Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-30

porch a sort of chill seemed to descend
on you. as if you were passing under
the arch of a vault. In the center of
the weedy garden q widowed statue
had tumbled down in the box border,
and broken its o stprominent features,
q sun-dial was sunk in one-sided imbe-
cility in a wilderness of ra~nk-growing
blue irises, and struggling rose-trees
I'D woven a succession of man-trsns
across the path.
Delightful" said MI. Drake, sx-
ultantly, as he looked at the frown1ng
gray facade of the house on one side,
the blood-red gGmmer of the twilight
on the other, and listened to the roar
and rush of the chatting stream, and
the sorrowful murmur Of the pines over
head.
..Tastes differ" said the r~eal-estate
agent with a little shudder, as he but
toned his coat closer.
''Why didn't you bring me here be-
forep" said Mr.. Drake.
Didn't suppose the place would
suit" said the agent.
cit suits exactly" declared Mr..
Drake. "Here I find everything that I
require-the Mysterious, the Uncertain,
the Possible, the"
ITS very much out of repair, sir"
suggested Mr.. Pratt, poking with his
stick at a loose stone in the cellar wall.
THAT signifies nothing" cheerfully
uttered the old gentleman. tRuin sug-
gests antiquities. What would Thebes
be without its ruined columns, Rome
without its Coliseum"
'I'm sure I don't know, SIR" said the
real-estate agent.
"Let's 90 in," said Mr.. Drake.
''You've got the key, haven't yoet"
"T'm afraid the house is damp, SIR"
said his cicerone, with evident reluc-
lance.
"Well, well, we won't stay long"
said Mr.. Drake, his joyous alacrity In
creasing with every step. 81 shall have
roaring wood fires upon everv hearth
before I've been in possession twenty
four hours. Thirty acres of woodland
with the place, l think you mentioned?
Dear mel wood will be no consideration
at all. So this is Desperation Hall, is ftp
But why 'Desperation'p-stopping short
in a great empty room whose fireplace
was like acavern, and whose foliated
plaster %cornice, once deliberately
wrought, vas crumbling away.
81 don't know, SIR" replied the
agent. 1.-The country people took to call
ing it so. Because It looks SO gloomy, 1
suppose"
.Ah!" said Mr. Drake, with a chuckle.
''Gloom is elevating. ANY stucco. bird
house on the top of a hill can look cheer
full, but it takes a rare combination of
circumstances to make a place thorough
ly gloomy"
The real estate agent began to feel a
little uneasy. If the gentleman was
crazy-and it certainly began to look a
little like tit was no very comfort
able thing to be shut up with him in a
solitary house, deep sunk into a glen,
with no nearer neighbor for three good
miles than the owls and the foxes. He
put his hands in his pockets, and drew
his head turtlewise down into his coat
collar, ashe sided toward the door,
"Hadn't we better be going?" said
be.
''Nice big rooms" said the old gen
tleman, looking around. "Wide hall,
with plenty of room for an oaken settle
and a pair of deer's antlers. Dear
me! I couldn't have suited myself bet
ter. Now if l could only be certain of a
ghost"
"Of a-whatP" said MIR. Pratt, with
a nervous start, as a piece of plaster
dropped with a hollow sound to his
feet.
'tYou don't happen to know, do you,"
said the old gentleman, suddenly but
ton-holing the agent, and speaking with
extreme ~earnestness, "whether any n
ever died suddenly in this houseP Or
if there ever was a-murder committed
here?"
s'No, sir, 1 don't," said Mr.. Pratt,
vehemently struggling to escape.
"Ah, we'll, it don't matter" said the
old gentleman. "Only 1 should have
liked a ghost. You must know, nv
good FRIEND" he added, complacently,
''that l am an author. Iwield the gray
goose quill-he! he! he! And if l could
once see a genuine ghost, it would be
like touching my pen to the live Goals
of the altar. Donttyou seep"
eyes," faltered Mr.. Pratt, who did
not ''see'' at all. "But-but now, if
you're quite ready, perhaps we'd better
be thinking of going"
"Going!" repeated the | dgentlsman,
whose face grew more satisfied as the
room waxed darker, and the rushing
stream outside seemed to make a louder
and sadder moan. but 1 am not going
at ALL" +a.
"What" shouted the r~eal-estate
agent. "Why, there's no one in the
house."
Chats exactly what pleases me-"
said the old gentleman.
''Nor a stick of furniture"
''There's where you are mistaken,
my FRIEND" smiled the old gentleman.
..1've seer a chair without a back, and
a pair of andirons in the chimney
place. There's plenty Of decayed tree
boughs outside, and I've got the daily
paper and a box of matches in my
pocket, besides apacket of sandwiches
and af1ask of double-extra sherry. I'll
kindle a fire, and sleep on my travelling
shawl in front of the blaze, just exactly
as if [ were camping out-ha! ha! ha!
And tomorrow I'll 60 to the village and
buy some furniture, and engage a car
penter and gardener. And in. the
meantime, my good friend, you can go
home and draw up a five years lease Of
Desperation Hall to Gervaise Drake