Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24
The
Ghost,
By H. ADDINGTON BRUCE
TTVHERE have been
drummers aplenty
in all countries and
l. all ages, but there

a kingdom to nation by SNEESAN8It
the ears-nay, to dis - * ES,ENIAR q
turb the peace OF Church - NcGE\ NSSF
and Crown. \ M
When the Cromwe1ian Y. M1
broke out he was in his /N VII
prime, stout, sturdy Eng NJ w
IShman, suffering did his WY Z i
fellows, from the misrule of WI
the Stuarts and ready for NV
any desperate step that might w
better his fortunes. Volun-
teering, therefore, under the
of blood and iron tradition has it that from the
first battle to the last his drum heard inspiring
the revoutonists to mighty deeds of valor. The
conflict at an end, Charles beheaded and the Fifth
Monarchy creating chaos in their noisy efforts
to establish the Kingdom of God earth he lapsed
into an obscurlty that endured until the Restora-
ton. Then he reemerged not as veteran living at
ease on laurels well won, but a wandering beggar
rowing from shire to shire in quest of aims which he
implored to the accompaniment of fearsome music
from his beloved drum
Thus he journeyed, undisturbed and gaining a
sufficient living, until he CHANGED in the spring of
1907 to invade the quiet Wiltshire village of Ted
worth. At that time the interests of Tedworth
identical with the interests of a certain Squire
hompesson, and he being equity, irritable indi-
vdual little disposed to have his peace and the
peace of Tedworth disturbed by the dru1nmers loud
baw1ng and louder drumming At his orders rough
hands seized the unhappy wanderer, blows raned
upon him. and he was driven from Tedworth minus
his drum. In vain he begged the indignant Nom
pesson to restore it to him. vain with the tears
streaming down his battle worn weather beaten
face he protested that the drum was the only friend
left to him in all the world and in vain he related
the happy memories it held for him. Go" he
roughly told-go, and be thankful thou escapest
SO lghtlyl" So go he did, and whittier he went
nobody knew, and for the moment nobody cared
ss- The Pandemo MUM Begins
ID Ut all Tedworth soon had occasion to wish that
- his lamentations had moved the Squire to pity
Hardly month later, when Mompesson had Jour
neyed to the capital pay his respects the King
his family was aroused in the middle of the night
by angry voices and an incessant banging on the
front door. Windows were tried; entrance was
vehemently demanded. Within, panic reigned at
once. The house was situated in a lonely spot and
1t seemed certain that, having heard of it's masters
absence, a band of hghwaymen, with whom the
countryside abounded had planned to turn burglar
The occupants consisting they did of women and
children, could at best make scant resistance; and
consequently there was much quaking and trem-
bling, until finding the bolts and bars too strong for
them, the unwecome visitors withdrew
Unmeasured Mompessons wrath when he
returned and learned of the alarm He only hoped
he declared, that the villains would venture back
he would give them greeting such as had not been
known since the days of the great war. That very
night he had opportunity to make good his boast
for soon after the household had sought repose the
disturbance broke out anew. Whatever his failngs
the Squire coward Lighting lantern slip
ping into dressing gown, and snatchng up brace
OF pistols he dashed down stairs the noise becoming
louder the nearer he reached the door Click clash
the bolts were slipped back, the key was turned,
and, lantern extended, he peered into the night
The moment he opened the door all became still,
and nothing but empty darkness met his ewes AL
most immediately however, the knocking began at
second door to which, after making the first fast
he hurried only to find the result and to hear
with mounting anger, tumult at yet another door
Again silence when this thrown Open But,
stepping outside, he afterward told the story
Mompesson became aware of 81 strange and hollow
sound in the air." Forthwith the suspicion entered
his mind that the noises he had heard might be of
supernatural origin. To him. true of the seven
teenth century, suspicion of this sort was tanta-
mount to certainty, and an unreasoning alarm filled
his SOUL an alarm that grew into deadly fear when