Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-11-08
DAILY SHORT STORY
THE DESERTED HOUSE.
IOriginal.l


beings TO kindle it. Then 1 thought it
burning building Suddenly It oc-
| Cured TO me that il was the red Octo-
! Der sun shining on window glass.
| 1 had not slept in a house since' set
! ting out on my hunting trip. nor had
exchanged a word with man or woman.
1 was tired and feverish. My ibones
| ached. my skin was dry, and my pulse
/ beat high. l would so to the, house,
where some kind fwoodsman would
! give me a bed
| Half an hour later l came to the
| house l sought. 1t 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 inf 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 ne most
was a heap of logs resting on andirons
in the fireplace, beside which n COM
Portable lounge stood ready 10 receive
my worn body.
1t was not difficult Ito effect an en-
| trance All l had to do was to break
a pane of glass, put in my hand, IN
| lock the catch and throw up the sash.
did so and, crawling in. Inspected ev-
cry room in the house. Though 1t was
completely furnished, the 'closets and
bureaus were empty. There were some
supplies in the Harder, but they had
evidently been there a long while
Lighting the fire in the diving 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 sank
to sleep.
Tom
The word sounded like q woman's
wall. Starting up, looked about for
the speaker; but, seeing no one, Ijlay
down, thinking l had dreamed. But
sleep did not come again. I turned
my face to the fire, now a heap of
glowing embers, emitting a Pickering
flame. and gave myself up to deliberat-
ing whether the voice had heard was
real. Happening 10 turn my eyes to
ward window, l saw between the
Stats Of the blind Il pair OF eyes.
My first impulse was TO seize my
rifle. leaning against the mantel, but
felt sure that n woman was without
sat up. my eyes fixed on those peer
ing through the stats.
1T can't he you, is it, Tom?"
There was world OF sadness in the
words.
NO, l am not Tom"
The only reply was a sob.
In Il few minutes had gone out and
brought in a 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 n faded beauty. I drew
a comfortable chair to the fire and
when she had seated herself asked for
an explanation.
Il was fool" she said. II wrecked
my life and Toms. 1 was like young
colt. wild in doin' what 1 reckoned on
dom. Just like the Colt''Il run agin a
barbed wire. Twenty year ago to-
night Tom GriEGs and l was to oc-
cupy this house after our weddin'. The
day we was to have been married we
had spat. and l hitched up my fathers
mar and drove to my aunts over in the
next county. There l got shet O my
freak, but thought I'd wait for Tom
TO come and bring me back. He never
came. l was too proud to come back
TIL he did. so / stayed on and on. |
Mother she tried to bring me back, but |
II wasn't no use. l was set in my |
ways. Then / 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 |
what was to have been the weddin' /
night I've come, thinkin' Tom might |
come TO visit II too. When l saw you |
lyin' on the lounge tonight 1 thought /
for sure it was him. I've been here
twenty times. and he hain't come. He'll /
never come"
l spoke some words OF comfort, but
saw that they had no effect. The
woman had given up hope. Thinking
that perhaps her lover might have
visited the place and left some clew,
l hunted the house over, but found
nothing. Before leaving 1 took his
name and on reaching the city COM
menced a systematic search through
an agency and at the end of six months
was rewarded in finding my man in
the far west
When I went on nv next hunting /