The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1910-12-09
The
Deserted House
By EDITH v. ROSS
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association

were DelHS run III. we were tod tndC
it was beach midway between the
two principal ports of the region. We
watched the coast night and day for
weeks, but not a sign of illicit work
did we see. Driving to the city, reach
ed point on rocky coast. Night was
coming on, and no hotel or other shell
ter was at hand. l eSpied a house
short distance ahead of me. set on
rocks against which the waves were
beating 1t was of brick and colonial
in style. with long pillars extending
from the porch to the roof. which was
built out to cover it. The place bad 2
forlorn look. and on coming up to it
found it unoccupied.
went around it. thinking that if
could effect an entrance | would sit
least find shelter there for the night,
but there was not window or door
that was not perfectly secured. was
about to drive on, when l espied
limb of a tree brushing against an
upper window, one shutter of which
had rotted away. l climbed the tree,
went out on the limb. broke the glass
and entered the house.
Had it not been for curiosity would
have gone out as quick as | came In.
While it was furnished throughout,
there was not an article in it that was
not rOtting away. There was bed
clothing. but it was moth eaten; there
were curtains, but they were dropping
from their supports; there were car
pets, but they came apart as walked
over them. The only live things in the
house were millions of hugs.
[ would have retired from this dis
NAL abode and slept in the open air,
but the night was cool and l espied
a fireplace in one of the rooms. So
with the fragments of once handsome
chairs and other articles | built fire
Then. having gone out for my blan-
kets and stabbed my horse, rolled my
self in the former, lay down before
the fire and slept.
Something awakened me, knew not
what. The fire was out, but there was
a strip of light on the ceiling above my
4
perplexity it moved. In moment, re-
Numbering that I was on the ground
floor and the flooring had shrunken so
as to leave cracks, 1t occurred to me
that there was some one in the cellar.
Noticing a round spot of light on the
ceiling, knew it came through Il knot
hole. and, crawling to the hole, l could
look into the cellar
Several men were storing bales and
boxes.
"Oho" 1 exclaimed to myself. "Here
is the leak! While we have been
watching the smugglers above they
have been running goods in down here.
warrant the man who put us On to
the false location was one of them
1 made up my mind very quickly as
to my course of action-that is, in case
they didn't go to the stable and find
my horse, which would betray me- I
would remain where l was till morn
ing, then pursue my journey, return
with others, lie in wait for the snug
glers and capture the gang. They
were not in the cellar ten minutes aft
er awakened. Then the light ceased to
shine, and there was no further evi-
dence of their presence. l listened to
hear them go out. TO make sound of
locking door or give other evidence
of their departure, but not whisper
did 1 hear. They seemed to have gone
into the ground or flown up chimney
In the morning | went into the cell
lar, examined the goods, consisting Of
silks, laces and other articles to which
a high duty is attached. / then went
above and looked carefully to the
openings. They were all barred and
bolted on the inside. Returning to the
cellar. l looked about for some means
of egress there. 1 found none. There
seemed to be no way the men could
get out except as I had come in,
through a window
But how did they bring in the cases
OF goods?
Not willing to leave the place with
out further investigation, walked ali
over the premises and down to the
rocks on which the waves were break
ing. Unfortunately the tide was high.
1t was unfortunate because could
have made more satisfactory exami-
nation of the rocks if it had been at
the ebb. l resolved to drive to the
nearest farmhouse, get a breakfast
and return in six hours when the tide
would be at the lowest point. When
1 went back found that rock had
been left exposed which l couldn't see
from the shore. There was no boat at
hand, but the water was sufficiently
shallow for me to get on to small
rock farther out After reaching it
turned and saw an opening in the
rock into which boat could be pulled
at half tide. / was bound not to go
away without knowing all about 1t.
so made raft, pulled myself to the
opening and walked through a pas
sage leading in the direction of the
house. till / was barred by an iron
door.
That satisfied me for the time. /