The Somerset reporter., 1897-12-16
THE LIGET IN
THE COTTAGE.

49, ~-~ = a 4.-.-. = = go = = .---A
There WAS light last night in the
the haunted cottage"
My wite's little mother spoke it with
shiVerand whisper at the breakfast Christ
mas morning Toinette and | looked at
each other as if to ask, is her old trouble
coming back She, catching our glances
shook her head
No, my dcars there nothing the mat
ter with me, answering as if she had read
our thoughts. There was IA light there, -
she reiterated Il heard some one cough
There were strokes OF a hammer and, Il
little later, IA carriage was driven away
saw it go.
She was SO decided in voice and manner,
50 different for the moment from her usual
gentle self, that felt sure nothing allied
her head We We're very watchful of the
dear old lady because She sometmes-not
very often-had mild but temporary de
lusions she had never entirely recovered
from the shock caused by the tragic loss
of her husband
1T was Christmas night a year ago
John, that you saw light there, " re
marked Toinette meditatiYcly
Il have not forgotten it, said l, "nor
how, when | went to look into the matter
pumped into man coming down the
front steps. What followed was something
like this Beg pardon, | said Being
an officer and seeing "A light in this empty
house | thought tramps might have bro
ken in.
Pm no tramp, replied the man,
speaking in IA heavy bass voice, rs if he
had a cold.
1t was SO odd a thing
Odd or not, he broke in, it's my
house, 10 do with as | like What 5 the
time, officer: But never mind Here $
my carriage Good night And he was
driven away without so much as a glimpse
Of his face.
"Now, I'm not bit superstitious -
mother declared it with n vigor and posi-
tiyeness that permitted no controversy,
even had we, her children, thought or said
anything To the contrary but it made
my flesh creepy to think Of any one being
alone in that empty, horrible old she'll"
And then you went to bed and cried
over it half the night, asserted Toinctte
reproachfully your eyes show it, moth
er -
XIII ont my memory, daughter, and
the tears will stop" Her lips quiyered as
she spoke, You know can't help it. "
Yes, | know, and Tonctte began to
talk of other matters.
might as well state right here, SO that
the story may be the better kept together,
that msiorfunes had in my case trans
formed me from n bookkccpcr into II po-
liecman, and had found no way of turn
ing myself back again The station To
which | was assigned was within five
minutes walk of the fiat we called home
The cottage about which we had been
talking was u small, one story structure,
with steps coming directly down to the
sidewalk in front and with scrimpy.
weed covered backyard, rs if it were a
refuse patch from some rich man garden
Less than half dozen years before 1t had
been about in the center of three acre
tract devoted to truck gardening but
the city had grown out far beyond it and
was smothering it with great bulldtne, of
brick and stone The exterior Wa Kept
in good condition by paint, but it- interior
condition was unknown, the Owner plain
ly preferrinR that the property should re-
main tonantlr7s This cottage was directly
in the rear of our building, faciug "a par
allel street An alley separated the two
yards From our rem windows we could
look down on the premises SO that u WIS
not difficult 10 notice any unusual happau
ing Among old women and chlldr.u the
place had TIM reputation of being huuutud
"A distinction that seems naturally tn ho.
come attached 10 vermont and uuOccup,d