The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-13
After Half
Century
BY F. A. Mitchell

ballroom of chateau in France watch
ing a multitude of dancers whirling by
them. A figure appeared at the door
way. a gentleman in the costume of
Prussian dragon of half century be-
fore $500, who at once arrested the
attention of one of the women men
toned.
Shades of my ancestors she ex-
claimed. "Can that be CASTOR de
yeaux come back from the dead?"
There was a singular movement in
the limbs of the figure as it advanced
into the room, the stiffness OF old age
mingled with the elasticity of youth, II
such a mixture can be imagined. As
he passed certain groups they turned to
look at him. No one seemed to know
him unless it was the old lady who had
wondered IL he were CASTOR de Veaux.
As he made his way among the dancers
he endeavored to avoid them, but ell
ther his eyesight was defective or his
joints were stiff, or both, for his efforts
resembled those of boy whose mus
cles had been overturned or whose
joints had been stiffened by disease.
He seemed to be familiar with the
chateau, for he made for a certain door.
through. which he passed into a room
where there were refreshments-it had
always been used for this purpose
poured out a tumblerful of brandy and
drank 1t off. This seemed to timber
him, and he emerged again into the
ballroom, walking more steadily.
At the opening of the nineteenth cen
fury France was in the throes of revo-
luton. The De Veaux family occupied
the chateau where now. at the time of
the second empire, the ball was in
progress. CASTOR de Veaux during the
former period, twenty years Of age, an
aristocrat, was obliged to leave France.
He went to Prussia, where he entered
the military service of the king. He
was captured by the French under Ma
poleon |. and condemned to be shot for
bearing arms against his countrymen.
1t was generally supposed by his
family that he had been executed.
There was, however, a rumOr that he
had been given over to a commission
of scientists for the purpose of expert
mentation in the suspension Of human
life, but If such was the case no report
Of the commission was ever found. At
the restoration of the Bourbons men,
| Der OF the DE NeauX family went to
| Berlin to obtain De Veaux's body and
| bring 1t to France for interment in the
| family cemetery. 1t could not be
| found.
The lady who had made the excla-
nation at the ball, Can that be Gas
ton de Veaux?" Nine. GARNER, had
Known him-indeed, had danced with
him in that very ballroom when they
Anre both in their teens. She was the
only person present who had ever seen
him.
And now this figure or this appari-
ton of man Of twenty one or twenty
two, who seemed to combine youthful
and septuagenarian attributes, filed
her with what she could only describe
as a Gravity sensation. The year 1909
had entered the room to stalk about In
one of the 1865. The strangers anti
quated uniform gave the impression
that he had supposed he had been In
vited to fancy dress ball and had
come as a Prussian soldier of half a
century before. In whatever part of
the ballroom he appeared the guests
turned to look at him, and the face of
every person doing so filled with Won
| dor YoipUla1 with horror faw on
first catching sight Of him, were dis
posed to laugh, but their features soon
turned to the same shocked expression
as the others.
AS the apparion-it seemed more
an apparition than n man-passed
Nine. GARNER she saw In his strange
eyes the look of one who had returned
to his home after fifty years absence
to find all changed.
Castor de Veauxw she called.
The figure stopped and looked at the
speaker.
"Is there one person here who knows
me?" he asked in voice as singular as
his appearance, the voice of one suf.
fering from hoarseness.
Are you CASTOR de Veaux" asked
the lady.
81 am. And whom may have the
honor to address,"
"Alas, half century has passed over
me Also" was the melancholy reply
do you remember Louise Garnier?'
Louise GARNER" repeated the stran
ger more to himself than to her. mo
no; not Louise GARNER. but her grand
mother perhaps"
He passed on with that same me
chanical walk, muttering to himself
After having made the circuit of the
room, reaching the door at which he
had entered, he turned and looked al
the assembly. Every one Of the assem-
bly, was looking at him. With a moan
he turned again and disappeared, de
scending a massive staircase.
Why no one followed him was not
explained. That age was more super
stitious than this, and it may be that
some took him for a ghost and natu
rally drew back. But later their fail
ure to discover what had become OF
him was regretted. for from the time
he disappeared, going down the stair
case, no one reported having seen or a
least especially noticed him except {
coachman, who claimed that while
driving in at the chateau gate he met 6
strange looking man in a queer uni
form passing out. A good while aftel
the singular appearance what was de
scr1bed as leathery skeleton wa.
found in a wood near the chateau. L
! was clad in clothes so rotted as TO b,
scarcely distinguishable.