Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1897-01-25


up. At length, after waiting week,
! felt sure that he must be i'll, and went
over to the shanty to inquire.
Il hammered at the door. Nobody
answered. l hammered louder and
louder, with the same result. In the
end, as a last resort, l tried it. To my
surprise. it was unfastened. 1 pushed
1t open and went in.
81 cannot tell you what my feelings
were as l entered that miserable sty.
a more dismal, forlorn, and withal
filthy hovel has surely never been in
habited by human beings. There was
scarcely any furniture. The walls were
black and covered with cobwebs, and
simply alive with creeping insects; and
the floor-well, won't attempt to de-
scribe it. / think you could cut the at
mosphere with knife, SO thick and
foul it was; and fetid, oh, insulferably
fetid. 1t nearly poisoned me, and my
first impulse was to beat u hasty re-
treat into the open. But low moan
from the corner attracted me. Hooked;
and there l saw sight at once loath-
some and pitiable.
"Crouching against the wall, upon the
damp and moldy floor, was figure cov-
cred with an old sack. l went nearer.
At first | could not see which of the
twoitwas. But, on looking more closely,
| made it out to be the old woman. She
was almost naked, except for the COW
rring of the sack; and one of her yell
low arms, which lay exposed, looked
unspeakably lean and shriveled and
weird. / also noted another point The
tangled black hair, which had always
struck me SO about her, was now be-
trayed as not being her own. 1t was
wig; half on and half off at that mo-
ment. giving her fearfully grotesquc
appearance, and clearly revealing her
bald pate, scantily fringed with few
wltisI>s of gray hair, beneath.
what Is the matter? Are you HIP
I asked, bending down, and speaking
in loud, clear voice; for l knew her
to be almost stone deaf.
'She stared at me with dazed, sus-
plcious eyes, and said nothing; only
moaning again.
care you HIP l repeated.
Another moan.
"'Where is your brother" I shouted.
Has he left you alone?'
"She looked hard at me. could see
in her restless black eyes that this time
she had caught the purport of my ques-
tion.
"'Bnother Tom?' she muttered
"'Yes! / roared. Where is he"
"She looked at me very cunningly.
Her eyes seemed to wake up and sparkle
with an almost unnatural brightness.
"'Don't you know?' she gasped.
Il shook my head.
"'Wcll, you shall hear she went on.
I'm just going the same way myself,
and it's no use keeping secrets any
longer. He's dead
"'Dead!' l exclaimed, supposing that
her wits were wandering, for ! had
seen him at his hovel door less than a
fortnight since. When did he die?'
''She gave low chucllle.
"'Fifteen year ago.
"Now, of course, saw that she was
raving. Her hawk-like eyes, fixed Oh
my face in most forbidding leer, at
once read my thoughts.
mo, | ain't mad. It's the truth. He
died Is year ago, and l buried him my
self under yonder hearthstone. Get
them to dig it up, and you'll find his
bones
"As she spoke, the hng clutchcd my
sleeve and half raised herself by su
preme effort. Her face wore q fiendish.
ly exultant grin. Her whole expression
was grotesque, and repulsive. She
leered into my face with look that l
can never forget.
"'Yes, yes she said. All true-all
true. ! hid it, and no one knew. And
with hideous chuckle, I've dror'd his.
pension myself for IS year!'"