The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-07-19

ulSuSeu room OEefneau QlSclOSeu, unuel
an old piece of carpet. the proper opening
the room beneath This, then, con
cluded, is where the skeleton hand made
it's descent on my upturned face. Now
to find who controlled the spectral mem
Der. There was no sign of it or it's owner
in the room above, although l noticed
that the lock of the door was unusually
we'll oiled for Il disusel room, and the
handle turned nOiseleSs!y.
On referring the matter to Drum
mond, who frightened up wonderfully at
the sight Of the trap-door, he assured me
that his own servants were above sus-
picon, and that he thought the old care
taker and his wife, who slept ON the
premises, must also be left out of the
question. Later in the day had IL look
at this old boy, who had not, by the by,
been appraised of our discovery: and
though he seemed All innocent enough old
party. | did not altogether like the look
of his shifty eye.
kept my counsel and waited. Dinner
time came round again and we were well
through with the fish when, just us
turned to address a remark to my host
ess on my left. l felt something shoot
over and just Craze my right shoulder.
1nstinctively l put up my right hand
and seized an article protruding about
nine inches over my shoulder. On in
spection it proved to be part of the oak
the room to height of about four and il
half feet.
To this ornamental knob was, attached
a stick the thickness of the taper end
of Il billiard cue. The stock extended
from the dado right over my shoulder,
Il distance of about five feet.
THE Wears Knock said l. Now, my
| end of the stick was by no means quies-
cent. 1t wriggled, and evidently wanted
| to return to the wall from which it had
emerged. Drummond had meantime
rushed to- the door at the end of the hall
leading to the kitchen, and which passage,
you remember, was formed by the outside
wall of the dining room. He arrived in
time to see the heels of that ancient servi-
tor, the caretaker, disappear into the back
regions; while just on the other side of
the hall door prptruded almost a foot of
the stick. the other end Of which 1 held.
The whole thing. was now clear.
hole through the wall from the passage
side to the dining room side, contriving
that it should come out exactly in the
center of the bit of oak carving which
formed part of the dado. He had then
carefully cut out this knob and lined the
back part with felt. glued his stick into
this and cut it off flush with the wall in
the passage. A piece of fishing rod in
turn was fastened on to this and when
| the coast was clear all he had to do was
to push the rod smartly and the little oak
| knob darted out from the wall of the
dining room and caught the diner, who
was almost sure to be within half a
foot of it's radius, smart rap on the
head or shoulder. The rod was swiftly
| and hoiselesslv drawn back before the
victim could turn his head. l was lust
Il little out of the line of fire, and the old
man had pushed the rod too far to re-
cover it quickly enough. Drummond was
SO enraged at the man that he tied him
at him with his own invention, with the
| result that the old rascal's hat was too
| small for him for many day.
Under this pressure he confessed him
| self as the author of all the ghostly ex.
! pedients. He worked the footsteps on
! the stairs thuswise: he discovered that
| the space under the stairs was hollow
| and effecting an entrance (he was handy
at carpentry and mechanics was the aged
one), he stole there in his socks pcriodi
| cally and with pole with flat piece
| Of wood at the end pounded each steI
| from the under side. The stairs being
| of wood, the deception was most reals
tic, and by constant practice he could
| work the diminuendo and crescendo mos
artisticaly. AS for the bell, he had 8
special connection made with his OWL
room, which he could thus employ al
will. He managed the heavy thud al
the end by a stagelike fall in one of the
disused rooms He, of course, controlled
the skeleton hand by black cord from
| above. He alone was responsible fol
the same hand appearing in the dining
room and apparently lifting up the cloth
| The hand was partially concealed by the
ceiling. A little pulley high up in the
and hanging down the passage wall was
manipulated at leisure. The table clotf
was really raised by an ingenious sprine
embedded in the middle leaf of the table,
This manipulation could only be worked
properly when the old man acted az
butler, and was, therefore, of rare oc
currence. BY preconcerted signal will
worked the skeleton, he touched thu
table spring at the proper moment. thus
making it appear as if the hand laC
cIutched and borne the cloth upward
| The skeleton member was, of course
promptly drawn UP into obscurity ant
removed before any investigation tool
place.
| AMt the reason Tor all THIS mlSaDpIlet
! ingenuity?
Well, in his own words:
'" IL didn't want to be bothered will
folks n-comin' to the old 'ouse when ,,
an is old woman could ave it all tt
themselves with Il good wage an NJ
work"
| So this is how he arranged to get rit
of them. He was let off with the en-
! larged head and Drummond and his wifi,
| always smile now when ghosts are men
| toned.
Follows the Custom.
"Im afraid I shan't like this place,
said the summer girl, as she surveyed
the broad verandaed hotel, where not
man was to be seen. ."There's too mucl
BALCONY and not enough ROmeo"-NeN