Wichita eagle., 1890-03-16

and long stretch
es Of green sward bordering the road
upon which it stood Half a mile be-
yond It was a small though thickly set
wood. belonging, az did the village it
self. 10 Mr.. Robert Brotherton, OF The
Towers
Mr.. Brotherton was not popular IN the
village He was rarely at home IN the
large house with the high tower, from
which the country could be seen for
miles around, situated at one end OF
Sdrkbridge, and watch was his nominal
residence. and when he did occasionally,
for few weeks, occupy The Towers, his
naughty manner to the villagers and the
Indifference he displayed to the small
grievances in which they sometimes
wished to interest him, as their land
lord, did not PROPOSES them IN his Ia
vor.
For twenty years Mr.. BrothTton, hav-
ing succeeded his father at the age Of 50,
had owned The Towers and the estate
belonging to it, unwedded; and he had
come to be regarded as a confirmed
bachelor. When at length it became
known that at the ripe age Of 50 he was
about to marry, a considerable amount OF
surprise and curiosity was manifested,
especially as the bride was rumOred to be
a Young foreign lady of great beauty.
The marriage never came off. On the
morning preceding the day on which Mr..
BrothertOn should have proc eeded from
Stirkbridge 70 London to claim his bride
he was found dead in Stirkbridge wood.
The sleepy old village was reused to
ferment Of excitement, especially when
day after day passed without bringing
the discovery Of any clew to the murderer.
That the act had not been suicidal was
proved by the fact that the wound which
had been the cause OF the death was such
as could not have been self inflicted. In
spite Of The Unpopularity Of the victim,
the utmost interest was evinced in the
steps taken by the authorities for the de-
lection and capture of the Perpetrator of
the crime. But he remained at large,
UNPUBLISHED, his crime one of those
mysterious deeds which now and again
battle the most strenuous efforts of the
police. and By and by Stirkbridge, he
coming unable to extract fresh matter
for discussion from the subject, let it
drop. relapsing into its former condition
Of bucoic tranquility.
Twenty years passed, bringing with
them few changes to the village. The
owner OF The Towers now was a nephew
of the late Mr. Brotherton, who had in
herited the whole Of his uncle's proper
". He never resided al The Towers,
disliking a country life, and, unlike Mr..
BGothert0n, he was accustomed to let
the house. The last tenant, who had
now been in possession more than five
years, had taken the place on long
lease. lie was not an Englishman-no
one knew exactly what his nationality
was. some saving Spanish, some Italian
but his English was tOlerably well
spoken, he having in boyhood lived
much in England. He WAS, in appear
ance, except for the remarkable briliIau-
cy of his dark, deep set eyes, an old man,
gray haired, hollow checked, wrin6led
and bent in form. His manner Of living
was plain in the extreme. The Towers
was a large house. and during its Occu-
patton by other tenants 1t had possessed
a large staff of servants, but Mr.. Straugh-
messy employed only three-a house
keeper. a housemaid and d page, with
occasional help from a village gardener.
He lived in almost hermit like Sc
clusion, never, except for an illfre-
quent early morning ramble through
the wood or when upon certain
Fl Ill, L
for the day, being seen outside his
grounds, and refusing admittance 60 all
visitors. He was considered odd, ecCcn-
tric, "a bit touched" by the villagers,
though Mrs. Driiiield, his housekaeper,
said he seemed sane enough, little per-
haps because Of the strictness wath which
he preserved his seclusion. but chiefly be-
cause Of a strange habit they had learnt
from his servants he INDUCED in.
The largest room IN The Towers was a
long. low apartment from which a mar
row winding staircase led to the tower,
which had been built to satisfy whim
of old Mr.. Brotherton's, the murdered
mans father. In this room Mr.. SUaugh-
messy spent the greater part of his time,
and since his occupation of the house no
one but himself had been allowed within
it. be locking the door both upon enter
inc and leaving it. Such = proceeding
could scarcely tail to arouse some curl
osltv, particularly in place Ike Stirk-
bridge. where small things were hugely
magniied by gossiping tongues, and
where the dearth OF larger interests made
even the most trivial dCinEs of its inhaoi-
tants established and continuous subjects
for conversation, and Mr.. Strauchnessy
and his mysterious chamber came 70 b5
looked upon by some of his humber
ueighbors with a certain amount of awe.
The occasions upon which AIr. >;uau-h-
messy. was accustomed 20 leave Stirb
bridge were when, once quarter, ht
went 10 Bsrrichester, manufacturing
town 6fJv miles distant. Nhae was tht
purpose of has visits TO Berrichester WI:
not known, bur regularly, with one eX
ception. since his coming To Stirkbridct
had he. the first week IN January. April
July and October, made his excursion.
thither. The enc execution had beer
when nearly a week OF soaking we
weather had come one October, only one
day, Friday, being tolerably fine; anc
Sir. StraUghaessy among his other peculi
aritips was Intensely s'2oerefitlnus. be
.,eving Friday 20 be an u2lucky day, and
being unwilling 20 travel ulnn it, ne had
put of his journey until the week fol
lowing.
Get. /, IS, was fine bright day, tho
sky but sparsely aecked with clouds, tn,