Evening journal., 1904-11-30
THE Desc RTED
HOUSE
IorlrinaLl


blood red in a background Of darkest
green. Used, as I had been for weeks.
to the unlnhabited forest where l had
been hunting, I wondered what could
cause fire where there were no human
beings to lIindle It. Then I thought It
a burning building. Suddenly it oc-
CURED to me that it was the red Octo-
Der sun shining on window glass.
had not slept in house since set
ting out on my hunting trip. nor had I
exchanged a word with man or woman.
! was tired and feverlsh. My bones
ached, my skin was dry, and my pulse
beat high. 1 would go to the house.
where some kind woodsman would
give me bed.
Half an hour later l came to the
house 1 sought. 1t was a neat cottage.
surrounded by a fence incloslng half
an acre Of ground. The twilight was
near gone, but enough was left to show
that nothing grew in the garden, nor
was there animal or fowl on the place.
No lamp was lighted within. Indeed,
the closing Of most Of the shutters de-
noted that there were no occupants.
Moving the Stats Of the blinds so that
1 could look into the living room,
made out in the dim light that IT was
furnished. What tempted me most
was a heap Of logs resting on andirons
in the fireplace, beside which a com
Portable lounge stood ready to receive
my worn body.
1t was not difficult to effect an en-
trance. All had to do was to break
a pane Of glass, put in my hand, un-
lock the catch and throw up the sash.
/ did so and, crawling in, inspected ev-
cry room in the house. Though it was
completely furnished, the closets and
bureaus were empty. There were some
supplies in the larder, but they had
evidently been there a long while.
Lighting the IRE in the living room,
drew the lounge directly before II
and lay down. The cracking Of the
wood, the genial warmth-indeed, all
the surroundings-doubly appreciated
by one who had slept so long sheltered
only by heavens dome, caused me in a
measure to forget my pain. and 1 sank
to sleep.
"TomT'
The word sounded like a woman's
wall. Starting up, looked about fol
the speaker; but, seeing no one, I lay
down, thinking 1 had dreamed. But
sleep did not come again. turned
my face to the fire, now a heap oi
glowing embers, emitting a fickerinl
fame. and gave myself up TO deliberat
ing whether the voice had heard wal
real. Happening to turn my eyes to
ward a window, saw between tn
Stats Of the blind a pair Of eyes.
My first impulse was to seize m
rifle, leaning against the mantel, but
felt sure that a woman was withou
1 sat up, my eyes fixed on those pee
ing through the Stats.
1T can't be you, is 1t, TomT
There was a world Of sadness in tn
words.
"NO, I am not Tom."
The only reply was a sob.
In few minutes l had gone out ant
brought in a woman and. throwing
few sticks on the fire, by the renewe'
light looked to see what manner o
creature she might be. Her age wa
about forty. She had evidently bee
born and bred I'm the country, and they
were traces Of a faded beauty. 1 drev
q comfortable chair to the fire an
when she had seated herself asked 70
an explanation
81 was a fool" she said. II wrecke
my life and Toms. was like youn
colt. wild In doin' what reckoned o
dom, Just like the colt II run agin
barbed wire. Twenty year ago t
night Tom Grlggs and I was to Of
cupy this house after our weddin'. Th
day we was to have been married W
had a spat, and hitched up my father
mar and drove to my aunts over in ii
next county. There l got shet O. m
freak, but thought I'd wait for Tol
to come and bring me back He ney'
came. l was too proud to come baC
till he did, so 1 stayed on and o.
Mother she tried to bring me back, bl
1t wasn't no use. 1 was set in m
ways. Then l heered that Tom he
shet I'D the house he'd built and fu
nished for us and gone no one kne
where.
"Since then every anniversary
what was to have been the weddi
night I've come, thinkin' Tom mig
come to visit it too. When l saw "
lyin' on the lounge tonight l thoug
for sure it was him. I've been he
twenty times, and he hain't come. He
never come
l spoke some words of comfort, b
/ saw that they had no effect. T.
woman had given up hope. Thinkil
that perhaps her lover might ha
visited the place and left some Gle
1 hunted the house over but fou
nothing. Before leaving 1 took |
name and on reaching the city CO.
menced q systematic search throu
an agency and at the end Of six mont
was rewarded In finding my man