The Monitor-register., 1897-10-22
THE PLACE.

-S 81.
despair the day they moved in, trying to
dnd space for her household goods.
But the soil in the surrounding fields
was rich, so Mr.. Haynes said, and the
acres were just about as many as he
could Till to good advantage; besides
which, the price was low, and these
combined attractions covered a multi
tude of disadvantages In the fArmer's
eyes. So he bought the place, his wife
giving a reluctant consent, with the
proViso that she should have a new
house in a year or two.
"This roof is sway backed and leaky,"
she announced, SHE weather boarding is
warped and drawing off at the corners,
and the shade trees are run wild for need
of topping and pruning"
MI. Haynes lifted his eyes to the row of
tall poplars that encircled the house and
answered mildly:
"My dear, it would be a shame to
mutilate these old trees. They are veri-
table whispering sentinels."
The two children, with no house keep
ing instin cts to trouble their imaginative
souls, went out and sat ON the shaky
rail fence in front and contemplated the
small structure. 81 guess the roof is a
little bit crooked, Z" admitted Georgy, but
| don't believe it leaks to burt, and it IS
awfully pretty, with that soft, green
moss all over it,
II don't see how mamma can tell that
the Misunderstanding is drawing off"
said Glenn. '1'm sure / can't see hardl,
a speck of it for the beautiful ivy and
Virginia creeper."
Thus the old hous was taken into their
hearts just as it was, and they were con-
tent.
Promptly, in the afternoon of that first
day, Mrs. Barnes, their nearest neighbor.
iran in" to see them with a wi over
her head.
"You must excuse me for COMM so
soon," she said to Mrs. Haynes, in
smiling apology. "Fhe fact is, l couldn't
wait to tell you how glad l am to see
somebody in the Oh house once more.
What with it standin' empty so long and
OF Mis- Hagadorn a prowlin' round day
and night, its come to seem most like a
ha'nted place. I've been half afeard to
look at it after n~ightfall."
Then the house has been without a
tenant for some time, has it ?" asked
Mrs. Haynes.
"Oh, my, yes. LIS more than two
years since the last folks left. Their
name was Bennett. Mis- Bennett was a
sickly, nervous sort of woman, and she
said she could MT stand OBJ Mis- Haga
dorm"
"Why, who is old Mrs. Hagadorn ?"
questioned Mrs. Haynes. with interest.
my land ! you don't mean to say you
hain't heard of her ?"
9" certainly have not. l know the
place is called the Hagadorn place,
and supposed it must have been ow ned
at some former time by people of that
name, but l wasn't aware any of them
lived ~hereabouts."
THAT beats all ! To think they sold
you this place and never mentioned OIL
Mis- Hagadorn. Ten to one you'll see
her before you sleep tonight"
docs she live near here ?'' asked Mrs.
Haynes, a little anxiously.
shNoI MT or 1o-u ,anr H - Is
tances don't seem to be nothin' to her,
though she's s~eventy-four years old, and
looks as if a mighty small wind would
blow her away. She lives about two
miles from here, t'other side of the
divide. If you Jane by the Barlow road
you likely saw the place-a long, low,
black lookin' building, with out-houses
all around it P"
Mrs. Haynes recalled that she had
noticed a place answering that dsscrip-
tion.
SOP Mis- Hagadorn lives there" said
Mrs. Barnes. Then dropping her voice,
she added, "It's the county poorhonse."
sob p'
Mrs. Haynes waited expectantly for
her visitor to proceed.
"Yes, she's been there ever since she
had to leave here, more than foul years
ago. You see, the Hsgadorns used 20
own this place, and they lived here for
goin' on twenty years-just the Oh folks
alone. They never had but one child,
and he died when he was little. Fin'ly,
that with a long spell of sickness and q
drouth one year, oil man Hagadorn fell
behind and had to borrow money. He
gave a mortgage On the place, and after
that the Oh folks had a reg liar tooth and.
nail fight to scrape up money enough to
pay it of. They got an extension of
time on the mortgage or they never
could have done it. Every time they'd
get a few dollars together the Oh man'd
go to town and put it in the bank for
safe keepin', and at last they had
enough.
81 reckon they was about the thank.
fullest OIL souls you ever see. They
couldn't scarcely wait for payday to
come, SOS they could lift the mortgage
and feel that the OF place was their W
once again. The day before it fell due
the oil man hitohed up and went to town
for the money. 1 shan't ever forget how
restless and fidgety OIL Mis- Hagadorn
was all that day. She just KEEP a-goin'
back and forth between here and my
house, and seemed as if she couldn't set
still a minute. The OF man was late
gettin' home, and when the sun went
down and it began to get dnsky she fell
to trenholm and could scarcely stand on
her feet; and she says to me, says she,
Something's happened to Ezry, or is
goin' to happen, Mis- Barnes. I've felt
it all day. He would drive the colt, and
Pm afeared somethin's happened
"But just then we heard the rattle of
wheels, and there was the OF man drivin'
by safe and sound. Mis- Hagadorn gave
a gasp and started after him. and I fol-
Tered her. When l got there I found her
standin' by the wagon and the OIL man
was sayin' Yes, Sairy, I've got the
money all right, but 1 amt goin' to
risk it in the house tonight. I'm goin' to
hide it under the-"
"He stopped short off when he saw me,
like as if he didn't think it best to let
any livin' soul know where he was
goin' to hide that precious money.
Then be handed out some parcels of