The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1915-05-07
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womanss suspicious.
She was 10 Amassd u this that Ehs
ststpred back end attempisd b address
tina stranger. But before she had xo&
much further than q timid ana hsst
tafing Madam" the woman. reused
into action possibly b. her intsrfsr.
ence. made . quick gesture suggestive
Of impotence II not rebuke. and lnow.
Ing resoiutsly towards the gate Miss
Weeks had 50 indiscreetiy ieft un-
guarded. pushed II opsn and diaap-
peared within. dragging the iittls child
after her.
And she's In there stiIlY"
x haven't seen her come out.
Then what's the matter with yoaY''
called . buriy. hisk.ss-sag woman.
stepping hastily from the group and
laying her hand upon tho gate stu
standing tempt!nsiy sjar. TITS no
time for nonsense" abe announced. a.
she pushed II open and stepped
promptly In. followed By the notley
group Of men and women who. II thsy
lacked courage 10 lead. certainly
showed willingness 10 follow. .~..-..
One glance and they felt their cour-
age rewarded.
Rumor. which 10 often deceives.
proved itself correct In this case. A
second gate confronted them exactly
Ike the FIRST. even to the point OF
being held open BY pebble placed
against the post. And q second fence.
also! built upon thu same pattern no
the one they had Just passed through;
, the two forming Q double barrier al
mysterious to contemplate In fact as
II had ever been In fancy In gazing
at these fences and the canyonliks
walk stretching between them the
band OF curioua invaders forgot their
prime errand for q moment
But whatever tho mysteries Of the
place, q greater one awaited them be-
yond. and presently realizing this, they
burst with one accord through the sec
ond gate into the mass OF Ereenery
which, either from neglect or inten.
ton. masked this side Of the ostrandsr
homestead.
Never before had they beheld so law.
less . growth or q house 80 completely
lost amid vines and shrubbery. Two
solemn Or trees. which were all that
remained Of m oldtime and famous
group. kept guard over the INTENDED
lawn. adding their suggestion OF age
and brooding melancholy to the air
OF desoiation infesting the whole place.
One might be approaching q tomb. for
all token that appeared Of human pres
ence Even sound was lacking. II
was like q painted seene---a dream Of
human extinction.
ihstinctiveiy the women faitered and
the men drew back; then the very
silence caused sudden reaction. and
with one simultaneous rush they made
for the only entrance they saw and
burst without further ceremony into
the house.
A common hall and common fur
nishings confronted them, More they
could not gather: for blocked "a the
doorway was BY their crowding ng.
ures, the little light which giftesi In
over their heads was not enough to
show up details. Hating with one &C.
cord In what seemed 10 be the middle
Of the uncarpeted floor. they waited
for some indication Of q clear passage
way to the great room where the nudge
would undoubtedly be found In CONVEX.
sation with his strange guest.
The woman OF the hard voice and
sels.satisfied demeanor who had start
ed them upon this adventure was SIN
ahead; but even she Quailed when she
found herself face TO face with a
heavy curtain instead Of . yielding
door.
Look at this," she whispered. push
Ing the curtain inward with . quick
movement.
sunshinel A stream OF II. dazzling
them almost to blindness and sending
them. one and al. psllmell back upon
each othAr! However diamal the ap
preach. here all was In brilliant light
with every evidence before them Of
busy life.
The room was not only filed. but
crammed. with furniture This was
the first thing they noticed: then, -
shsir blinking eyes became accus
toned to the glare and to the unex.
pccted confusion Of tables and chairs
and screens and standing receptaclsu
for books and pamphlets and boxes
labeled and padlocked, they beheld
something else,
The Judge was there. but In what =
condition.
From the end Of the forty-foot room
his seated figure confronted them. D.
lent. staring and unmoving With
clenched fingers gripping tho arras OF
his great chair and head held forward.
he looked like one frosen at the mo-
men. of doom. such the expression Of
features usually 20 noble. and now
almost unacceptable we're II not for
the snow white Of his locks aud his
unmistakahle brow,
Frozen Not an eyelash qa.~cred.
nor was there any pereeptihle move
rssnt in his sturdy chest. His eyes
were on their eyes. but be saw no one:
and down upon his head and over his