THE DOINGS OF MORTIMER

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4301, 9 March 1901, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE DOINGS OF MORTIMER

'I II!': STKA.’.'G!O tKCUURRNCES AT DELHI LODGE, (By Cecil Hayicr.) t K:«)!.•_ emerged slowly from behind a ii('n,)> ot crumpled iiciV'.-papors an I <nhis room. As usual, his breakfast u’;v) J mewing quietly and uutastod on the and a pile ot unopened loiters L to the fact that he had either hocu I > a.'occupied or “restin'/A more probably the latter. tor (.be pus). week or more, the papers, having nothing particular to writp ahtuff, Been tilling their columns with extraordinary accounts of a so-calbyd *' haunted house at Wimbledon.” known •■i.o Delhi Lodge. Some months ago there hud boon rumours of a. suspicious death in the house, hub public interest had hern attracted elsewhere, and tiro atfair 'made no particular stir. hence that date other stories of scared servants, and a ga varnc-s driven into temporary insanity had got spread n.hroad, and quite recently a second death bad recurred under circumstances equally suspicions. A halfpenny evening paper was the first to exploit the matter: then more Kerin',is and reliable .journals took it up, till it had become the nine days’ wonder- of London. ‘‘Yon’vo read the story?” asked Kane. ‘•(Jits of if,” said I, hut not with any particular attention.’'

‘‘lt has a, few points a little out of th*> ordinary." ho answered. “The house originally belonged to an. old India, ir.ery.haiif, who amassed a fortune in the days of the Last India company. 80, it seems, had two sons of about the same age; ho. h survived him. The money was divided equally between the two, but the elder- received in addition thi.s house, Dr'hi Lodge, with its contents, and 'o forth. The youngster returned |r, India, to carry on the branch of Uio business out there. 'd’wn or three years ago both brothers retired from busincy s, and the younger, being then a man of about was h it -sight of, hut it is believed that ho came Lome to .England.

‘Tho oltlei* brother, whoso name is Thomas Davitt, had married meanwhile, and has lived for many'years as a widower with Jus two daughters at Wimbledon ,

‘'Sow several months ago. ns you will remember, a ease irnt iuio tho papers of the my-teriouy death (if a man-servant: in the house. The man had apparently deal of suffocation from noxious gr.s, and his features wore described as bearins? an expression of most absolute mental terror after death. There was an inquiry, of course, hut nothing dofini'e reunited. Tho drains were examined, and tin- household creucrally turned top.sy turvy. Since that period at o< ; d intervals the, .servants in the bouse have gone strike and left in a body, declaring the place to be h:-anted, though the family themselves have never been molested in any way. Later came the case of the' governess, apparently a weakminded, ra+hor hysterical little woman. She evidently received some, severe mental shock, for one morning she was round • gibbering in her bed, a raving lunatic for rim time being. Now there has been a, Bpcond death, in every way similar to ,rfj tho first to all appearances, only this time file victim is 311 old housekeeper. Tho family have deserted the house in a. hurry; not a servant can bo induced to go near the place, and the Press is rampant. I applied to Mr Davitt for leave to visit the place and spend a night, them. I thought it might prove intcrortiug. Hero .is his cabled reply; * “ ‘Kano,

“ ‘Golden-square, Regent street. “‘Certainly, if you wish. Keys with earcbaker at ride entrance. Have wired him instructions. Please take due pieman turns.—Davitt.’” “Are .yon going down?” T asked. ‘T. think I shall drive down to-ruight yfter dinner—-that is to say, if you are free and care to come, too.” “Yes, I should like it immensely. I'm doing nothing particular. Better cal! for too, say, at half-past seven, and we’ll have a bit of food together.” Consequently, after a dinner of comfortable dimensions, and having started a. good-sized' cigar, I followed Kane into a- hansom we had waiting, and wo drove off alt a brisk pace? for Wimbledon. “What dp you think is likely to he the cause of all this fuss?” I asked. “I haven’t tho vaguest notion,” stud Kano. “I expect the explanation will •be fairly simple. It generally is when tho facts are out of the ordinary. The two things that puzzle mo most, aro the apparent lack of mative and the seeming immunity of the actual members of He family. It it wore being done from spite or malice, one would be inclined to think that the very first object of attack would bo Davitt himself, especially fiiuco tho originator of all this disturbance doesn’t seem inclined to stick at even murder.” “You seem convinced .that it is mir'd or, then?” “In so far that the two people died prematurely through tho direct agency of some unknown individual, I certainly do. Lnless,” ho added, smiling, “you prefer to adopt a theory of supernatural manifestations or drains.” I had had too good a dinner to ho

argumentative, so I - did nob attempt to » uphold my theory that the whole tiling might ffcjssibly bo due to such a prosaic thing as defective sanitation. Meanwhile, we hr.d crossed Putney Bridge and were bowling rapidly up the long hill beyond. Once out on the common, the driver, in obedience to Kane’s directions, turned sharply to die left, and another five in in ut os brought us to £!. standstill opposite a. drive-gate, on ■which the words- “Delhi Lodge” were barely visible in shabby gold letters. “I expect it is the. other entrance, we have to make for,” said. Kane. ' There are no signs of a caretaker’s lodge here.” But even ns ho spoke there .was a crunching of footsteps on the gravel, path, and a- white face loomed out of the darkness above the gate. “Mr Kane ?” asked a voice, inquiringly.. “Yes. Did you get my telegram?” “Yes, sir, and one from the master, too. I’ve the keys hero with mo. There’s been something goin’ on up at the house this very night, sir. I live in the little lodge over by the far gate yonder, sir. and as I was going my rounds half an hour hack I beard most ’orfnl noises, sir, .screeching and suchlike.” The man was evidently badly scared, and his lips were dry and bloodless. I’ve little doubt that ho looked or; on; 1 arrival as a merciful dispensation of Providence.

“All right,” said Kn.no. “If there is a. .seance in progress, so muck the Lottor.” He dismissed the cab, and re followed the caretaker up. the drive. Tt- was evident that nothing short of physical force would draw the hi an a step nearer the house, so Kane took ihe keys with him, and after a little did - eulty wo effected an entrance bv a side door, the front door being heavily bolted. Wo both carried walking-sticks. I had an abundant suoply of matches cud a candle or so, and Kano had brought with him a little pocket electric Inner something like these occasionally used hy tho inspectors on omnibuses. I v-as throw my cigar away when we got inside, but Kano motioned mo not

to. In fact, rather to my surprise, ho seemed absolutely indifferent as to whether his presence in the house wi re knorvn or not, always assuming tint there was some one there to know, fly his dircel ions 1 lighted a. candle, .ami we strolled !ei-nrely through the passives and up the main staii'C.nc. It was only

a (an c- dory house, including the attics. ! all the si-ting-rooms being oil the ground 'floor. Above them were the bedrooms, ! with a long passage running the mil j length, of toe building. Kane moved (quickly down thi-, talking all the lace jin his natural tonand not bothering ito deaden in’, footsteps. But ju.-.t as, >, e got opposite to the room which lad been pointed out to us as chat of the goveimv.s he blew out the, light, and, beckoning to me, slipped inside. He closed the door behind us, and turning on a. small ray from his lamp, just enough to enable us to find our way among the furniture, lie selected two chairs, one for himself and one for me, which lie placed side by .side, facing different angles of fho room. Then, after a close examination of tlie window hotelling, ho once more switched off tic tiny lamp, and groped ids way to rho chair next me.

■ : .-'st!” said ho, whispering very low. “Listen if you hear anything, or notice any change in the atmosphere, any diliiculty in breathing. Keep quite still, and hold out as long as you can, unless .you fuel yourself becoming giddy or choking. Breathe through your nose as much as posdhic, and keep your mouth closed—the air will get filtered more in that way, and you won't take so much directly into your lungs. When you feel you can’t stand it any longer, touch my arm—so.”

Three or four minutes passed in absolute stillness, and then the weirdness of the situation began to make itself forcibly felt.

To sit in complete darkness and silence in a strange house at the dead of night doesn’t sound much; but let those wi:o are inclined to scoff try it for themselves, and as the minutes and quarter hours wear slowly away, they will find themselves longing and hungering for a light, if only tho tiny flare of a luoifer match, to relievo for a moment the impenetrable black curtain. They peer with aching eyes till nerves and sense.* on the rack, the creak of a floor board, or tho rustle of a curtain in the draught, wrings tho imagination to an agony of tension ; and the shoulder muscles strain and quiver with a desiro for instant action of .some sort.

Tho clock of some distant church boomed out a quarter to one, and the deep vibrations came fitfully to as on the rishig wind. I was conscious that the atmosphere of tho room was bscorning close and stuffy, and I felt, rather than heard. Kane lean a little forward in his chair and take two or three quick breaths through his nostrils, and at tho same time very faint hissing noise became audible, something like a- limelight being worked under low” pressure, or the sound the lay mind associates with anaesthetics.

After the first second or two tho soft monotony became pleasing, and I found myself half-consciously wandering off into dreamland. I bad forgotten the room, my surroundings; indeed, I was mentally in a place very far removed from Wimbledon Common,’- when a sudden jerk at my elbow recalled me. “Stand up to your full height, quickly! 1 ' whispered Kane, “and hold your head well up.” He was already on his feet, and dazed and; confused I followed lu.s example. Tho atmosphere of the room w<i.s becoming stifling, and to draw a dear breath was almost impossible. I felt dizzy, and my logs seemed clogged and hea vy’. Kano passed his arm round mo, and as ho did so I hoard tho click of tiro door latch. “Now,” said Kano, “rush for it. Hold your breath.” With his arm still round mo we charged at tho now open door into tho deeper blackness of the passage beyond. There was a shock, and a crash, and something went do\w before us with a dull thud. Wo all fell together, and wont rolling on the corridor floor in a huddled mass. Kane was first up. “Move down a few yards and light a candle.”

I did as ho ordered q'ith soma difficulty, as I was much dazed and 1 shaken.

By the time I had got the candle fairly alight Kane was busy dragging the body of a man towards me. A secondglance showed that our antagonist was a big-boned native, a Pathan, momentarily stunned by his fall. A few minutes sufficed to bind his hands with a boll rope torn from one of the other bod looms. But before we had finished a feurth figure bad joined the little group. A strange, fantastic creature, in a gorgeous Oriental dressing gown, with a yellow, shrunken face, who gibbered anil mowed at ns, and cracked its fingers in an ecstasy of mad rage. “Mr William Davitt,” said Kane,' “be quiet; you’ve caused enough mischief as it is.” The sound of the name seemed to' stagger tho littl 0 man. “William Davitt,” he repeated slowly. “William Davitt; yes, that’s my name ; but William Davitt’,s dead, ycu know,” and he leered at us with a senile chuckle. “Poor Vv'illiam Davit’s dead.” ■ I turned away with a shudder of disgust, and my eye fell on the figure of the Pathan—h© bad recovered- from the blow, and had contrived to work one hand loose. Just as I looked he was raising something to his mouth. “.Quick!” I shouted, and sprang towards him, but it was too late. Bis hand fell limply hack grasping. a little phial from which arose an acrid, pungent smell. Before Kane- and I could do anything to help him the man was as good as dead.

It was only after ages of patient questioning and deduction that we could arrive at the whole story’. Will'am Davitt, tho younger of tho two brothers, had been a. great collector, and was furious when the whole of his father’s valuable curios had been left, together with the house, to the older son. After his return to India, he had had a severe sunstroke, which affected his brain; this, followed by other illnesses, through all of which h© had been attended by his faithful native servant, so upset his health that ho became literally a harmless idiot with one passion in life—namely, to regain the coveted collection. ill© idea was to half stupefy thorn- with an odourless gas from some unused attics above, to which the two of them had obtained access;then Mirza used to creep softly down in the- dead of night and scare them out of their wits.

Unfortunately, on- two occasions they had gone t°° i■ l r ■ “Illustrated Mail.”