Enterprise news-record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1910-1911, 1911-05-24
The House of the
Whispering
Pines


Lproceeded boldly up the stems and
laid my hand on the door.
1t was unlatched and yielded to nv
touch. Light or no light, sound or no
sound, there was some one within
The fire which had sent its attenuated
streak of smoke up into the moonlit
air was burning yet on one of the
many hearths within. proceeded TO
enter and close the door carefully he.
hind me. AS did so l cast an invol.
untary glance without. The sky was
inky. and few wandering fakes Of
the now rapidly advancing storm
same whirling In. biting my cheeks
and stinging my forehead.
Once inside 1 stopped short, possibly
to listen again. possibly to assure my
self as to what l had best do next
The silence was profound. Not a
sound disturbed the great, empty build.
ing. My own football as stirred
seemed to wake extraordinary echoes.
l had moved but few steps. yet to
my heightened senses the noise seemed
loud enough to wake the dead. In
sdnctively l stopped and stood stock
still There was no answering cessa-
ton of Observation-Disclosures, silence
everywhere. Yet not quite absolute
darkness. As my eyes grew accustom-
ed to the place | found 1t possible to
discern. the outlines of the windows
and locate the stairs and the arches
where the side halls opened. | was
even able to pick out the exact SPOT
where the great antlers spread them
selves above the hat rack. and present
ly the rack itself came into view. with
Its row of empty pegs. yesterday so
full, today quite empty That rack
interested me. hardly knew why. and
regardless of the noise made | cross
ed over to 1t and ran my hand along
the wall underneath. The result was
startling. A mans coat aud hat hung
from one OF the peGs.
Would this hat and coat identify
the intruderY would strike a light
and see. But this involved difficulties.
The gas had been turned Off that very
morning, and had no matches In my
pocket But remembered where they
could be found. had seen them
when passed threush the kitchen
earlier in the day.
began to move that way and pres
emily came creeping back with a match.
box half full OF matches in my hand.
But ! did not strike one then. | had
Just made move to do so when the
unmistakable sound of q door opening
somewhere IN the house made me
draw back into as quiet and dark
place as could find. This lay in the
rear and at the right of the staircase.
and as the sound had appeared to
come from above it was the most nat.
urai retreat that offered. And a good
one found 1t.
had hardly taken up my stand
when the darkness above gave way to
q faint glimmer and step became
audible coming from some one of the
many small rooms In the second story,
but slowly and with evident hesita.
ton.
The light steadily increased with
each tagging but surely advancing
step Then the uncertain step paused.
and sob came family to my ears.
wrung from lips sttff with human
anguish. The sound Of the sigh
struck shudderingly on my ear. fol-
lowed by the renewal Of the step and
The almost immediate appearance on
the stairs Of q beautiful young girl of
seventeen holding candle In one
hand and shielding her left cheek
with the other.
Nothing could have prepared me
for an encounter with this woman
anywhere that night after what had
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