Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1921-03-19

nv Copyright pTSeofge rYor-nLo
. r..c ,or.c unpleasant hours vlr
,E.uanf does not ma,r ur uunaIn, -
81 wish could nud a FREUD n mi.
lnr. o.. said jed,
- wish you could deserve. on..r I
said.
Nv description Of Hartley hou-, has
,,.u >u sketChy ,ud Indifferent ihur
+. may not have included mention of
the formal gardens which took in ,he
river side Of H." place They were
charming at air times hut particuiarty
50 at sunset. when the radiance was
h.hind the western hills two miles
across the water and was reflected
in the clouds bHch off our own east
crp hills The shore at his pain;
WAS narrow, and The river was wide
Hills. river and bottom lands formed
nm intimate sanctuary which evening
glorjfcd
70 the north the gardens Terminated
nj 4 Mgl' brick wall against which
hoIlyhoct1 grew and now were tn vor-
gcous hro -om
Jed hu' joined me In the garden.
and We were sitting uu 20 ~rur,,. bench
Gru- the river not fifty feet from the
! hr.rD wall ana ID" holIslp.Es to the
| uo.Ih led vas expected v.,hu e
uu.m.r oC an hour o." JOHN Mr. S.t-
! r,. He seemed detected aud yor-
| r.u foo fashion riuid. thou.ht
WAru hr came to >lt down h,-iG.
mc. ] resented the Intrusion for NO
mcut: hut KIN wing that hc had only
few momen, $ in which to impoSc
| his presence upon me, / did not make
him feel any more mwclcomc than
ordinarily he knew himself to hc
! \ schooner deep in the water with
brick from up the river had Just come
in sight around point above, and
| with sails spread To the light wind
| was caught In the Qualification of the
! water. A catbird was hopping in and
out of the shrubhery. and even with
Jed by my side ! was Scntj,nt and
I content.
4 II was not a noise that attracted
a my attention II must have hcen the
sensation ofbeing stared at. turned
I my head toward the wall to the north.
p In line witt the bench on which we
10 sat, and Just topping the wall, was
I the head Of the Spanish sailor.
He and Hooked at each other for
what seemed to be at least a moment.
His earrin9 glittered. His gaze was
steedy and both inquiring and pur-
, poseful. T zen in inquAS it seemed
: malignant, Tth the .i ii5,. which
!. cQppess- 6SiaS f.,T,. :. ', ,!r ~
: l felt a dedsedly unpleasant shock
= with the Creep which come from a
good ghost story If he had appeared
suddenly at full length somewhere in
u the garden, waking about, II would
have been different But just his
e head appearing above the wall, and
he perfectly Unexpected. unexplained
, motionIess and iaquiring-it gave yor
the sirivers of Il child frightened a
night in the nursery,
you're poor company" said Jed
'but | am. too, and I have to 60 t.
- Mr. Sidney"
~. seemed not to hear him, II wa
not intended to rebuff him; | was hclt
by tie Spaniard's eyes Jed went in
:, to huff and said: "Oh, GostO thu
), devil"
. Then he also turned AMI saw tn
head above the wall
n He arose and stood looking ut tn
Spanard as intently as the Spaniar'
Il was looking at him. This situation
, lasted a full minute. without move
ment or word from one of us. The
v the Spaniard's face. craven in line
+ of maievoient purpose, softenCd into
! smile which expressed SatiSfaCtio
with prospects. And then the hea
II disappeared suddenly. I was in douf
whether the mans feet had gone on
| from under him, or whether he ha
e jumped.
In disappearing he left the plaC
where he had been, charged with tn
mystery which his presence had il
Dictated, His disappearance intens
fled. thckened, the atmosphere whic
his presence had created. While hi
: head was above the wall, the sens;
4 ton was one of nervous astoniShmen
m When his head disappeared. the SUI,
- gesti0n of terror was added. SO Ion
as we saw him, II was something III
explained but embodied; when b
- dropped out Of sight. II was as If
Il person going down n hall IN his h"us
n by candlclight ut night were To CON
' upon a startling sight. and-at III
A moment when his perceptions and re-;
Il son were struggling to explain the 81
n irct and its presence and to Su~tHi
his courage-thc caudlclight shout
N % out I'm gust OF wind and Icay
him blind, facing a thing n" had M
n explained and now could no long'
d see. Then. with cause may the hail
= browning even head with q thiukif
- brain arise in sheer fright The ="
sons plight is that of black ign
: rancc, in which superstition and chill
4 iSh fears ascend and dominate.
Jed took a step forward as if
pursuit. but stopped with that OF
= movement. II broke the situate
down and made it possible for me
return to animation. Seemingly II