Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1912-01-26

When my law partner, Jack Rogers
returned from lunch / was agog Win
excitement
Guess what has happened, jack
| crowed.
mo need to guess. Something III
tbe detective line has turned up.
grinned my partner us he tossed MS
bot ON its accustomed peg and sat
down in his chair.
How did you find out? l asked
chagrined
You always look especially foxy
old man. and nothing. not even dead
client, with prospects OF rich picklnss
from tho
"Oh, keep still" growled. You
talk like bird Of prey.
Il am-we are hirds of prey. This
detective side line of yours, Hal, or
hobby. or whatever you call it, Will
run us out of our legitimate course Oh
business if you don't sacken up bit.
Have you any important case on
YOUR mind?" asked sardonically.
Rogers felt tentatively of his head.
Nothing doing, | must confess. Hal
know there's something on your
mind There's look about you that
SAYS we must catch the two-some-
thing for somewhere-and it's l:4o
now" He glanced at his watch,
The train leaves at BOB. I'll tell
YOU about it on the way up"
After we were comfortably seated
in the smoker Of the train and were
headed up the bank of the Hudson
river | deemed it eXpedient to I'M
bosom myself lest in the telling of the
story We might reach our destination
before l had completed it.
That noon while | sat alone III the
Office | had received call from a
queer client.
She was il little old woman. sharp
featured and white haired. with hard,
cold blue eyes and thin Tipped mouth
that seemed made for secrets. She
was CARRIED in shabby black and car
ried rusty satchel filed to bursting
that she watched carefully.
learned that her name was Sarah
Penny and that she lived on small
farm near Poughkeepsie She said she
was widow and. besides owning hef
farm, possessed a tiny income on
which she lived. She also said that
for two weeks past she had been
haunted by spectral farm that seem
ed to aujoin her own. She related that
night after night when the moon was
high in the heavens she had seen low
lying farm buildings where in broad
daylight nothing appeared but grassy
meadow dotted with ancient fruit
trees. On dark nights the visitation
appeared as a luminous glowing out
line Of buildings
Mrs. Penny's old face seemed to be
! come more wrinkled and careworn as
she impaired these facts TO me an(
when she had concluded. saying that
she had visited me with the intention
of making her will and had suddenly
determined to contde her fears of the
spook farm" as she called it. hoping
| might be able to explain away this
horror in her solitary life
, l had promised to come up there tt
look the situation in the face. and
declared my intention of bringing my
partner with me. SO now that we
were on the way related all these
facts to Jack Rogers. and together We
. tried to piece out some fabric Of logica
explanation Of the phenomenon.
: ing open the door, and as that was the
nearest station to the spook farm W,
got off and watched the train wini
out of sight among the hills A station
agent was puttering around coupl,
Of empty egg crates. and approached
him.
Which road shall l take to reacl
Mrs. Pennsy's farm?" | inquired.
One to the right" and be disappear
. ed quickly. as If fearful OF further cate
chism.
= 1t led away from the river and ther
doubled back again, and this perform
ance it repeated over and over unit
Jack announced that he felt as twist
ed as spiral bed spring.
Il don't wonder your old lady see.
things: he complained as he rounded
: another turn. Il feel all wound uI
just like clock"
guess you can run down now"
said. for just then the trees and dense
; growth along the road thinned, and
we could see the gray shingles of q
weather beaten house just beyond
Before we reached the house. which
stood in grove of gloomy cedars. we
met boy with an empty pail and Der
ry stained lips.
"Son," said my partner kindly. lear
you tell US where the Widow Penn,
liveS?"
The boy turned grimy little finge,
toward the weatherbeaten house. III
there" he half whispered
do you know herr" pursued Jac]
careiesSiy displaying silver quarter.
The boy nodded. I'm afraid of her.
be said with more spirit shes ,
;. miser: that's what my mother saws"
Who lives next door to Mrs Pen
N.Y." asked him as he clutched the sill
, yer coin
"\ohodr liroS tbaro IA. III