The Washington herald., 1915-09-15
THE RED CHIMNEY.
By KEITH KENYON.

By KEITH KENYON.
In the full flush of summertime
foliage you could not see it from Bur-
tons camp. but when the September
winds began to send the leaves dane
ing it stood out plainly, one red
chimney far up the valley of Little
Creek.
Burton had rather looked upon ii
in the light of friendly neighborli-
ness the two or three years he had
sought the camp for its peace and Sc
clusion from the outer world. He was
nine miles from the nearest railway.
No trolley ever sang over nearby
rails. not even stray automobile
horn broke the sweet silence of his
hiding place. 1t was an ideal spot for
rest and study.
The house of the red chimney had
been untenanted for many years. he
had been told at the local country
store. 1t had been an old tavern
once. over a hundred years ago. Once
he rode over in pure curiosity to take
a look at it. and found a gray old
house. its shingles and clapboards
falling away. but the heavy hand
hewn oak beams all sturdy and
strong. Roses and lilacs grew thickly
about its doorsteps. and in the tall
uncut grass he found struggling re-
mains of phlox and tiger lilies.
1t was the only other house in the
valley besides his own rough lodge.
and he had not resented sharing the
solitude until the morning when
smoke rose leisurely into the air from
the red chimney.
Burton watched it with unbelieving
eyes. 1t must be a shred of morning
mist. he thought; yet no mist ever
rose SO straight in the air as this
thin curling feather of white. He
tried to settle down to his work, but
could not. The spell of the valley
was broken. Another had entered
Paradise. He waited until afternoon
and then whistled his horse up from
and saddled it grimly. If any tramps
or loiterers had taken up their abode
there he made up his mind to oust
them with short shrift-
1t was a gallop of three miles
around the bend of the river road. AS
he drew near. he caught hutter OF
white from a clothesline in the yard
So the occupant was evidently femi-
nine. which deprived him OF some OF
the joy Of retaliation. Still he lookeo
decidedly stern and aggressive as
he mounted the three wide stone
steps and knocked on the front door.
There was no answer and after the
second knock the very prettiest race
he had ever looked upon appeared at
the window beside him. Framed IN
honeysuckle vines, with lilac bushes
crowded up to the very top II was
and the face was smiling at him pro-
pitiatingly.
Pm awfully sorry. but we haven't
found the key to the front door yet
Won't you come around the SIDE
way?"
He strode through the grass DOUBT
fully. On the side porch. in an old
split-bottom rocker. he found another
tenant, a little older than the nrst'
but very nearly as distractingy
pretty. and this one was pairing po-
tatoes.
How do you do?" she said cheer
fully. "Are you one of our neign-
bors?"
Il rather think am your only
nefghbor in the valley" answered
Burton gravely. II have lived mere
three years in the summertime. BUR-
ton Is my name"
Ours 10 Colby. ] am Beatrice COL
by. This Is my sister. Nan.
Nan smiled at him and handed out
another chair. Before he knew IT,
Burton was thawing and telling them
all about the valley and of his com.
Ing to 1t when his own health nad
broken down back in New YORK. he
had obtained tenting rights frst from
the trustee Of the land. Probably they
had rented from the same person