Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-07-04
= u. Meade aud Robert Eustace in
CaSselps.)

ono day in late September l received
~ .onowing letter from my lawyer:
Nv pear Bcll.--I shall esteem IL favor
q, ,on can make st convenient 90 call
- ,,e az 10 o'clock tomorrow morn
49, on matter OF extreme privacy.
- the appointed hour l was shown into
a. Edgcombo's private room. had
Known him for years-we were, in fact.
.,5 friends. and / was startled now by
3D.. look Of worry. not TO say anxiety.
-, his usually serene features.
.,you are the very man want Bell"
crie8 'Sit down; have a great deal
cav 10 YOU. There is mystery OF
very grave nature which hope you
-. solve far me. 1t is in connection
-.,,e house said TO be haunted"
10 AGED his bright eyes on my face as
=. smoke. ! sat perfectly silent. wait
,re for him 20 continue.
.rn the FIRST place." he resumed. II
-, ask YOU TO regard the matter as
confidential
certainly" I answered.
~, know." he went on. that I have
.s.@, Laughed az your special hobby. but
occurred 10 me yesterday that the ex-
,,r,once YOU have lived through may
srohic v.l TO give me valuable assistance
IN this tculty.
81 wan DO my best for you. Edgcombe."
Fa Law back in his chair. folding his
hands
fa rnpnrrfc1 with n rof1x
ofthe yVentworths The only son. Archi-
hal8 the artist. has just died under most
eytraordinary circumstances. lie was.
ss YOU probably know. one OF the most
rrruising wator-color painters Of the
Younger school. and his pictures IN this
v..rs Academy met with universal
rra.sc He was the heir 10 the Went
worth Estates. and his death has caused
a complication OF claims from a member
NJ ID collateral branch OF the family. who
when the present Squire dies, is entitled
no the money. This man has spent the
grtqter part OF his life in Australia, is
badly OF. and evidently belongs 70 a
r5W8y set. lie has been 10 see me TWO
or three times. and / must say frankly
that am not taken with MS appear
ance."
.Had ne anything to do with the
deathg" / interrupted.
Nothing whatever. as you will quick
~ percelve Wentworth has been accus-
toned from time 10 time to go alone on
skctching tours TO different parts or the
country. He has tremped about on loot
and visited odd. out-of-the-way hooks
,,or.bing for subjects. He never took
much money with him. and always Urn
relied as an apparently poor man. A
month ago ne started off alone on one oil
hese tours He had a handsome com
mission from Barlow & CO., picture dear
srs I'm the Strand. He WAS 10 paint Ger
falr parts O. The river M.rran. and al
though he certainly did not need money,
he seemed glad OF an object for good
ramble. He parted with his family IN
he best OF health and spirits, and wrote
10 them from time TO time, but a week
AGO they heard the news that he had
died suddenly at an inn on the Merran.
There was. Of course, an inquest and an
,utcpsy Dr. Miles Gordon. the Went
Worths consulting physician, was tele-
grauhed for. and was present at the
post-mortem examination. He Is abso-
luteiy puzzled TO account for the death.
The medical examination showed W emit
worth 10 be in apparently perfect health
az the time. There was no lesion 10 De
discovered upon which to base diiier-
emit opinion, all the organs being healthy.
nor mark of violence. The coroners YER
sict was that Wentworth died of syn
cone. which as you know. perhaps. Is a
gynonym for an unknown cause. Inc
mn where he died Is VeI! lonely one,
ana has the reputation Of being haunted
Tie landlord seems TO bear a bad char
acter although nothing has ever Deen
proved against him, But young girl
Rho lives at the inn gave evidence which
lhe inquest that she had earnestly warn
ID wentworth not TO sleep in the haunt
ID room. She had scarcely told the CO.
-oner so before she fell TO the floor IN
IN epileptic ut. When she came TO her-
self she was sullen and silent. and no
hing more could be extracted from her.
The old man, the innkeeper, explained
hat the girl was half-witted. but ne ala
not attempt TO deny that the house had
The reputation OF being haunted, and
said that he had himself begged Went
worth not TO put up there. Well. that is
about he whole Of the story. The coro-
aer's inquest seems TO deny the evidence
IF fol- play but 1 have my very strong
5uspic.ons. What l want you 10 do is TO
ascertain If they are correct. VIII you
undertake the case?
II Will certainly DO so,' l replied.
please let me have any further partcu-
lars. and a written document to show,
In case of need. that i am acting under
your directions
Edgcombe agreed to this, and l. soon
afterwards took my leave. The case had
the features Of an interesting problem,
and j hoped that 1 should prove success
lul In solving H. That evening l made my
plans carefully. i would so into --
shire early on the following morning,
assuming for my purpose the character
Of an amateur photographer. Having
got an necessary particulars from Eng
connie ! made careful mental map OF
my operations. First of ALL l would
visit a little village OF the name or
iarkhurst and put up at the inn. the
Grown and Thistle" Here Wentworth
had spent d fortnight when he first start
Cd on his commission to make drawings
% the River Megrsn. 4 thought II likely
that 1 should obtain some information
there. Circumstances must guide me as
20 my further steps. but my intention
was 90 proceed from Harkhurst to the
Castle Inn" which was situated about
six miles further up the river This was
tae inn where the tragedy had occurred
II.
Towards evening. on the following day.
arrived at Harkhurst. when my car
nagc crew up al the Grown and Thistle,
the landlady was standing in the door
way. She was a buxom-looking dame,
With q kindly face. l asked for a bed.
Certainly, sir" she answered. She
turned with me into the little inn. and
taxing me upstairs showed me small
ioom. quite clean and comfortable. look
ING out on the yard. j said IL would do
eaI.taliy, and she hurried down stairs to
prepare NY supper. After this meal.