Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-10-28
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CHAPTER I.
'The S:45 for Chicago? Just gone. It's
the last train this evening. First In the
morning at 8:15, miss"
''Gone" cried the girl In despair. She
reached out her hand and caught ons Of
the wooden pillars supporting the roof OF
the little station at Millway.
It was almost dark. Nine o'clock had
struck. The straight warm rain was
falling through the dusky, windlsss air.
1t was an evening towards the end OF
June-the las. Wednesday Of that month.
There was not q sound but the dull muf-
1ing beat Of the rain upon the roof. Not
. soul visible but the girl and station
agent.
She took her hand away from the wood
en- pillar, and gathered her cloak round
her. In preparation for going.
"Can do anything for you. miss? Have
you far to walkT asked the man.
She did not answer his question: she
asked instead: do you think the rain
will stop soon"
He glanced at the thin line Of dull.
dark leaden sky. "No, miss, don't think
it will. 1t looks as if 'twould rain all
night"
She sighed. moved her shoulders under
the cloak to settle it. and saying Thank
you." in listless way, moved with droop-
ing head slowly out OF the station, raised
her umbrella and walked under the huge
beeches of a broad. deserted road leading
southward.
Although her pace had not been quick.
she felt her breath come short. The mild.
moist, scentladen air seemed too rich for
freshening life and cooling the blood She
II . rfk
down and rest, but neither time nor place
allowed Of pause. She must get on-she
must get back as quickly as possible, Or
she might be 100 late, too late To regain
Ethan House and steal unperceived to
her room there To that hateful Ethan
House, under which tonight rested that
0dious Oscar Leigh. Oscar Leigh, the
grinning. bold, audacious man.
Owing TO the loss Of the little money
left her by her father. Edith Grace had
been obliged TO try and get something 10
do, as she could not consent TO encroach
en- the slender income OF her grandmOth-
er. Mrs. Grace, the only relative she had
In the world. As she had been SO long
with Mrs. Grace. she thought the thing
to suit her best would be a companion
ship to an elderly or invalid lady. She
advertised In the daily papers. and the
most promising looking reply came from
SIR. Oscar Leigh, OF Ethan House, Mill
way, who wanted u companion for his In.
6rm mother Mr.. Leigh could not give
much salary, but II advertiser took the
situation. she would have thoroughly
comfortable and highly respectable home.
Mr.. Leigh could make an appointment for
. meeting in Chicago.
The meeting took place at Mrs. GTace's
lodgings, and although Miss Grace shrank
from the appearance and manners OF Mr..
Leigh, she accepted the situation.
Mr.. Oscar Leigh was very short, and
had shoulders of unequal height, and a
slight hunch on his back. His face was
long and hollow checked. The eyes small
and black, and piercingly bright. His ex-
preston was saturnine. sinister, cruel.
His teeth were fang-like and yellow. His
voice hollow when he spoke low, and harsh
when he raised 1t. His breath came in
short gasps now and then. He drooped
towards the right side, and carried n
short and unusually thick stick, with
huge rugged and battered crook Miss
Grace would have pitied him only for his
tmpudent glances. She would have loath-
"a him only she could not forget that his
deformities were deserving of pity. The
bargain was there and then completed,
and It had been arranged that she should
70 to Ethan House that day week.
This night that was now upon her and
around her, this dull, dark, heavy-perfum-
Cd, rain-drowned midsummer night, was
the night Of that day week. Only one
week lay between the visit Of this hunch-
back and this day. This morning she
had left Chicago and seen Millway for
the first time in her life. She had got
there at noon and driven straight to e.
than House. The hire of the cab had
made considerable inroad on the money
In her pocket. The sum was now reduced
to only q few cents more than her mere
train fare to Chicago. When she got
there she would have to walk home. Oil
walking home through the familiar streets
thronged with everyday folk, woald be
% delightful compared with this bleak,
solitary Ethan House, this hideous. in
solent, monstrous. deformed dwarf.
It was impossible for her to stay at e.
than House. utterly impossible. This
man Leigh had told her he should see lit
lie or nothing Of her at the place, and
yet when she reached the house his was
the Hrst face and figure she laid eyes on.
He had opened the door for her and well
coined her to Ethan House, and on the
very threshold he had attempted to kiss
her! Great heavens! it was incredibly
horrible, but it was true! The first man
who had ever dared to try to kiss her was
this odious beast, this misshapen Hend,
this scented monster!
And yet she was on her way back to
Ethan House! There was no alterna-
tive. She had nowhere else to 60. For
lack Of courage and money she could not
venture upon an hotel. She had never
been from home alone before, and she felt
a. il she were in a new planet. She was
not desperate, but she was awkward,
timid, afraid.
Wet and lonely as the night was: che
would have preferred walking about III
morning rat than return to that house
All the time she was in the house Leigh
hsA forced his odious. fisolent attentions
upoa her. He had lain in wait for her
with expost n!ations for her prrder1 10 mol
anowlnE MIN to welcome ner In paular
thal fashion to his house! Patriarcnai
fashion, indeed! He had himself said ne
knew he was not an Adonis. but that ne
Was not a Methuselah either. and ms
eoor, simple, paraly1ed mother told ne!
< was thirty-fve years old. She would
aot take all the money In the world to
stay in q house to which he was free. Al
sight O'Clock that evening she had plead
"a fatigue and retired to her own room
tor the night. When she found herself
aloos with th, does locked. shs the2sa'