The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-10-22
lIustr0t0d By irwin Ayers Copyright byGeorqe HDordncO

VIII get You your CoHce.
He sent in a maid TO sweep up the
breakage from the conee-tray, and
presently he came with another pot
and cup He had steadied down, but
was not tranquil.
You know tha. man. I said, "und
YOU wanted TO Kill him"
IL never saw him before" he said.
,"You have had some sort Of dealing
with him. He. has been hunting for
you. lie has found YOU. | think we
are going TO find you more interesting,
Jed. The man Will remain n the
neighborhood | think you are going 10
have som unpleasant hours. The
thought docs not make me- unhappy
Il wish | could find a friend in this
house" said Jed.
Il wish you could deserve one" !
said.
My de. cription of Hartley house has
been so >hctchy and indifferent that
ii may not have included mention Of
the form", gardens which took in the
river side of thc place. They were
charming at all times but particularly
So ut sunset. when the radiance was
behind The western hills two miles
across Tie water and WAS reelected
in the clouds back OF our own east
ern hills. The shore at this point
was narrow. and the river was wide.
Hills. river and bottom lands formed
an intimate sanctuary which evening
glorified.
To the north the gardens terminated
at a hiah brick wall AGAINST which
hollyhoc} grew and NOW were in sor-
! geouS blossom.
Jed had joined me in the garden,
and we were sitting on a stone bench
facing the river not fifty feet from the
brick wall and the h%ollyhocks to the
north. Jed was expected within a
quarter of an hour TO join Mr.. Sid
ncy. He seemed detected and Wor-
ricd-in a fashion timid. | thought.
When he came to sit down beside
me, | resented the intrusion for a mo-
mcnt; but knowing that he had only
a few moments in which to impose
his presence upon me, | did not make
him feel any more unWelcome than
ordinarily he knew himself TO be.
A schooner deep in the water with
brick from IN the river had just come
in sight around Il point above, and
with sails spread TO the light wind
was caught in the glorilication of the
water. A catbird was hopping In and
out of the shrubbery, and even with
Jed by my side | was senticnt and
content.
1t was not q noise that attracted
my attention. 1t must have been the
sensation Of being stared at. | turned
my head toward the wall 10 the north.
In line with the bench on which we
sat, and just topping the wall, was
the head OF fle Spanish sailor.
He and I looked ut each other for
what seemed to be at least n moment.
His earrings glittered. His gaze Mas
steady and both inquiring and pur-
poseful. Even in inquiry 1t seemed
malignant, with the malice which
comes from a sense of injury.
| felt a decidedly unpleasant shock
with the creeps which cOme from q
good ghost story. If he had appeared
suddenly at full length somewhere in
the garden, walking about. it would
have been different. But lust his
head appearing above the wall, and
he perfectly unexpected, unexplained,
motionless and inquiring-it gave you
Tie shivers OF q child frightened at
night in the nursery.
you're poor company" said Jed,
"but ! ann too, and l have to go to
Mr.. Sidney"
I seemed not TO hear him. 1t was
not intended TO rebuff him; I was held
by the Spaniard's eyes. Jed went in
to a huff and said: "Oh, 20 to the
devil"
Then he also turned and saw the
head above the wall.
He arose and stood looking at the
Spaniard as intently as the Spaniard
was looking at him. This situation
lasted a full minute. without n move
ment or word from one of Us. Then
the Spaniard's face, craven in lines
Of m%alevolent purpose. sOftencd into a
smile which expressed satisfaction
with prospects. And then the head
disappeared suddenly. l was in doubt
whether the mans feet had gone out
from under him, or whether he had
jumped.
In disappearing he left the place
| where he had been. charged with the
mystery which his presence had in
dicated. His diSappcarance intensi-
fled, thickened, The atmosphere which
his presence had created, While his
head was aboyc the wall, the sensa-
ton was one Of nervous establishment.
When his head disappeared. the sug-
gestion of terror was added. So long
as we saw him, it was something un-
| explained but embodied; when he
dropped out of sight, 1t was as II a
person going down a hall in his house
by candlelight at night were to come
! upon a startling sight, and-at the
moment when lis perceptions and rea-
son were struggling to explain the OBJ
| ject and its presence and to sustain
his courage-the candlelight should
60 out In q gust of wind and leave