Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1895-05-28

clude both sunshine and rain. Huge
air plants had fastened themselves to
the posts and she'd their leaves in min
aturs mounds, and horrid yellow spi
dcrs weaved their webs between the
piles beneath the floor. Green moss
grew from the ends of the logs, while
tree limbs, with the growth of years
and swayed by the wind, penetrated
thereof, and with every passing zephyr
now creaked and groaned most dis
mally.
AS I stood bordering overthe scene
of desolation before me, and watching
lizards speed swiftly toward the house
over dried leaves, man emerged
from the doorway, and without ap-
parently seeing me, descended
broad flight of rickety puncheon steps
and came directly toward me through
the brush.
Tive been expecting you" he said
stopping directly in front of me,
"they told me last night
you'd be here today" and his voice
was strangely sad.
The man is insane, I thought, step
ping several PAGES back. He looked
at me now for the first time, and while
his gaze was clear and steady, there
was something about the expression
OF his small gray eyes that told of
constant fear and persecution.
Expecting me, sir; you must be
mistaken" | answered as softly as my
surprise would permit, "no one knew
l was coming here; l did not know it
myself an hour before starting. The
folk up the river SAY ibis old house is
haunted. / was attracted by the
smoke from your fire and came merely
out of curiosity. Perhaps it is some
one else you expect?
"Oh, mol you answer the description
exactly. / told them this place was
too lonesome and wanted to leave, but
they said YOU would come"
swell, that is strange indeed" |
answered, doubling no longer that the
man was insane, yet feeling desire
to humor him and learn, if possible,
his identity.
Perhaps you will explain to me
who they are who thus foretell the
future actions of people unknown to
them?" / asked.
"Spaniards, should have told you,
sir; two Spaniards who lived here
many years ago. They came to me
one night nearly three years past, and
since then they've been my constant
companions. Not that / desired them,
but because there has been no way of
But it is past noon. If you
will come over and sit down I'll make
you can of coffee, and while you're
drinking it'd like to tell you some
thing of my cruelty hard existence,
and may be you can help me-
AS he turned toward the house /
followed mechanically, wondering at |
this strange man who SO confidently |
me, and who wished to pour
his tale of sorrow into strange ears to
elicit strangers sympathy and adj
vice.
AS he busted himself about the fire.
place | noted the interior of the pen
We had entered In one corner lay |
heap of pine straw partly covered by |
several ragged blankets; a muzzle-
oading shot gun leaned against the
wall near by; rude table stood in the
middle of the room, and scattered
about were half a dozen chairs out of
which the raw-hide bottoms had
dropped years before.
The under side of the roof was visi-
Die to it's point. Industrious mud
laubers, with dull dreaming noise,
lew in and out the open windows and
the logs; lizards scampered
long the rafters, and green-colored
house snakes coiled about among the
hingles, darting their forked tongues
hreateningly.
"There must be something terrible
n the ascendency of these Spaniards
'ver you, sir, to induce you to come
nd live in place like this" / said as
can of coffee and hard tack was Of
cred me.
"ThereIs something terrible in such
as you will believe when
'ou've heard what / wish to tell you,"
le answered drawing up chair across
which he placed a board. II will
lot trouble you with the wrongs of
ny past life further than to say that
once possessed a liberal share of
his world comforts but love and des-
rtion followed by sorrow and dissipa-
ion, made me vagrant, and after
over all this country, l
rossed the Hillsborough river shortly
fter entering Tampa lhree years ago,
nd took up my abode in little clap
oard shanty that stood deserted in
he centre of a small clearing two
niles from town. l felt desire to
ettle down and once more become
IAN. My heart yearned for the day !
,hen might purchase from the state
he forty acres on which my shanty
TODD. and when / could point with ,