Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-12-09
John Jones
Find
It Was a Vacant House
That Paid a Good Rental
By NATHAN B. TOWNSEND

+ By NATHAN B. TOWNSEND +
A-s-ss-s-s-s-i-si-s-s-s-i-i-s-s-i-ii-ss-iiisssts
Johnny Jones, q Maine farmer boy.
went to the city to make fortune, but,
getting stranded. started to walk home,
hundred miles, usually sleeping out
Of doors.
One afternoon while vending his
way eastward along the coast he came
to handsome country residence
standing alone. Looking about him, he
could not see another house, though
the coast was open In either direction
for several miles. But Johnny doubted
II he could get any comfort in the
place, for he could see no evidence OF
its being occupied. The shutters were
closed, not one being left open. Then.
too, there was an old look about the
house. The shingles on the roof were
black and crumpled, the woodwork In
places was rotten, and only the brick
was solid.
Tf l could get inside" said John to
himself, II could ut least keep warm,
and the night promises to be cold"
He had on only the thinnest clothing
and shivered as chill November wind
struck him. Climbing the fence-the
gate was fastened with rusty chain
and padlock-he went up on to the
porch and began to look about him for
a means of entrance. He was not long
In finding shutter with loose fasten-
ing and a pane Of broken glass behind
It. Putting his hand inside. he unlock
ed the sash and raised 1t.
To his surprise. the room into which
he looked was furnished. True, there
was a moldy look about the furniture,
but It was Of fine quality, though old
fashioned. John climbed over the win
dow sill and inspected the furnishings
at closer range. He was In the draw
ing room among damask covered chairs
and sofas and 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. 1t 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 a fortune. There must be
some reason why 1t had been suffered
to sink to ruin.
John hesitated about spending the
night in so grewsome place, and had
II not been for the cold without he
would have preferred to sleep under
the stars. AS 1t was, he looked about
for bed and. though he was hungry,
finally got on to one of the couches up
stairs. But 1t seemed to him that ne
was lying among worms. He took hold
Of q coveret to draw 1t over him. and
It parted through decay. This was too
much for him; he arose and felt his
way downstairs and. finding lounge
covered with leather. though 1t was
stiff through age, stretched himself on
1t and fell asleep.
He was awakened during the night
by voices. For 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 crawled to the crack
and put his eur to It.
"We've got to run in some o these
goods" said one in a mans voice.
This cellar Is full"
"Why not store the next lot above|
"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 third man.
.'They'ye gone around this depot often.
Fact Is. it's we'll 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 1t is. A number of real
estate men have been to him to buy It
They want to fx 1t up and make It
pay"
Crawford is making 1t pay well
enough"
This was the last heard Of a dia-
logue between different men. none OF
whom John could see. He heard some
thing fall and fought 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
articles7 Were they barrels Of liquor
manufactured illegally7 The reason
for the house remaining in its present
condition. was apparent. This man
Crawford was keeping 1t for q pur-
pose. It had doubtless long been shut
ND 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 a 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 a door into 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
crust had been there for years. he
went to the stairs leading down into
the cellar, but the door separating the
cellar and main door was fastened.
He tried to kick 1t 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 ne
could look within.