The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-18

At the end Of Il! In lull Of the wind
I seemed to hear, far OF, The eager
thud Of stable-bound feet 30 for the
second time l climbed the slope to
the Laurels and on the way thought
Of many things to cay.
struck the house at a new anglo
for I found 4 veranda, destitute Of
chairs and furnishings, but dry and
evidently rooted. It was better than
the terrace. and 20, by cropping along
the wall. I tried to make my way to
Hotchkiss. That was how found the
open window. had passed perhaps
six. all closed, and to have my hand
grope for the next one and to find In
stead the soft drapery Of an inner
curtain was startling. to say the
least.
found Hotchkiss 1t last around an
angle Of the stone wall, and told him
that the horse was gone. He was
disconcerted, but not abased; main
tanning that 1t was new kind Of knot
that couldn't slip and that the horse
must have chewed the halter through!
He was less enthusiastic than I had
expected about the window.
1T looks uncommonly like trap"
he said. Il tell you there was some
one in the park below when we were
coming up. Man has sixth sense
that scientists ignore-a sense of the
nearness of things. And all the time
you have been gone, some one has
been watching me-"
| Couldn't see you," l maintained;
Il can't see you now. And your sense
of contiguity didn't tell you about that
flower crock"
| In the end, of course, he consented
to 60 with me. He was very lame, and
l helped him arouna to the open win
dow. He was full of moral courage,
the little man; it was only the phys
ical in him that quailed. And as we
CROPPED along, he insisted on going
through the window first.
IF it is a trap" he whispered, Il
have two arms to your one, and, be-
sides, as l said before, life holds much
for you. AS for me, the government
would merely lose an Indifferent en-
ploye."
When he found l was going first
he was rather hurt, but did not wait
for his protests. l swung my feet
over the sill and dropped. l made a
clutch at the window frame with my
good hand when found no floor un
der my feet, but l was too late.
dropped probably ten feet and landed
with a crash that seemed to split my
eardrums. l was thoroughly shaken
but in some miraculous way the band
aged arm had escaped injury.
For heavens sake" Hotchkiss was
calling from above, have you broker
your back?"
mo-" / returned, as steadily as
could, merely driven it up through
my skull. This is a staircase, I'm com
ing up to open another window"
1t was eerie work, but l accom-
:: plished it finally, discovering, not with
out mishap, room filled with NOR
tables than had ever dreamed Of
tables that seemed to waylay an
strike at me. When l had got a wiz
dow open, Hotchkiss crawled through
and we were at last under shelter.
Our first thought was for light
= The same laborious investigation tina
had landed us where we were, RI
5 vealed that the house was lighted
: electricity, and that the plant was nc
in operation. By accident l stumble
across a tabouret with smoking m,
terials, and found a half dozen mattel
. es. The first one showed US the maj
+ Ritude of the room we stood in, an
revealed also a brass candle-stick
l. the open fireplace, a eandle-stick a
most four feet high, supporting a cal
) de of similar colossal proportions.
was Hotohk hiss who discovered tha
It had bssn recently lighted. He hel
NE match 10 It and pssred at it eve
. his glasses.
within ten minutes" he announce
1 iApressivsly, this candle has bee
burning. Look at the wax! And tn
wick! Both soft!"
Perhaps it's the damp weather."
vsntursd, moving little nearer to tn
e circle Of light. gust of wind cam
, IN just tAen, and the Game turned owe
O ia side and threatened demise
There was something almost ridis,
lous in the haste with which We pr
down tie window and nurssd III
flicker to life.
The peculiarly ghost-like appearano
Of the room added to the uneannfn %
of the situation The furniture wa
swathed in white covers for the vii
ter; oven the pictures wore shroudl
And in q niche between two window
\ bust on pedestal, simiArl
= wrapped one arm extended under il
winding sheet, made most life-hk
ghost, If any ghost can be lifeline
I In the light of the candle We su.
1 veyed each other. and we were OIL
! jects for mirth. Hotehkiss was takia
| off his sedden shoes and preparing t
| make himself comfortable, while
hung my muddy raineoat over tn
ghost in the corner Thus habited, h
;, presented a rakish but distinctly nor
comfortable appearance