Year: 1863

the Countess, smiling sweetly, as she was
about to be interrupted. The Countess
RESUMED.


Some hundred years ago very rough,
wild Count Malzhan was the proprietor
of the Chateau Miitisch. He was a great
sportsman, and fond Of heavy potations,
as gentlemen were wont to be in ose
days. He often had wild, noisy set OF
companions about him, and thus scared
away from his table his delicate, refined
and beautiful young wife. One evening,
when these rough sportsmen had been
drinking hard around the oaken table in
the tower of Militisch Castle, the conver-
sation happened to turn upon the myste-
rious necklace, which had acquired great
celebrity from the fact that whenever q
Countess Of Malzhan died, one ef the
pearls really did turn black. Some ques-
tions arose as to the quality Of the stones.
it having been asserted by jewelers. that
although bearing Il strong resemblance to
pearls, the stones were of no earthly COM
position, and so hard that it was perfectly
impossible to break them.


AT the request of his guests the Count
sent to his lady, begging her to lend her
necklace for their inspection. She did not
like to part with it, and made an excuse !;
whereupon her lord and master waxed
wroth, and ordered her to send him the
trinket, on pain Of his serious displeasure
The poor Countess complied, though un-
willingly; the necklace was brought, hand.
ed about, examined, and many were the
bets made as to its soidity One of the
knights declared he could split one Of the
pearls with his sword. Wagers were laid
for and against.


He struck the blow with dreadful vio
lence, but the pearl remained unsca.hed.
Suddenly, however, a dreadful peal of
thunder was heard the lightning struck
upon the old towei where they were seat
ed, which crumbled to pieces, burying the
half drunken knights under the rush of
falling stones.


Many were drawn out merely wound
ed, but the imprudcnt knight who had
tried his strength on unearthly things was
struck dead. The pearl necklace was
found, and as you see, has been ever since
carefully preserved, but they never have
been able to rebuild the tower of MilItisch.
1t is said that whatever part is built du-
ring the day falls IN during the night; so
that after many fruitleSs attempts to over
come the spell it has been given up alto
gether.


"The only certain part of the story is, "
added the Countess, that this old neck
lack still retains its strange power OF mark
ing the death of each successive owner,
by one of its pearls turning black. Of
ten look at them to see if another pearl is
not beginning to assume grey tint, that
will be sure sign OF my approaching
death !"


We all looked with much interest at the
handsome features Of the amiablc old lady,
who had 80 kindly related this family le-
gcud for our benefit, and heartily wished
that her pearls might long retain their
pure white hue, whlcn strongly cOntraSted
with the seventeen that had already put
on their mourning for the deceased chate-
laincs, aud which really have very dingy
tint.


The die was caSt-strange stories had
become the order of the evening. The
formerly interesting topics Of family quar-
relS, suspected tiIrtations, misbchavcd ser
wants, &c, had suddenly lost their charm,
and tide Of family traditions and ghost
stories came rushing in from all sides, a
torrent h;ch nothing but the fear of late
hours and bad roads could stem. | will
only record the tales which struck me as
most authentic, because they were told by
members Of the families in which they
had Occurrad