Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-09-28
The Argus Daily Story
The Wilmington Mystery-By F A. Mitchell
Copyrighted. by Associated Literary Bureau

belonged to the family that had for
merry owned the property
The butler took the card. uShered the
visitor into drawing room and after a
brief absence returned. saying that the
only person who could see Mr.. With
ringtun was Miss Pushcarth. who
would be down directly. A young lady
of naughty mien appeared, who main
tanned that reserve TO be expected
from one CT high degree. But no soon
er had she taken fair look at her
caller than she started. There was an
unwholesomc leathery look about him
that appalled, her. She knew all about
the family from whom her father had
obtained the place; that since one
named Ralph Wilmington, the owner.
had not given Il deed to the property
the title was defective. and dreadful
idea came to her that he had returned
from the dead TO claim his own.
Pardon what may seem an intru-
sion" said the visitor. You have seen
by my card that am Wilmington.
I l have been spending some time in
1 Germany and since my return have felt
/ a desire to visit the home of my boy
hood"
/ Miss Pushcarth shuddered the mo-
( ment Mr.. Wilmington began TO speak.
/ for his voice had something of the
! sound OF n pair Of leather bellows. His
/ throat appeared TO be dry and the vocal
organs stiff. When he spoke of the
/ home of his boyhood she interrupted
! him:
Excuse me. You have mistaken the
place. | was born and have lived here
all my life. and 1 must be nearly your
age"
My ancestors. I should have said"
hastily replied the visitor.
II have heard" the lady continued,
that one of the Wilmington family
| named Ralph disappeared Il great many
years ago. Indeed, l understand that
he was the owner Of this property at
the time Of his disappearance, there
fore the title TO it is defective. Perhaps
you are a descendant of this Ralph
Wilmington and can supply the def
cheney"
A singular expression came over the
young mans face. As Miss PuShcarth
looked at him In the light dimmed by
the heavy curtains it seemed to her
that she saw in him the soul of very
old man. As TO his body, 1t was neither
old nor young There was something
about 1t to remind her of a certain
bachelor she knew of seventy-five who
kept his position as beau in society.
He was so artistically made up that
one could scarcely tell whether he was
- Ex-A
making a direct reply her guest. In the
courtly manner Of half a century be-
fore, assured her that he could make
good the title to the place and asked
her if she would inherit it."
1T is mine already" she said. "My
mother died when | was child and
my father year ago. There is moth
ing TO trouble me in the settlement of
the estate except the outstanding in
terest of this namesake of yours.
b Doubtless he is dead long ago and will
never trouble us, but l wish the defect
could be supplied"
CHANGING at Wilmington. she noticed
another expression on his face that
{ startled her. 1t was or resembled the
: look of one who was thinking of love,
: of marriage -marriage with her. But
. il was not the look n young man would
have given her with such intent; II was
l more like leer from septuagenarian.
/ Without directly pursuing the mat
ter her visitor broke out in an i'm
! passioned manner. telling her that he
found himself in a world from which
/ all who had loved him and whom he
5 had loved had departed and left him
, alone He was hungry for affection.
, If no new attachment came to him,
r nothing to ill the frightful void, he
t would go mad. If such an affection
) could be purchased he would give for
: it this. his family homestead, were 1t
still his.
During this address at times he
: seemed to be an attractive young man
: offering her his devotion. at times a
broken down antiquated piece Of dried
! flesh. begging for some one to take
l care of him in his old age. Suddenly
recovering himself he arose and said:
! But | will infiict no more of this
: on you. may see you again. and 1
may not. At any rate, / will see that
: you have a clear title to this manor
house"
Without waiting for reply he hur-
! ried away.
That was the last time Miss Push
Garth saw her visitor. few days
later there came to her through the
mail a document got ~ I'm proper
I legal form which. If the signature
was genuine. removed the flaw from
the title 10 her home. 1t was signed
Ralph Howard Wilmington. No let
ter accompanied II. Miss Pushcarth
. Immediately sent for her attorney and
2 turned the document over to him with
Instructions 10 look into the matter
: Within a week he returned 1t with a
2 statement that he had found a number
J Of signatures on different records OF
T Ralph Howard Wilmington. had re-
ferred the signature she had given
him to experts who had compared 1t
: with those he had found. and one and
1 all had pronounced il genuine
The above is a record Of all that Is
: known Of the Wilmington mystery
e. that few years ago caused such a