The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-12-07

Uncle Mccarthy down to a fine point.
On Friday nights he made collins and
drove hearses; during the rest of the
week he rarely did more than patter and
shuttle in the attics over my head.
One night, about the middle of De-
cember, 1 awoke, suddenly aware that
some noise had fallen like a heavy
stone into my dreams. AS l felt for the
matches it came again, the long, grudg-
ing groan and the uncompromising bang
of the cross door at the head of the
kitchen stairs. l told myself that it was
a draught that had done it, but it was
perfectly still night. Even as 1 listened
a sound of wheels on the avenue shook
the stiffness. In a few minutes I was
stealthily cropping my way down my own
staircase, with a box of matches in my
hand, and armed with a stick. l stood
in the dark at the top of the back stairs
and listened; the snores of Mrs. Cado
gan and her nephew Peter rose tran
GULLY from their respective lairs l de-
scended to the kitchen and lit a candle;
there was nothing unusual there. except
a great portion of the Cadogan wearing
apparel which was arranged at the fire,
and was being serenaded by two crickets.
/
the yard. l put the candle on the table
and went forth into the outer darkness.
Not a sound was to be heard. The night
was very cold, and so dark that l could
scarcely distinguish the roofs of the
stables against the sky; the house loom
cd tall and oppressive above me; l was
conscious of how lonely it stood in the
dumb and barren country. Something
! whirled out of the darkness above me,
and fell with a flop on the ground, just
at my feet. I Jumped backward, in point
Of fact | made for the kitchen door and,
with my hand on the latch, stood still
and waited. Nothing further happened;
the thing that lay there did not stir; |
struck a match. The moment of tension
turned to bathos as the light fiickened
on nothing more fateful than a dead
crow.
Dead it certainly was. / could have
told that without looking at it; but why
should it, at some considerable period
after it's death. fall from the clouds at
my feet? But did it fall from the clouds
! struck another match and stared up at
the impenetrable face Of the house. There
was no hint of solution in the dark win
dows, but 1 determined to go up and
search the rooms that gave upon the
yard
How cold it was! I can feel now the
frozen musty air of those attics, with
their rat-eaten floors and wall papers
furred with damp. l went softly from
one to another feeling like a burglar in
my own house, and found nothing in
clucidation of the mystery. The win
doWs were Theoretically shut and sealed
with cobwebs. There was no furniture
, except in the end room, where a ward
| robe without doors stood in a corner,
empty save for the solemn presence of a
monstrous tall hat. / went back to bed,
cursing these powers of darkness that
had got me out of it.
| My landlord had not failed of his prom
! Use to visit my coverts with his hounds.
| l met them all one red frosty evening.
FURRY at their head, in his shabby pink
coat and dingy breeches, the hounds trail
! ing dejectedly behind him and his half
! dozen companions.
What luck?" I called out, drawing
rein as I met them.
None" said Mr. FURRY briefly. He
did not stop, neither did he remove his
pipe from his mouth; his eye at me was
cold and sour. The other members of
the hunt passed me with equal hauteur;
1 thought they took their i'll luck very
badly.
On foot, among the last of the stray
Cling hounds, cracking carman's whip
and swearing comprehensively at them
all, slouched my friend Slipper. Our
| friendship had begun in court, the rela-
| tive positions of the dock and the judg-
| ment seat forming no obstacle to it's
progress. He was, as usual, little
drunk, and he hailed me as though l We're
a ship.
"Ahoy, Major Yeates" he shouted.
bringing himself up with lurch against
my cart; cts hunting you should be- in
place of sending poor divils to Jail"
But where are all the foxes?" said l.
"Begor, l don't know no more than
your honor. And Shreelane-that there
used to be as many foxes in it as there's
crosses in a yard of check Well, we'll
I'll say nothin' for it, only that it's
quarrel"
That frosty evening was followed by
three others like unto it, and fight of
woodcock came in. I dispatched invita-
tons to shoot and dine on the following
day to four of the local sportsmen, among
| whom was, of course, my landlord. I re-
member that in my letter to the latter,
1 expressed facetious hope that my