Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-07
THE HOUSE OF THE
b ACK RING.
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE.
Copyright. 1905. by Henry Holt & Coz

vi al Woooed I1aSe cut Sharply against the
pale sky.
A belated vehicle drove into the yard. and
shout greeted il.
It's Tile. boys! Here's Tile already"
Sleepy! Oh my, Jest you see them
eyes wunst"
Get home In time for breakfast, ulie?''
A plump. middle-aged man climbed from
his wagon, and proceeded with preternat.
ural gravity to tie his horse to the fence
Apparently he had heard word of the
raillery. 1t was as If the undertaken had
arrived at the funeral, and was arranging
the hearse. As he turned, however, a
sheepish grin began to spread over his face
and at the sight of it the crowd began to
laugh.
''Thini; you're dretful smart still now
DON'T yeh?' he snapped, pulling off his
big coat with vigor and taking his Gus
tomary place. Then the chatting fell sharp
and thick, like rice at wedding.
Who was it. Ulie. last night? Come tell
US. Dew
Say. better get your courage up quick.
Ulie. The rule for sparkin' is that the gaI's
jest as afraid of you as you be of her
''Oh, pshaw. Tile. Finish it right up slap
and be done with it. It's awful bad on
you're gettin along In years. Boys can
stan 1t, but it's death on you old crit
ters."
When a country gathering gets started
on this track there Is no logical end No
quarter Is given, nor is it usually asked
Shouts of merry laughter went up at every
hit. The victim seemed irritable and
cry; he snapped and growled and hustled
over his work with unnecessary vigor, but
q close observer might have detected that
in reality he was enjoying the raillery.
Pretty smart, amt yeh? Heh?' he
spluttered. Spose you mind your own
business awhile? I've known folks to get
rich jest minding their own business" He
was greeted with smokers. Wal. then
he exploded, as If hopelessy at bay, '.let
me tell .yeh one thing wunst l was out
would scare the very devil himself The
smokers broke into outlaws.
Lord! is she that ugly, Ulia?'
You Jest wait a minute, fellers. I was
you know-and--' Again they interrupted
him. Ulie Dribelbis. as ell knew, had as
his first business the securing of wife num-
Der three.
"Strike bargain In yeh business, did
yeh?"
-out-on-business," he repeated
with studied elaboration, land at Just
IL o'clock midnight. I was In sight of the
old Heller house, and" lowering his voice,
II seen something"
What was 1t, UIie?" strange hush
had fallen over the crowd. They had ell
to man stopped working. and were look
Ing at him In curious way.
TELL us, Ulie. What was it,"
"Oh, nothing much" He was working
away as If unconscious of the interest he
had suddenly aroused Say, this is
s.
"Ulie. what was it? Tell US what you
seen"
ooh, boys, don't ask me about It, Please
don't. 1t makes me creep all over on.
my lordi 1 wouldn't go through that again
for thousand dollars. No, suh--a thou
sand dollars" He glanced up with
shade of terror in his face, and he shiV-
cred percseeptibly How many 3, hogs you
a visible effort Reckon we can do 'cm
all today
Come. out with It. Tile. What was It.
Ulie?'' They had gathered about him and
were looking into his face with round eyes.
Kind of a reddish. sickish light In the
winder wunst, that kept soft of wa-a-a-a-
verin' and beckonin'."
us that all2 That was the moon shinin
on the glass still. You was scairt. Ulie"
Cloudy night last night and you-uns
knows 1t. Darks the devils pocket Already.
Want even any stars, and you'uns knows
it. And that light shined wa-a-ay out on
the snow, maxim 1t look jest like blood. Oh,
my lord! And don't you ask me what I
heard l can't stan it. My God, men!-
say, les talk about something else. Say
Dan, when did yeh begin to feed these
What was it, UIieo What did yeh hear?'
There was an nwed tone in the voice.
well. sub, heard most an awful noise
already. An awful noise!" He lowered his
voice TO a shudderpg whisper.
How did It sound, Ulie?" Lem Fishers
face had turned to a tallow white
"A great, long laugh, like crazy mans
Iaugh0a laugh that never come from no
living mans mouth; no. sub. 1t made my
hair go right up straight like eats back.
Then l heard the awfulest swearln-a KIND
of a hollow, gaspIn'. swearin' and cursin',
as II somebody was being strangled 10
death Somethin seemed to take right hold
of my throat and grip 1t up hard, SO l
couldn't breathe. l never heard no voice
like that. never in my life There was no
doubling the honest horror in the mans
face.
''Oh, pshaw." came a disguised voice.
Somebody was up in that old shanty-
tramps probably. If you're looking for
ghosts you'll .1nd ghosts, I'll tell yeh that.
Folks shoot bear that are loaded for bear"
You look ahere, Amos Hardin, wunst.
What do you 'spose l seen this morning?
Heh?" The company gathered nearer.
When I come over this morning I went up
clost and, suh," his voice breaking, there
want no track in the snow anywhere round
it-nothing but that black dead mans ring
already. All round the house that awful
black ring, but there hadn't been no track"
'Han't been no track in there all winter,
yetst," spoke up a voice. They all fell to
work again in silence. There was a look
of horror on al faces.
Wonder If Al Farthing has saw any
thing?" Lem Fisher was the first to speak.
Wonder what he thinks of this devilish-
nessP'
BET you won't never know. AIS the most
closest-mouthed man l ever seen still. II
already he wouldn't say a word about 1t.
No sub"
Say, did yeh ever think there might be
something strange about it?' Lem Fisher
half closed his eyes and looked knowingly
at the group.
Now don't you go to hintin' about AL.
Don't you do It. He's squares a die. Yes,
sub" Dan Tressler hustled instantly, as II
the remark was a personal thrust. "Als
n square man. and the best friend weuns
have got in this valley still Yessuh. He
says as how he'll pay cents bushel
more for our corn than the squire will, and
he's going to have big load of flour come
for fifty cents a berrel less than what We
uns are a-paying. Yessuh. He sayes 1t is
mean shame the way Ira Hartswicks
been bleedin' us. He's been out and saw
things, Al has, and he knows what price is
already. Yessuh. I invited him over to the
butcherin' today and he's coming until
eight"
You invited himF' They all straight
ened up and looked at the man.
'Yessuh. l did" doggedly. IT'S a mean
shame to leave him out every time Jest
because he amt relation and the Sources
kreseled at him. / invited him, and his
boys too
But you know Squire Hartswick-"
Il don't care chincapin. Nosuh." There
note M hra do, In tha voioa II