The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-08-14
WHO RANG THE BELL?

One of the stran gest stories have heard
was told me by an aged gentleman who had
spent his youth in the provincial city where
the event related by him had occurred.
will give the history as he told 1t to me,
only altering the name of the chief actor in
the terrible drama and suppressing that of
the town. may add that this suppression
10 not. In this case. the mere trick
of the professional fictionist. The ac-
tual name of the criminal and the bare
facts of the crime may be found in any
catalogue of famous trials. But the man
belonged 10 respectable family: relative
of hIs-in his days n fashionable Iitterateur
and popular diyine-found il advisable to
modify his own cognomen TO veil sad a
connection, and il is posslble-nay, prob
Able-that some of the line still survive
who might be panied at any public re-
turning of this dark page of their record.
Therefore we Will give the family name
~ Mildon. and their abode as the populoue,
and gay town of y.
The leading part in the little drama is
played By one Charles Mildon. q fashiona-
BILE young gentleman. mixing in respecta-
BILE society. of popuiSr manners and many
accomplishments. but slto, unfortunately,
of extravagant and reckless habits. and it
seems clear, or those darker shades OF vice
which frequently underIay these.
he lived alone In quiet, genteel lodgings,
where IL appears that the character he
maintained was fairly good. If at times
he got into debt. he presently got out of It.
owing 10 the good offices of bachelor
uncle. who bad repeatedly come to his res
one, but whose patience, young Mildon felt
This uncle, Mr.. Mildon, senior, inhabited
. small house in a lively, well-frequented
Part of the town. he was an elderly man,
Blightly crippled and otherwise SO inv Hid ed
that he never left the upper fiat of his
abode, where he was served and attended
by faithful old housekeeper " no had been
with him for many years. She and her
aged master were tho sole inhabitants of
Tie dwelling.
There came q time-it was rather lste one
ovening-whenp people passing by the abode
OF Mr.. Mildon. sr.. became aware of signals
OF distress from the first floor window.
Having succeeded in arresting someb ody's
attention, the old gentleman, in q very
excited manner, proceeded TO explain
that he felt sure there was something grew
ously amiss In his lower premises, and to
Tfquest that assistance should be fetched
TO his rescue. to enter his house and dis
cover the true state of matters. A curious
and eager crowd soon secured the presence
OF the proper fnnctionarica They pro-
II,
ing. probably. To come upon nothing worse
than an inebriate cook or the devastations
OF a bunging burglar
But q single glance around the interior
changed the aspect of things. Faces grew
pale and solemn. and defensive missiles
were Rrasped, the excited crowd was
Dressed back and further help summoned.
From mouth TO mouth went the grim
whisper: Murder
In less than half an hour il was noised
abroad ali over X-th q terrible and
mysterious tragedy had been enacted In
the house of old Mr.. Mildon. HIS house.
keepers dead body had been found just be-
hind the hall door. and further up the
passage, at the head OF the kithen stairs,
lay the corpse of another person, readily
identified as respectable old body who.
had occasionally visited Mr.. Mildon's
housekeeper.
1t was only to be expected that the old
gentIeman's nephew was speedily on the
scene. The succor of his aged and infirm
relative. so awfully lett alone, naturally
demanded that.
But young Mr.. Mildon had also some in
formation TO volunteer.
During the afternoon of that day he had
himself visited his uncle. He remembere
The exact hour of his arrival. for while
awaiting admittance he had casually
glanced at the clock In a boring
eieeple. The housekeeper had opened the
door as usual. He had noticed nothing
ppecial about her, but then be had noticed
little. going straight up stairs to his uncle.
With him he had sat chatting for nearly an
hour, during which time he had observed
no unusual sound In the house. Some
sounds, however. he observed might easily
pass unnotieed. owing TO the roar of traffic
In the street below.
but he had further to narrato that his
visit had been brought to q premature con-
cIusion, and he thought this might shed
some light on the mystery.
While he and his uncle had been con-
verslng the door bell had been runR vio-
lently. His uncle had wondered who the
ringer might be. and they had both lis
tened for the opening of the door, or rather
for it's closing, as il shut heavily. reverber-
ating through the house. They had lis
toned In vain. and young Mr.. Mildon had
Thought he would go down stairs and see
had gone straight TO the street door, had
opened it, only 60 find nobodyi Thinking
that the ringer might have retired
. few PAGES. young Mildon said he
60 the right hand and to the left. but in
vain. While be was doing this the hall
door had suddenly closed behind him,
banged, IS he had then believed by q
draught of wind. His hat had been shut
within the house. left. in short. q char
IN his uncie's room. He had, he said. hest
tated for moment what he should do He
presumed the housekeeper had gone ont
marketing. possibly taking advantage of
his visit TO DO 80 without Leaving her mas
ter alone; therefore any ringing on his part
would he as futile as the runaway ring had
been, so he had decided to 90 quietly, and
batiess. to his own lodgings which were
fortunately not far OIL, intending to return
IN the course of the evening when the
housekeeper would have resumed her post
He had actually been on his way back W hen
the excitement in the street appraised him
of the horror which had been enacted IN
his uncle's house.
Young Mr.. Mildon's commune alton was
certainly important. 1t opened up two or
three matters.
Had the housekeeper really been absent
from the house at the time of the runaway
xingf
Ii not, what had been the hIndrance to
her answering 1T
Young dr. Mildon was asked why he had
called her, instead of answering the door
himselff Was il because he had thought
II likely she was Quit He answered at
once that he had not thought about II: the
bell had rung, and 1t had been eglected; he
HAD gone to the door simply as the most di-
rect and natural thing.
Another question was: WHO rang the
belil-
Was this mysterious runaway the same
who subsequently returned and committed
the dreadful crimef Had his heart failed
him on the first occasionf Or had he gained
any inkling that the house Just then had
stalwart guest as well its usual feeble
and aged occupants7 Mr.. MiIdon did not
see how this could be. He himself had not
approached aay of the windows during his
visit. His uncle had sat in his accustomed
chair by tho window; n watcher outside
might have observed the ola gentleman
furn 70 aDeak TO eOmebodv in the rom,