Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1910-12-03

I trees, and We got out. Hotchkiss tied
| the beast and we left him there, head
down against the driving rain, droop
ing and detected. Then We went
| toward the house.
1t was a long walk. The path bent
and twisted and now and then we lost
IL. We were climbing as we went
Oddly there were no lights ahead, al
though II was only ten o'clock-not
later. Hotchkiss kept little ahead
of me, knocking into trees now and
then. but finding the path In half the
! time | should have taken. Once, as
! felt my way around a tree in the
blackness, put my hand unexpected
| ly on his shoulder and felt shuddeI
go down my back.
What do you expect me 10 do?" he
protested, when | demonstrated. Hang
out red lantern? What was that
| Listen"
We both stood peering into the
gloom. The sharp patter OF the rain
on leaves had ceased and from just
| ahead there came back TO us the
stealthy padding OF feet in wet soil
| My hand closed on Hotchliss' shout
der and we listened togetb or, warily
The steps were close by, unmistak
! able. The next fash Of lightnin,
showed nothing moving: the hous.
was in full view now. dark and unin
viting. looming huge above n terrace
with an Italian garden at the side
Then the blackness again. Some
body's teeth were chatterlng: l &C
cused Hotchkiss but no denied It.
although I'm not very comfortable
I'll admit" he confessed; there was
something breathing right at my ell
bow here "a moment ago"
"Nonsense!" took his elbow and
steered him In what made out 70 be
the direction OF the steps of the Ital-
ian garden. II saw deer just ahead
by the last flash; that's what you
heard. BY Jove. hear wheels"
We paused to listen and Hotchkiss
put his hand on something close to
us. Here's your deer" he said
| Bronze"
AS we neared the house the sense
Of surveillance we had in the park
gradually left us. Stumbling over
flower beds. running afoul OF sun.
dial, cropping our way savagely along
hedges and thorny banks. we reached
the steps finally and climbed the ter.
race.
1t was then that Hotchkiss fell over
one Of the two stone urns which, with
tall lockwood trees in them, mounted
guard at each side Of the door. He
didn't make any attempt to get up
He sat in puddle on the brick floor
OF the terrace and clutched his leg
and swore softly In government Eng
lish
The occasional relief OF the light
ming was gone. I could not see an
outline OF the house before me. We
had no matches and an instant's IT,
vestigation showed that tho windows
were boarded and the house closed.
Hotchkiss. still recumbent, was 2scer
tanning the damage, tender.y pee,!ng
down his stocking.
Upon my soul" he said finally, 81
don't know whether this moisture IL
blood or rain. I think I've broken a
bone"
Blood is thicker than water"
suggested. as it sticky? See il you
can move your toes"
There was pause: IIotchkiss
moved his toes. BY that time had
found q knocker and was making the
night hideous. But there was no re-
Spouse save the wind that blew sod
den leaves derisively in our faces.
Once Hotchkiss declared he heard q
window sash lifted, but renewed vio-
lence with the knOcker produced no
effect
There's only one thing to do"
said, finally. I'll go back and try to
bring the buggy up for you. You can't
walk. can your"
Hotchkiss sat back in his puddle
and said he didn't think he could stir,
but for me TO go back to town and
leave him, that he didn't have any
he was going to have pneumonia he
had probably got it already. l left
him there and started back to get u
horse.
II possible. IL was worse than be-
fore. There was no lightning and
only by miracle did l find the little
gate again. drew long breath Of
relief. followed by another, equally
long, OF dismay. For I had found the
hitching strap and there was nothing
at the end Of it.! In q lull Of the wind
I seemed to hear, far off, the eager
thud of stable-bound feet. So for the
second time l climbed the slope to
the Laurels and on the way | thought
OF many things to say.
/ struck the house at new angle.
for / found a veTanda, destitute OF
chairs and furnishings, but dry and
evidently rooted 1t was better than