The suburban citizen., 1900-09-01

BBl M storm coming up
Z. &&I,,, Egl,. from the west
H,1rs'ss '''""""'S that rendered the
way darker and gloomier at every
step.
The horse l bestrode was n powerful
animal, but had been ridden hard dur
ing the day and was exhibiting signs
of great fatigue.
was not in the best of humor.
had agreed to meet the Chief of Serv-
ice at Golden, on the following morn
ing, at a very early hour, and knew
could not get there. Add to this that
was supperless and worn down with
the days ride and it may be imagined
that l was in no very amiable mood.
The storm was approaching nearer
every moment, and 1 was just despair
ing of shelter, when the horse SHE'D
suddenly to one side Of the road, and
fell back on his launches with a vio-
lence that nearly unseated me; and
in the next moment my eyes were daz-
zled with n brilliant light, that seemed
to have been instantaneously flashed
out of the darkness.
bad road herew said a gruff voice;
and l then observed a man standing
in the middle Of the road, holding q
lantern, in the back of which was a
strong reflector. Heard your horse,
and came out to see who it was. The
storm will be on us directly and you'd
better be under cover"
as there any house near?" I asked
when l had recovered from my aston
ishment.
"Yes,just around this clump of trees
in the fork Of the road You can put
up there if you like. Follow meg'
l had been startled and amazed at
the incident, but was exceedingly
grateful to find shelter, and probably
sustenance, so near and was glad to
obey the mans directions.
We had hardly been housed when
the storm burst with great violence,
and although the place was far from
inviting, it was very acceptable.
The man who had met me in the
road, and who proved to be the land
lord, was a coarse, burly fellow, up
ward of fifty years of age, with long
gray hair, matted together and looking
as if it had been permitted to grow
from childhood without attention. He
was powerfully built; his countenance
was cadaverous and fOrbidding and
his eyes had a peculiarly ferocious
CLEAN about them that did not reas-
sure me.
A younger man, whom he called his
son, was but a trifle more prepossess-
ing; and an old crone who sat by the
corner Of the huge fireplace, rocking
to and fro, smoking a pipe, and rub
bing her hands neryOusly together, ap-
peared uglier than ALL
A supper, consisting mainly Of an
Irish stew strongly impregnated with
garlic, was laid on the table, but
partook of it sparingly, and as soon as
the meal was over asked to be shown
to bed.
There was a good deal Of bustllng
about at this request. The old crone
made several trips over the rickety
stairs leading to room overhead, and
was compelled to call the father and
son to her aid; but the preparations
were finally completed, and the elder
Of the two men volunteered to show
me to the room.
There is no lock on this door," he
said-"we never lock doors here-but
there is good bolt, so you can use it
If you are in the way Of locking your
self up nights, as most city folks are
A good nights rest to you;" and then
pausing a second, and casting his eyes
toward the ceiling, he added: "a long
sleep and pleasant dreams"
Then he placed the candle on the
table and left.
l did not like the way in which he
had said "a long sleep" but did not
feel superstitious about it. When he
had gone / closed the door and OBJ.
served there was good bolt on 1t, as
he had said. This l shot into the socket,
and giving the door a firm pull, to
make sure 1t was fast, was surprised
to see the socket yield n little, and
then, as my hold on the door-knob re-
laxed, draw into place again.
Close examination showed it to be
held by a spiral spring, and it was ap-
parent that when the spring was
drawn out to its full tension, it would
readily snap and render the entrance
to the room an easy matter.
This incident startled me still more
than the one that had occurred on
the road, and l fell to thinking Of the
people, whose guest l was, with an
intensity bordering on nervousness.
There was but one window to the
room. and observed that access could
not be had to that from without except
by the aid Of n ladder.
Being fully convinced that l was
among bad people, resolved to draw
the bedstead up against the door. and