The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1925-06-26
CHAPTER /
In Which Things Happen Near
Barking Creek


The wind howled dismally round a
house standing by itself almost ON the
shores of Barking creek.
The house seemed deserted. Every
window was shattered; the garden
was uncared for and mass of weeds
the gate leading on to The road, ap-
parently feeling the need of deficient
top hinge, propped itself drunkenly
on what once had been a flower-bed.
A few gloomy trees swaying dismaly
in the wind surrounded the house and
completed the picture-one that would
have caused even the least imagina-
tive of men to draw his coat little
tighter round him, and feel thankful
that it vas rot his fate to live in such
a place.
But then few people ever came near
enough to the house to realize its sin
lister api earance The road-it was
little better than a cart track-which
passed lie gate, was out of the beaten
way; only an occasional fisherman or
farm laborer ever used it, and that
their proper proportion. and it was
merely an empty house gradually fall
ing to pieces through lack of atten-
tion. At night they avoided it if pos
sible; folks did say that twelve years
ago some prying explorer had found
the bones of skeleton lying on the
floor in one of the upstairs rooms with
u mildewed rope fixed to one of the
beams in the ceiling. And then it had
been empty for twenty years
Even now when the wind lay in the
east or northeast and the hide was set
ting in, there were those who said that
you cor.l1 see a light shining through
the cracks in the shutters in that room
upstairs, and that, should a man climb
up and look in. he'd see no skeleton,
but body with purple face and star
ing eyes swinging gently to and fro.
and tied by the neck to a beam with
rope which showed no trace Of
mildew. Ridiculous, of course; but
then so many of these local supersti-
tons are. Useful, too, in some cases !.
they afford a privacy from the prying
attentions of local gossips far more
eheaply and effectively than high
walls and bolts and bars.
So, at any rate, one of the two men
who weres walking hriskly along the
rough track seemed to think.
Admirable" he remarked, as he
paused for moment at the entrance
of the weed-grown drive. "Quite adj
mirahe, my friend. A house situated
as this me is, is an acquisition, and
when it is haunted in addition 1t be-
comes a godsend."
He spoke English perfectly with a
slight foreign accent. and his COM
panion nodded abruptly.
"From what I heard about 1t l
thought it would do" he answered.
personally / think it's a damnable
spot, but since you were so set against
coming TO London, had to find some
where in this neighborhood."
Il will explain my reasons in due
course" said the first speaker shortly.
"You may take it from me that they
were good What's that?"
He swung round with little gasr,
clutching his companions arm.
Nothing" cried the other irritably.
For a moment or two they stood still,
peering into the dark underground.
sNWhat did you think it WASP"
Il thought heard bush oreaking
as if-as if someone was moving" he
said. relaxing his grip. st must have
been the wind. l suppose"
He still peered fearfully into the
gloomy garden, until the other man
dragged him roughly toward the house,
"Of course it was the wind,' he NUT
tered angrily. For heavens, sake,
zs'nleff, don't get the jumps If you
VII insist on coming to an internal
r &c like this to transact little per-
ffcily normal business you must ex-
lert few strange noises and sounds.
Let's get indoors; the others should
heshere by now. II oughtn't to take
more thai an hour, and you can be on
hoard again long before dawn"