The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-11

Jatils.
IAN hour ago. air. then she came back half
IN hour later, thinking her mistress was
asleep. She got no answer then; aud now she's
knocking again, and she's beginning to get
alarmed"
Everybody else became alarmed all Of q
sudden. general Adjournment was made
to the passage. and Miss MacWinkle's door
was vigorously thumped hut without any
responsive sound being evoked. The handle
was tried, but tho door was locked on the In
side Poor thing, she has tainted from
fright" remarked ono Of the young ladies'
Of eighteen.
"a faintipg fiji does not last M hour: we
had better have the door forced Open," said
M re-. Jafiis. anxiously.
"If we send TO tho village tho locksmlth
won't ba here for an hour" observed tho Gap
tain u had better go and get my bog OF
tools and do the business myself
Tho captain hurried of, and while he WAS
gone, his guests, who were now seriously
frightened, INDUCED In every sort Of cOpjec-
turs. If t had not been for the presence Of
the captain for having put the nerves Of Mss
MaGWlUkle TO such u strain. As II was, some
Of them remarked that people ought not TO
be allowed to keep ghosts Oh their promises,
and that haunted rooms were only good to
hear of In novels.
Meanwhile Capt. Jaflis returned, and after
some trouble forced the door open. Mrs. Jaf-
flo with some ladies streamed IN and instant
~ uttered cries OE distress. which brought the
men into the room. The place was empty
and tho window stood wide open, thus telling
u tale Of some fearful drama which must
have been enacted In tho night. 1t was evil
dent that poor Miss MacWinkie must have
| received some horrible scare and have leaped
clean through tho easement. Luckily the
window was on the ground floor so that she
could not have been much hurt by her fail !,
but where was she
The ladies' looked cut half expecting 70
see an iuanimate form in n bedgown lying
| across d nuwerhad. Mrs. Jpla had been
prompt to remark that Miss MacWinkIe
| must have undressad and gotten into bed for
the bed was In disorder, and the poor lady's
clothes were thrown over some chairs. hut,
indeed. Miss MaoWnkle's maid was able t.
corrobprate the fact that her mistress had
gone to bed, aud nh inspection VI boxes aud
wardrobe enabled her TO say that. wherever
nj las MaCWinkle might be, her attire must be
of tie sCantiest, consisting only of II night
Mt once In every direction. Perhaps the poor
thing has become mad from fright. on
dear. what shall we doH" CALCULATED Mrs.
Jaille.
I'm very sorry asked her to sleep here"
stammered Capt. Jaflle alphabetically to his
guests, "but | had no idea that she was
timid."
"Who wouldn't be tmId against ghost2"
exclaimed one OF the ladies, moving toward
the door with q shudder, as II she feared to
Wrinkle start up suddenly again. The other
ladies' coneurred. and, after another quarter
Of M hour had been expended In coplectures.
the party filed back toward the breakfast
room. Apostles had not been destroyed,
though they were partly blunted by what had
happened. and Capt. Jatlie requested his wife
to siay and do tho honors of the board
He himself went to help his grooms look
after Mlss MacWlnkle. They hunted high,
low, far and near, they sum mpnsd the police
tn naQi9t fbpm theV seat the ts!puruIlb wirta
~ work but all to no purpose. Miss Mac
Wrinkle could not be found. Then river
which flowed near the house was dragged,
but this. again, served nothing Itbeoame too
obvious that poor Miss MhcWinklo must
have met with bad end.
Before two days had elapsed the whole
country was made acquainted with the SIMS
ter affair, and one more was added TO the list
Of mysterious dsappearanees" There were
some frivolous wags who did not seruple TO
suggest that Miss MacWinkIe had eloped
with some adventurous swain who had OBJ
tanned ingress To hor chamber by means Of
rope ladder; but this ungenerous rumor
opinion was that Miss MacWinkle had
jumped out Of her window In fright run TO
The river and got drowned.
Ono popularity, however, struck the police
who were Investigating the case viz, this:
That If the unfortunate lady had jumped out
Of tho window she must have fallen upon q
freshly-turned flower bed, and have left
marks Oh the mold. Now, there were no
marks; and this puzzled the detectives not a
little.
certain member of the police force, named
Timsot, had been specially intrusted with the
conduct of the MacWiukle case, aud when all
his researches had proved Intellectual, be asked
that he might come aud spend few days In
Capt. JatllsA hoGse and sleep In tho apart
ment which Miss MacWinkle had occupied.
This request was acceded to, and the dotoc-
tive announced that he would lay himself out
to discover whether there really was anything
of a ghostly nature that haunted the room.
He was rather tired when he went 10 bed on
the day Of his arrival ut Crabtree Hall, but
Wishing to be ready for action he did not un-
dress he simply threw himself on tho bed
with his clothes on, revolver In his breast
pocket and " lighted candle on the Table be-
side him. As his eyes were about to close he
wondered what the time was. and, half rising
To look at his watch, he caught sight OF q
clock placed on bracket In the wall Just over
the bed There was popularity about this
clock, for II was surmounted with wooden
niggar'S head, whose tOngue-a very red one
-protruded from his mouth In n hideOus
grimace. Mr. Timsot's curiosity was always
excited by little things as we'll as great, so he
stood up on tho bed to examine the clock,
aud, doing 80, he pulled the niRgerS head TO
see II 1t were movable.
Instantly giddlness seized Mr.. Timsot.
The bed gave way under his feet, darkness
encompassed him; and, with a horrible
plunge he went head over ears into black, icy
waters, which closed above him with whiri-
ing noise. Luckily Mr.. Timsot was good
swimmer, and he did not lose consciousness;
be struck out with both arms, saw light,
struggled on, and presently found himself
swimming In the river. An said he, as he
reached the shore, and regained his foothold;
ut seems an armlet OF this river runs under
Crabtree Hall, and Miss MacWinkle took the
same bath, | expect, rs did"
This proved to be the case. A few days
later 1t was ascertained that the crew Of q
lighter, steaming down the river, had picked
up the apparently lifeless foR Of q lady
who was floating down stream in the dark.
They had picked her up, restored her to con-
seriousness and put her TO bed. But as she
was found to bein high fever they were unable
to ascertain who she was until she became
cured. some ten days later. By this time,
however. the lighter had got across the Cham
mel and was Ia foreign waters. 1t was from
Holland that Miss MacWinkle eventually re-
turned, clothed and In her right mind. to ex
plain the accident that had befalen her and
to vow eternal enmlty against the Jafll-s.
1t proved, however, that Capt. Jafli knew
nothing OF the queer spring bed which re-
-, hot, al. If "a n