Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-11-15


mails, and keep the golden rule Will
the brute creation.
How should / part with Silas?
felt my head ache ut the thought o.
it-the dog had been 50 faithful.
decided / would have Searle put Z
rope on his collar, and would leave
him In the evening In the Office Of
the inn with him, and so stea
away from him unknown. I did SO,
and II ever felt like o coward II
was then.
II never could bear to think OF
that dog, and yet I could never
quite forget him. / used to feel him
lying at my feet on the Albany
stage.
Five years passed, when one No
vember day l received letter at
Buffalo from Greenharbor. Ny old
friends, the Whites. had remembered
me, and they invited me to spend
Thanksgiving with them ut Green
harbor. My wife's folks lived in the
old town OF Dedham, and she urged
me to accept the invitation, as she
wished to 60 with me to Dedham. Her
folks were getting old-but, poor wo-
man, they outlived her.
$50 / secured driver to take my
place for few weeks and we set out
together for Boston and Dedham.
One day, late in November, left my
wife among her folks and set out for
Greenharbor, intending to walk over
to Weymouth, to see some friends
and there to take the stage for Marsh
field. ! had expected to start in the
morning and make day of it, but ]
was delayed until the afternoon.
1t was delightful Indian summer
weather and i did not mind a
night walk, as I could rest in Wey-
mouth.
Don't stop at the phantom inn,
said my wife as we parted.
~ shan't stop at no phantom
inns, said !, If I expect to reach
Randolph tonight, there will be no
acorns sprout under my feet
90 But said my wife's mother,
they do tell strange stories still about
those woods. Are you armed?'
"'Yes, as much as ever am
But you used to keep dog
II stalked away laughing.
''Nightfall overlook me on the bor-
der of the old Dedham woods.
II remember the strange, mysteri-
Gus feeling that came over me as I
entered the shadow of the pines of
that lonely road among the skeleton
trees. / stopped and looked back.
The west was red; corn stacks stood
on hillside farm, and could hear
the merry voices Of the huskers. The
air seemed hollow and still. AS /
stood listening there came a vivid
impression that somehow / was in
the companionship of the old coach
dog, as / used to be. / could feel my
heart shrink as recalled how meanly
/ had treated him, and l eased my
conscience with the reflection that 1
had done as well for him and myself
as / could.
II entered the lonely way, when
another strange thing began to haunt
me. 1t was the eyes of Searle. l
had never forgotten them. / could
almost see them again now. Every
rattle in the bushes seemed to bring
them back again.
LAS l walked along, with WITCH
hazel stick for cane, a great light
rose like fire among the tops of the
gray rocks and skeleton trees. 1t
was full hunters moon coming up
from the sea. After a time it went
into cloud, but the way was still
clear. 1t was almost as still as
death.
Occasionally rabbit would cross
the way; once white rabbit leaped
out before me, and felt my heart
beat, and thought again of the old
coach dog, Searle's dreadful eyes and
the tales of the phantom inn, at
which used to laugh when / drove
the cape stage.
1.-The way grew more lonely amid
the oaks and tho russell leaves, saw
ms, pines and rocks. In places the
road was strewn with fallen nuts, and
at some points with rustling leaves.
Once the eyes OF white owl con-
fronted me OH a decaying limb
UnOuSHU dSul0 OI Seurle.
Here and there the faint, poison
Gus odor of the wild dogwood bushes
drifted across the cool air; again l
met the old familiar scent of the wild
grapes which hung over the crevices
Of rocks and the cidery smell of wild
apples. The moonlight fell in riffs
as the clouds scudded, driven by some
ocean wind along the sky.
II hurried on, hoping to reach Ran
dolph before midnight, when sudden
ly / heard q sound that stopped my
feet at once and sent chill over me.
1t was hollow tone, like the ring
ing of a supper bell. such as used to
be common in the farmhouses and
inns. Hooked in the direction of the
sound, when l saw'a little way from
the road window and light among
the trees. I stopped nervously.
Is it Imagination I asked my
self. rs it a dream of the old story?
Shall l run or turn toward the bell?'
II was frightened and my heart
beat, but l am not a man to run.
After hesitating for few moments,
/ TUNED into the wood in the direc-
ton OF the window and the light and
found path there, which l began to
follow cautiously. l walked to the
place where had first heard the bell
and seen the window and the light,
but the window and the light were