Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1871-01-26

GLOW large is the vilage?' | asked
"Wal about so houses"
"This is pretty wild country arounc
> here" | said, how is the land arount
the village, very good for bcaring?'
"Some mighty good farms thar I car
tell you, notion nuyin'?'
"Yes," replied, "if can find any
that will suit me-
GLOW much land are you going tc
buy?' he asked,
'Oh, [ don't know" I replied, "that
depends upon circumstances, you know
AS he asked this question could not
help but notice the eagerncss with which
it was asked. Ills small black eyes
shone with savage glitter, and | fancy
he did not at all relish my eyasiye ans.
wer, But Fur.ucr cons ers i va;
broken by the woman's announcing sup
per. sat down 10 the table and began
to partakc Of the food Although it was
very course, yet hunger will sharpen a
mans appetite so that lie will not be
over taslidious, and | ate with as keen a
relish as though had been in famous
hotel Of New York, instead OF the far
mcr's house in the willis of Missouri.
As was eating, | suddenly heard the
woman excIaim, "Don't John, for
mcrcy's sake y
''Shut yer head, and rive the man his
tea, it's likely he wants it by this time, y
the man growled in a gruT voice.
The woman turned and left the room,
and the Man took up the teapot and
preceded to pour ont some tea and offer
| it to me.
"No, thank YOU I said, 81 don't
drink tea
"Don't drink teal" he exclaimed,
"wal Yer had better this time, just to
keep the cold out"
No." replied. II guess will not {;
you see am Il strict cold water man
"Damn your cola water men, say,
he replied, and then he turned about and
resumed his former seat.
did drink tea, but for some reason
the words OF the woman added fuel to
my suspicious already aroused. 1t
seemed as though ! could hear her cx.
claim, ''Don't, for mercy's sake, Johu.'
And then the expression on the mans
face as the woman left the room, was
perfectly dcmoaiac. These were the
reasons why refused the tea, it might
be drugged, Or poisoned, for all that |
knew to The contrary, and | certainly
had good reason to suspect foul play.
| finished my supper and, as the host
did not seem very talkativo, | told him
| guessed | would go out and rub down
my horse, as he had had a hard time Of
it in the rain as we'll as myself. He got
lantern and we went out to the barn.
| saw my horse was properly taken care
Of, and then | noted the exact where
abouts of the stable, so that | could get
him in the dark, if necessary, for had
almost began to think of II summary de-
parture. But | reflected that in reality
| had nothing tangible on which to base
my suspicious. and nothing, in fact, ex-
cept some slightly strange behavior on
the part Of my host, and that distorted,
perhaps, through nervousness. But |
noticed as carefully as | could the posi-
ton Of the stable and the exact where
abouts Of my horse, was careful not
to arouse the suspicious of my host and
followed him into the house. The wo-
man had come back into the kitchen, but
l saw nothing Of the girl, | wondered
why the by did not come back; | had
not seen him since he put up my horse.
| asked my host if | could retire as |
was exceedingly tired and would like to
get to bed as soou as could. 80, yes"
he replied, and thought he seemed to
be pleased. He went and procured a
light and then told me to follow him.
We went up the same flight of stairs that
| went up to change my clothes, and up
still another. The building is pretty
large one for this place / thought to
myself, but said nothing, 1t rained so
when | first came into the building that
| hal no chance of seeing it, so as to
tell anything as to its size
We entered chamber about as large
as the former one, and looked very much
like it. My host sat down the light,
and | heard him go down stairs and shut
the door, and then looked to the door
to see if could fasten it. There was
bolt on the inside. | showed the bolt
into its socket and then tried the door
1t was firm, and resisted my strongest
efforts. "Thcre, | exclaimed, "no one
can get in there, at any rate not without
using considerable force, enough at least
to arouse me thoroughly, no matter how
soundly | shall sleep.
| next examined closely the room to
sec if there might be any other chance
for any one to enter There was but
one window in the room, which made it
look like dungeon, SO much room with
but one window. There was but little
furniture in the room. There was an