Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-11-15

soon Wo6lnX ~ 20 me SKIN. mo
iblasing streams Of ligHsnilg, attracted
by the tan pines that studded tho
wood, ran shither and thither like SCR
i pents Of Aame on either side of us. The
danger was terrific, and even my calm.
cool companion was visiblY disturbed.
Finally our road emerged upon q clear
ing half way up the side of the mount
ain. By the quick flicker of the light
nings we discerneds q long. low two
story frame house. standing back from
the wood, and with more than one
light visible in its windows. ~
s'G0ode' cried DIR. Max, in a tone of
relief; there is a habitation. and pre-
snmably some human beings to help
us to dry clothes and shelter for the
night. /, for one, am in no mood to
go further in the darkness and the
rain. to say nothing of the danger of
being struck by lightning if we advent
ure any further into the forest. What
say you? Shall we halt here for the
night?''
l assented joyfully to his proposal.
and we drove up to the gate. which /
sprang out to unfasten. AS did SO,
fash Of lightning revealed to me
singular group. It was that of two
men engaged In digging short. deep
trench, that looked like a grave in
reality, amongst some bushes near the
end of the house. Ipurposely delayed
opening the gate till the arrival of a
second fash gave me an opportunity
/ to note their action more precisely.
But when the next sudden illumina-
ton came, the men were no longer
visible. t'@'
! We drove up to the door, and after
knocking for some little time, an inner
bar was withdrawn, and woman,
with q lantern in her hand, presented
herself mo, we could not come in,"
she said, in answer to our queries.
| ''She was l-she had just sustained
terrible bereavement-she wanted no
strangers peeking about her premises.
Not that there was any thing to hide
-" And she was going on. maun-
derfng in an imbecile sort Of way.
when she was suddenly thrust aside
by short, sharp-looking young fell
low, who took upon himself the Office
Of spokesman. & ASA
Come imp OF course tho gentlemo
should come in. It was not = night to
keep dog out in. The horse could
be put under the she'd, and would do
there very well till morning. And if
the gentlemen wanted any supper. they
hot whisky and-water to keep of the
chill. Don't be fool, mother; stand
aside, I say. and let the folks in, out
| of the wet"
We found ourselves, on entering, in
q spacious, low-ceilinged kitchen, which
somehow looked desolate, instead of
CHEEKY and comfortable. The woman
who had first accOsted US retreated to-
q seat beside the blackened hearth,
whereOn no fire had apparently been
lighted for some time, and there seat
ed herself, swaying herself to and fro,
with her hands clasped over her knees
and her eyes fixed on vacancy. She
was past middle age. and was red
haired and freckled, but with the re-
mains Of considerable beauty still ap-
parent in her regular features. white
skin and shapely form. The man who
had insisted upon our entrance. in spite
OF his hospitable action, was any thing
but genial or prepossessing- looking
parsonage. He was thin and sickly-
looking. with shifting, uneasy eyes,
and q sallow, unshaven face. He
seemed uneasily and ostentatiously
anxious TO welcome US. brought us
chairs and set about lighting the fire
and getting supper, while the woman
sat rocking herself to and fro and no
| IL
himself as Ludwig Schultz, and also
vouchsafed the Information that his
mother had married twice, her second
husband being old Jacob Gruber. He
died of apoplexy this morning, gentle
men," he continued, ''and that's why
she's so upset. Mind the frying-pan,
can't you, mother? But just don't no.
tice her, but eat your suppers, and I'll
show you to q bedroom whenever
you've q notion TO go to it. And you'll
not mind things being bit dull, as the
old man died SO suddenly only a few
hours ago?"
We assured him that we would not;
the idea OF the presence of a corpse
beneath the roof that sheltered us be-
ing any thing but agreeable or enliven-
| ing, whilst the presence OF that silent
| woman, see-sawing herself to and
fro with mOnOtOnous action, and
her eyes fixed on vacancy,
was enough in itself to de-
press our spirits. The meal when
served was more appetizing than might
have been expected, and we both did
it full justice. Before we had quite
finished door at the end Of the room
was pushed open, and q half-drunken,
heavy-leoking young fellow staggered
into the room. He was q thick-set,
cuffianlv-l00lxin0 man of about fyxanf,1.