The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-12-02
CHAPTER !.

Rain had been falling for five days
when j first saw Hartley house. The
place had so much local distinction
chat village not far from the estate
was named Hartley, for 1t.
Even when drenched and dripping
in storm which had lasted for five
days In late May. the spot was beau
tiful and charming; 1t had antiquity,
that rare thing In new land. Its two
thousand acres. handsomely arranged
for decorative and agricultural pur-
an indented and interesting littoral
where the river was two miles wide.
l had been an inferno in st. Julian's
hospital, and at the, close of my last
year DIR. Brownell had asked me IL my
arrangements would make 1t possible
for me to undertake case which he
thought might be profitable and In
teresting to young physician. 1t was
chat Of Mr.. Homer Sidney. the owner
of Hartley house.
II never saw SO strange a will to
i've" said the doctor when he dis
-cussed the circumstances with me.
-'The old man is indomltable. For that
reason he Is interesting. He lives be-
cause he wills to live. for some tre-
ing. II is enormous. You may live to
see him die; am afraid shall not
and he is seventy and am fifty"
decided to accept. 1t may have
Neen professional weakness, but In ad-
'dition to the financial certainty offered
there was n professional interest
aroused. II DR.. Brownell were at
tracted by a human beings will to
live there certainly was something SUI
perhumaniy interesting about that hu-
man being.
The recollection OF Hartley ns !
first saw II remains as an enduring
impression. The long downpour of
rain had given the place a spiritual ac-
cent One felt as If the soul were
saturated.
1t is only occasionally l., a normal
mind that weather works a spiritual
effect. I thought my mind was nor
NAL, but I felt the spiritual depres-
sion.
The way from the station for three
miles was through ordinary American
small farm land. Then 1t 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 decisi0D I had made and seemed
about to regret, by the dismal pros
pects--or at least the uncertain pros
pects-that ! should have been glad
for any sustaining human association.
At the end of my journey soon found
such association and was thereafter
happy in 1t, but approaching the place
was apprehenslve. My driver had
been, II not unapproachable, ut least
stupid and dismal.
1t somewhat astOnished me when
suddenly he began to talk. We were
then about a half mile from the house.
Il wish you had come an hour
earlier" he said.
"WhyT I asked.
''I'm not a coward" said the driver,
at least, no more than usual. but
don't like to be In here alone, and
I've got to 20 home alone"
In a fashion he expressed what
might have been my mood If l had
known more of the place. I could
sympathize with him. The rain had
done this for me.
"What have you to be afraid Off"
j asked. "Is something haunted
around here?" 1t seemed as II 50
beautiful a spot ought to have this In
terest. He stopped his horse.
'Tm going back out of here like
scared pig" he said, that is, II the
old horse can stand II. But you're go
ing to live here for a while. and I'll
stop a minute to show you where they
say the ghost walks"
He pointed to where the river had
eaten substantial bit out Of the bank,
making pool or tiny bay. The road.
swerving toward the river here. was
within thirty feet of It.
1T is1't natural for man to kill
his brother" said my driver. "and
something unnatural comes of 1t.
rnan killed his brother there. and some
thing unnatural has come of 1t. That's
why III be just as well satisfied to
set you to the house and myself back
out OF here before dark"
Get along. then" said. ut looks
like an ordinary place to me-"
ITO me too" said my driver. "And