Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-02-27

| Failed Me-"
crosses and ourselves. The church
stood out quite brightly. never saw
so clear a night. 1t was very fine
and very cold and one could see every.
thing"
@. "Are you at all superstitious
r. mo. monsieur, am a practicing
Catholic"
Q. in what condition of mind were
you?"
R. Every healthy and peaceful. as
sure you. Mile. Daae's curious action
ried me at first; but, as soon as
saw her go to the churchyard,
thought that she meant to fulfil some
pious duty on her fathers grave and
considered this SO natural that
recovered all my calmness. l was
only surprised that she had not heard
me walking behind her. for my foot
steps We're quite audible on the hard
snow. But she must have been taken
up with her intentions and l resolved
not to disturb her. She knelt down
by her fathers grave. made the sign
of the cross and began to pray. At
that moment, it struck midnight. At
the last stroke, l saw Mile. Daae lift
her eyes to the sky and stretch out
her arms as though in ecstasy. was
wondering what the reason could be,
when I myself raised my head and
everything within me seemed drawn
toward the invisible, which was play
ing the most perfect music! Chris.
tine and l knew that music; We had
heard it as children. But it had never
been executed with such divine art,
even by NJ. Daae. I remembered all
that Christine had told me of the An
gel OF Music. The air was The Resur-
rection of Lazarus, which old NJ. Daae
used to play to US in his hours OF
melancholy and of faith. If Chris
tines Angel had existed, he could not
have played better, that night. on the
late musicians violin. When the mu-
sic stopped, l seemed to hear noise
from the skulls in the heap of bones:
1t was as though they We're chuckling
and could not help shuddering."
@. Did it not occur to you that
the musician might be hiding behind
that very heap Of bones?"
Il. 1T was the one thought that did
occur to me, monsieur, SO much so
that / omitted to follow Mile. Daae
when she stood up and walked slowly
to the gate. She was SO much alb
sorbed just then that am not sur
prised that she did not see me-
Q. Then what happened that you
we're found in the morning lying half
dead on the steps OF the high atari
r. First skull rolled to my feet.
then another then an
other 1t was as If l were
the mark of that CHASTITY game Of
bowls. And l had an idea that a false
step must have destroSed the balance
OF the structure behind which our mu-
stefan was concealed. This surprise
seemed to be confirmed when l saw
a shadow suddenly glide along the
sacristy wall l ran up. The shadow
had already pushed open the door and
entered the church. But l was quick
err than the shadow and caught hold
Of a corner of its cloak. At that mo-
ment, we were just in front OF the
high altar: and the moonbeams fell
straight upon us through the stained.
glass windows Of the apse. AS l did
not let go of the cloak, the shadow
turned round; and l saw a terrible
deaths head, which darted a look at
me from a pair Of scorching eyes. l
felt as If l were face to face with
Satan: and, in the presence OF this
urearthly apparitiCn. my heart gave
way, my courage failed me Il
and | remember nothing more until l
recovered consciousness at the Set
ting Sum-"