Bisbee daily review., 1913-06-29
CHAPTER <.
The peserted House.

The Deserted House.
 Wonderful, Wonderful!" mur- IL red Henrietta in the tones of the fs- nous Watson.
 Bartlett looked at the house and nodded gloomily T guess you are right. Funny tbey should have left without writing me about it have known them for years"
 "I will get the blue book" said the general, with the calm satisfaction of one who at last come into his own. We can return to the nearest vii lage-"
 What do we want blue book to do that for2" sneered Bartlett. ''I should think two motor cars could do 1t, pro vided we followed the road" Hold on a shake said the Water melon. q will get in window and ! openi the door"
 we had better not" objected Hen rietta. Wouldn't that be house break ! ing?"
 The general agreed. Certainly. It l is warm and We can spend the night 2 not want to return to the village" ! Billy shuddered and glanced appeal | ingly at the Watermelon. A deserted ' house was bad enough, but outside where the owls called dismally from 1 the woods and where bats fitted by in the dark held possibilities infinitely worse. CT pa,o l-rc,-r fbooa raOp,a larya, than have Billy" said Bartlett. "I used to come here when I was kid. It will be all right to break in. They are like my own folks"
 The Watermelon immediately jumped to the porch, disdaining the few steps, and disappeared behind the vines which covered one end and con : cealed the window.
 Bartlett turned reassuringly to the general. Tt will be all right, Charlie. 1 Don't worry about it. Why, I've al ways called Mrs. Higgins, Aunt Sally"
 Visions of hot sausages. bread and milk die hard when one is hungry and the general snorted. That's all right. ! am hungry enough to break into the Bank of England if 1t resulted in some thing to eat, but what can we find in l an empty house?"
 i Ghosts" said Henrietta Billy pinched her. If you think ] there are ghosts in there, Henrietta, i I simply won: go in" Certainly there are ghosts" said ] Henrietta. There always are in | empty houses. Where else do you find ! them?"
 we will return to the village" de clared the general, "and get something to eat. l will get the book" An empty house is better than the | countryside" said Bartlett. And we i have plenty to eat in that basket Hen rietta put up"
 of there is something to eat-" wa | vered the general.
 A light gleamed moment through | the crack of the door and then the ] door opened and the Watermelon | grinned at them in the light of a small i smoky lamp he held. ! Where did you get the lamp?' ! asked the general as the Watermelon ! led the way in
 Found it." said the Watermelon. The place is furnished. The family is probably only away for a visit" He ! set the lamp on the table and from long habit wiped his dusty hand on i his trouser leg. 'I fell over every i ti@ing in the room before got next to i the fact"
 | He glanced about with some pride and the others stood in a semicircle
 and stared around. The room was a i typical country kitchen, huge stove i side by side with a large chintz-cov- 1 cred rocking-chair. A dresser for the
 crockery and haircloth lounge took
 up one side. There was a center table
 with a red checked cloth, few chairs
 and a sewing machine near the win
 dow.
 Bartlett glanced around and at every
 unfamiliar object his heart sank low
 CT and lower and his first sickening l suspicion became a painful fact. He
 had never lived there. Everything was
 strange, the furniture. the rugs, the
 very shape of the room. Where were
 they? Whose house had they uncere-
 moniously broken into? A clammy
 chill crept down Bartlett's back and
 his fo-id face grew still redder. None of the others was noticing him.
 The general was proving around to
 see that the enemy could not come
 upon them unawares. The Watermelon
 had lifted the basket on to the table
 and the girls were preparing gaily to
 set forth the repast, all three rum.
 naging in closets and drawers for
 plates and knives and forks.
 The general returned to the table.
 "An serene along the Potomac" said
 he. thrGsting his hands into his pock.
 cts and peering into the basket with
 renewed hope Henrietta smiled gaily.
 She had pushed aside her suto veil.