The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1915-01-29
CHAP |.
The House Of Mystery.


there in this to rouse a whole neigh
borhood and collect before it a group
of eager, anxious, hesitating people?
This is Judge O~strander's place, and
anyone who knows Shelby or the COS
sip Of its suburbs knows that this
house of his has not opened its doors
to any outsider, man or woman, for
over a dozen years; nor have his gates
been seen In all that time to cape at
%snyone's instance or TO stand Enclosed
TO public intrusion. The seclusion
sought WAS absolute. The men and
women who passed and repassed this
corner many times a day were as igno-
rant as the townspeople in general OF
what lay behind the gray, monotonous
exterior Of the weatherbeaten boards
they so frequently brushed against.
The house was there, OF course-they
all knew the house. or did once-but
there were rumors Of another fence, a
second barrier. standing a few feet in
side the first and similar to it in all
respects, even to the gates which cor
responded exactly with these outer
and visible ones and probably were
Just as fully provided with bolts and
bars.
And now, in the freshness Of this
summer morning, without warning or
any seeming reason for the change,
the strict habit Of years has been
broken into and this gate of gates is
not only standing unlocked before
their eyes. but a woman-a stranger
TO the town as her very act shows
has been seen to enter thereto en-
ter. but not come out. which means
that she must still be inside. and pos
sibly in the very presence Of the
judge.
Where is Bela? Why does he allow
his errands-But II was Bella. or go
they have been told, who left this
gate ajar he, the awe and
terror Of the town. the enormous. re-
doubtable. cloee-mouthed negro, trust
ed IS man is seldom trusted. and
faithful to his trust, yes, up to this
very hour, as all must acknowledge
in spite Of every temptation (and they
had been many and alluring) to dis
close the secret of this home Of which
he was not the least interesting fac
tor. What has made him thus sud
denly careless, he who has never beer
careless before? Money? A bride
from the woman who had entered
there?
What else was there to believe
There stood the gate with the pebble
holding IL away from the post; an
here stood half the neighborhood, IL
a fascination which had for its mott
the knowledge that they, themselves
II they had courage enough, might &,
in. Just as this woman had gone in
and see-why, what she Is seeinI
now-the unknown, unguessed reasor
for all these mysteries-the hide,
treasure or the hidden sorrow whic
would explain why he, their first cit
zen. the respected, even revered judg
of their highest court, should make us
Of such precautions and show such III
varying determination to bar out a
corners from the place he called h
home
u had not always been so. With
the memory of many there it had bee
ar abode Of cheer and good FELLOWSHIP
Not a few OF the men and women no
hesitating before its portals cou'
boast of meals taken at the Judge
ample board, and of evenings spent
animated conversation in the gre
room where he kept his books and d
his writing.
But hat was before his son left hi
IN so ~unaccountable a manner; /
fore--yes, all were agreed on tt
point-before that other bitter orde
of his middle age. the trial and &C
domination of the man who had wa
laid and murdered his best friend.
Though the effect of these combin
SORROWS had not seemed to be imme
ate Zone month had seen both
though a half-year had elapsed befc
all ~sociability was lost in extreme Sc
absorption, and a full one before
tool down the picket fence which b
hitherto bee considered a suffice
protection to his simple grounds, a
put up these boards which had so co
pletely isolated him from the rest
the world, it was evident enough
Nv AZ "AC 1hAA blD " u
step as he walked the streets with
gernon Etheridge on one side and
brilliant, eyer-successful son on
other, that the change now observaI
In him was due to the violent sund
ing of these two ties. Grief sloy
settled into confirmed melancholy, a
melancholy into eccentricities.
Judge Ostrander was a recluse
the most un-compromising type; but
was such for only half his time. FIR
ten in the morning till five in the aft
noon. he came and went like any otl
citizen, fulfilling his judicial dut
with the same %scrupulous care as
merly and with more affability.
deed, he showed al times. n of
when it was least expected, a NELL
macs or tar1r u,1ita foratrp ~ L;r-