Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-01-17
THE SMELL OF
THE CIR We


his porch after dinner, smoking. As
soon as l had spoken | saw him tura
pale
Take that chair over there" he said
pointing to one on the other side OF
the porch from which l was sitting.
why SOY"
Change your seat" he said impa
tcuuy, and III tell you"
changed my seat, taking plenty of
time to do So, and when seated Tom
said:
"A man was shot sitting exactly
where you were"
when? Howg Who shot hlmY
Some one with whom he was AZ
CumiW, never heard the whole story,
but know he spoke OF smelling fresh.
ly turned earth just before he was
shot"
My heart began to thump wildly. A
man had Smclled freshly turned earth
and been shot, had smcllcd freshly
turned earth and had been sitting in
the very spot the murdered man had
sat
Tell me about the shooting" | said.
You must know that. even IL YOU
don't know the story connected with Il.
Maitland was his name. He owned
this house. | bought II from him, or.
rather, from his wife, | asked her
about the story, but all could set her
TO say was that exactly at this time Of
day he was sitting just where YOU were
seated when he called To his wife. ask
ing her who had been digging about
the porch, TO which she replied that
she didn't know of any one having
been doing SO, 4 few minutes later
that window over your head was
raised, n shot rang out and Maitland
fell over dead"
| glanced mcomtortahly at the chair
l had been sitting in and shifting,
smcllcd freshly turned earth
Good graciousw | exclaimed There's
another window ON the other side 10
match this one"
Il never thought of that"
l heard step in the hall and look
ing in, saw no one. | began to feel
creepy, We had left Ed Glascock,
Toms brother; Martha, his sister and
two lady guests at the dinner table for
an after dinner chat and heard a clnt,
ter of voices, l wanted to go back and
Join them, but did not care to show
my trcpidation.
How did this man, Maltland's enc
my get into the house, | asked, glanc-
Ing furtivcly up Mt the window from
which the shot had been fired.
81 think he had called to protest
against the foreclosure of n mortgage
on his home or something like that He
and Maitland had quarrclcd about It.,
and Maitland had left him, coming out
here to get away from him. He heard
nothing for some time and supposed
the fellow had gone out by the side
door. Then he smclled earth and spoke
to his wife about It,"
and then he was shot"
Eyes"
| glanced ncrvOusly at the window
above me and at the one opposite, won
dering If after one had smellcd earth
he would be shot from the same win
dow as Maitland.
II didn't know that was sign Of APP
preaching DEATH" said.
"What?'
Smelling freshly turned earth"
81 didn't either"
81 suppose It's the grave being open
ed in advance"
Likely It Is"
II don't like this" | said after n brief
silence, Il smell carth-frcshly turned
earth. What's that?"
There was a sound under the porch,
a sound Of earth being thrown up.
Tom and ! both heard II, and both
turned pale. We listened and heard n
scratching underneath as If some one
were scraping the loose earth together
preparatory to tossing It out Of Il
grave
II wonder what's become Of them
inside" said Tom, az though he would
like an excuse to go In and join them.
81 haven't heard n sound from them
for some time" replied.
There IT is again" Tom said, with
a frightened look, referring to the
scratching.
And the earthly smell"
BY this time We were so wrought
upon that no doubt we exaggerated
everything. Suddenly the window
above me-thc window from which
Maitland had been kllled-opcncd, and
shot rang out.
was as certain that had received
a mortal wound az ! was that It was
growing dark sank down on TO tho
porch and swoOned.
When l came TO myself / saw the
anxious faces Of those with whom
had dined Ed GIascock's face was
very white, and his brother Toms was
also liyid, but there was also an angry
look on 1t. The women appeared ter.
ribly frightened.
is 1t mortalT / asked family.
Mortal! No. Ed has been playing
one Of his pranks. lie heard us talk