Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-12-24

IN ney malicious desire to fnIuFe the young lady
Who owned the house by deprfving her OF the
Hom II.
My first impulse was to leave things as they
were in the apartment TILL the arrival of the
Old bag and confront her at once with the
evidences We had discovered Of her malevOleut
practlces; but on second examination OF the
oex IL was found That it contained a false bot
tom. easily removed. under which were found
pair OF loaded pistols. This struck us a. being
scarcely In keeping with the IDEA that Mrs.
operations which had been carried on here for
so many years These were rather the weap-
nns of person who was both able and Willing
to use them should an emergency offer
And what was still more pulling, while We
( had thus far discovered the means by which
the ghostly reputation or the house had
been maintained, there was as yet no trace of
the manner In which access was gained either
to the bedroom which | occupied or to any
other parts OF the house which had been so
mySterfouSly visited. In these circumstances
it was agreed at once TO replace everything az
we had found them, except that the bIacksmith
took the precauJion OF drawing the charge out
of both pistols, Stufting the barrels arterWard
TO the required depth with paper, so that on
being pTObed they might Still appear as If
! loaded. This done, the bed was moved back to
. its place, when The Pannelling OF itself closed
as before. We then left the apartment the
door of which was though not without some
! difficulty, SO fastened as not readily to excite
! the Womahs suspicion that It had been tam
! pered with.
1t was now two hours after noon, and Mrs
! NeeVil might return at any momenG The two
/ men therefore DEPARTED, but first ARRANGING
with me that they should return after dusk
! bringing the village constable along with them
! 10 await with me the events or the evening. az
| ! felt certain somehow that the 'ghoStr w1uid
! again appear, with the object OF driving me
from the house, as other tenants had been
! driven before.
| Like his namesake in "Rob Roy. The old gar
| dener Andrew was not very good keeper OF
! secrets: hence IL was proposed that the ioner
and blacksmith should take him along with
| them to the village, and keep him under sur
| VIGILANCE till the evening. / was glad when |
| saw them all out OF the place, Without so far as
| knew, being seen by any one; and still more
! glad when the ayah shortly afterwards returned
| with the children, as l could not help feeling
| timorOus and alarmed In the house by myself
| considering what we had discovered, and e5pe-
cially what we had failed TO discover namely
| how the person playing the ghost could obtain
access to different parts OF the house so freely
! as report represented, and as had myself 10
! one instance painfully experienced.
/ CHAPTER III.
| Unlike her usual practice, Mrs. Weeyll did
! not return 10 the house that day till far on In
! the afternoon, and after she had entered her
| rooms could hear her busting about with an
| ACTIVITY and noise quite unprecedented In my
! experience OF her habits. This rather alarmed
| ne. was afraid she had suspected from the
| appearance of her rooms. notwithstanding our
| care In removing all traces Of our presence
| that some one had been there in her absence
| and this might be sufficient to defeat my hopes
| or bringing to light the trCkery that had been
SO long and so Systematically practiced. But /
| was still more astoniShed when, about an hour
AFTER my return, she sent a message to me by
the ayah that she wished to speak with me- ii
| would grant her an interview. At first. |
| scarcely knew what answer to make Were |
| TO refuse to see her, this might complete the
suspicion which she perhaps entertained and II
| did see her was afraid that might by some
word or look betray the knowledge OF which l
| had become possessed. | thought upoa The
| whole had better see her, and answered &C.
| cordingly.
| AS she entered the room with a basket over
per arm, she dropped a courtesy; and from the
| low OF words with which she at once opened
| the conversation, she seemed to put on a frank
| ness OF manner which | had not before 90
| served In any slight intercourse | had with
| her.
Yes, ma'am, she went on, 81 were lust a.
comm, ma am, TO say as | would be goln from
ihe ,onse for few days; my son, as is steward to
! Lord b, being took very badly last night
ma'am; and as he have no one to wait upon
MN, IL holds as !, ma'aIn, as his mother, must
! 60 my 000Jy-yeS, 1na'am.''
! All this she said without once stopping to
| take breath; and could not help observing mat
| she was slightly Hurried in my presence and
| seemed to keep talking as much to hide her I'M
easineSS as 10 enltghten me regarding her
| errand. said was very sorry to hear that her
! son was Ill, and that Ii was very proper she
| should. in the circumstances, attend to him.
But l asked, has he no servant in the
| hOuSe?"
+, Not presently, maam." she answered:
| "leaStWays. the 'OuSemald have gone away
! over TO Brookford Tor few days TO see her
mother, who stays there. ma'am-yes ma 'am:"
! and she c0urteSled again In the excess of her
| ciVility
! After had dismissed her | did not know
! Wnat TO think. This was an interference with
! my plans on which had not counted had
no one to advise with me, and felt much per
| p!eNed. AS evening approached and the gloom
! OF twilight | had a strange nervous feeling,
! sucn as had only once before experienced and
/ that was In India, during the terrible DAYS
when the mutiny was at Its height, and every
! 1oot1all made us start as If next moment Were
I to De our last. AS the dusk deepened nv
anxiety Increased; and when at length the
! aI all conducted the joiner as had before in
| structed her, to my room was almost too
smith were for the time detained in the kitchen.
! as wished to talk the matter over with the
joiner, as the most Intelligent of the three.
t,n "a n Se en.ereo my room was surprised to
| produced to me as Mr.. Burrowes the district
Inspector OF police, who had been on an official
slsi. 10 tne village that day. and who, when he
heard tne story, volunteered his services 10
pace OF the constable. His presence at once
| gave me great relief. and this was enhanced
t nneh an l iou1 no he had long experience In
! The London detective force, and was entering
with the enthusiasm of his profession into our
pians. he ndu neard already from the Joiner
s wnai mad passed that day; complImented me
nlghly on the presence OF mind had displayed
on the previous evening, and expressed his ac-
4ulescence In everything that we had since
/ m.
! Expected interview that afternoon with Mira
HeeVll, ana That she had left the house. he was
| good deal taken aback. He questioned me
! ctosely as 10 hef manner and appearances When
She was In the room, and as to whether abe
seemed much affected by her sons illness I
answered. his several questions to the best of
my aplllty. and he after thinking awhile nae
| Ing up and down the ROOM turned IN me sno
said: " e anu
Let everything be carried out as Won for
! merry proposed. See that your family retire to
rest at thelr usual time, with as little appear
! ance as possible OF anything unusual going on.
| II tne woman has taken alarm, nothing will he
loSt oS waiting till to morrow when her rooms
can be more carefully examined by DAYLIGHT In
the first place, will you show me the bedroom
In winch you We're disturbed last night?r
conducted him thither, the Joiner following.
anu after he had ascertained where. to use his
own expression. bad first seen the "partv >;
ana where and how the party had disappeared
ne at once 1ntlmated his plans. He said 7 wac
10 retire to my room as usual seat myself in
| my chair by the fire as on the previous eyenjnr
and either sleep or appear to sleep, as was mosp
agreeable TO myself. Beyond the window stood
large WARDROBE. IN which, after the house was
! all quiet, he and the joiner would conceal them.
selves; The blacksmith and the gardener being
SET as guard upon the door OF the house,
| keepers room below. The village constable he
had arranged, would keep watch on the outside
OF the house, but SO as not to be readily dis
| covered. S
The duties OF the household. In the absence
Oh my servants, fell somewhat heavily on the