Los Angeles herald., 1892-09-18
HOLLOWAY HOUSE.

uOILOWA "A L HOUDE.
Arthur Severn raised his head from
the book which he had been poring ovel
the greater part of the afternoon and
gazed despondently at the dingy walls
of the room. Finally he arose, and go
ing to the window peered out through
the cracked and grimy panes of glass,
now streaked with rain, which was driv-
ing violently from the east. From early
morning the rain had been falling inces.
sanity, and as darkness began to close
around the village the wind blew more
violently than ever and the rain fell in
heavier torrents. A large brown patch
appeared on the ceiling above and the
water began to drip down and form lit
tie puddles on the uncarpeted floor. 1t
was melancholy day and Severn felt
that it accorded well with his own evil
fortune. He occupied the only habit
able room in large, old, tumble
down house that stood off at one side of
the village near the river and had been
falling to decay for years.
Severn was striving to make his way
through college, and when the land
lords agent suggested his taking a
room in the sold Holloway house" at
much lower figure than he could OBJ.
tain lodging for elsewhere he felt con-
strained on account of his poverty to
accept the offer. His parents were
poor, and, moreover, adverse to his
taking college course, so that he was
unable to receive any aid from them.
For some time past he had found him.
self inextricably involved in financial
embarrassment, and he had often been
on the point of giving up the whole
thing, but the letters which came from
Mary Eldridge full of encouragement
and loving sympathy always induced
him to take brighter view of the cir
cumstances.
He had met Mary at the academy at
Melville, and mutual admiration for
each others scholarly attainments had
been the first step in the formation of a
friendship that ripened into love. Mary
had gone to Wellesley to complete her ed
ucation, and Severn was in his sophomore
year in college. Miss Eldridge came of
wealthy parents, and had always been
surrounded with the comforts of well
ordered home. Severn knew that her
unselfish disposition would exact no con-
ditions to their engagement, br,i ne was
fully determined never to let her share
his lot until he had completed his edu
cation and secured competent income.
During the last year a series of mis-
fortunes had overtaken him. A friend to
whom he had loaned the money with
which he expected to meet the bulk of
his expenses suddenly died, leaving his
debts wholly unliquidated. Severn him
self had undergone severe illness dur
ing the fall, and to satisfy his numerous
obligations he secured a few hundred
dollars from Mr.. Holloway, who was
always ready to make loans at usurious
interest, but remorseless in exacting his
claims. Finally he began to receive let
ters from home urging him to return to
the farm. "Unless he could give some
aid they would lose the old place." his
mother wrote.
If duty called him home he would go,
but he felt if he did his prospects were
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 was
so chilly that he felt almost guilty of
some heinous crime.
"It is not business" said Mr.. Hollo-
way, mot business. Would like to
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 out of his
difficulties seemed as dark as the day on
which we find him brooding over his
evil fortune in the sold Holloway
House." The water fell in torrents and
the river in the rear was so swollen by
the rain that it had overfowed it's 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 he
hardly observed the change, but sat
pondering over the hopeless outlook
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
quivered and quaked, but Severn paid
no attention. His soul was shaken by
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, SO
he sat in the darkness until long after
midnight, listening to the bowling wind
and the roar of the swollen river.
Suddenly there came crash; there
was a heavy fall of plastering, and for a
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 a
thrill of melancholy pleasure he hoped
for moment that it might happen.
The old building creaked and strained,
b,1t tbara oa1na q 1u11 in tho c+ox,,, o,1