The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-11-24

, sun-dial was sunk in one-sided i'm
becility in a wilderness OF rank-grow
! ing blue irises, and struggling rose
trees had woven a succession of man
traps across the path.
"De-lightful!'' said Mr.. Drake, ex
ultantly, as he looked at the frown
gray facade of the house on one side
the bloodred gliInmer of the twilight
on the other, and listened to the rest
less roar and rush of the chatting
stream, and the sorrowful murmur Of
the pines overhead.
TASTES differ" said the real estate
agent. with little shudder, as be
buttoned his coat closer.
why didn't you bring me here
before?" said Mr.. Drake.
Didn't suppose the place would
suit" said the agent.
at quits exactly" declared Mr.
Drake. Here l find everything that
l require-the Mysterious, the Uncer.
tain, the Possible, the"
Its very much out of repair, sir,''
suggested Mr.. Pratt, poking with his
stick at a loose stone in the cellar
wall.
THAT signifies nothing" cheerfully
uttered the old gentleman. Ruin
suggests antiquities. What would
Thebes be without its ruined columns,
Rome without its Coliseum?n
"Pm sure l don't know, SIR" said
the real estate agent.
Lets 60 i'm said Mr.. Drake
you've got the key, haven't your"
I'm afraid the house is damp, sir, 4"
said his cicerone, with evident reluct.
ance.
well, well, we won't stay long,"
said Mr.. Drake, his joyous alacrity in
creusing with every step. II shall
have roaring wood fires upon every
hearth before I've been in possession
twenty-four hours. Thirty acres of
woodland with the place, think you
mentioned? Dear me! wood will be
no consideration at all. So this is
Desperation Hall, is it9 But why
Desperation'2--stopp short in a
great empty room whose fireplace
was like a cavern, and whose foliated
plaster cornice, once deliberately
wrought, was crumAled away.
| Il don't know, sir, "said the agent.
1.-THE country people took to calling it
SO. Because it looked 80 gloomy, l
suppose"
"Ah!n said Mr.. Drake, with a
chuckle. "Gloom ia elevating. Any
stucco birdhuuse on the top of a hill
can look cheerful, but it takes rare
combination of circumstances to make
q place thoroughly gloomy"
The real estate man began to feel q
little uneasy. If the gentleman was
crazy-and itcertainly began to look
| a little like tit WAS no very comfort
| able thing to be shut up with him in a
solitary house, deep sunk in a glen,
with no nearer neighbor for three
good miles than the owls and the foxes
| He put his hands in his pockets, and
| drew his head turtlewise down into
his coat collar, as he sided toward
| the door.
Hadn't we better be going?" said
he.
mice big rooms" said the old gen.
tlemap, looking around. wide hall,
I with plenty of room for an oaken
settle, and pair of deer's antlers.
Dear mel l couldn't have suited my
, self better. Now if could only be
| certain of a ghost"
"Of a-what?' said Mr.. Pratt, with
a nervous start, as piece of plaster
dropped with hollow sound at his
feet.
"You don't happen to know, do
YOU" said the old gentleman, sud-
denly buttonholing the agent, and
speaking with extreme earnestness,"
whether any one ever died suddenly
in this house? Or if there ever was a
murder committed here2'
mo, sir, | don't,n said Mr.. Pratt,
| vehemently struggling to escape.
"Ah, well, it doesn't matter" said
| the old gentleman. "Only l should
have liked ghost. You must know,
nv good friend" he added, COM
| placently, that l am an author. l
WELD the gray-go quill-he! he! he!
And if could once see genuine
ghost, it would be like touching my
pen to the live Goals of the altar.
| Don't you seer"
Yes" faltered Mr.. Pratt, who did
not see" at all. "But-but now, if
| you're quite ready, perhaps we'd bet
! ter be thinking about going"
"Going!" repeated the old gentle
man, whose face grew more satisfied
| as the room waxed darker, and the
rushing stream outside seemed to
make a louder and sadder moan.
But am not going at ALL"
| WHAT shouted the real estate
agent. why there's no one in the
| house."
That's exactly what p!eases NE"
said the old gentleman.
Nor stick of furniture"
"There's where you are mistaken,
| my friend,n smiled the old gentleman.
I've seen a chair without a back,
| and pair of andiorns in the CHM
ney placs. There's plenty of decayed
tree boughs outside, and I've got the
| daily paper and a box of matches in
my pocket, besides a packet of sand
| witches and a flask of double-extra
| sherry. I'll kindle a fire, and sleep
on my travelling shawl in front of the
fire, Just exactly as if were camping
| out-hal ha! hal And tomorrow Pll
go to the village and buy some furni-
ture, and engage a carpenter and a
gardener. And in the meantime, my
good friend, you can so home and
draw up five years lease of Despera.
ton Hall to Gervaise Drake-five
hundred year, think you said was
the price--for it suits me exactly"
"Suits you, eh?'' said Mr.. Pratt.
81 don't know how my family will
like it," said Mr., Drake. They don't
want me to move; they are partial to
the city. They don't care for the
Mysterious, and they have a foolish
! dislike of Ghosts"
Most folks have" observed the
agent.
but if they DON'T like it, they mus
lump it, said Mr.. Drake, joyfully
rubbing his hands. II will be master
in my OWL house. But perhaps il
may be we'll to have the place patch
ed up a little before they see it,"
You'd better come back to the hotel
for the night" said Mr.. Pratt.
mot l." said Mr.. Drake. Good
evening, my worthy friend. Be sure
you call for me early in the morning
The real estate agent drove away
: carrying in his minds eye a last pic
: ture of Mr., Drake standing cheerfully
! in the doorway under a semicircula
; fan-light of bottle-green glass. HI
went home, his face one prodigiou
smile.
1 1--WE let Desperation Hall, Eben,
he said to mis- clerk, as he jumped gu
at his own door, "Sit down and make
hundred dollars a year, to Gervais
Drake"
2 Eben Joyce whistled long Low
whistle. "Well, well, said he, "won
ders will never cease"
In the meanwhile, Mr.. Drake, lef
e alone with the Antique and tn
Mysterious, and all the rest of tn
4 capital-lettered adjectives which wer
i dear to the soul of his Muse, set him
!. self to work in the dusk gathering DIR.
a sticks and lighting a fire in the grea
Q room, where the dark wooden wains
r coting was in sort of perspiration Q
damp, and a persistent rat gnawin
d behind the carved door lintels; an
t when the fire blazed merrily up, il
myriad sparks fleeing in a fantasti