Judith Gap journal. [volume] (Judith Gap, Mont.) 1908-19??, 1911-03-17
The
Deserted House
BY EDITH v. ROSS
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.
BY EDITH v. ROSS

There wls smuggling on the coast.
but We revenue officers were not able
to locate the point where the goods
We're being run in. We were told that
it was 4 beach midway between the
two principal ports Of the region We
watched the coast night and day for
weeks bur not sign of Illicit work
did we see. Driving to the city. ! reach.
ed Il point Oh Il rocky coast. Night was
coming on and no hotel or other shell
ter was at hand. | espied house Il
short distance ahead Of me. set on
rocks against which the waves were
beating. II was Of brick and colonial
in style. with long pillars extending
from th<, porch to the roof. which was
built oul to cover it. The place had a
fOrlorn look. and on coming up to it
found it unoccupied.
went around ii. thinking that il
could effect IN entrance ! would at
least lind shelter there for the night.
but there was not Il window or i, door
that was not perfectly secured. was
about TO drive on. when cspied
limb of Il tree brushing against an
upper window. one shutter Of which
had rotteu away. | climbed the tree.
went out Old 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 VAS
not rotting away. There was bed
clothing. but it was moth eaten; there
were curtains. but they were dropping
from their supports: there We're car
pets. but they came apart a., | 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 | espied
fireplace in one of the rooms. So
with the fragments of once handsome
chairs and other articles | built tire.
Then. having gone out for my blan
kets and stabbed my horse, rolled my
self III the former. lay down before
the fire and slept.
what. Tue fire was out. but there was
strip Of light on the ceiling above my
head While was viewing 1t with
perplexity II moved. In Il moment. re-
memlering that | was on the ground
floor and the flooring had shrunken so
as to leave cracks. II occurred to ME
that there was some one in the cellar.
Noticing round spot Of light on the
ceiling. l knew 1t came through knot
hole. and. crawling to the hole. could
look into the cellar.
Several men were storing bales and
boxes.
"Oho! 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."
made up my mind very quickly as
to my course Of action-that is, in case
they didn't go to the stable aud find
my horse. which would betray me. !
would remain where ! 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 l awakened. Then Inc light ceased to
shine. and there was no further evil
dencc Of their presence. | listened 10
hear them go out. to make sound of
locking Il door or give other evidence
of their departure. but not whisper
did l hear. They seemed 10 have gone
into the ground or flown up chimney.
In the morning ! Went into the eel
lar. examined the goods. consisting of
silks. laces and other articles to which
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 cgress there. found none. There
seemed to he no way the men could