The Topeka state journal., 1905-07-31
TIE EVENING STORY
Tha Haunted Man.

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The doctor said it was a singular
| case, but by no means a rare one. Cor
| don Combs by name-a bachelor of 35,
wealthy and taking life easy. had sud
| denly become possessed of the idea that
he was haunted.
Just what sort of a feeling is this
| that comes over you?' was asked.
| 1T is easily described. It is as If
one were waiting for a dear friend 10
| d1e-a feeling OF awe-a state or sus-
| pense, and now and then find myself
| cringing. as if some one was aiming a
| blow at me-
Crash. Zipr'
That was from an air gun" said the
and looking out, and then turning to
the bullet imbedded in the wall
| And fired at me-" added Combs.
Undoubtedly, as you were facing the
| window and could not be seen. Your
enemy is in one of those houses. He
fired from roof or window. One OF them
is rooming house, and it was hkeiy
| from that
Tit might have been an accident" /"
suggested the patient.
Possibly, but I don't think so, Your
| case has gone beyond me. Put II INTO
the hands Of the police
Combs went to the police and re-
ported the affair as probably an acci-
dent, but asked that they find out IL
any boy or man living in any OF tne
houses had an airgun. There nao
been no report and no powder smoke.
Inside of two days a detective assured
him that such a thing as an airgun
had never been seen about any OF the
houses. The bachelor made up his
mind that it was an accident but that
1.-THE shooter had lied about 1T, and he
tried to dismiss it from his mind. He
had the feeling of fear yet, but he did
not go back to the doctor. He deter
mined to fight against and conquer IL.
Two days later at the club he ordered
| Gvfv7 s0F. rrroe rr1f hr0TlnYht
imm ediately, as the waiter had to
serve another order first. When the
wine came IT sat at his elbow untasted
while he conversed with an acqualnt-
ance who had just come in.
Hello said the gentleman. as his
eyes lighted on the glass, "but the col
or of that wine is way off tonight. Let
me see."
He held it up between his eye and
the light for a moment and then said:
''I don't like the looks of this at all.
Let me take it to Peters and have him
analyze it,
For knockout drops"
"Bosh! And in our own club tool!
Next day the chemist reported that
the wine had been poisoned. The
. waiter explained that he had left it q
. moment unmatched before bringing il
!, to Combs, but neither he nor any OF
the others had seen strange person
about. The matter was kept a secret
club, and Combs did not go to the po-
lice until fortnight later. Then he
went because a third attempt had beer
: made.
: said the detective to whom the cas-
was given, land you must set you
memory at work and try to give me ;
. pointer. This unknown is doubtless ;
t man, and he wants your life might.
: bad. What man have you ever hat
5 serious trouble with ~
r mo man on earth, and I pledge yol
my honor on that" was the reply.
5 well, then, what woman? ?''
''None-absolutely none"
well, here are three dastardly at
tempts and no clew. 1 don't see wha.
we can do but wait for the fourth and
hope that something may turn up"
/ Combs waited. He could do nothing
' but wait. Three weeks later, as h
' went to the stables for his horse and 6
gallop in the park, he accidentally dis
: covered a strong pin thrust through
, the flap of his saddle in such a wa,
, that it must have sharply pricked hi
: leg had he mounted. No man abou
! the stables knew of the pin, and yet
chemist said that its point had beer
: stepped in deadly poison. Then thu
; detective suggested that the victim
t make a secret departure from the cit!
r and go abroad for a few months. Thi
; advice was followed. The man wa
I fast becoming a nervous wreck, anC
. he realized that he must get from un
} der the shadow or collapse. No on.
could have made a more secret de
+ parture. and yet when the steamer
bound for London was three days ou
he discovered that his box of favorit,
! cigars had been meddled with ant
. proba bly, poisoned.
+ On landing in London Combs EN-
ployed a private detective to accom-
, pany him and started for Switzerland
. Every precaution was used in gettinf
away and in reaching a place off thu
travelled route, and for a month tn,
hunted man had peace. There was nt
other guest at the chalet where tht
1 two found lodgings, and it was some
miles to the nearest village or hotel
One day the bachelor, who was nov
: regaining his lost flesh and spirits
1 went up the mountain to a peculiarly
: shaped spot called the basin. 1t wa,
$ quiet retreat, and it had become hi
+ habit to read and smoke there wher
the weather was pleasant. On thi
: day the detective accompanied him
1 but had fallen asleep after finishing
E his cigar: Suddenly the old feeling
2 came back to Combs. He fought will
it for five minutes, and then started
up with a groan on his lips. He haC
not yet reached his feet when a grea
E rock weighing a ton or more camt
tumbling down into the sink anC
I out of him in an instant The detec
tive awolke and sprang up and rushed
up the path, but no one was in sight
e He listened, and what he thought h,
1 heard was the faint sounds of foot
I steps running away through the fl
3 trees. He saw no one; he could no
be sure that any human being ha(
j been within half a mile of the place
and yet Gordon. Combs lay dead be
meath the rock that human hands has
set rolling. M. QUAD.
S REFLECTIONS OF A BACHEYnF2