Show U I lly I St Sic Author of oC Treasure Island Tho The Master of oC Strange Case of ot Dr Jekyll and Mr Ir Hyde etc Tho The better beter to set this fear at rest reat I I I changed ed tho the form of or m my Inquiries and I spying tin nn honest fellow fallow flow coming along ii alano a n L lano lane on the shrift shaft of his cart I asked I him If I ho had ever heard tell of or ahouse n a house thc they called caled the tho house of ot Shaws Ho lie le stopped his cart curt and looked hooked at mo mc 00 like tho the others Ay Ar said he What for I lt s e a great house 1 I asked Doubtless sa says s 's he lie The Tho i ia Isn is isa I a n big house Ay y said I 1 but hut tho tie folk tolk that arc aro In It f 7 Folk cries h- h ho he Aro Are yo 0 daft r Theres There's nao no folk tolk there to to call cal folk tolk What hat says I 1 not Mr Ir Ebenezer O 0 ay Ha nays aya tho man theres the laird to be sure if It it Its It's him your youre Wan wanting What'll like b bo be your our business I mannle I was led to think that I would gel gela ela et el eta a situation 1 I said looking as ns modest modestas as I could What cries the carter In so 10 sharp sharr a no note noto to that his hiser er very started and I then Well Vei ho added Its iti I nano of my affairs but yo ye e seem a de do spoken cent cont lid lad and If Ie yell take xi 1 a word from me yell el keep clear of ot th tho Shaws cear The next person I camo came acro across wo was wai n n L lapper dapper little lite man In a n beautiful white wl wig whom I saw to he bo a barber on hi his rounds and knowing well vell wel that barbers barbar were great gossips I 1 asked hun him plainly what sort corE or ot a a. a man nina was Mr of 01 tho the Sha Shaws ws Hoot hoot hoot hoot said tho barber nace kind of ot a man nao sac kind hind of ii a n I man at au all nl ann and becan he an to ask mo me vcr very verb shrewdly what my business was but I IWas I Iwas Iwas I was more than thOn a match for him ut at t that and ho lie went on to his hla next customer no nc I wiser than he cameI came came- I cannot well wel describe tho the blo blow this thi dealt eal to m my illusions Tho The more moro In In- In distinct the accusations were the les lean I liked them for tor they left the wider field tel to fancy What hat kind of ot a a great greal rent house wa was this that nil all 01 tho parish should start and stare to bo be asked tho thc I wa way way- to It or what sort of oC a gentleman gentle man that hi hl ill fame should bo ho thus thu current on the tho wayside If I an hours hour's I walking would have brought me back to I had left len my ad I then and thoro there and return to Mr Campbells Campbell's lint But when I had hOd come como so se far tar awa away asay already mere shame would I Inot not suffer me rae to desist till tl I had put pui the tho matter mater to the touch of proof I was wai I hound bound out of ot mere self respect to carry It I through and as 09 I liked the sound of what I heard and slow Blow as I I began began to travel el I still kept asking my wa way and still kept advancing It I wn was drawing on to sundown when I I met mel n a stout dark sour looking woman woman wo wo- wo- wo man mon coming trudging down a hill bill hi and t she when I put my usual question Queston turned sharp about accompanied me mo back to tho the summit sho shio had hOc just left let nn and pointed to a great bulk of buildIng build build- bull bull- lug Ing standing ver very bare upon a a green reon In the tho bottom of ot the tho next valley aley The country was sa pleasant round about running run run- ning In low hills hils pleasantly watered and wooded and tho the crops craps to m my eyes eos wonderfully good but tho the house Itself to bo be a kind of ot ruin no Iselt road led up to it no smoke arose from 10 any of tho the chimneys nor was there thoro any semblance of at a garden My heart hearl sank I cried crIed The womans woman's face lit hit lt up with wih a malig malL malL- nant anger That Is Js the house of ot Shaws she she cried Wood Blood built hul it It It stopped the tho building or of It blood I shall bring it I down See Sec here she cried again I again I spit upon tho the ground and crack my thumb at It mack Black be bo Its tal tall If I ye yo seo see the tho laird Jaird tell Dack him what ye C hear tell teJ him this makes mates tel the twelve hunner and nineteen time that Jennet Clouston has haR called caled down the curse on him and his house byre hyre and stable man guest and master wife miss or bairn black bairn-black black black be their fall taU And tho the woman whoso voice had risen to a I kind of ot eldritch sing song turned with wih a skip and was gone I stood where she had left me with my hair hall on end In these days day folks still believed in witches and trembled bled nh nta acta tl curse and this ono tailing so n a omen to airiest aYrest mo me ero era I carried out m my purpose took tho the path out of ot my legs I sat down and stared at the house of at Shaws Tho more moro I looked tho the that country side appeared being all al set with wih hawthorn bushes full of flowers th the tho fields dotted with ful sheep a a fine tine flight Ight of ot rooks In li wih the sic sky and every oty sign of ot a n kind soil and climate and yet et the tho barrack soi in the midst of ot It went sore Bore against Can fancy C my Country folk went vent by from fram rein tho the fields as I sat there on the tho side of or the ditch but I lacked the spirit to give them dich n a good een een At last the sun went down lown and then right up against the yellow sky I l saw a 0 scroll of ot smoke elow go mounting not much thick thicker ere as it seemed to me than the tho of ot I a candle but still sti there It was and meant a fire and warmth fre ant and cookery and some living Inhabitant that have lit lt It I and thus comforted must heart henrt my wonderfully more I more feel teel sure than a whole flask of ot the lily Illy of the theale ale valley water that Mrs Campbell Iy set so rs Campbel great a storo store b by So 1 set forward b by a little faint taint track In the grass that led In m my direction di dI- dI It I was ver very faint taint Indeed to be bo the thO only way vay to a place of or habitation tion ot I a ton yet saw no other Presently It brought brought me mo to stone stono uprights with I nn an unroofed lod lodge e beside them and wih coats of or arms upon the tho top A main en entrance entrance en- en trance It was vas plainly meant to be be but never finished Instead of or gates tes of oC wrought Iron a pair of at hurdles were tied ted across with n n. straw wih rope and as there were no o park walls walla nor nn any sign of ot avenue a tho the track that I was following follow follow- In ing passed on the rl right ht h hand of oC the pillars and went wet wandering on toward the house The nearer I got to that tho the drearier It appeared It seemed i like I the on one ln wing of ot a n house that had never nevor been finished What hat should have been leen the tho Inner end stood open on the floors noor and showed against the upper steps and stairs of t uncompleted sky sly with wIh mason mason- 1 ry Man Many of ot tho the windows were unglazed un- un doves glazed out and ant of ot bats bat a dovecote dove flew tew In and out and out The night had begun to fall as I close and In fal got got three trec of ot the tho lower vcr windows win win- windows dows which were very cry hl h up and narrow and well creil wel barred the changing light of ot a little fire began to glimmer Was as this tho the place I had bee been comIng corning com corn ing to Was as It within these walls that I was to seek new friends and wals begin great fortunes Why In my fathers father's house on Waterside Essen-Waterside the fire anti and the bright lights would show fre a mile away and the door open to a beggars beggar's mie knock I I came forward and giving gh ing ear car as ns I came heard some one rattling with dishes and a little soie dry eager cough that try easer there came In fits ts but was no sound of or speech anti and not ond a dog barked Tho The door as well el as I could see It In the dim light was a great piece see or of wood nil all studded with wih halls hals and I my hand with wih a faint heart Under un under un- un der my Jacket and knocked once Then I stood StOOl and waited The house had fallen Into a dead lead silence n cc whole a uto ute passed awa away and nothing stirred ln but the bats overhead o nothing I knocked again and hearkened again By Dy this time m my ears had ly grown FO so hai 10 accustomed tomed to tho the quiet that I could hear tho the ticking of ot the clock Inside as U it slowly counted out 09 I tho the seconds seconds- but whoever was wag In that house kept deadly still sUI and ant must have hove held his breath I was In two minds whether to run away but an anger aneer er got KOI Jol tho upper bund hund and ant I began belan Instead to rain kicks and buffets on tho the door 1001 and nd to shout out aloud for tor Mr Balfour I was In full fun career when I heard the cou ht right overhead and Jumping back and lookIng lookIn look- look In log Ing up beheld a mans mann head In a tal tul nl nightcap and the bell mouth of ot bel u a blunderbuss at one of ot the first a windows vi tnt story atory Its Jt Is loaded said a voice I 1 have come como hero with a letter leUer 1 I said aid to Mr lr Ebenezer wih Balfour of Shaws Shawe Is he here From whom Is It I asked the man with tho the blunderbuss That hat Is neither here nor there said I for tor I was growing very wroth Well Wel was WaH the reply ye can cnn put It down upon the doorstep and be bo off with wih ye I will wil do no such Buch thing I cried I will wi deliver dellor It Into Mr Ir Balfour's hands as 09 It was meant I should It Is la a n letter I leter of Introduction A what cried tho the voice sharply I repeated what I had had said Continued Tomorrow hirning |