The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1920-08-05
CHAPTER L..

Rain had been falling for FIVE days
,,.hop 7 first saw Hartley house. The
r1oce had so much local distinction
tbot q village not far from the estate
was named Hartley, for 1t.
Even when drenched and dripping
a. storm which had lasted for five
dovs in late May, the spot was beau
+ifnl and charming; it had antiquity,
shat rare thing in new land. Its two
thousand acres, handsomely arranged
for decorative and agricultural pur-
noses Law along the river bank, with
on indented and interesting littOral
where the river was two miles wide.
had been an inferno in st. Julian's
bosnitaI, and at the close Of my last
vpar DR., Brownell had asked me If my
ARRANGEMENTS would make it possible
for me to undertake a case which he
thought might be profitable and in
teresting to q young physician. 1t was
that of Mr.. Homer Sidney, the owner
of Hartley house.
81 never saw so strange q will to
live" said the doctor when he dis
cussed the circumstances with me.
"'The old man is indOmitable. For that
reason he Is interesting. He lives be-
cause he Wills to live, for some ire
me1dous reason of which know moth
ing. It is enormous. You may live to
see him die; 1 am afraid shall not
and he Is seventy and am fifty"
I decided to accept. 1t may have
NAen professional weakness. but in ad-
dttion to the financial certainty offered
there was a professional interest
aroused If DIR. Brownen were at
tracted by a human beings will to
live there certainly was something SUI
perhumanly interesting about that hu-
man being.
The recollection Of Hartley as
first saw it remains as an enduring
impression. The long downpour of
rain had given the place spiritual &C
cent. One felt as If the soul were
saturated.
1t is only occasionally IN normal
mind that weather works a spiritual
effect I thought my mind was nor
NAL, but 1 felt the spiritual depres-
sion.
The way from the station for three
miles was through ordinary American
small farm land. Then it changed alb
ruptly. Antiquity began to show. The
driver said we were in the Hartley
grounds.
was so depressed by the rain, by
my own uncertainty, by thinking over
the decision 1 had made and seemed
about to regret, by the dismal pros
pects-or at least the uncertain pros
pects-that I should have been glad
for any sustaining human association.
AT the end Of my journey 1 soon found
such association and was Thereafter
happy in it, but approaching the place
I was apprehensive. My driver had
been, if not unapproachable, at least
stupid and dismal
; 1t somewhat aStOnished me when
suddenly he began to talk. We were
then about half mile from the house.
u wish you had come an hour
earlier" he said.
"Why?" asked.
I'm not a coward" said the driver,
at least, no more than usual, but
cont like to be in here alone, and
I've got to go home alone"
In a fashion he expressed what
might have been my mood IL l had
known more of the place. 1 could
Sympathize with him. The rain had
zone this for me.
What have you to be afraid Oft"
asked. us something haunted
around hereY 1t seemed as If so
beautiful spot ought to have this In
'efest He stopped his horse.
I'm going back out of here like
scared pig" he said, that is, if the
0'd horse can stand it. But you're go
Jug to live here for a while, and I'll
S'op minute to show you where they
0ay the ghost walks"
he pointed to where the river had
eaten a substantial bit out Of the bank,
aaAing pool or tiny bay. The road.
S"erVlng toward the river here, was
"ltllln thirty feet of it.
!. 1t ts2't natural for a man to kill
nlS brother" said my driver, "and
soniething unnatural comes of it. A
Ian killed his brother there, and some
anIhg unnatural has come of it. That's
mnS III be just as we'll satisfied to
o. CO. you to the house and myself back
ue VI here before dark"
-, yet along, then," said. "Tt looks
@e an ordinary place to me-"
40 me too" said my driver. "And