The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-02-01

odoriferous with kitchen odors tain ted
with gas. Verily--I aud only L was
in the house. Sud ienlv the dog
ceased to howl, and heard the drip
ping of watertap-drip, drip, drip.
Aud with the fall of the water came
to me a measure of time, aud 1
thought again: "What does it mean,
this empty, black house?, Why IS
this sitting gas seething around me,
and only me? Ahl there is a foul
evil in the night-away and out, out
Of the house!"
With rush, fought my way up
step and step to tho hall above, and
groped toward the dim light shining
pallidly through a narrow glass win
dow above the door. "Will it be
locked?" I thought fearfully to my
self. els there not something fol-
lowing on my track?" I turned the
handle and pulled it fiercely toward
me. The door yielded and L rushed
into the open.
Anything wrong, sir?" and with
the words came a broad flash Of light
which, settling :nomentarily on my
face, dropped as quickly to my bare
feet and back again. Anything wrong,
sirp" and the voice drew closer, the
light flashing past me into the dark
hall behind. Then the outline OF a
helmet and cloak loomed darkly upon
me, and found my voice in the pres
ence Of constable of the law.
eyes; the house is full of gas,
and-they've gone. might have
been suffocated; perhaps they wanted
to suffocate me. don't know-I---"
"Who'vo gone? What's their
name?" the constable interruted alb
ruptly.
''The landlady-the landlord-the
daughter. I don't know their names,
but look here, constable" and pro-
ceeded to give my late experience"
to him in woof of words.
The man evidently did not know
what Interpretation to place upon
either me or my story land small won
der, I hardly knew myself, but, ex-
tinguishing bis lantern, proposed that
we research the house together. This
we did carefully and cautiously. At
the initial stage of our exploration
we, or rather he, discovered that the
hall gas burner was turned on full and
the gas issuing from it at high
pressure. "Might have been blown
out by the draught," suggested the
constable as he turned into the sitting
room. which 1 had already searched,
and threw open the windows to
sweeten the atmosphere. "Yes. it
might" / assented, Especially if they
left by the hall door, which, blythe
by, was unbolted when L came down.
stairs"
But TO make long story short
one--there was nobody in the house.
Not a living thing, with the exception
of dog chained up in the ack-yard,
which was surrounded, so far as we
could see, by high walls. This was
the poor brute whose mournful howl
ing had first aroused me. and that
now seemed frantic with Joy at the
delusive prospects Of social termina-
ton 10 his gloomy reflections. With
tho discovery of the dog and the yard
our search ended, and the constable
intimated to me that he should sum
mon additional assistance. A shrill
call on his whistle--from the hall
or-translated the decision into ac-
tion, and with the arrival of another
constable upon the scene j was called
upon for fresh explanation. The
second official head threw no more
light upon the case than the first. but
offered u suggestion-"Let's knock
up the neighbors, p'r'aps they know
summat about it,.
To tho right and back, and then to
the left, went that constable. Rata
tat, tat-a.tat! went the knockers. Up
went the windows, out came heads.
"Who's there?" "What dye want?"
What dye say--who's my neighbor?
What neighbor--what dye mean?"
And then doors opened, and other
doors caught the infection and they
opened; in short. there was pretty
ito do" and half-dressed crowd
soon shivered around the steps OF No i.
lib. was quite harried with their
questions. | had no sooner arrived
at the end OF one series than [ was
plunged into another. / had no sooner
satiated one individuals desire for
knowledge than was called upon to
iced aome ono else. Whether my
brain and my temper would have stood
the strain for very long cant say.