The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1909-03-25
1v-continued.

~ AAAI ~ AANiAU 49,
of stories flying around and I've want
ed to see II all winter. It's Just n
day. Come on"
Not afoot? You don't mean to walk
clear over there n
Sure. 1 feel just like walking. Come
on
"But the roads are all mud-it's aWtul
walking he had persisted.
i'All the more fun. ] amt afraid or
mud, are you? Get on your gum
shoes. Wen be there in no time
There was no escape.
Don't rum" he puffed at length.
Lets just saunter along. There's nc
rush"
Wen have to hurry to get there and
back before meeting-tim Come on.
and she had fitted on before him, While
he pulled and waddled and tried 10
keep up.
The day was perfect. The sun, low in
the south, poured I'm a mellow Hood that
was like the Indian summer. There
was no snow, but along the whole road
there wa that which was tenfold
worse-a river of that yellow, Centre
County mud h sticks closer than a
brother. There is no shaking 1t on; in
deed, Ii is difficult to separate II from
the shoes even with a stick.
Rose, picking her way lightly n
daintily, now by the roadside, now on
the crushed stones, avoided IL almost
completely, but Karl, ploughing along
heavily, kept ever in the middle OF the
road. His feet increased to the size OF
peck baskets. In vain he kicked and
scraped. His rubbers came on and
he ruined his shoes. .
Don't hurry" he pleaded, hot and
painting. There's no hurry"
Call this h%urrying 2" h called back
over her shoulder. why, were only
crawling. We must walk faster than
this" And he stumbled on after her
In desperation.
His collar became a wet rag. The
sweat soaked through the band OF his
best hat, making a broad yellow stripe.
His feet weighed a hundred pounds
apiece and Were increasing every mo,
ment. 1t was like walking with a bal
and chain. The mud smeared his
trousers nearly to his knees, but he
puffcd on. 7
Come, come she cried scornfully;
why, who's tired? We've only just
started. Why, I've walked twenty
miles lots of times. Come on; I'm go
ing She started IN briskly. He hes
itated a moment. then painted after
her half on the dog trot.
When at last they had cut through
the scrub AXE and stood In sight of
the old house, he was in a dry pallor.
Ills mouth and throat were like pieces
If paper.
"See, See! The old housed" she cried,
He gasped out something like a
Thank God" M collapsed upon the
It's a wild, lonesome place, isn't it2'
lhe went on, almost e~xcitedly. See
how the gap hangs over 1t. And look
the black ring! What do you suppose
makes 1t? Can you see it?' u
Yes he puffed.
ct seems almost like a perfect cir.
Gle. doesn't it,"
Yes"
tits something that's growing; some
kind of a moss or grass, don't you
think? I'm going down and see
Come"
mo. no. This is all the farther Tn
going he said with decision.
Then I'm going down there alone
mo, no, moi" he gasped. "Remem'
Der what they say. You know it,
death for n Hartswick to go inside
that ring
"oh, gammoni AS IL I believed
that
Its safer to stay away"
"I want to look into the window"
This Is all the farther I'm going
he announced decisiyely. Besides, yol
wouldn't see anything IL you tried
Don't you see how there's a shuttel
over the Window"
but the ring? p,
"Oh, the Hellers put some kind OF I
chemical there. and a DEVILS crop o
some sort or other comes up on It,"
But why don't h snow lie there
In winter?" WV
1T don't know. Probably they sowet
some kind OF a plant that melts SNOW
Just the same as salt does. Say, IL
bet 1t Is salt"
But that would kill everything an,
make the ground bare and dead, and
see, it's a sort Of black matted moss"
well, there's nothing chemical abou
It, I'll bet a dollar" For q time the!
looked in silence at h old structure.
1t was a log house, some IL fee
square and two stories in height. TIL
caves projected far out. giving II an un
usual appearances. The crevices ha,
been caulked with ON black material
which in places had begun to crumbl
out. A great chimney OF irregula
blocks OF limestone arose at one END
There was no path leading to the hous
and no clearing save the black ring
which surrounded IL and upon whicl
there grew no trees or shrubs.
'sHark, what's that?" They bot
Strengthened instantly. The sun wa
near the top OF the western ridge: a.
was deathly still save the growl Of wa
J ter Ii the nearby run.
Didn't o hear something Z! n
the faint voice of the church bell cam
to them over the valley.
my! That's the first bell. View
got Just an hour Come, we must wal
now; we can't crawl he way we di
coming up. Come M
She sprang lightly down the rock
and out upon the pike. and he followe
the best he could. Through the puddle
and into the mud, thick and sticky a
sodden glue, he ~ploughed, putting an
blowing and wallowing, while she trir
ped daintily ahead.
They arrived at the church just q
the last bell was tolling, Darkness ha
fallen, for which Keichline was Pre-
foundly grateful. 1t allowed him [
drag himself through the ~chureh-goin
throng ~unrecognized, and to- get safe
!, ly to Hartswick Hall.
He was faint and feverish; his leg
almost refused to obey him; and HI
breath came In gasps that ratified an
: gurgled In his throat. An hour late
, when he appeared In a complete su
! OF the squire's that vas three sizes to
|, small for him, and sat down TO the Ion
delayed supper. he found 1t impossib