The Record-courier. [volume] (Gardnerville, Nev.) 1904-current, 1905-05-19
THE DESERTED
HOUSE

blood red In "A background OF darkest
green Isetl as | had been for weeks.
to the uninhabited forest where l had
been hunting. | wondered what could
tause fire where there were no human
beings to kindle IT, Then l thought It
IA burning building Suddenly IT oc-
Cured TO ne thai il was the red Octo-
Der sun shining on window glass.
had not slept in house since set
ting ont on my hunting trip. nor had
exchanged word with man or woman.
! was tired ana feverish Ny bones
ached. my skin was dry. and my pulse
beat high / would 20 10 the house,
where ollie kind woodsman would
give me j bed.
Half an hour later | came to the
house | sought Il was a neat cottage,
surrounded 10y 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 CT fowl on the place
No lamp VS. 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
l could look into the living room, l
made out III the dim light that It was
furnished What tempted me most
was hcua 81 LOGS resting on andirons
in the fireplace. beside which a COM
Portable lounge stood ready 10 receive
my worn body
1t was hi difficult TO effect an en-
trance. All | had 10 do was TO break
a pane Of glass. put in my hand. IN
lock tho 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 We're some
supplies In the harder. but they had
evidently been there a long while.
Lighting the fire in the living room.
! drew the lounge directly before 1t
and lay down. The cracking OF the
wood. the genial warmth-indeed, all
the surronndlngs-do appreciated
by one who had slept 50 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 a 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. l 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 to turn my eyes to-
ward a window, | saw between the
Stats OF the blind pair of eyes
Ny first impulse was 10 seize my
rife. leaning against the mantel, but l
felt sure that a woman was without.
| sat up, my eyes fixed on those peer
ing through the Stats.
1t can Dt you. i H. IOIH
There was a world of sadness In the
words.
mo. | am not Tom
The only reply was sob.
In a few minutes | had gone out and
brought in woman and. throwing a
few sticks on the fire. by the renewed
light looked 10 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 faded beauty | drew
a comfortable chair to the fire and
when she had seated herself asked for
an explanation.
II was fool" she said. Il wrecked
my life and Toms was like young
colt. wild Ia dom what | reckoned ON
doin', just like the colt II run agin a
barbed wire. Twenty year ago to-
night Tom Griggs and | was to &C.
cupy this house after our weddin'. The
day we was TO have been married we
had a spat, and hltehed up my fathers
mar and drove to my aunts over in the
next county There | got shet o. my
freak, but thought I'd wait for Tom
to come and bring me back. He never
came | was too proud TO come back
till he did, so | stayed on and on.
Mother she tried to bring me back, but
1t wasn't no use. | was set in my
ways Then | heered that Tom had
sbet up the house he'd built and fur
nished for us and gone no one knew
where.
"Sinee then every anniversary of
what was TO have been the weddin'
night I've come. thinkin' Tom might
come to visit it too. When | saw you
lynn ON the lounge tonight l thought
for sure 1t was him. I've been here
twenty times, and he hain't come. He'll