The Washington critic., 1886-02-13
TALES TOLD IN A SNOWDRIFT.
WRITTEN ron TnE CHiriG.

Dc in ucSlncllCul story, luT from IL. IL
will be q plain story of plain man, q
hero. He was Gordon, Inspector 4.
John Gordon was his full name, but
his oflicia! reports were signed plain
Gordon, Inspector 4. 1t was in foggy
London in Birkenhead, hard district,
and II required hard man to manage
1t. To all outward appearance he was
without emotion, without heart; but
knew better. Forty.two years old,
sound as an oak, a constitution of iron,
stranger TO fear, cool and calculating,
he was the beau ideal of police in.
spector. He had no family; no ties of
any kind apparently. was reporter
on the PdN Nal Gazette, young and
unsophisticated, but with natural
inclination to the profession, imagined
was destined to become great jour
nalist, and had the same conceit all
young reporters have, and which is
soon taken out of them by the 'unap.
preciative world.
'1 had made the acquaintance Of In.
spector Jordan while doing my rounds,
and he had taken fancy to me, which
he indicated by taking me down peg
or two on several occasions. was
not in the profession long till | became
accustomed to being taken down.
zone night ! was standing on the
corner waiting for bus to go over to
Ridley street to work up a suicide. 1t
was typical London night; SO foggy
that the gas lamps across the street
could not be seen. A cold penetrating
| fog that chilled one to the bone. / felt
hand laid upon my shoulder, turned
and saw Gordon. DO you want an
item out of the regular order? Come
with me-, l knew it was no use to
question him as to what 1t was, so l
buttoned up my top-coat and followed
him. AS we passed the corner two of
ficers filed up and followed in the rear.
| We turned into Harding street, crossed
Percival Square and turning to the left
entered Moody Lane, one of the worst
localities in the district.
| "The street was very narrow and al
most impossible for vehicles, the
houses were tall and rickety, relics of
past decade. Every second door was a
grog, shop, some in Easements, some up
stairs, their whereabouts indicated by
dim red lights that were almost OBJ
scured in the fog. Inspector Gordcn
knew them all, the inmates and their
habits. Suddenly hating before one
he turned to his two men, wait
They silently posted themselves on
| either side of the door and | fol-
lowed the inspector down four stairs
and into the house. Through the
cloud of tobacco smoke / perceived
several tough looking fellows seated
around table. Two Of the men were
sailors. The inspector said to the
greasy looking bartender, AT your
old tricks again, Roberts. If ] find any
more sailors in your place shall take
| you in. am getting the evidence
that think will convict you of the
garroting of the mate of the Racer
"The inspector went through the pock.
| cts of one of the sailors, who was in
toxicatcd. 'Eh, an East Indiaman;
| plenty of money lucky. found him or
he would have had none by morning.
| 'Smalley!'
| zone of the officers appeared. Take
the two men down and keep them till
| they are sober. Mind, now, Roberts,
no more enticing sailors in here.
| With that we passed out and continued
| down the street.
| "We stopped before large, gloomy
| looking house, which seemed to have
| once been more respectable than its
neighbors. IT was of brick, with stone
trimmings. The shutters were down,
| great seams in the walls, some window
panes out and the area ovcrgrown with
weeds, evidently uninhabited, The
inspector stopped and said: This Is one
Of the oldest houses in the quarter; it
is here the Countess Of Malvern was
found murdered years ago; no one
knew what she was doing here, who
the murderer was, or anything about it.
Since then the house has been haunted,
so it is said. The good man Jarvis
cannot afford to lose his rent any lon
ger, so am going to lay the ghost; do
| you want TO stayY
This kind OF staggered me. was
not prepared to spend the evening with
| a spook, but thought ! could stand ii
if Gordon could. In reply to the in.
spector's knock an officer opened the
| door.
"Have you fire, McNab?
"'Yes, sir. Everything is ready
"Well, you and Donovan keep an
eye on Patsy Boyle's place tonight,
and look out for Joyce, who, think,
will try and make a hiding. place
"As the officers footsteps died away
and the rattle of the heavy door.locli
rcsounded through the vast hall, felt
a sense of depression and fear that
could not account for. A bright fire
was burning in the back room and two
chairs brought up. ! sat down, watch
ing the inspector. He examined all thu
furniture in the room, sounded the
walls and floor, Nothing out Of the
way.
"'Well, we wait the appearance o
his ghostship,'
"lIelaid q pistol on the table and set
tied himself easily back. We sat anJ
talked about two hours, he relating
his adventures and drinking in thu
horrible stories until ] became al
worked up. About midnight / fcl
asleep in the chair, don't know how
long Islept, but was awakened bS
the inspector placing hand upoi
mine. Listen, Tom DO you hedl
that p
Something was going up the stairs
not q heavy tramping, but a dull
muiied noise like large animals
footstep, The inspector sprang up
and, seiziEg q candle, dashed ont ant
! up the stairs in hot pursuit II were