The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-11-10
The Desc RTED
HOUSE
[Original.l

| A light far away in the valley shone
blood red in background of darkest
! green. Used, as l had been for weeks,
| to the uninhabited forest where l had
been hunting. l wondered what could
cause fire where there were no human
beings to kindle it. Then l thought IL
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 a house since set
ting out on my hunting trip, nor had l
exchanged word with man or woman
I was tired and feverish. Ny bones
ached, my skin was dry, and my pulse
beat high. would so to the house,
where some kind woodsman would
| give me a bed
Half an hour later came to the
house l sought. It was a neat cottage,
surrounded by a fence inclosing 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
I could look into the living room,
made out in the dim light that it was
furnished. What tempted me most
was heap Of logs resting on andirons
in the fireplace, beside which a com
Portable lounge stood ready to receive
my worn body
It was not difficult to effect an en-
trance. All had to do was to break
pane Of glass, put in my hand, IN
lock the catch and throw up the sash.
[ l 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 fire in the living room,
/ drew the lounge directly before it
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 I sank
to sleep.
"Tom!'
The word sounded like woman's
wall. Starting up, looked about for
the speaker; but, seeing no one, lay
down, thinking had dreamed. But
sleep did not come again. I turned
my face to the fire, now a heap of
glowing embers, emitting a Pickering
fame, and gave myself up to deliberat-
ing whether the voice I had heard was
real. Happening to turn my eyes to-
ward a window, saw between the
Stats Of the blind pair of eyes.
Ny first impulse was to seize my
rifle, leaning against the mantel, but
felt sure that woman was without
sat up, my eyes fixed on those peer
ing through the Stats.
eft can't be you, is it, TomT'
There was a world of sadness In the
words.
mo, am not Tom."
The only reply was sob.
In few minutes had gone out and
brought in woman and, throwing a
few sticks on the fire, by the renewed
light looked to see what manner Of
creature she might be. Her age was
about forty. She had evidently been
born and bred In the country, and there
were traces of a faded beauty. drew
a comfortable chair to the fire and
when she had seated herself asked for
an explanation.
"T was a fool" she said. ''I wrecked
my life and Toms. was like young
colt, wild in dom what l reckoned on
dom, just like the colt III run agin a
barbed wire. Twenty year ago to-
night Tom Griggs and was to oc-
cupy this house after our weddin'. The
day we was to have been married we
had spat, and hitched up my fathers
mar and drove to N.Y. aunt's over in the
next county. There I got shet O. my
freak, but thought I'd wait for Tom
to come and bring me back. He never
came. I was too proud to come back
till he did, so I stayed on and on.
Mother she tried to bring me back, but
it wasn't no use. / was set in my
ways. Then I heered that Tom had
shet up the house he'd built and fur
nished for us and gone no one knew
where.
"Since then every anniversary of
h h. ~