The Topeka state journal., 1905-08-21
TIE EVENING STORY
The Majors Ghost.

lllIeS out OF 1<OndOn ana De- /
tween the villages of Tunbridge Wells |
and Little Manor was the property of |
Sir Hugh cullom. deceased. He had |
been a bachelor, and the property had |
fallen to relative whose whereabouts |
were not known. 1t was only small |
landed estate of about fifty acres. and
the house had hardly been habitable |
during the last five years of the own
er's life. Left without a caretaker,
another five years made it little better
than a ruin.
When grounds are neglected and
oyergrown and a house goes to decay
it does not take long for a rustic popu-
lation to give it bad name and con-
meet a ghost with it. 1t was so in TINS
case. Once a couple of boys reported
seeing a mans face at one OF the
lower windows, but the story passed
for what it was worth. Only a few
people would have it that the house
was haunted, but all seemed to tacitly
agree that it was good place to keep
away from.
One day Major KilIaine came down
from London for a weeks fishing and
put up at the Sundial. 1t was not
long before the gossips posted him re-
garding the Culiom house. and what
was said seemed to stick in his mind.
He said little, but that night after sup
per he took a walk over the highway
toward the house and was gone for
three hours. Next day he went to
Tunbridge Wells and bought himself
revolver and a box of cartridges, and
he was absent again for the next two
nights. Parties who recognized him
met him near the house and saluted
him. After his third visit he was
found in the house a corpse.
At the inquest later on the landlord
of the Sundial had an interesting
story to tell. He said that when Major
Killaine returned from his first ex-
1 1t. s.,&< hi fn6
room and told him that he had entered
the grounds and even the house, and,
though he was not attacked as others
had been, he had reasons for belleVing
that men were hanging about he
proposed to arm himself and solve the
mystery and bound the landlord to
secrecy The landlord could not say
whether the major visited the place IN
the daytime or not, but he knew tnat
his second visit at night confirmed the
suspicions born on the first. When he
went away on the third night ne was
somewhat excited, saying that he ex-
pected to meet with a lively adventure:
1t was suggested that he take one OF
the country policemen with him, but
this he would not listen to. Whatever
1t was. he wanted to meet 1t single
handed.
1T was a dark and rainy night in
September when the major ser Ioren on on
his trip. and he took with him candle
and matches and a flask OF VINE. he
had not returned at IL O'Clock. WheI
the house was closed and the host Went
to bed. Some uneasiness was Ielt nsA
day when he did not appear, and after
another II hours the landlord Went 70
the legal authorities. For day tney
refused to interfere, but when omcers
| finally went to inspect the mouse tnsy
found the major living stiff and dead IN
| the lower hall. It was at first heleVed
| that murder had been done. but when
the doctors came to examine the dean
ma not a mark OF violence coutu De
man and a mark of violence could De
the fact that he had died of heart fail
ure The house was searched from Top
| to bottom, and, though there were
traces of human beings having peen
around of late, there were no otner ais
coyeries,
Here was a mystery within mys-
| terry. 1t was the opinion or the country
doctors and the officers of the law that
the ma ior had overexefted himSeif IN
walking the two miles after a hearty
| supper. and but for his brother IN Lon
| don that would have been the Verdic'
of the coroner's jury and the END OF tne
| case. AS soon as the brother came
down however. he sent for detectives
and insisted on a thorough proplng.
| The sleuths were at work for thres
| months, and it was while they were SUI
at work on the case that tney mace ths
arrest of a noted burglar. The mar
was picked up almost by accident, ane
II turned out that he held the key to the
Some weeks previous to the majors
coming country bank had beer
robbed of a large sum in gold by two
men. They stole a horse and buggy
to carry their plunder away, and the
police were baff1ed for a clew. i
seems that they drove to the house
land secreted their plunder in the eel
| lar and hid themselves in an upper
room They were aware OF the raa'
ior's first and second visits and were
. prepared for his third. With phos'
nhorus they drew a skeleton on tht
unpapered wall of the nan ana GOV
cred it over with a blanket
When the major entered tne noust
and before he had struck light the
blanket was removed and disma
g1 oaning INDUCED in to heighten thf
| erect The soldier had proved hi
bravery on many a field, but the slgfl
land The noises came to him with snef
sudden shock that he fell back dead
The gold was still in the cellar, wait
ins, for the hue and cry to subside, Dul
e. was taken out that night and buriec
~, the grounds, and the men sepa'
rated The arrest of one brought
aho,lt the arrest of the other, ane
every dollar of the plunder was re-
! stored to the bank.
But for the majors curiosity tns
men might have eventually got away
with the spoils, but he would NOT naVS
> met the end he did.-M. quad
(Copyright, 1905, by r. B. Mcclure.
Plenty of Time.
A long-haired man walking along the
! | -+roa+ net a little bow. who asked him