The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1892-10-22
[Contmued.l
HOLLOWAY HOUSE.

III AS ASAU IL AI III iAo p1Oslttto ht1N
gone. An idea struck him. If he could
induce Mr.. Holloway to give him time
on his loan and trust him for his rent
until he could get to earn something he
would send the money home which he
had been accumulating for the payment
Of the debt. He went to see Mr.. Hollo-
way, but the response to his request wa
SO chilly that he felt almost guilty Of
some heinous crime.
at is not business said Mr.. Hollo-
way, mot business. Would like t.
oblige you, but must have some method,
You know"
A dunning letter from the agent, fol-
lowing conspicuously close upon his
visit to Mr.. Holloway, filled his soul
with bitterness. The way ont of his
difficulties seemed as dark as the day on
which we find him brooding over his
evil fortune in the 'old Holloway
House" The water fell in torrents ami
the river in the rear was SO swollen b.
the rain that it had overfowed its banks
and was washing the foundation stones
of the shaky old structure. The room
was chilly and wet, but he built no fire.
and though darkness came on early h.
hardly observed the change, but sal
bordering over the hopeless o%utlool.
without even the ghostly light from
the seams in the rickety stove to reveal
the outlines of the room.
The wind continued to rise and the
rain to fall faster, until the old shell
Guivered and quaked, but Severn paid
no attention. His soul was shaken IT,
storm also. There was as much dark
ness within as without. He knew his
own disposition too well TO attempt To
study until he could quiet his nerves. 50
he sat in the darkness until long after
midnight, listening to the bowling wind
and the roar of the swollen river.
Suddenly there came a crash; there
was a heavy fall of plastering, and for ID
minute Severn thought that the old
house was about to give way. To have
its walls fall upon him he knew would
be almost certain death. but with 4
thrill Of melancholy pleasure he hoped
for a moment that it might happen.
The old building creaked and strained
but there came a lull in the storm and
it finally settled back to its normal con
dition.
Severn lighted The lamp to see if his
books had been damaged AMI to inyesti-
gate the injury TO the room. A large
patch of plastering had fallen from the
wall and lay scattered over the floor.
After the investigation he felt calmer
and went to bed for the night.
The next morning, contrary to his
usual neatness, he left the broom in its
corner and the room continued to pre-
sent a very dilapidated appearance. In
the afternoon after returning from class
he seated himself in his chair and gazed
listlessly at the heap of rubbish on the
floor. STOPPING forward he took up a
bit of broken plastering and slowly
picked it to pieces, thinking Of Mary
and wondering if the day would ever
brighten.
He had been pursuing this aimless oc-
cupation for some time when suddenly
he observed that the face of the piece
which he held in his hand was less dis
colored than that which surrounded the
edge of the broken patch. He drew his
chair closer to the wall, and on examin.
ing found that a hole had once been
made through the lathing about a foo.
square. The pieces had afterward beer
spliced and a new coat of plasterina
OVERLAND. His curiosity was now excited
to know the object of the opening, so he
brought a hammer from a chest and pro.
ceeded to draw the nails. After remoy
ing the pieces he reached in and began
to explore. There was nothing to b,
found, however, 50 he washed his hand,
and began to clear away the debris.
AS he was about to replace the pieces
of lath he thought he saw a string hang
ing down into the cavity. He reached
his hand again into the opening, tool
hold of the tilament and pulled, but il
promptly broke. He examined tho
fbers and discovered that it was an oil
piece of silk cord, now extremely rottel
and discolored. He became more curl
GUS and resolved to trace the mystery f
its source. He reached his hand int
the cavity as far as he could, following
the cord. Again he pulled, and thi.
time it resisted and he felt somethin.
at the other end move slightly. Fl
gave q stronger pull. but the cord broke
this time at its point of attachment.
He %improyised a hook by driving j;
nail into the end CT a piece Of board
and with this succeeded in drawina
something toward him. Finally he was
able to reach the object. He dreyyit ii
front of the opening, and with boil
hands lifted an old mahogany box on.
upon the loor. For some time he sal
staring 1T it in curious suspense.
We'll. you are a queer fish in queer