Evening star., 1922-01-15
Thrilling Story

II X +
THE following day / lunched alone
with the major, Mrs. Dale being
absent on visit. 1t had been i'm
possible to keep the truth from her
Cor what we knew of it,. Young
Wales, who had been driven home in
a car sent from his place at a late
hour. had not since put In an appear
ance. and 1t was evident that Mrs.
Dale would not welcome him should
he do SO. the hysterical panic which
he had exhibited on the previous
night having disgusted her.
We'll. Addison?" said the major as
I entered. have you got the facts you
were looking for?"
Some OF them" I replied.
The major impatiently waited The
servant having left the room:
In the first place" began. glanc-
ing at the notes, II have been con-
sulting certain local records in the
town, and find that in the year 1876
certain Dame Pryce occupied a
cabin which stood close beside unto
ye Lowe Fennel.' She attracted the
attention of one of the many infa-
nous wretches who disfgure the his
tory of that period-Matthew Hop
h!.s. tbs self-styled witch-finder gen.
eral. This was a witch-ridden age.
ana the man Hopkins was one of
those who fattened on the credulity
of his fellows, receiving a fee of 90
shillings for every unhappy woman
discovered and convicted of witch
craft. Poor Pryce was .swum in a
local pond, and burned alive in Rel
gate market place on September 90,
1876"
"Heavens. said the major. That's
a horrible story"
1T is one OF the many to the credit
of Matthew Hopkins" I replied. "but
may say that what interests me
most in the case Is the date-Septem-
ber 23."
why? I don't follow you"
'Was it not in the month of August
that Seager was done to death here?'
said.
by gad" cried the major. You're
right! And, hang it all, Addison, i,
that the Ords cleared OUT
II remember you mentioning"
continued. smiling at his excitement
that it was a very hot month"
"It was"
From a mere word dropped by one
Of the witnesses at the trial of pool
Pryce I have gathered that the month
in which she was convicted of prac.
ticing witchcraft in her cabin ad.
joining Low Fennel was a tropically
hot month also"
Maj. Dale stared at me.
I'm out of my depth. Addison
wadipg hopelessly. What the devil
has the heat to do with the haunt.
ing?"
ITO my mind. everything. ! may
be wrong. but think that if the glass
| were to fall tonight there would be
no repetition of the trouble"
You mean that it's only in very
| hot weather.
"In phenomenally hot weather
major-the sort that We only get in
England perhaps once in ten years
For the glass to reach the altitude
at which it stands at present in two
successive summers is quite phenom.
email. as you know"
IT'S phenomenal for it to reach
that point at ALL" said the major
mopping his perspiring forehead
IT'S simply Indian-simply Indian
sir. by the Lord Harry
"Another inquiry" I continued. 81
- nj c;r
in order to interview the people who
built your new wing I should have
to run up to London"
What the blazes have they to dc
with it?'
II should have liked to learn their
reasons for raising the wing three
feet above the level Of the hallway"
|. "They told me-" Maj. Dale shouted
at the top of his yoice--''they told me
about-that it was due to the plan
that it was"
II can imagine that they had some
ready explanation" / said, but ii
may not have been the true one"
Then what the-what the-is the
true one?"
THE true one is that the new wing
covers a former mound
Quite right; it does
III my theory is correct. it, was
upon this mound that the cabin of
Dame Pryce formerly stood"
ITS quite possible; they used to
allow dirty novels to be erected
alongside ones very walls in those
days-quite possible"
Moreover, from what I've learned
from Ord-whom ] interviewed at the
hall-and from such ACCOUNTS as are
obtainable of the death Of Seager, this
mound was the scene of the appari-
TONS"
you've got me out of my depth
again, Addison. What d'you mean
"Seager was strangled outside the
house. not inside"
II believe that's true" agreed the
major, still shouting. II remember
they found him lying on the step, or
something"
Then. again. the apparition with
the contorted face which peered in at
Mrs. Ord"
"Lies-all lies"
II don't agree with you, major.
think she saw the contorted face,
right enough. At any rate, the visi-
tant came from outside the house
again"
"Butr cried the major, sit wanders
about inside the house, and-and-
| damn it all!-it goes outside as well!'
where it goes" I interrupted