Show THE HOUSE WITH THE GREEN SHUTTERS w D I- I BY GEORGE DOUGLASS D I Copyright y McClure l F Phillips A 4 Co O CHAPTER x Continued Aye Ae and than ever er too They're getting re redder der and redder Its It's not a a. dull red he said RaId with a faint return of ot his old Interest In the curious physical ns a 3 gleaming red They lowe A last they let me sleep There was nue gas lM In m my room and when the candle went out I could rould see them everywhere Whet When I looked to on ono one corner o 0 tho the room they were there and when I looked to another another another an an- an- an other corner they were ere there too glowering at me glowering at me In Inthe Inthe inthe the darkness glowering at me Ye mind what a glower he lie had T I hid hill from them the claes but they followed me they me-they they were burning In my brain So I c-aed c oot and stood by a lamp- lamp pot port for company But a n con constable table moved me on he said I was drunk because because be be- be- be cause I mutt muttered red to But I drunk then mother I wa-as wa not So I on on and on on and on the whole hut but but aye keepit to th the posts lamp for company compan And then when hen the public houses house opened I aNlIn In and drank and drank I like the drink for whisky has haR no taste to tome tome tome me now But Bu It helps ye to forget Mother Iother h he went vent on complaining complaining- ly h Is It no queer that a a. pair pall of ot een should follow a 11 man Just a pair of oC een cen It never nc happened to hut me mt he lie said Raid dull dully never to ony ony- body hut but me Ills mother mothr was panting openmouthed openmouthed open- open mouthed as If It she ghe choked for tor air all both hands clutching at her bosom hosom Aye Are she whispered Its queer and kept kepton on gasping at Intervals with staring eyes ees Its gey queer Its It's gey queer Its It's se gey queer She took up the needle once more and tried to sew ew but her hand was trembling trembling trem trem- bling so ro violently that she pricked the left forefinger which upheld her work She was content thereafter to make loose stabs nt at the cloth with a a. result that she made great stitches which drew her seam scam together In a pucker Vacantly she Fhe tried to smooth them theta out stroking them over with her hand hanti constantly stroking and to no purpose John watched the thc aimless work with dull and hea heavy eyes eres For a 11 while there was in the kitchen Janet was coughing In the room above aboe Theres Just ae thinS thing end It It said John Mother Iother give me three C shill shill- In ings s. s It was not a no request and not a demand demand domand de do- mand It was the dull dun statement of oC a need Yet the need appeared so 50 re relentless relentless re- re uttered In the set fixity of oC his Impassive voice that she could not gainsay It It She f felt t that this was not merely her son making a demand It was a a. compulsion on him greater reater than himself Theres the money moner she said clinking clinkIng clinkIng clink- clink Ing It down on the table and flashed a resentful smile at him close upon the brink of tears She had a n fleeting anger It was scarcely nt at him though It was at the fate that drove dro him Nor was It for Cor her herself eJr for her own mood was Well we well let Jet it gang ganc But she had a sense of oC unfairness and a flicker nicker of oC quite Impersonal impersonal Im Im- im- im personal re resentment that fate should wring rn- rn the last few Cew shillings from a n. poor being It fair Call She had the emotion of ot it and It spoke In the strange look at her son and In the smiling flush with the tears behind It IL Then she sank ronk Into apathy John took up the mone money and went vent out heedless of his mother where she sat by the table table table-he he had a doom loom on him and could see nothing that did not lie He within his path Nor did she take an any note of his going she was callous The rhe tie between th thorn them m was heln being annulled annulled annulled an an- anI I by hy misery n She was ceasing to tobe tobe I Ibe be his mother he ho to be her son they were not and older they were the equal victims of ot necessity Fate set each ench of them apart to dree a n separate separate sep sep- arate arato weird In a a. house of ot long years ears of ot misery miser the weak become callous to their dearest's aIOn agony The hard strong characters are kindest In the end the they will help while their hearts are break break- Ing But the weak fall Call asunder at nt the last It was as not that Mrs tIrs Gourlay was as thinking of herself lr rather than of him She was stunned by fate as fate as was as he he- he and could think of oC nothing Ten minutes later John came out of ot the Black mack Bull with a 3 bottle of ot whisk whisky It was a n mellow evening e one ono of or tho thos thop o evenings when Barbie the mean and dull is transfigured to a like gem purity purity pur pur- ity Ih and catches a n radiance There was wasa a dreaming sk sky above the town and Its light less c s came caine to the earth than was wason wason wason In path with a n on It shining er e every gracious Immanence John came on through h the glow with his burden undisguised un un- disguised I ll wr poel In a tissue ue paper which chewed Its outlines He stared starel right before him like a 3 man walking In his sleep l cp and never nc once looked to either Cither side At word of ot his coming the doors were filled with and bald heads by hy the lambs iambs to pet Jet n a look Many were Indecent In n their ha haste te not waiting till he pas passed ero cn the they peeped which peeped which was a their usua usual wa way Some even een stood tood away out In front of their doors mars to glower at him advancing ad turning slow slowly ly I with him ashe as ashe he passed and glowering behind him as ashe ashe he herent went rent Thc They saw 53 the they might do 10 so 50 o with Impunity that he did not see gel them thorn but walked like a man mait in adream a n dream I Up r. r passed UY up the street and through the e square beneath a n hundred hundred hun hun- dred eyes eves the sun Run shining softly round him E Every Ery ry eye ce followed till he disappeared disappeared through his own door He lie went through the kitchen where his mother pit oat carrying the bottle openly and the parlor without speaking He lie time lime back and asked her for the corkscrew w. w but when she hc said Mid Er with n a azue a tue wildness In n her manner mann r. r lid did not s t om m to un understand un- un he went anil grot got It for Cor him him- Rei self She Rhe continued mal making ln stabs stab at al ather ather her cloth and smoothing out the tho puck- puck err cn In her R scam soam am John was heard moving In the parlor lh There re was th the shar I plunk lunk o of n a cork bring being drawn followed h by h n. n clink of or s. Ia s. s AntI And then came a n heavy thud thurl L like a n. fall fail To Mrs oIls the sounds meant nothing she heard hard them with her ear but no not her mm Th The Tho world orM around her had hod rt retreated to a n hazy distance distan so o that it Jt had no meaning She would have h gazed vaguely at nt a shell about to burst beside fen fenIn er In the evening e Janet who had harl been beca In bed all the afternoon came canue down lown and lit the lamp for her mother It was a n. large nr e Jam lamn which Gourlay had bought and It shed a n rich light through the roomI roomI roomI room I heard heald John com come In she he said turning wearily round hut but I was too ton ill III to come corne down n and ask what had ha happened Where herl IH is he 7 John questioned her mother John Johnr Ou nye aye she panted pante va vaguely ue recalling Ou On aye ae I think I think I think he ben the parlor The parlor cried Janet hut but he must bo be In the dark And he canna thole thome the he s' s I John she cried going to the parlor par par- lor br door John There wan wa as a silence of oC the grave S Sh lit ut a a candle and went Into th the room And then Rh she gave e a 1 squeal like a tL rabbit In a n. dogs dog's Jaws S Mrs Irs Gourlay dragged ra etl her gaunt aunt limbs wearily across the floor By ny the wavering wa lI light ht which shook In tn Janet's hand the she hc saw h her hr r son lying deal dead across the sofa The whisky bottle bottle kY-bottle on the table was as half haIr empty empt and of oC a a. smaller bottle hottle beside It he lie had drunk a a. third He lie had taken all that whisky that h he hp might deaden his mind to the horror of or S 3 swallowing 11 0 10 Ing the poison His Ills legs had slipped to the floor when he died but his hod body I was lying back across the couch conch his mouth open his eyes staring horridly up They were not the eyes of ol the quiet lead dead but bul bulged ed In frozen fear as It If his fathers father's eyes had watched him from aloft while he hc died Theres thirds ta of ot the poison polson left commented Mrs Irs Gourlay Courlay I Mother Janet screamed and shook her Mother Iother Johns John's Johns John's' Johns John's Dont Don't ye e see sec e Johns John's debt i Aye hes he's said saki Mrs Gourlay Gouray staring He lIe winna be han hanged ed now Mother Iother cried Janet desperate be he- fore tore this apathy what shall we do What shall wo do rIo Shall I run and bring the The said Mrs Irs Gourlay r rousing herself wildly The What hat have we to do with the We e are by ourselves tIme the the Gourlays Gourlas whom God has cursed we can have no Come hen the house and antI Ill I'll tell ye something she whispered wild wild- I ly Aye Ayo she nodded smiling with mad significance Ill tell yc ye c something Ill I'll tell ye re something and she dragged Janet to the thc kitchen Janet's heart was rent for her tier brother but the frenzy on her mother killed sorrow sorrow sorrow sor sor- row with a new fear Cear Janet t smiled Mrs Gourlay with Insane soft Interest Janet Dye De mind yon on an wh when whon n your our falther faither came In wP wI a terrible look In itt his eon een and struck me rae In the breist Aye she she- whispered hoarsely staring at the fire he struck me In the breist But I did did- na k ken n what it was for Janet No o she shook her head he never me what It was for or Aye ilc AC mother whispered Janet I mind ot Wed Weel ee an nn abscess o some kind formed formed I I henna wed weel what It was but wits but It gathered and broke and gathered and broke till my mJ breist's near ea ten n awa wa wlL Look she cried tearing open her boson hoson and Janet's head flung back In horror and disgust Oh mother she panted pante was It that that the wee clouts were for for Aye Ae It was that said her mother Mony Ion a n. clout I had to wash vash and mony monya a I sat lonely by Ing m my withered breist But I never let ken she hc added with pride na a I never let et ken When your our nipped me wi wl his tongue It nipped me xvi wl Its pain p and woman It consoled me Aye Ae aye I u used ed to think Jibe awn Jibe awn awa but I hae lute a In my breist that'll end enI It some me meday day I likit to keen keep It Il to When hen It bit me mc It seemed to whisper I had a nane o o 0 them kenn kenned l o o a. a that would deliver deJl me The Thc mar mair he badgered me the closer cater I J hn hugged led It and when m my hert was brakin I enjO en- en jO the pain ot ol Oh m my poor poor mother cried Janet with a bursting sob soh her eyes raining mining hot tears Her very bod bony body seemed to feel tee compassion It quivered ered and crept near ns as it would brood over o her mother and protect pi her She raised th the poor hand and kissed it It H. and fondled It between en her own But Dut her mother had forgotten the world ord In on one of or her wild lapses and was staring fixedly I Ill no lang he be a 1 burden hurden to she said to herself It should hould sune he be wearing to a held now no But a thought of oC something the day John away awa Aye I thou ht of or something she said a vaguely el Janet what was It I was thinking of oC of I r ken Janet I was of oC something her mother mu mused ed Her voice a all through was vas a far off voIce olce remote from und understanding understanding under under- r standing Yes I remember Yero Yere young Jenn Jenny Tenny and you learned earnell the the- dressmaking do do vo YO think ye could coull sew pew or something to keep a bit garret own m my held till I r dee lee Aye It was that I Iwas Iwas was thinking of though or though it mattel matter matter mat mat- ter tel much now Eh now Eh Jenn Jenny Ill I'll no bother you ou for Cor verra lang tang But 1 Ill I'll no gang on the parish she said ald In a pas pas- voice yolee I Ill no ran pang gang on the parish parish parish-I'm Im I'm Im I'm Miss Richmond o 0 Ten- Ten She had hal no Interest In her own sug SUI- It was an Idea that hll had flitted 1 through h her mind before which came back to her no now non In f feeble recollection She seemed not to wait for or an answer to have ha forgotten otten what hat she said Oh mother cried Janet theres there a n. curse on us liS nil all I would work my fingers fingers fin fin- gers ers raw for ye If Ir I could hut but I canna canna she phe screamed I canna I canna My Iy IlIn lunge n are nrc bye bc wIt On Tuesday In han the doctor m mo me I would soon non x n b h ho he h he but fine I saw what he ho was hinting He lie advised nd me to pang gang to Ventnor In the Isle o 0 Wight she added wanly as s If It I could gang an to the Isle o o A I cam earn homo home trembling and wanted to tell ye ye e but hut when I cam eam In ye were taen UP un wi wl John an antI Oh lassie sail said von volt Minna bother m mo me wi wl your complaints enow I was hurt at that and Well ell well I T if it she want to hear Ill I'll no tell her I was wa huffed butTed at ye And then m my falther faither came cam In and ye e ken what happened I r t the c heart to speak ot after r that I seeps to care I ken what It Is to nurse nunc In itt my breist xvi wl pride too mother she went on Ye Yo never cared verra much mitch for m me It was John was your favorite I J used to be nn angry n because you ne neg- neg m my illness s. s and I r never nC tolled OU ou how hell IJ I boasted blood Shell he bo sorry for this when Im I'm I used to think think and and I r hoped you OU would be ho r I rhad had a n kind of oC pride In saving nothing But nut oh mother I ken you 1 0 were Just the same fame I ken you were Just the same ame same She looked Her Tier mother was W as not listening Suddenly Mrs rs Gourlay screamed with sith wild wIllI laughter and laughing with mirthless merriment th the look of horror horror hor hor- tor with which Janet was w re regarding her Its Ha ho hD ha she screamed screamed Its It tn in o b bo be a clean clen swoop sW-eP 0 o fl the Gourlays' Gourlays Tin Hn ha ha ha Its It's to be a clean sweep o o othe the Gourlays There Ther is nothing uglier In life than a womans woman's cruel laugh augh but butI M I Go Courlay's Gourlay's Gourlays Gour- Gour r- r lays lay's 8 laugh was more than crue cruc cruel It IL was demoniac th the tho skirl skin of oC a human being being carried h by ml misery en be beyond ond the confines con con- fines of ot humanity Janet started at ath ather ather h her r In speechless fear Mother Iother she whispered nt at last w t f are are we ve to do of ot the thc poison polson Theres s 's t thirds third left left said Mrs Irl Gourlay Mother cried Janet Gouras dochter ml may can gang on the parish If IC she m likes cs but hut his wife never will ill You mn may boast yourself our elC to death In a garret guret In the poorhouse but Ill I'll l u v follo m my l Io boy oy II Tho The sudden picture of her own lonely death ns as a n. pauper among when her mother and brother should be pone one was so o appalling to Janet JC thatto that thatto to die with her ler mother seemed cr er She could not bear benr to be left alone Continued tomorrow |