The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-11-14

ing room among damask covered chairs
and sofas ana velvet curtains to the
windows. A piano stood at one end,
and John struck the keys. He was
startled at the breaking of the still
ness. II seemed to him that the shades
of those who had once inhabited
this house. who had years ago locked
and left 1t, had cried out at his In
trusion.
John fell TO wondering why so much
valuable property was left to rot
Though young. he considered the finan-
cial feature connected with 1t, Had
the property been sold years before 1t
would have brought what to him would
have been n fortune. There must be
some reason why it had been suffered
to sink to ruin.
John hesltated about spending the
night in so grewsome a place, and had
Il not been for the cold without he
would have preferred to sleep under
the stars. As it was. he looked about
for bed and. though he was hungry,
finally got on to one of the couches up
stairs. But II seemed to him that he
was lying among worms. He took hold
of coverlet to draw it over him, and
It parted through decay. This was too
much for him: he arose and felt his
way downstairs and, finding n lounge
covered with leather, though 1t was
stiff through age. stretched himself on
it and fell asleep,
He was awakened during the night
by voices. For a few moments he
could not recall where he was. Then
he listened for the direction of the
sound and concluded that 1t came from
under him. Presently a light flashed
through a crack in the floor Sliding
off the lounge, he crawed to the crack
and put his ear to it.
"We've got to run in some o these
goods" said one in mans voice.
This cellar is full"
"Why not store the next lot abover'
"What rot! Don't you know we've
taken every pains to keep any one
| from looking in here? Put goods on
the floor above and some boy or some
tramp will look in. see them and re-
port the fact"
"It's a wonder no one has got on to
us as it is" remarked a third man.
They've gone around this depot often.
Fact is. it's well known that Crawford
owns It, and Crawford is above sus-
picion."
1--WE pay him enough rent for it."
"Rent be hanged! He's one of U.S."
"He tells me the place can't remain
much longer as it is. A number Of real
estate men have been to him to buy it.
They want to fix it up and make 1t
pay"
Crawford is making it pay well
enough"
This was the last heard Of a dia-
ogue between different men, none of
whom John could see. He heard some
thing fall and thought bolt was shot,
though he could not be sure of this,
then all was silent again. He lay
awake, thinking about what he had
heard. but couldn't make out anything
except that the basement was used for
the storage of goods. Were they stolen
articles? Were they barrels of liquor
manufactured Illegally? The reason
Tor the house remaining in its present
condition was apparent. This man
Crawford was keeping it for n pur-
pose 1t had doubtless long been shut
up and was not an object of curiosity.
Turning these things over in his mind,
John fell asleep again.
When he awoke in the morning the
sun was shining in through broken
blind. John arose from his couch and
looked about him. He was in library.
Books were on the shelves, but they
were dusty and dingy. He went
through n door into a pantry and
through the pantry into the dining
room. He opened some cupboard doors
in vain hope Of finding something to
eat There was not crust, and not a
crust had been there for years. He
went to the stairs leading down into
the cellar, but the door separating the
cellar and main floor was fastened.
He tried to kick it open, but failed to
make any impression on it.
Leaving the house by the window
through which he had entered, he
looked about the brickwork below the
first floor. There were but two small
windows, over both of which boards
had been placed on the inside. There
was not a crack through which he
could look within.
How were the goods taken in?
There were no marks of wheels on the
entrance road. Indeed, the grass grew
on it as well as on the lawn. The
chain and lock on the gate gave no
evidence of having been moved in a
long while. Toward the ocean a dis
tance of several hundred yards there
were no tracks Of any kind. There
was no opening from the cellar except
within the house. This matter of the
storage Of goods was a mystery.
John walked out to the rocks which
formed the shore. Here he was more
at home, for he had been brought up
near the water. Naturally his eyes fell
upon the irregularity that marked the
shore. There were many protuber-
ances, many indentations. He de-
scended to the sea level and, the tide
being at the ebb, noticed place where
the water washed in under the rocks.
John wondered how far in 1t extended.
He couldn't tell without going in un-
der the rock, and this was impossible
without a boat or raft unless he
swan, and the water was too cold for
swimming.
Tho hnu nnndnrnd ON what he shnnld