Wichita eagle., 1890-03-16


Straughnessy's condition to perform in
Mrs. Drifield's room and her own, rose
and left the kitchen for the purpose OF
attending to her neglected work.
She assembled to the rooms, which were
near together, by the back or servants
staircase; bat after completing her task,
she found that her candle, which she had
carelessly snatched up from the kitchen
table without remarking its shortness.
was burning so low that the movement
of carrying it downstairs would be likely
to extinguish it. The back staircase was
in darkness, but the front stairs, leading
| past the closed room, were family lit by
| lamp shining from one of the landings,
| so she determined to return to the kitchen
by the latter way.
Blowing out her candle, she ran down
| short flight of steps connecting the
| landing on which was her room with the
front staircase, and arrived opposite the
| mysterious chamber. Great was her
establishment at seeing that the hitherto
| jealousy locked door was ajar.
| She stood-fascinated by a desire. now
that the opportunity lay before her. of
mastering the secret hitherto hidden,
but repealed by certain sense of awe
staring with wide open eyes at the door.
She longed, yet dreaded, to approach it,
! and after a while-after a good deal of.
| hesitation-she did draw near to the
room, and pushing the door further back
| looked in. 1t was the terrified screams
she emitted upon seeing what the inte-
rior contained that had so startled Mrs.
| Drifield and the doctor.
| Uttering shrek after shrek she fed
away down the stairs 10 the room in
which she believed Mrs. Drifield still
was, bursting in with an affrighted cry
of "Oh, sir Oh, Mrs. Drifheld! Oh,
| Mrs. Drifield"'
''What is the matter? What has alarm
/ ed your asked the doctor in quiet sooth-
ing tones.
''Oh, STRIP she again calculated.
What is it, Mary" said Mrs. Drifield.
TRY and tell US, there's good girl"
I've seen a ghost, said the girl, with
/ a convulsive shudder and a glance OF ap-
J prehension towards the door, as if in ex-
pectance OF the appearance of the cause
! of her fright "Mr. Brotherton's ghost.
/ Him as was murdered. | couldn't be
mistaken" she continued, vehemently,
! seeing faint smile curl the doctors lips.
! 81 knew Mr.. Brotherton by sight when
1 was a girl. / remember him as plain
as ever. 1t was him or his ghost saw
up in the masters room, l could take
/ my dying oath of it, sir"
Nonsense" replied the doctor. "You
foolish girl, you have let your magma
ton run away with you" And he
turned towards Mrs. Drifield. You
must assist me to place the body on the
bed, please, Mrs. Drifield," he said. cit
! will be better there. And Mary, YOU
may be required to lend us a helping
! hand"
/ Mrs. Drifield did as she was request
ed, but Mary, shaking with nervous
/ fright, was unable to render any assist
ance whatever. The body removed, DR..
Lotion was about to leave, when Mrs
DIifield stopped him with a question.
''Will there be an inquest" she asked
anxiously.
Il don't see how it can be avoided, 5"
replied the doctor. 1T is tolerably clear
he died from an overdose of laudanum.
! Whether the laudanum was admins
tered with suicidal intention or not, is
not at all clear; but either way, an in
quest would be held. As l saw him
first, think you say, was as you found
him"
Eyes, sir; exactly like that. His sup
per had been laid and the gong sounded
he kept very old fashioned hours, din
ner at -, supper at 8-but he hadn't
come down; so, after waiting nearly half
an hour, l came up to his room.
knocked, but there was no reply. ]
knocked several times, and at last, be-
| ing afraid something was wrong,
/ opened the door and came in. The blind
was drawn down, the lamp lit and he
was lying in the chair just as you saw
him, sir. spoke to him, and touched
him, because thought at first he was
asleep; but when l bent down. am
rather short sighted, strand looked
closer, and saw what his face was like,
and noticed the bottle, that in the morn
ing had been nearly full, empty, l
thought he was iil-had perhaps taken
too much laudanum, as I'd heard of
people doing, and sent Tom for you at
once, sir.
''You did quite right" replied the doc
tor. We'll" with a last look, before
leaving, at the pale face on the bed, Il
think there is nothing further can do
in the matter at present, so l VIII wish
you good night, Mrs. Drifield. Come,
come, my girl" ne added to Mary, see,
ing she was still in a great state of terror;
don't be so foolish. Take my word for
it. ghosts don't exist out Of any ones I'M
aginatiou.
But l saw it, sir" she insisted, with
my own eyes. 1t was no fancy. l wasn't
thinking anything about ghosts, nor moth
ing like them, until l saw it all shining
like out of the darkness at the end of the
room IL was Mr. Brotherton, or his
ghost. And must leave the house. l
wouldn't stay another night IL it for
worlds"
What. VIII Won leave Mrs. Drifield
all alone here except for the boyE Surely
YOU cannot be so selfish-so silly. Coma,
take me with you TO the room you speak
of. and see if l don't show you your sup
posed ghost is all moonshiHe
"Oh. l darent go there again, sir. /
daren't if was killed for not going,
cried Mary emphatically.
Tell me how l can find 1t, then he
said. He thought that perhaps Il he IN
spected the apartment and found the