The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-07-25
A Mystery
Of India
b cRoVER ]. oRIFFIN

This story was told me by retired
colonel Of the British army. do not
vouch for 1t. but there nre certain fca'
lures about 1t that assure me that It Is
not altogether Improbable
Edgar oIdershaw. lieutenant in an
Irish regiment. went ont to India with
his Command. He was great favor.
lite with the Indian people and min
cIed with them as much as IL not more
than with llis own countrymen SO
great was his influence upon them that
before he was twenty-five he was CIV
en- command. of a native battalion.
Oidershuw fell IN love with q Eura,
sian girl. the daughter of an English
woman and an Indian nabob. She had
been brought up under Indian intlu-
ences: but being OF two races. 1t was
easy for her-to incline to either. Nev-
ertheIess she was more Indian than
European. One thing was certnin-
that she was a very handsome girl
fascinating creature. combining Eu-
ropcan manners with that peculiar
mysticism pervadIng all India.
Oldershaw married the girl. but
within n few weeks after the marriage
began to look pale and thin. The sur
geons of the British army could not
make out what was the matter with
him He was Il man Of excellent con-
stitution, temperate In his habits. md
SO far as could be detected. each one
of his organs was In healthy condi'
ton. Nevertheless he seemed to be
under the influence OF some disease.
Some of his European friends were
inclined to believe that his wife was
holding him under a SPELL But there
was no evidence OF this. Indeed, Mrs.
Oldershaw seemed to be very much
attached to her husband and greatly
troubled about his condition. The only
reason that his friends had for consid-
ering her to be possible cause for
this condition was that her English
mother had died n few months after
the daughters birth, and her death
had never been satisfactorily explain
ed. This was no reason at all. IT
merely Indicated that Europeans had
no faith in Indians.
Oldershaw was long while ailing.
Some one noticed that whenever he
was ordered or on some service where
his wife could not go with him he
gradually recovered Ihis health and
Iapsed into his former condition This
was talked about among 0Idershaw's
army associates, or. rather, their wives.
but no one had the courage to speak
OF it to the colonel 4 friend suggest
ed to the invalid's medical adviser to
| brins. the matter before him, but the
surgeon politely declined.
Colonel Oldershaw lived year after
Ii
| uaIly succumbed to some influence.
wea kness or mental trouble. No one
could give any definite cause for his
death. An autopsy was ordered, and
tests were made for poison, but with
out throwing any light as to the cause
of his death. This exonerated his
wife, If indeed she needed exoneration.
for every one who knew her intimately
declared that she sincerely mourned
her husband and was especially anx-
ious that the cause of his strange i'll
ness should be determined.
Two years after this the Widow
Oldershaw married an American, one
Edmond Baxter a business man Of
Calcutta. No one expected that she
would long remain single. for she was
only twenty-one mt the time of Older
shaw's death, and besides being beau
tiful she was rich.
A month after his marriage Baxter
went to America on important bust
ness, it was said, leaving his wife in
Calcutta. He never returned. OF
course after awhile tongues began to
waG, people wondering If he might not
have discovered the secret Of his pred
ecessor's death BE this as it may.
he remained in America. while his
wife lived in India. No one ever