Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-07-07
The House on the
Marsh
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By EDWARD LEVINE
%. 1929, western Newspaper Union,

90, 1929, Western Newspaper Union.)
1t was a very ordinary house, In
no wise peculiar save that 1t was In
lonely region. 1t stood just at the
end of the branch road that runs
down to the ferry across the river.
Marshy ground all around it. marsh
buttercups, marsh flowers marsh
birds.
just the the place for q writer. IL
was remarkably cheap too The last
owner, an old misanthrope, had died
recently, and nobody seemed to want
the house. II was let to me for
song.
1t had been empty for months; yet,
as Tom Byng drove me up, / fancied
/ heard someone playing the violin
inside 1t.
"Harkl Tom, doz't you hear that
fiddler ] asked.
Tom gulped and shook his head.
He didn't seem to be trying very hard
20 listen. / went inside. Nobody
was there, nobody had been there
since the last owner died. The furni-
ture was scant but comfortable. just
the place to write In for the summer.
Old Mrs Tompklns was to come
every day to cook ana clean for me
/ asked her about the violin. She
shook her head
Well, it was a strange thing, but
every night soon after midnight
seemed to hear It. Just the thinnest
notes on the u string, played under
my window.
At least, thought It was under my
window But as often rs / jumped
out OF bed and looked ! could see
nothing.
Refraction of sound> Something
inside my ear? ! thought that Mrs.
Tompkins had looked at me strangely,
and tackled her again, She was
obstinate in her denial,
Though there's others says they've
heard II. But don't take no count
of such things myself"
The story was coming out. At last
II came. 1t concerned Eben Gray the
late owner, harsh, two-hsted man.
lie had been a dog in his day-gay
recldess-when he and his younger
brother, Arthur, owned the large
property that had slowly ebbed, piece
by piece, out of their hands.
Then there had been Marjorie,
Both men had loved her. but Eben
had won. Arthur lived with them in
the house on the marsh, which was
almost all Eben hadn't gambled
away.
lie used TO neglect his pretty young
wife and come home late at night
after visiting women in the town.
There was child coming-that held
her to him.
Arthur. the younger brother, had
loved Marjorie. When she married
Eben 1t brChte his heart, He was al
ways very quiet after that He would
superintend the men in the fields
while Eben was away on his pleas
ures, and at night he would sit In
his room playing the violin.
The scene ! reconstructed from Mrs
Tompkins' gosslpy surmises She had
not much Imagination, But / could
see the two drawn together in their
mutual suffering until at last the wife
came 10 realize the tragic error that
she had made.
] saw their dawning love, their slow
realization of It. their terror of 1t, and
how desperately they strove not TO
admit II even 10 themselves.
Then one night, when Eben came
home drunk, he struck his wife This
much is my own version of what hap
pened And In an instant Arthur was
standing before him with clenched
fists and blazing eyes.
And Eben saw and understood and
laughed There was no need for
words. His laugh apprlzed them both
that they had third party to their
secret
After TINT the two avoided each
other and Arthur sat In his room, or
outside on the porch when nights
were warm playing his violin.
Hark l heard It distinctly then
above the rising wind
And Eben watched them like a cat.