze unflinchingly she
made a sort of timid gesture with her
hands, as though she besought some
thing.
why are you here?" I asked In a
low. clear voice. why do you follow
me?"
Again she made that little appealing
movement. Her answer, soft as a
child's whisper, foated through the
room.
you pitied mel
Are you unhappy"
"VeryI' And here she ciasped ner
wan, white fingers together in a SORT
of agony. | was growing nervous out
I continued:
Tell me, then, what you wish me
to do?"
She raised her eyes in passionate sup
plication.
Pray for mel No one has prayed for
me ever since / died-no one mas
c;+;ad mo For a hundred vearsi"