The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-04-28

not to bed. at the time of the alarm.
Hurrying into the passage, he met a
Snastly. sheeted form, whose progress he
attempted to stay. 1t stopped and slowly
raised its hand toward heaven, whence,
III solemn. unearthly voice. came t e
words: Touch him at thy souls peril!''
The apparition then vanished into the
room recently tenanted by the deceased
stranger.
The first thing was to search the apart
ment in which the specter had taken
refuge The door not being locked, we
hurried in; but nothing was discovered
but the fact that no one was there, and
the mpossbility of any persons having
left the chamber. save by the entrance,
which the doctor was positive no one had
done. The only window of the apartment
remained fastened on the inside and a
door communicating with the clergyman S
room, as that gentleman-whom we had
some difficulty in wakng-pointed out,
was bolted on his side.
All efforts to unravel the mystery proved
abortlv6. Whatever of spiritual agency the
affair involved two very material facts
were patent; the dead mans money was
gone from the drawer and the key found
in the lock had been taken from Mr..
Cootes pocket
Our-little community began to be de-
moralized. Those who didn't believe the
house was haunted thought there were
thieves in 1.-THE upshot being uni
versal packing up preparatory to general
stampede.
On the morning the first batch was to
lease astonished the company by hint
ing at the propriety of u search of the
baggage OF every gnest for the missing
money! course [ had reasons for, as the
reader will see presently
IN my customary ramble that morning
l mad made two important discoveries.
Stahulhg on projecting rock. with my
PACK to the sun, and looking across a glen
from which dense fog was rising, | aw
"a g.eahtii human Inquire quite as tall as
that described by Mr.. Coote. 1t stood
racing; and seemed looking intently at
me- was too much amazed at first to
hote, as L dld moment later that its
CARP was the perfccts counterpart of nv
own. Raising my sand to secure my hat
against a sudden puff of wind, the motion
was repeated by the figure with grotesuue
exactness, as were several other gestures
made by way of experiment. 1t was
inquestionably my own image. reflected
by the fog, and enlar ed and thrown for
ward by Il concave mirror.
tain"
My next discovery bore upon the ghost
question. Certain sounds at the base of
the rock caused me to stoop forward and
look III that direction. | saw man in
the act OF prying up Il stone. From be-
neath 1t he took paper packet. winch he
thrust INTO his pocket, and then walked
away; but the glimpse | had caught OF
his features filed me with even greater
astonlshment than had the Man of the
Mountain. Suffice it to say, | felt con
vinced that search for the missing
money might not prove frutless.
when proposed it, many grum bled at
1t as a needless annoyance. Nevertheless
none felt at liberty to object When ev-
erNtllnp had bapp nNnrbn nj 10,
pose. ventured to incur still further dis
pleasure by laying my hand on the
clergyman $ arm, and saying:
now propose personal search, and
to begin with this gcntleman!"
Shame! chorused the ladies'
This is really going a little too far,
eXpostulated the doctor.
1T is an insult to my cloth - said the
minister.
His cloth - inter upted stranger,
VINO had Just arrived" that's the only
clerical thing about him. I'm Detective
McClutchem. in quest of the biggest thief
IN America, and there he is -
In trice the officer dad his game in
hands, and quicker than it takes to tell
It, from one of the pseudo-parson's peck
cts was produced the parcel | had seen
taken from under the stone. Mr.. Coote
found it to contain the identical bank
notes described in his LIST of which he
resumed charge till they should be re-
claimed by the late owners friends.
The guests about to leave unpacked
their trunks and concluded to remain.
The detective and his prisoner had ur-
gent business elsewhere In answer to
pressing solicitations, | gave detailed
account of the mornings discoveries.
Everything was plain enough now. A
sheet from his own bed and q it'll chalk
had transformed the mock minister into
very respecta BILE ghost. while the COM
munication between the two chambers
accounted for his mysterious disappear
ance. The only pulling fact remaining
was the voice tnat had so alarmed the
doctor. But that, too, was finally cleared
up. The thief was ventriloquist.- New
York News.