The Democratic advocate., 1907-12-13

room on the ground floor, and L doubt not,
looking disconsolately into space for conso-
lation. He set before me basket contain
ing, beneath sheet of brown paper, |
knew not what in the way of food, and
busted himself to make me as comfortable
as the limited means at hand would per-
nit. l silently watched him arrange my
saddle and the leather bags, unrolling and
throwing over all my folded blankets, and
form most comfortable seat. Then going
to and from a one story cabin which ad-
Joined, and had once been the kitchen for
the little house, he soon had rousing fire
in the great black fire place, and plenti-
full supply of wood piled near by for its
replenishment during the night. This done
he looked at me with bright smile, and
said 'tdat's all 1 reckin' Kernel, an I'll
des rack back home.
In response to my question he said,
ssT m name Tom ''Stay with me to-
night Tom," said 1, showing him silver
dollar; II want some one to talk to, and
this is lonely place ''Dat's hit he
quickly replied. "Why, Kernel he
continued, stdis is de mos lonesomes' house
in dis country. | wouldn' stay in dis
house all night fer de whole state. Why
dey's ghosts hyah; dis hyah house is
ha' nted." tried in vain to laugh away
his fears, and doubled my offer. He was
not to be shaken. With a, 81 done feed
your boss, sah,' he was gone into the de-
scending food, and was left alone.
"Here's a jolly Christmas prospect.
This would FIJI to overaowing the measure
of even Mark Tapley's desire for gloom
and desperate conditions l said to my
self as | sat upon the seat Tom had ar
ranged, and looked at the fire.
l slowly made my plans for the night,
and then proceeded to their fulfllment.
To the~room in which | sat there were
two doors, one in front and one at the
back, and one window in front. There
was corner stairway rising to the room
above, door to which opened at the third
step. This door was secured by heavy
chain and hook the others by strong oaken
bars dropped into iron brackets on either
side of the doors, while the windows, from
which the sash and glass, if there had ever
been such things in them, had long since
disappeared, were provided with solid
wooden shutters, securely hooked on the
inner side. Completing this inspection,
dropping the wooden bars into place as l
went, and seeing to it that the shutters
were securely hooked, [ then assembled to
the room above, carrying flaming torch
from my fire. The room was entirely bare
and EN- PITY, and its single window was
guarded like those below. Completing
the examination, | descended, closing and
chainiug the stairway door behind me and
as I sat before the fire, making hearty
meal of the coarse food in the basket, to
which hard days riding and fasting i'm
ported most agreeable flavor, [ congrat-
ulated myself upon the comfort and secu
rity of my quarters. The storm without
continued with unabated fury; and as |
sat in mute enjoyment of my pipe after
supper, the incessant patter Of the rain,
and the intermitting roar Of thunder
through the forest, were only regarded as
auxiliaries, for those sounds added zest to
the keenness of my enjoyment.
Stretching myself at length upon my
unfolded blankets with my face turned to
the glowing fire, my thoughts travelled to
my distant home, and l revelled in the
picture which my memory presented of
that old freside on Christmas eve. l
dwelt long upon this, and when l was
about to bid the family group, which my
fancy had assembled around me, the usual
affectionate good night, l was instantly
summoned to alert and keen recognition of
my present surroundings by the sound of a
heavy body falling on the floor in the room
above me. Lifting myself to half re-
clining position rested on my elbow and
listened breathlessly. My FIRE had burned
to great heap of embers which shed a
bright red glow over the room. A deer
silence, and what seemed to me an inter
minably long one, ensued, during which
noticed that the storm had spent its ener
gy, and all was as silent without as within
The breaking Of the silence came a
length as suddenly as in the first in
stance what sounded to my sharpene,
ears, like the scrambling efforts o
some one to rise to an erect posi-
ton. When success had at length reward
ed the attempt, to the sound Of eac
alternate footstep across the floor abov
in the direction Of the stairway, was adde
the changing Of a chain. No pause wa
made at the top of the stairs, but my visit
or descended slowly, the chain rattlin
loudly as it dragged its length over th