THE MAN IN POSSESSION.

Observer, Volume 6, Issue 149, 21 July 1883, Page 10

THE MAN IN POSSESSION.

y.7^r ? , ; v ?7^-r- •.■•<: yV y. . , . A STORY. '\. A : f\ ':: y CHAPTER Qisrj? yeVee^jiVjusljj, at diislj.ilwas leaning out, . .watbhihg i^iUgiht, and. deeply intent 7 iifton th^li^mi 'rfiutoc bf a 'couple of nightingales,' : a cluster of •i,treiß|.'flot; for frpm the house, and were warbling y t t]^ir ; .ra^jshin| strains with thrilling' effect in the .. yfloie^^stiUnew.oi'the deserted park. As I listened j.'.y.'.iOv't^K,' ;sbvif). .tiny Scraps oif: a material of fine . Vt^xtlß^^paj! entljp;^6ut b/torn from a lady's dress, Vdro^'peaflutterihg past me from above. Oti'lcok- . iug up, I heHeltT— attficlied to an improvised line of the same material, consisting of strips tied together, and which was' evidently let down from-, an upper window — a white pocket-handkerchief _ loosely folded . I could just discern a hand signal!- , ing. me to secure ' the handkerchief . Though '4.ta.rtledj,T 4p„st: not a, moinentin. doing so. The , line^was and the hand immediately V dis&ppWisL "ShStj^ng the window, I struck a light,, and sat 'down-In no httle haste to ascertain Vehat, f th[i§£ migl-,t; mean. ,On opening the . handKerchief],! found the interior covered with writingin large . characters,- not inscribed with pen or pencil,, but .seemingly traced with a. piece of. coal .or a portion of burntstiek. With some difficulty, I deciphered: the writing, as follows:— "Sir,— l beseech you to pity and aid an unfortunate -lady, imprisoned in her own house, and deprived of her rightful property by the grossest villi^ny, j If, you are a gentleman, be the instru- : ment •of'my release. Next room but one to the roof — same size and arrangement of window as . ' -your own — locked in. ';.' n "Maria Wintock." "Then- the tale I heard at the Three Nags had some foundation after all," I inwardly exclaimed, ',-,-' as. every = nervfe trembled with excitement. Re--7 - folding the handkerchief, I leaned back in my ' clJair^cbg^tate upon this.strange communication. 7 ." The yJlall is indeed hadnted, yet by no spirit, : *; but r a*being of flesh andhlbod. ■ This is no maniac's t \ epistlef; nor was the apparition, in my .room a . ' /rea^ of n.y imaginatioh; No wonder the young lady disappeared '§» suddenly. Ah, Mr Wintock, 'that' is your Scheme, is it? — a prisoner till she V- accepts the hand of your worthless profligate son, . ■ and then her fortune will be a nice plum to relieve . you from your difficulties. I wonder you have not killed her outright ; but I suppose that would not serve your purpose.. — Help you, poor lady ? Yes; that Jack Meridith will, scapegrace as he has been, if hehas'.but half achance. But how ?" Ay, how ? There was the rub. My duty forbade' me to leave the house for assistance, and if I did so, I might not be able to effect an entrance again ; and supposing this gained might she not in the meantime be spirited away far beyond risk of discovery?. Should I resort to open violence, the odds s?ere terribly against me. George Wintock, doubtless a strong, active fellow, in ripe manhood ; his father, an antagonist by no means tp be despised; and.,th|t brutal-looking Italian, who seemed to-|)oßse_.s 'the strength of a second '._;. Hercules. That, scheme would not work. should Ido ? How cbrnmuniclte with.niy fair and oppressed correspondent ? . ssf &i. ~soii!tef consideration, it occurred to me ; that unless prevented, she would doubtless be on the watch for some, kind of reply, and that I , might avail mysc-'.f of the same method of cbni- ■ y- njutjictition ;whic"h*she had tried with success. Taking out my pocket-book, and tearing from it a dozen leayes, I wrote on one of them as follows : Madam. — I am only bailiff in possession, but heartily; at your service. I will be at the window to-morrow night when the hall clock strikes ten. ' . Tell me how I can assist you. If you are prevented ' eom&irttt ica._ug w!?h me then, let the little scraps fallas be for.- as Huon as an opportunity offers. I will- keep a ?h.irp look-out. — Your obedient servaai; J. Mebeeitw.. Tying this auu iWblank leaves, along with a piece of .'out twine for her use in future communication.., in- a roll with one of my pencils, and extinguishing my candle, I reopened the window. All was quiet without ; and attaching' her 'white :■ ' •'handkerchief fo the end of my walking-stick, I . ..thrust it ent, and waved it- backwards and for- '■'•''■ wards'- sev&raV times. The signal was perceived. The_.casement above was softly opened, and the line was again let down, Looping my note safely .'. vto'.the' 'line, I had the satisfaction ,of seeing it ascend^t<sits destination. It was eagerly clutched by the occupant above ; her window was again softly closed';- /nnd I retired — but not to sleep, for every sense "was straining with tumultuous excitement,. '•• ' • - . -On the following evening, faithful to _my '. jffo-i£ise,'l 4'*3. a * my window a few mimites „ , 7bef;oi-esten,7 As the hall clock boomed the last rßfe_o.kej_l : felt x a small roll of paper secure in 'my ..^V'lia^g^n^avbefore, retired to peruse it. , G-E_!fEEOtTS Sir— l am most wretched. Oh, help me,. for tlie love of . humanity ! Ikm threatened with' the most horrible fate, unless I 'consent' "to be dragged into' a union with %he ;;i "'yoiing&r* tintock, whom I utterly loathe ;A or to make over the greater part of my property 'to him ahd his^ father. • They have more than opce hinted' at immuring me in a private lunatic 'asylum for life. Such things have been done. At times I feel as if I really were insane. Can you, not procure assistance, and free me from • 'thek^etches ? • . Surely the law is 1 sufficiently powerful to protect you in aiding a defenceless, A '"■'■ but grossly 'abused and oppressed lady. I have now beeia here several year?, and hope is all but extin%tnij.ed. They have kept me constantly lo,<d{^iip44^T'rqoni since the night Isucceeded • . ih^p^iingfypprs, as I had -hoped undetected. ' Pre vioii'g.;,. lay then, I was only confined to the . :up'per sdj^pf apartments. I entreat you not to deseyt mci Oh, contrive some means of setting nie'feree; the everlasting gratitude of ": - -, |y "':;.^-, ; ..•-- ' ryy/jM. WINTOOK. .^^S.r^ji -will ,let down fbi?%our reply at this tiiaie 'to-morrow- evening, unless prevented. — Be.f"" yjfcil" thought I, '* this is an adyepture. But how is tt to be accomplished ?" After tauch A^y^tiii&pH^Otij, 1 1 fancied that _ft 'had hityupeia a >v ""..^a^'iycßei^a^ft^"'^i^?^t«*4.-. : *P'' "eot_ftmniiiea.^e r 7. j^. to '';' H_[i_e AWitit&fywd if .»he thbuiht i|^ feasible/ mi ■t . ifc in W- Xt met with , h*r

. it. , The *, plan, " however, .required delicate handling, -with courage, calmness, and resolution to carry it out. t to^4, her. the nature of the responsibility I should incur in deserting my post; but she urged me to undertake hei* release, at Vail hazards, promising . herself to liquidate, an^ liabilities which might ai?i'se ■ in cionsequfence, so soon as she should be, restored to the .outer wbrlfl and able to assume the. disposition of heir property. She had been detained. a prisoner in the Hall since she was seventeen: years of age.. '' She had now just turned twenty-one. ! Her guardian had therefore, no longer any legal authority Over her. I felt. that the urgency and peculiarity of the case would insure me lenient judgment} if not condonation for my breach of trust, 'in the minds of all right-thinking men. . ."• . :' ■ " ? . "Be ready at. two to. morrow morning," was .my last- billet, forwarded in the usual .manner, " while the Wintocks are probably asleep. Keep up your courage, and leave the rest to me." I chose the hour of two o'clock in the morning •for attempting the rescue of the young- lady, as having the greatest chance of. success ; for notwithstanding Mr Wintock's hint that the family disliked being disturbed at night, I discovered that both, he and his son were in the habit of spending part of it from horne — where. I cannot say, but probably in some kind of dissipation. Both went out about nine o'clock. Mr Wintock .usually returned about one. His sou was much more uncertain. I have said that the entire edifice, and especially the roof's, were of a very irregular build, and that my room was situated at an angle of the house. On the other side of tl)e angle was a, suite of rooms but little used, the window of one of them being exactly on a level with Miss Wintock's aud about 6ft. distant from it, and to which room I discovered I could find access. Immediately above the room in question was a lumber-room, with a ladder from the floor to the trap-door opening out ;upon the roof. Carefully watching an opportunity the next day, I slipped into the lumber-room, in which, among other things, were a' number of tools of various descriptions, andj_ armed myself with a couple of stout sci'ew-drivers, with which I retreated, after noticing that the ladder might easily be removed. A little before two o'clock found me cautiously issuing from my apartment and stealthily creeping towards this part of the building. I did not much fear any alarm from the dog, as during my stay he had lieen kept chained up in the other part of tbe^inansion. I suppose Mr Wintock had profited by my hint respecting tlie animal. Possessing myself of the bidder, I vo.ry quietly . remoyed it to the room whose window I have described as being opposite to and on a level with Miss Wintock's. Tlie next were moments*' of breathless anxiety and suspense. Slowly opening the window, I waved her own white handkerchief — the signal agreed upon between vs — and her window was then as noiselessly raised. I then proceeded to push the ladder very gently across until it rested upon tbe sill of bers, forming a narrow bridge from window to window r . She was at her post and grasping the top staff, held it firmly. Seating myself astride, I gradually shifted a few inches at a time until I reached her, - The Hall clock, struck two as I stepped sbftly into her room, immediately withdrawing '- the didder. apd ..closing the window. She Way greatly agitated^' and: trembled violently. Taking 1 nm hand, in both h^rbwn, she whispered a few .woids bf impassiohedV thanks ; and then we,£ddresßedWujeelyeß jo, the task of getting out of at. waw^iropi thehohse siie^ly and safely. This, we botji. felt would 'b|_ns,feasy matter ; for not only was ithe door of hljr .own room locked, but ulso that of the room; it. opened into, and through which we must pass, before gaining the corridor whioh led to the staircase. Force, I dare not. use, because pf the noise ; and indeed it would have been difficult to force the doors, as both were of stout oak. Hence my provision of the screw-drivers. The. screws were rusted witli age. and I was too little skilled in carpentry to work in the dark. I therefore lighted a candle I had brought with me, ahd laboured heavily for about an bom*, Miss Wintock bending over me to aid me with its light, until her long raven hair rested carelessly on my shoulder, she holding and shading the candle with my hat, lest its reflection should betray us to any one out of doors, as G-eorge Wintock, in his return home from his midnight revels, might observe it in crossing the path. At length I was successful; the last screw. of the second door yielded. Extinguishing the light, we .^paused a few minutes to- listen, and then stepped softly out into the dark corridor, I leading the van, pistol in hand, and Miss Wintock leaning heavily on my arm. Along the corridor and down the richly-car-peted, staircase, w,e went on tiptoe and with 'bated breath, lest the echoes of that gloomy old mansion should arouse her jailers. Every instant we expected the dog to give tongue. The night was cloudy; but suddenly the moon emerged from behind a cloud, and for a few seconds illumined ' the sombreness of the antique entrance-hall. I felt Miss Wintock start and shudder, press my arm, and cling still closer to nic, with the confidence of a very child. Ifc made my heart leap, and every drop of blood in my veins thrilled with a feeling of rapturous delight, hitherto unknown to me. I seemed for the moment to have the strength of twenty men, and almost longed to do battle on her behalf. We stood for a moment in tho hall, undecided whether to f ry one of the lorg passages, or at once seek ogress by the principal entrance. We chose the latter. Softly we passe*! across the polished oaken floor, and I : began slowly ancl with extreme caution to undo the fastenings. 'Gently, one by one, each bolt acd bar was withdrawn, the huge lock was turned, and the ponderous door swung heavily upon its hinges. Greatly exhilerated at our success, I turned to my companion with a whispered word of encouragement on my lips, when an unseen -enemy struck me a, tremendous blow on th« bead, driving me through the open doorway like a ball from a wicket, and felling me like a log upon the grave sunk beyond. ' i At the 6ame instant a shceession of piercing shrieks, co wild, so heartrending, and despairing, burst from Miss Wintock, „fcli*>tj.fc seenied as itAhev reason ;^as p'agsiug away in a.continuation of <ion vuliive efforts to regaia Iter liberty. ■'."■'■'• -• --■• A-- ■. ... - ■■ ;> a . . ■

'How; long. I lay insensible VuponV that A cold gravel-walk I cannot gay,. but it could' not haye^ heen, many minutps. Probably ■mv assailant was for 'the time too, 'if ully .occupied "M securing the re-captured lady-tobe able to inflict any further injury upon me. When I regained consciousness,- the. moon was obsfcured, .afid it was ihten&ely dark, not a star being visible. Bruised? sdrejj, and bleeding,: I gathered? myself up ' as. best I could, and endeavoured to collect my thoughts. But in, what manner to act for the best puzzled me. , Should, ? I :> wait till dayvn, ..then hasten to the.village, and endeavour to procure assistance inrescuing the young .lady ? ; .Far several reasons ;I discarded this idea. Besides, I had, in, fact, deserted my duty, and in justice to my employer, oughtjiiever to have. attempted' leaving the/hojise. What was Itodo ? # '•# * ; < ( - ■ „ - ■■■ .■ j -*