The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-26

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The December afternoon was draw.
ing to a close whom John Gordon de.
cided suddenly to 60 out to the house
All day the sun had been shining, but
now coming shadows warned him tina,
he had not much time to spare. He
had postponed the ordeal as long as be
could, for surely 1t would be an ordeal
to spend precious time plugging along
on a suburban trolley, transferring al
some wayside country station and then
maybe, If no vehicle could be obtained
walking the rest Of the way uphill.
This much he knew: The house was
situated upon the top Of the hill, the
village struggling at its foot. But why
James Laidlaw, deceased, had seen al
to leave the house with Its belongings
to John Gordon's own mother he could
not understand. That the eccentric
old man had been youthful friend
be lad often heard, and now that bis
mother had also passed into the great
beyond John Gordon must accept the
property as the next Of kin and in
cidentally 60 out to look 1t over.
The trolley was late, of course, and
be restlessly strode up and down the
platform. This trip was a nuisance
and no doubt the property scarce worth
the trouble. Time was when John Cor.
don had not been so Indifferent to
! country homes or legacies.
He was weary Of superflciality, alb
sorbed and buried In business. The
] second wait, at the tiny cross country
station, was doubly annoying, and, bis
/ destination finally reached, no vehicle
/ was obtainable. In fact, John Gordon
i was the only passenger to leave the
train at Elmhurst. The station agent
laconically directed him 'hillward," !"
and, turning up his greatcoat collar.
he bent his face to the wind.
He had not gone dozen yards when
the sudden storm was on him. Snow.
heavy, yet as thick as down, fell in
swirling clouds. But the key was In
bis pocket. He had come thus far on
his troublesome journey, and he would
! not turn back. A few moments before
the storm had descended he had
glimpsed the house, high and solitary
upon Its hill. 1t seemed a place not to
be lightly despised. He muttered an
imprecation as the wind of the height
battled him back; but. after ALL the
distance was not SO great as 1t seemed,
and he stood, breathless upon the de-
serted front porch
He laughed little at the incongrui-
ty of the situation as he fitted the key
into the lock. The heavy snow had
changed the daylight to cleaning, and
he determined to 60 through the house
as quickly as possible, returning to
town by the next train. With difficulty
the unused door gratingly opened, and
Gordon found himself In a wide, silent,
ghostly hall, ghostly because of the
white draped furniture. Evidently
nothing had been disturbed, awaiting
als coming and delayed settlement of
tne estate. He shivered even In his
sreatcoat as he hastily inspected the
rooms upon either side Of the hall, then
nan upstairs. Here the almost impene-
uable darkness caused him to grope
70 the window, vainly trying to peer
through the pane. The snowstorm had
turned into blizzard, hiding the lights
OF the village below. To start back
now would be folly; to stay In this
ueadly vault Of a house, worse.
Inc telephone, OF course. was disoon.
uected, but even II available what per-
son would venture to come to his as
ISSUANCE up through this binding, cut
mg storm? John Gordon sank back
won damp couch to smoke and think
uings over; useless In this darkness to
.0ntlnue his investigation of the house.
afowsiness came over him, and In
.sai terror lest he should sleep in the
ueezing atmosphere he moved eau
aousiy toward the hall. Here another
ssairway confronted him. There had
ea tower room, he remembered.
unaps from there he might be able
~see the direction Of the lights below.
Numbed with cold, he reached the
upper landing, then paused, blinking
eyes at spark of Hight which, like
neny, came for o. moment but to
sppear Surely this was an after
.sol OF uncanny adventure. Again the
s s,,., shone high upon the wall.
VINO is there7" called John Gordon
e% u immediately smiled at the nervous
WY OF his own question. With cold.
saaking fingers be lighted and
.,uled a match, then another.
'oVe' he exclaimed and stood gap
INTO the darkness. High upon the
Z .s,e !. wall, on ledge Of what seem.
!" oe bookcase, dangied the hide
s... white polar bear. It took a third
.r,a MN to satisfy him that the beasts
rsss may Jaws and glaring eyes were
Ielal Naa Then directly from behind
H., white shaggy head a small electric
so,s n was leyeled at him.
NJ oag' breathed relieved feminine
You are the real estate agent,