The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-01-05
THE FAMILY HONOR.

VINO are not AFRAID 10 speak, mas Deen DOrl
of ugly fancies since the night of Sept. f.
1890, when that happened which sent the
country to bed with long candles for the
rest of the month. | was at Glendowie
castle that night, and heard the scream
that made nigh 200 people suddenly stand
still in the dance, but of what is now be
ing said take no stock, thinking it damn
ing to noble house, and of what was
said before that night | will repeat only
the native gossip and the story of the chill
dren, which | take to be human rather
than the worst horror OF all, as some would
| have it.
There are those in Glendowie who hold
that this Thing has been in the castle, and
there held down by chains, since the year
1900, when the wild Lady Mildred gave it
birth and died at sight of it; and in the
! daylight (but never before wine) they will
speak the name of her lover, and SO account
for 100 A. D. being known in the annals
of that house not as year of our Lord, but
as the year of the Devil | am not suffi-
GENTLY old fashioned for such a story, and
rather believe that the Thing was never in
the castle until the coming home from
Africa Of him who was known as the Left
| Handed Earl, which happened matter of
seventy years ago. The secret manner of
| his coming and the oddness of his attend
ants. with wild story of his clearing the
house of all other servants for fifteen days,
| during which he was not idle, raised a crop
of scandal that has not yet been cut level
with the earth.
To be plain, it is said by those who be-
lieve witchcraft to be done with, that the
Left Handed Earl brought she Thing from
g. r. \. l.
for it ia the caStle-a home that none could
find the way to save himself and a black
servant, who frequently disappeared for
many days at a time, yet was known al
ways to be within whistle of his master.
Men said furtively that this Thing was the
heir, and again there was the DEVILS
shadow in the story, as if the Devil could
be woman.
Half century ago the Left Handed Earl
died, and they will tell you of a three days
search for minister brave enough 20 pray
by the open coffin, and that in the middle
of the prayer the InOuTners rose to their
feet and ran out of the room because of
something squatting on the corpse's chest.
There are many such stories of the Thing,
against which all who might have seen
shut their eyes so quickly that no two drew
matter. for what they say they saw will
not tell, and l would that none had ever
told me.
There have been four earls since then,
but, if the tale Of the Thing be true, not
one of them lawful earls Yet until the
4th of September. 1890, since the time of
the Left Handed Earl, it has always been
the same black servant who waited on the
L,,F -l,<1
these two one, as they were not Of the
earls have nothing to tell that could not
be told by other men, save this, that they
paced their halls by night and have ever
had an air of listening, not to what was
being said to them, but as if for some sud-
den cry from beyond.
1t is not a pretty story, except what is
told of the monsters love of children. and
though, until the 4th of September 1890, |
never believed what was told of the Thing
and these children, believe it now. What
they say is, that it was so savage that not
even the black servant could have gone
within reach of it and lived; yet with chill
dren scarce strong enough to walk, save on
all tours, it would play for hours even as
they played, but with a mothers care for
them. There are men of all ages in these
in their childhood and loved it, though
now they shudder at picture they recall,
| think, but vaguely. and some of them
doubtless are liars
1t may be wondered why the lords of
Glendowie dared let a child into the power
of one that would have broken themselves
across it's knee; and two reasons are given
the first that it knew when there were
m Ct
broken down walls to reach them had they
not been brought to it; the other, that COM
passion induced the earls to give it the only
pleasure it knew. OF these children soma
were of the tenantry and others of guests
in the castle, and have not heard of one
who dreaded the monster. If half of tbs
stories be true they would let it toss them
sportively in the air, and they would sit
with their arms around its neck while it
made toys for them of splinters of wood or
music by rafting its chains.
/ need not say that care was taken to
keep these meetings from the parents of
the children, in which conspiracy the chill
dren unconsciously joined for the pleasant
prattle OF their new friends allayed suspi-
cion rather chan reused it. Nevertheless
queer rumorS arose in recent times which,
] dare say. few believed who came from a
distance, yet were they sufficiently dis
quoting 10 make guests leave their chill
dren at home, and, as understand, on the
18th of September 1890 several years had
passed since child had slept in the castle
On that night there were many guests and
one child who had been in bed for some
hours when the Thing broke loose.
The occasion was the coming of age of
the heir, and seldom. l suppose. has there
been such company in a house renowned
;or hospitality. There We're many persons
!roul distant parts. which means London
and all the great folk of cur country, WITH
others not - great, in that gathering
though capable of making "A show at most
Alter the dancing begins no man Is ever
prominent figure IN room 10 those who
are there merely 10 look on. As was. and
now remember as the two which nay eyes
followed ~ith greatest pleasure. our host /
ess, a woman OF winning manners. set colo (
when need be, and the lady who was short /
ly TO become her daughter, lanIuid girl (
pretty 10 look At when her lover, TIE heir. !.
WAS hy her sids
1 know that nearly ali present than night
speak now OF a haggard look on the eaarls
Lace and Of caiek Vizncas batweAn hiEs /