Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1913-12-12
John Jones'
Find
Il Was . Vacant House
That Psid = Coed RsStsl

N1ul % u CtV % maAo . tuLEuuos ~
gsttns stranded. started % walk homa
q hunHrod mites, Usually Sleeping out
o. dooes.
One Afternoon whils vending his
WV eastward along the coast be came
70 q hndsoms eountry residence
standing alone. Looking about him. he.
could not see another house though.
tAo coast was open n either direction.
for several mites. But Johnny Doubted
n be could set any comfort IN the
place for be could see no evidence OF.
tts being occupied. the shutters WeT1
einss4. not one being left open. Then,
to thane waa an old look about the
honse. The shingles on the roof were
black and erumpisd. the woodwork IN
NDiaCes Waa rotten. and only the brick
q which the house Was mainly built
Waa solid.
'Tf / could get inside" said John 10.
himself, Il could at least keep waVun.
and tho night promises TO BE- cold"
He had. 90 only the thinnest clothing
and shivered Rs q chill November wind
struck him. Climbing the fenee-the
gate wa fastened with a rusty chain
and ~padlOc&-he went up on 20 the
porch and began to look about him for
q means Of entrance. He was not long
In finding a shutter with a loose fasten-
ing and a pane Of broken glass behind
Il Putting his hand inside. be unlock.
I'd the sash and raised e.
10 his surprise the room into which
he looked was Furnished. True, there
was 4 mOldy look about the furniture.
but It waa Of q One quality. though old
fashioned John climbed over the win
dow Gtli and inspected thO furnishings
at closer range. He was IN the draw
ing room among damaSk covered chairs
and sofas and velvet curtains 10 the
windows. A plano stood at a end,
and John struck the keys. He was
startled at the breaking Of the still
ness. Il seemed to him that the shades
Of those who had OncO Inhabited
this house. who had years ago locked
and left It. had cried out at his In
trasioa-
John fell to wondering why 10 much
valuable property raj left 10 rot.
Though young. he considered the hnan-
cial feature connected with II. Had
the property been sold ysarh before II
would have brought what to him wouid
have bean q fortune. There must be
some reason why It had been suffered
to sink to ruin.
John hesitAted about spending the
night in 90 KrewsOme a place. and had
L not been for the cold without he
would have preferred TO sleep under
the stan. As f. was. be looked about
tor q bed and. though he was hungry,
Gnally got on TO n OF the cOuehes up
stairs. But 4 seemed to him that ne
was lying among worms. He took hold
OF q eoveriet to draw Il Over him. and
Il parted through decay. This was too
much for him; he arose and felt bis
way .dOwnstPirB and. finding a lounge
covered with leather. though It wal
shR through age. stretched himself on
Il and fell asleep.
He was awakened duging the night
~ voices. For q few moments he
could not recall where he was. Then
he listened for the direction Of the
sound and concluded that It came from
under him. Presently q light flashed
through . crack in the floor. Sliding
on the lounge. he crawled to the crack
and put his ear to IL.
"We've got TO run In some O. thesO
goods" said one In a mans voice.
This cellar u full"
why not store the next lot abOVOY'
what rotl Don't you know we've
taken every pains to keep any one
from boxing IN haro3 Put goods on
the nOor ab0ve. and some boy " some
tramp VIII look IN, . them and ~
rrt the fact"
sta = woDdsF no one has got on 20
M ~ Il H." remarked a third man.
They've gOno around this dOpOt often.
Pact g, lie well known that Crawford
owns T. and Crawford Is above sus-
ptclon."
we pay him enough rent for II"
Beht 30 hansodg hes 0aszOf rs"
eHs tells NJ the place eau't remain
much lO4gar - & O.. A number q real
estate mOu have been to him 10 buy t.
Thsy want 70 AZ 4 up and make Il
pay"
Crawford Is making II pay we'll
enough"
Thh Was the last heard Of q dia-
agua between diRersnt men. none Of
whom John could see. He heard some
thing fail and thought q bolt Wassshot
though be could not be suro OF this.
than al was silent again He nay
awake. thinking about what be had
hard. but couldn't mako out anything
except that the basement wss used for
TIE storage Of goods. Were they stolen
aFticlesf We're they barrels OF liquor
manufactured iilogailyi Tho Fsaepn
Tor TIE houeo remaining IN its present
eOnditon Was apparent. THIS man
Crawford Was keeping Il for q pur-
posa Il had doubtless long been shut
uD and was not an object OF curiosity.
Turning these things over "a his mind.
John Tell asleoD again.
When ~ awOke n the morning the
sun VA shining IA thnouRhaa hrokon