Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-09-02
CHAPTER XII.

financial. political, socialand
mostly untrue. Those In which the
greatest portion of truth inhered dealt
with the escapades Of Wilfrid Blair.
the only son and heir Of the household.
who had burned up all the paternal
money he could lay hands on. writing
his name in red fire across the night
life of London, Paris and New York.
firing Of this, he had come home and
married a girl Of nineteen. beautiful
and innocent, whose parents. the elder
piously opined, had sold her to the
devil per Mr.. Blair. agent. The girl.
whose maiden name was Marjorie Dor
rance-Kent's fingers went to his ear
at this-had left Blair after a year Of
marriage, though there was no legal
process, and he had returned to his
haunts Of the gutter until retribution
overlook him in the form of tubercu-
losis. His father had brought him to
their place on Sundaymans creek, and
there he was kept in semi-seclusion.
visited from time to time by his young
wife, who helped to care for him.
'That's the story they tell" COM
mented the elder. but some folks has
got suspicious. My own suspicious is
that the young Teller hasn't got no
more consumption that you have, al
though he's got man nurse. I think
lid Blair has got him here to keep him
but of the papers,.
publicity is not to Mr. Blair's taste,
then?'
Il don't believe the old man would
hardly stop short of murder to keep
his name out Of print He's kind O.
loony on the subject Sailor NIilt
Smith is the Teller that can tell you
about the family and the place. Here
be comes up the street"
He thrust his head out Of the door
md called. Sailor Smith. sturdy and
white entered and greeted Kent cour-
seously.
Mr.. bennett was saying" remark
ed Kent, that you know something Of
the history of Hedgerow house, as I
believe they call it,
''They call it," repeated the old sailor.
"Who calls it? If you mean the Blair
place. that's Hogg's haven. that is.
You can't wipe out that name while
there's a man living as knew the place
at it's worst. Old Captain Hogg built
it and lived in it and died in it. The
devil is fryin' bacon out of old Hogg
today for the things be done in that
house."
"How long since did he die?'
"Oh, twenty year back"
"And the house was sold soon afterT
''Stood vacant for ten years. Then
this Teller Blair bought it. I don't
know him, but he bought weevily
biscuit there. A bad house, it is-rot-
ten bad!
whats wrong with it,"
MEMS bones in the brick and wom-
ems blood in the mortar"
''Was the old boy cannibal?' asked
Kent. amused by the sea veterans
heroics.
Just as bad-slave trader
"Have you ever been in the house?
'Many's the time when it was Hogg's
haven. Only once since. They do tell
that the curse has come down with the
house and is heavy on the new owners
SON.
$50 I've heard
The old white head wagged bodingly.
''The curse of the blood,' he said. 'It's
on all that race"
Hogs oldest sister was the grand
mother of this young fellers mother,
wasn't she?" put in Elder bennett.
That's right. Wilfrid Blairs great
grandmother"
And bad 'un, too. 1 guess" con-
tinued the elder relishingly.
Don't you say it," cried the old sea-
man. THE curse Of the blood was on
her. Strange she was and beautiful,
so my mother used to tell me, but not
too"
Drowned at sea ?" asked Kent.
''They never knew. One day she
was gone. The next night her body
came in. They said in the country
side that she had the gift Of second
sight and foretold her own DEATH
"Hum-m," unused Kent And now
the Blairs have changed the name Of
the place. No wonder
AhOAO Oue Iu1IS Cu0y haven
changed. the private buryin' plot
'Family?"
"Hoggs there, all right, an never ;
parson in the countryside dared t,
speak to God about his soul. whel
they laid him there. His nephew, too
that was as black hearted as himself
But the rest Of the graves has got n,
headstOnes."
"Slaves?"
''Them as he kept for his own serv
ice an killed in his tantrums. Nobod,
knows how many. You can see tn
bend Of the creek where they lie. from
the road, and the old willows that leal
over EN-
Cheerful sort of person the late MI
Hogg seems to have been. Any relic
Of his trade in the house?
Relics? You may say so! His oil,
pistols and compasses, guns, nautica