Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1880-01-10
"when did she first knock?'' asked

'.An hour ago, sir; then she came
back, half an hour later, thinking her
mistress was asleep. She got no answer
then, and now she's knocking again,
and she's beginning to get alarmed.
Every body else became alarmed all of
sudden. A general adjournment was
made TO the passage, and Miss MacWin-
kle's door was vigorously thumped, but
without any responsive sound being
evoked. The handle was tried, but the
door was locked on the inside. '.Poor
thing! she has tainted from fright" re-
marked one of the young ladies of Is.
"A fainting fit does not last an hour;
we had better have the door forced
open," said Mrs. Jafile, anxiously.
"If we send TO the village the lock-
smith won't be here for an hour" OBJ
served the Captain. al had better 20
and get my tools and do the business
myself
The Captain hurried off, and while he
was gone his guests, who were now Sc
riously frightened, INDUCED in every
sort OF conjecture. If it had not been
for the presence of their hostess, they
would loudly have blamed the Captain
for having put the nerves of Miss Mac
Wrinkle to such a strain. As it was,
some of them remarked that people
ought not to keep ghosts on their prem
ises, and that haunted rooms We're only
good to hear of in novels.
Meanwhile Capt. Jafiie returned, and
after some trouble forced the door open.
Mrs. Jafiie and some ladies streamed in
and instantly uttered cries of distress,
which brought the men into the ROOM
The place was empty and the window
some fearful drama which must have
been enacted in the night. 1t was evil
dent that poor Miss MacWinkle must
have received some horrible scare and
have leaped clean through the case
ment. Luckily, the window was on the
ground floor, SO that she could not have
been much hurt by her fall; but where
was she?
The ladies looked out, half expecting
to see an inanimate form in bed-gown
lying across flower-bed. Mrs. Jafile
had been prompt to remark that Miss
MacWinkle must have undressed and
got into bed, for the bed was in disor-
der, and the poor lady's clothes were
over some chairs. But, indeed.
Miss MacWinkle's maid was able to cor
the fact that her mistress had
gone to bed, and an inspection of boxes
and wardrobe enabled her to say that,
wherever Miss MacWinkle might be, |
her attire must be of the scantiest, con-
sisting only of a night-dress and frilled 1
cap. " Send off the grooms at once in 1
every direction. Perhaps the poor
thing has become mad from fright. Oh,
dear! What shall we do?'' calculated
Mrs. Jaffle.
"1'm very sorry l asked her to sleep |
here,'' stammered Captain Jaflle, apollo /
getically to his guests, "but | had no 1
idea that she was timid."
"Who wouldn't be timid against a .
ghost?" exclaimed one of the ladies,
moving toward the door with a shudder,
as if She feared to see the sprite who
had frightened Miss MacWinkle start
up suddenly again. The other ladies
and, after another quarter
Of an hour had been expended in con-
lectures, the party filed back toward the
breakfast room. Appetites had not
been destroyed, though they were part
y blunted by what had happened, and
Capt. ,Jaffle requested his wife to stay
and do the honors of the house.
He himself went to help his grooms
look after Miss MacWinkle. They hunt
I'd high, low, far, and near; they sum-
moned the police to assist them; they
set the telegraph wires to work; but all
% no purpose. Then a river which
lowed near the house was dragged;
put this, again, served nothing. 1t be-
anne too obvious that poor Miss Mac
Wrinkle must have met with bad end.
Before two days had elapsed the
whole country was made acquainted
With the sinister affair, and one more
vas aideJ IN tho LIST of 50 p,vcfa,.;o,,-