The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-09-18
.'Have you ever been In the house3..

"Many's the time when It was Hogs
haven. Only once since. They do tell
that the curse has come down with the
house and IL heavy on the new owners
son
so I've heard"
The old white head wag-ed bodingly
The curse Of the blood" he said. ITS
on all that race"
Hogs Oldest sister was the grand
mother Of this young feller's mother.
wasn't sbe?" put In Elder bennett.
That . right. Wilfrid Rlair's grea,
grandmother"
And a bad 'un. too. ! guess" con
tinued the elder r~eIishingly.
Don't you say it, cried the old SEA-
man. 1.-THE curse Of the blood was on
her Strange she was and beautiful
50 my mother used to tell me. but not
bad She came In at Lonesome Cove
too"
"DrOwned at sea asked Kent.
They never knew. One day she
was gone. The next night her bod,
anne in. They said in the rountry
side that she had the gift Of second
sight and foretold her own death"
"Hum-m." nused Kent. And now
the Blairs have changed the name OF
the place. No wonder"
"'There's n thing they haven't
changed. the private buryin' plot"
"Family"
Hogs there. all right. an never a
parson in the countryside dared to
speak to God about his soul. when
they laid him there. His nephew, too.
that was as black hearted as himself.
But the rest of the graves has got no
headStOnes."
"Slaves?"
Them as he kept for his own serv-
ice an killed in his tantrums. Nobody
knows how many. You can see the
bend of the creek where they lie. from
the road. and the old willows that lean
over EN-"
"CheerfuI sort of person the late Mr.
Hog2 seems to have been. Any relics
Of his trade in the house?"
Relics: You may say so: His old
pistols and cOmpasses. guns. nautical
instruments and the loaded whalebone
whip that they used to say he slept
with. They've got 'em hung on the
walls nov for ornyments. Ornyments..
If they'd seen 'em as I've seen 'em.
they'd sink the dummed things in a
hundred fathom O clean sea-"
Sailor Smith was cabin boy on one
of the old Hogg feet one voyage" ex.
planned Elder bennett.
God forgive me for it," said the old
man. There they hang. and with EN-
the chains and
isn't that lamp finished yet?" de
handed Kent. turning sharply upon
Elder bennett.
Having paid for it. with something
extra for his curtness. he led the sea
man out of the place.
You were going to say and hand
cuffs weren't you?" be inquired.
"Why. yes. What of that asked
the veteran. puzzled. Suddenly h-
brought his hand down with IL slap OH
his thigh. Where was my wits?' BE-
cried. Them irons on the dead won
ans wrist. | knew I'd seen their like
before: Slave manacleS:: They must
a come from Hogg's haven"
Every likely. But that suspicion had
better be kept quiet ut present"
Aye. aye. sir" agreed the other
More devilment from the old haven:
A bad house-a rotten bad house,"
yet I've a pressing desire to take Il
look at it." said Chester Kent musing
~. 'Going back to Annalaka. Mr.
Smith: III walk with you as far as
the road to Mr.. Sedgwick's."
Freed of the veterans company at
the turn OF the road. Kent sat down
and took his ear in hand to think.
Miss DOrrance." be unused. Mario
rie Dorrance What simpler twist for
a nickname than to transform hat
into Marjorie Daw? Poor Sedgwick!
At the Nook he found the object OF
his commiseration m%ournfully striving
to piece together. as in a mosaic. the
shattered remnants Of his work. Sedg
wick frightened at his friends ap
proach.
For heavens sake. come out and do
me a couple of sets of tennis" he be-
sought. I'm no sport for you. | know.
particularly as my nerves are jumpy.
hut | need the work..
Sorry. my boy" said Kent. but
I've got to make q more or less polite
rail- People named Blair Ever know
em?"
Used to know Il Wilfrid Blair in
Paris" said the artist indifferently.
What kind of a person was he?"
AN agreeable enough little beast.
but a rounder of the worst sort. Is he
the man your going to seey"
mo such luck" said Chester Kent
Il never expect to see Wilfrid Blair
Probably | shan't even he invited to
his funeral
'Oh. Is he dead!"
His death is officially expected an.
day"
With which words Kent stepped Out
and into his waiting car.
After departing from the Nook
Kent's car rolled along beside Sunday
mans creek sedately en"u"'s until it
.~nDrOache6 the vida he,,n wharo II