Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-04-26

/ R2 1jHfiQ wills H. DIlSh WulhSi, anu
M on this night in particular he
sped along SO fast that he was
| half way down II street by the time |
/ had turned the corner of New Hamp
/ shire avenue.
| Hts gaunt but not ungracefpl figure,
merged in that OF the dog trotting
closely at his heels, was the only NOV
| ing object in the dreary vista of this
the most desolate block in Washington.
AS neared the building I was 30 i'm
pressed by the surrounding stiffness
/ that was ready to VOW that the shad-
ows we're denser here than elsewhere
and that the few gas lamps which
/ fiickered at intervals down the street
shonn with n more feeble rsr than in
any other equal length of street in
1 Washington.
/ Meanwhile the shadow OF Uncle Da
/ vid lad vanished from the pavement.
| He had paused bes ide q fence which,
! hung with vines, surrounded and near
4 ~ hid from sight the little cottage he
/ had mentioned as the only house on
1 the block with the exception of the
/ great Moore place; in other words, his
own home
4 As l came abreast Of him I heard
him lnuttering, not to his dog, as was
his custom, but to himself. In fact,
| the dog was not to be seen, and this
desertion on the part of his constant
companion seemed to add to his dis
turbance and affect him beyond all rea-'
7 ~,<,,,lJ <1;c<yp~,,fch fhoSo vvorf7o
amopg the many he directed toward
the unseen animal:
you're q knowing one-too know
ing! You see that loosened shutter
over the way as plainly as l do; but
you're coward te, sink away from it.
l don't. face the thing, and, what's
more, I'll show you yet what think
of dog that can't stand his ground
and help his old master out with some
shopv Of courage Creaks, does 1t?
Well, let it creak. I don't mind its
creaking, glad as / should be to know
whose hand Hello! You've come,
have your This to me. had just
stepped up to him
Eyes, I've come Now, what is the
matter with the Moore houseY'
He must have expected the question,
vet his answer was a long time COM
ing. His voice, too. sounded strained.
and was pitched quite too high to be
natural But he evidently did not ex-
pect me to show surprise at his man.
ner.
"Look at that window over there!"
he cried at last THAT one with the
slightly open shutter Watch and you
will see that shutter move. There, it
creaked! Didn't you hear 1t p
A growl-it was more like moan
came from the porch behind us. In
stantly the old gentleman turned and,
with gesture as fierce as it was in
stinctive, shouted out:
''l}e still there! If you haven't the
courage to face blowing shutter, keep
your jaws shut and don't let every
fellow who happens along know what
fool you are. declare" he maun-
dered on, half to himself and half to
me that dog is getting old. He can't
be trusted any more. He forsakes his
master just when The rest was
LOST; in his throat, which ratified with
something more than impatient anger.
Meanwhile I had been attentively
scrutinizing the house thus pointedly |
brought to my notice. had seen it
many times before, but, as it happen
ed, had never stopped to look at it |
when the huge trees surrounding it |
were shrouded in darkness. The black |
hollow of its disused portal looked out |
from shadows which acquired some Of T
their sombcrness from the tragic men,
cries connected with its empty void.
Its aspect was scarcely reassuring
Not that superstition lent its terrors
to the lonely scene, but that through /
the blank panes of window, alternately I
appearing and disappearing from view
as the shutter pointed out by Uncle
David blew to and fro in the wind,
saw or was persuaded that saw
beam of light which argued an un-
known presence, within walls which
had SO lately been declared unfit for
any mans habitation.
You are right I now remarked to
the uneasy figure at my side. Some
one is prowling through the house yon-
der. Can it possibly be Mrs. jeffrey
or her husband?'
'At night and with no gas in the
house? Hardly"
The words were natural, but the
voice was not. Neither was his man
ner quite suited to the occasion. Civ
ing him another sly glance and mark
ing how uneasily he edged away from
me in the darkness, cried out more
cheerily than he possibly expected:
II will summon another officer and
we three will just slip across and in
vestigate."
Not I!' was his violent rejoinder as
he swung open gate concealed in the
vines behind him. 1.-The JeffreyS would
resent my intrusion If they ever hap
pened to hear Of it,
"Indeed!" laughed, sounding my
whistle Then. soberly enough, for
was more than little struck by the
oddity of his behavior and thought
him as well worth investigation as the
house in wlNch he showed such an in
terest: You shouldn't let that count.
c ONE and see what's up inHhe house
you are so ready to call yours"
But he only drew farther into the
shade