Middletown transcript., 1905-11-18
TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR DISCOVERY
that il attracted but fleeting notice.
BY CLIFFORD HOWARD

that it attracted but feeting notice.
Nevertheless there was mystery here
worth investigating, and the more pom
dered over it the more it attracted me and
the more unsolvable it appeared to grow.
/ am man possessed OF inordinate cur
iosity. Sometimes it has proven de-
cided detriment to my welfare, for it has
led me into numerous unpleasant exper-
fences and again have found it OF great
service. At all events, when it is once
aroused nothing short of its complete
satisfaction will give me any peace or
rest and the present instance was no
exception to the rule.
/ made it point to hunt up my origi
nal informant but found him about as
mysterious as the mystery itself. He had
his theories in regard to it, but he was
not prepared to divulge them, beyond
the statement that he regarded the affair
as natural phenomenon-an astrono-
mical or terrestial-magnetic phenomenon
OF great Importance to him as scien-
tist, and he did not care to discuss his
ideas and observations with a layman.
| Upon the whole he gave me the impress
sion of man whose wits were not all
working in harmony, and decided to let
| him alone.
believe in going directly to head
quarters for information whenever it is
possible. IT.. therefore, the owner OF the
house had been in the city I should at
once have gone to him and frankly asked
him to satify my curiosity. But he had
gone away for the Summer, as was his
custom-gone to Germany, the neighbors
said. learned, however, that his name
was Covington-Colonel Covington and
that was about all did learn, for nobody
appeared to know anything about him,
beyond the fact that he was wealthy
bachelor and lived by himself with a
retinue of servants and associated with
no one.
was obliged, therefore, to make vir
tue Of my patience until his return to
Washington the following October: Then,
as soon as learned he was in town,
made bold to call upon him. Having
been informed that he was decidedly ex-
elusive and unsociable, | was not sur
prised to find him anything but affable,
when, after waiting in the handsomely
furnished reception room for more than
half an hour, he finally put in dignifed
appearance-tall, slender and smooth
shaved, with nervous little eyes and
dropping mouth.
Il don't know anything about the
matter" was the cool response to my |
inquiries regarding the mysterious annual |
confagration.
but, persisted, ''can you not Bug [
gest reason for this remarkable occur |
renee? In the first place, what could |
possibly cause an unoccupied house to
catch fire ?"
Spontaneous combustion" he an
swered shortly; "or the nibbling Of
matches by mice"
"But that would not account for its
periodical occurrence" suggested.
perhaps not" he replied. "But I
have no time to give to trifing coinci-
dences of this kind. depend upon the
city authorities to look after my house
during my absence each year and they
appear to be giving it excellent super
vision.''
1T is very evident" | retorted with
much warmth for I am a man OF rather
quick temper, "that / have intruded
upon you with a subject that is Of no
interest to you, and l offer you my apol-
ogies -
"Of no interest to me?" he burst out
impulsively, echoing my words in tone
Of bitter mockery. ooh, my God ! my
God -
He put Lis hand to his eyes for mo-
ment and then laying it firmly on my
shoulder as I rose from the chair he
gazed into my face with look Of such
appealing, pathetic helplessness, that I
started back in surprise at the sudden |
and accountable transformation.
I waited for him to proceed. 1t was
evident that some strong emotion was
surging within him and struggling for |
outlet But the momentary revelation Of |
feeling faded from his eyes and assuming
his frigid bearing he said abruptly, II am
pleased to have met you. Good evening"
| was left with no alternative but to
take my departure, which | did accord
ingly and in SO confused state of mind
that shook hands with the colored but
Ter as I passed out of the front door.
Instead Of calculating the mystery, I
had succeeded only in throwing about it
a darker shadow. There appeared now
to be no possible chance Of an explana-
ton until the next yearly recurrence of
the phenomenon. therefore laid my
plans accordingly and waited with much
impatience for the fateful day.
In accordance with bis usual custom,
Col. Covington closed his house the latter
part OF May and departed for Europe. I
had made no attempt to see him again,
nor did deem it worth while to ask his
permission to break into his house during
his absence. I found | could do it with
out his permission and without setting
the burglar alarm in operation, by re-
I5ItJyiIIU tIIts uff- tfIa iron hars M raor
cellar window and squeezing through the
opening.
Once in had no trouble in finding my
way to the attic. I found it stored with