The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1915-01-15
CHAPTER XII.
Hedqerow House.


centric circles of scandal
financial. political, social-and
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-Kents 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 Sundayman's 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. | think
old Blair has got him here to keep him
out of the papers"
publicity is not to Mr.. Blair's taste
them"
81 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 Milt
Smith is the Teller that can tell you
about the family and the place. Here
he comes up the street"
He thrust his head out of the door
and called. Sailor Smith. sturdy and
white. entered and greeted Kent cour
teously.
Mr.. bennett was saying" remark
ed Kent. that you know something OF
the history of Hedgerow house. as
believe they call it."
They call it," repeated the old sailor
"Who calls it? If you mean the Blail
place. that's Hogg's haven. that is
You can't wipe out that name while
there's man living as knew the place
at its worst. Old Captain Hogg bull
it and lived in it and died in it. Thu
devil is fryin' bacon out Of old Hog,
today for the things he done in tina
house."
How long since did he die?"
"Oh, twenty year back
"And the house was sold soon after ?
'Stood vacant for ten years. Thel
this Teller Blair bought it. l don
know him, but he bought weevil.
biscuit there. A bad house, it is-rot
ten bad"
whats wrong with it?"
MEMS bones in the brick and won
ems blood in the mortar"
WAS the old boy cannibal?" aske
Kent. amused by the sea veteran
heroics.
Just as bad--slave trader"
Have you ever been in the houseT'
"Many's the time when it was Hogg'
haven. Only once since. They do tie
that the curse has come down with tn
house and is heavy on the new owner
SON.
$50 I've heard"
The old white head wagged bodingl,
1.-THE curse of the blood" he said. 1T
on all that race"
"Hogg's oldest sister was the CRANE
mother of this young feller's mothe
wasn't she?' put in Elder bennett.
THAT right Wilfrid Blair's gre;
grandmother"
"And a bad 'un, too | guess" col
tinued the elder reIishingly.
Don't you say it," cried the old Sc,
man. THE curse of the blood was @
her. Strange she was and beautiful
so my mother used to tell me, but n,
bad She came in at Lonesome Gov
too"
Drowned at ?" asked Kent.
'"rhey never knew. Cue day 81
} was gone. The next MI 1T her bod
came in. They said in the countr
side that she had the gift of secoI
sight and foretOId her own death"