Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-11-27
THE SHADOW ON THE WALL,
ny An Ex-DErEcrlv,El.

ANAL, Dut ~ CAt course OF my calling
Is 9 detective / have seen many queer
things and have met with more Re-
markablc adventures than the world
would really credit. The particular.
one am about to relate has nothing
OF the supernatural about it. AS q
matter OF fact, I never had the luck to
look on q ghost, except at the theatre.
Ghosts to my mind, are unsatisfacto-
ry creatures, whose business is to terri
iy poor wretches with dreadful warn
in2s of coming misery and nisfortune;5
but / do not hesitate to acknowledge
that / was once saved by shadow.
That seems strange, and the way in
which it happened was stranger still.
It was many years ago when I was
beginning life, that was sent to q
country village to discover amysteri-
Gus robber who had broken. into q
church and had stolensome ten pounds
IN money, beside thesilver plate belong
ing to the rector. ss'"rs14 3 ~ = =.
Preached the village at sunset. 1t
was quiet and pretty place with "a
narrow strip of common on each side
of the road; pond, where some ducks
were leis,lre'y padding, and straw
thatched inn, in front of which a
group of laborers were sitting over
pipes and beer. Without needing their
curious looks, I walked on to the
church, which stood a few yards higher
up in the middle of the neglected
churchyard. The solemn hush that
brooded over it, the fading sunlight
shining on its windows, and the birds
singing softly from the encircling trees,
affected me strangely. Twilight gath
cred around me as l fingered there.
Having decided that the best thing
could do was to put up at theinn for
q day or two so us to pursue my in
quirles on the spot, I went back be-
fore it closed and soon succeeded in
coming to terms with the landlord.
He was q pleasant, tnlkative old fell
low, 81 widower, and his niece had
kept house for him ever since his wife
died. FL
"She's gone up to the rector's, has
Janet: He's preparing for confirma-
ton 'gainst the bishop comes," re-
marked the landlord, cheerfully.
"You've heard of the robbery, dare
say"
II have heard very little of it so
far" answered.
"Indeed!" returned the old man, re.
treating step or two to look at me,
and apparently satisfied with the in
spection-"indeed. Then you: could
not have come to better person for
particulars, though say it as perhaps
l shouldn't. The wiseacres around
here never thought OF asking old
Browns opinion, and the village con-
stable owes me q grudge because ]
won't give him trust. The way of the
world, sir, everywhere"
"Do you really think you know who
the man is?" I interposed. '..From
what have seen OF the church, it
doesn't seem to have been entered
from the outside"'
.>"Why, OF course not. The thief got
into the church as he got out OF it
Through the door,"
, Was it possible that the landlord
had hit on the truth? His theory, at
all events, seemed probable enough.
In my anxiety to obtain such infor,na-
ton as | could, encouraged him to
continue, by suggesting that he could
beg in at the beginning and tell me all
he knew.
Jay, to be sure will, }" returned Mr..
Brown, readily. ut. doesn't seem
much, but if | were younger would
makeit enough to lay certain gentle
man by. the heels as a lesson to him
and to others like him, l would so.
He then told me how, a month be-
tore the church was robbed. astranger
had hired q bedroom there stating that
he had business in the neighborhood
which would probably keep him from
home for week or two. Hewas an ex.
tremely polite person, this stranger,
but the landlord noticed after a. time
that he was often out all night, and
that whenever this happened he would
lay in bed the next day till late in Tie
afternoon. However. Mr.. Brown
made no complaint, and things went
ON as usual till the night of the rob-
berry. On that day, the stranger went
out early in the morning and never
came back. For the rest, the land
lord described. him. as q tall, good
looking man, apparently about forty
years old. 4y.- ,-slsE .ng.etr s--.~ +e..,
"Is that alp" 7 asked, feeling both
doubtful and disappointed.
1T is ali,'' he answered.
He game nearer; he laid his: hand
lightly on my shoulder. H. :, r..,,,,,s,sy
Believe me- he said, ~ cannot ex-
actly explain what mean, but as sure
as there is O sun above us, that manis
the robber." s.,&.,.. ~. %%o
Before :Icould reply, the door was
opened andin came a fair girl with her
yellow hair braided around her head,
looking, i'll the bloom Of her youthful
beauty, like rosebud dipped in dew.
She glanced around .curtsied me, and
stole quietly out again without saying
g. word. sssa.2 "a i IA IS Id u Il a. ! A. s
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS theland lord. had
told me, / had no difficulty in guessing
that this was Janet. Under ordinary
circumstances, i should have been IN
terestel In questioning him about her,
putin my present position WANTED to
be alone totponder over whit I had
heard, and decide on my plans for the
morrow y, I therefore pleaded fatigue
as an excuse for retiring, pledged Mr..
Brown in q glasso his own ale, and
was shortly afterWard shown up stairs.
49, --ti ~ 70. r ~