Middletown transcript., 1901-01-12


For conceive my case. 1t was near
midnight by this; and ever since dusk !
had been tracking the naked moors a.
foot, in the teeth of as vicious a nor :
wester as ever drenched man to the
skin, and then blew the cold home to
his marrow. My clothes were sodden;
imy coat-tails tapped with a noise like
pistol shots; my boots squeaked as went
| Overhead the October moon was IN her
last quarter, and might have been slice
of fnger-nail for all the light she afforded.
Two-thirds of the time the wrack blotted
her out altogether; and I, with my stick
clipped tight under my armpit, eyes
puckered up, and head bent like but
ting rams, but Ii, tie aslant, had to
keep my wits agog to distinguish the
glimmer of the road from the black
heath to right and left. For three hours
had met neither man nor mans dwell
ling, and for all / knew was desper-
ately lost. Indeed, at the cross roads,
two miles back, there had been nothing
for me but to choose the way that kept
the wind on my face, and it gnawed me
like a dog.
Mainly to allay the stinging of my
eyes, ! pulled up at last, turned right
about face, leant back against the blast
with hand on my hat, and surveyed
the blackness I had traversed. 1t was at
this instant that, far away to the left, a
point of light caught my notice, faint but
steady; and at once felt sure it burnt in
the window of house. "The house, F"
thought I, ''is good mile off, beside the
other road, and the light must have been
an inch over my hat-brim for the last
half hour" for my head had been sloped
that way. This refection-that on SO
wide moor I had come near missing the
information I wanted land perhaps a
supper) by one inch-sent strong thrill
down my back.
cut straight across the heather to-
wards the light, risking quags and pit
falls. Nay, so heartening was the chance
to hear fellow creatures voice that I
broke into a run, skipping over the
stunted gorse that cropped up here and
there, and dreading every moment to
see the light quenched. Suppose it
burns in an upper window, and the
family is going to bed, as would be likely
at this hour''-the apprehension kept
my eyes fixed on the bright spot, to the
frequent scandal of my legs, that within
five minutes were stuck full of gorse-
prickles.
But the light did not go out, and soon
a flicker Of moonlight gave me a glimpse
of the houses outline 1t proved to be a
deal more imposing than /. looked for
the outline, in fact, of tall square bar
rack with cluster of chimneys at either
end, like ears, and high wall, topped
by the roofs of some outbuildings, con-
cealing the lower windows. There was
no gate in this wall, and presently CUES
sed the reason. was approaching the
place from behind, and the light came
from back window ON the first floor.
The faintness of the light also was ex-
planned by this time 1t shone behind a
drab-colored blind, and in shape resem-
bled the stem of wine-glass, broaden
ing out at the foot-an effect produced
by the half-drawn curtains within. 1
came to halt, waiting for the next ray
Of moonlight. At the same moment a
rush of wind swept over the chimney
stacks, and on the wind there seemed to
ride human sigh.
On this last point may err. The gust
had passed some seconds before caught
myself detecting this peculiar note, and
trying to disengage it from the natural
chords of the storm. From the next gust
it was absent. And then, to my dismay,
the light faded from the window.
I was half-minded to call out when it
appeared again, this time in two windows
those next on the right to that where
it had shone before. Almost at once it
increased in brilliance, as if the person
who carried it from the smaller room to
the larger were lighting more candles;
and now the illumination was strong
enough to make fine gold threads of the
rain that fell within its radiance, and
fling two shafts of warm yellow over the
coping of the back wall into the night
During the minute or more that l stood
watching, no shadow fell on either
blind.
Between me and the wall ran ditch,
into the back obscurity of which the
ground at my feet broke sharply away.
Setting my back to the storm again, |
followed the lip of this ditch around the
wallis angle. Here was shelter, and here
the ditch seemed to grow shallower. Not
wishing, however, to mistake bed OF
nettles or any such pitfall for solid earth,
I kept pretty wide as I went on. The
house was dark on this side, and the
wall, as before, had no opening. Close
beside the next angle grew a mass OF
thick gorse bushes, and pushing through
these found myself suddenly on a sound
high road, with the wind tearing at me
as furiously as ever.
But here was the front; and now per
ceived that the surrounding wall ad-
vanced some before the house, so as to
form narrow curtilage. So much of it,
too, as faced the road had been white
washed; which made it an easy matter
to find the gate. But as laid hand on
its latch, had a surprise.
A line of paving stones led from the
gate to the heavy porch; and along the
wet surface of these fell streek of light
from the front door, which stood ajar.
That door should remain six inches
open on such night was astonishing
enough, until l entered the court and
found it was as still as room, owing to
the high wall, and doubtless the porch
gave additional protection. But looking
up and assuring myself that all the rest