The daily Alaskan., 1905-05-25
6hs Deserted House

lamps shOne dtmlN through the CIT cling flakes, but they were bright com pared with the black road Into which I plunged beyond the town limits. My four acetyleue lamps forced a circular h,'e in the darkness, and there would have been no difficulty In my getting on had not the snow increased, while the wind, rising to fury, blew it Into drifts. My pace grew slower and with each drift I was In danger of be- ing stalled. The cold was intense, and I began to grow sleepy
 At last was stalled My lamps showed me. not fifty yards ahead, a stone bridge, beyond which the road forked at the foot of a large tree. Be yond on the left fork thought I saw light Putting on all the force there was In my machine, plowcd through the snow and drew up in front of massive stone house, with pillars rising the whole height of the building, such house as was in vogue about lSio.
 I Trapped with the brass knockcr and man opened the door, He was not servant but well to do looking per son of the country class
 I told him my story, and he invited me to take my automobile around to shed in the rear and to spend the night In his house. When returned from the she'd he met me at a back door, brush ed the snow or me and led me into the living room, where his wife and chil' dren were sitting about a blazing wool Are.
 There was something uncanny about these people, and for my life couldn't tell what it was. They were all as white as if they had been long il and seemed hungry, not for food, for they gave me supper, never touching morsel themselves, but for something the nature of which I could not guess. The wife and mother spread her hands before the fire to warm them, and | could see the flame behind, not through red blood, but white flesh. The chiI dren, too had a bluewhitc look about them that made me cold. I attempted to careSs little girl Of six years, Seiz- ing her hand. but she quickly drew it away, and I was glad she dil, for it was cold and stitf, not the least of that warm softness in 1t usual tc childhood I was glad when my host showcd me to sleeping room.
 In the night awoke suddenly with suffocatiou A mouth was glued to mine. and some one was drawing my breath from my body. l was just in time to place my hands upon a pair ot shoulders and hurl the figure away, In another moment l would have been powerleSs. GaSping I awaited the per sons return, but when no one came l | listened. There was no sound, and aft CT time I wonderel if had not had a | spaSmodic closing at the mouth Of the windpipe and dreamel the rest was all in a tremor and resolved Co remain awake for the rest of the night Never theless became drOwsy, and the last I remember was struggling with sleep. I was awakened by some one shak- Ing me. the mouth of a flask put be tween my lips and liquor in my mouth. I swallowed a considerable draft after which opened my eyes to be blinded by a powerful light, the light from an automobile. Two men were chating me. When assured that l was alive they told me that they were passing in their automobile and had found ne in mine apparently frozen. They had reached me just in time to save me. Ahead of me w.s the stone br.d-c |
 .ad seen. beyond which the road iorked at the foot of tAc oak tree. l vas still stuck in the drift from which [ thought I had gone tn the house far
 Ter on. | slid nothing tD my rcscuers
 bout this, and after they had turned ny machine I went with them back to
 he village, where spent the remain Ter of the night.
 The next morning was bright cold md still, and after a hot breakfast l proceeded on my way, pasSel the point where 1 had been stalled and pushed on by the left fork. What was my as | tonishment to see that the house at which I bad stayed the night before was where I thought it. But instead of being occupied it was deserted.
 was paralyzed with a frightful dread. Fortunately I had nothing to do but hold the steering wheel to put the horrible place behind me Reaching a farm house a short distance beyond, I stopped and, leaving my automobile. knocked. A woman came to the door.
 You know the house half a mile back on this side of the road-stone house. big pillars?"
 Yes"
 Any one lived there lately?"
 "Not since a few years after it was built"
 How so?"
 i've heard the family that lived in | it all died of cholera somewhere in the