The Tupelo journal., 1913-08-15
The
Deserted House
BY EDITH ". ROSS
Copyright, 1910, by American Press
Association.

were being run in. We We're told that
1t was a beach midway between the
two principal ports of the region. We
watched the coast night and day for
weeks. but not a sign of Illicit work
did we'see. Driving to the city, | reach
ed Il point on a rocky coast. Night was
coming on. and no hotel or other shell
yer was at hand. i espied a house a
short distance ahead of me- set on
rocks against which the waves were
beating. 1t was of brick and colonial
in style. with long pillars extending
from the porch TO the roof. which was
built out to cover it. The place had a
forlorn look, and on coming up to 1t l
found it unoccupied.
| went around it, thinking that II /
could effect an entrance l would at
beast find shelter there for the night,
but there was not a window or a door
that was not perfectly secured. l was
about to drive on. when l espied a
limb of a tree brushing against an
upDGI WluuOW, Ii ShotNSh
had rotted away. l climbed the tree,
went out on the limb, broke the glass
and entered the house.
Had it not been for curiosity l would
have gone out as quick as came III.
While it was furnished throughout
there was not an article in it that was
not rotting AWAY. There was bed
.clothtns, but at was moth eaten; there
were curtains, but they were dropping
from their supports; there were ear
pets, but they came apart as walked
over them. The only live things in the
house were millions of hugs.
l would have retired from this dis
NAL abode and slept in the open air.
but the night was cool and l espied
a firepkree IN n of the rooms. So
with the fragments Of once handsome
chairs and other articles l built a fire.
Then, having gone out for my blan-
kets and stabbed my horse, l rolled my
self in the former, lay down before
the fire and slept.
Something awakened me, l knew not
what. The fire was out, but there was
8 strip of light on the ceiling above my
head. While / was viewing 1t with
perpleXity it moved. In a moment, re-
,membering that l was on the ground
floor and the flooring had shrunken so
as to leave cracks, it occurred to me
that there was some one in the cellar.
Noticing a round spot of light OF the
ceiling, l knew it came through a knot
hole, and, crawling to the heae, / could
look into the cellar.
Several men were storing bales and
boxes.
"Oho!' l exclaimed to myself. Here
IS the leak! While we have been
watching the smugglers above they
Ihave been running goods in down here.
/ warrant the man who put us en- to
the false location was one of them"
I made up my mind very quickly as
to my course of action-that is, in case
they didn't go to the stable and find
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
sglers and capture the gang. They
were not in the cellar ten minutes aft
er / awakened. Then the light ceased to
shine, and there was no further evil
1dence of their presence. l listened to
hear them go out, to make sound OF
hooking a door or give other evidence
of their departure, but not a whisper
did / hear. They seemed to have gone
into the ground or flown up a chimney.
In the morning I went into the cell
lar, examined the goods. consisting OF
silks, laces and other articles to which
a high duty is attached. l then went
above sand looked carefully to the
openings. They were all barred and
bolted on the inside. Returning to the
cellar, / looked about for some means
of egress there. / found none. There
seemed to be no way the men could
get out except IS / had come in.
Through a window.
n But now did they bring in the cases
of goods?
Not willing to leave the place with
out further investigation, l walked all
lover the premises and down to the
3IOCkS Oh WHICH, Tue waves WOAC OAVoN
5lng. Unfortunately the tide was high.
1T was unfortunate because could
have made q more satisfactory exami-
nation of the rocks If it had been at
che ebb. I resolved to drive to the
nearest farmhouse. get a breakfast
and return in six hours when the tide
sould be at the lowest point. When
went back ! found that q rock had
been left exposed which l couldn't see
from the shore. There was no boat at
hand. but the water was sufficiently
shallow for me to get on to a small
rock farther out. After reaching it
I turned and saw an opening In the
! rock into which a boat could be pulled
at half tide. / vas bound not to go
away without knowing all about 1t.
sso made a raft. pulled myself to the
opening and walked through a pas
- 1ooIipD IN tho dfrooftou NJ tho