At the Sign of the Jack O'Lantern

of the H

outlines as they alighted from the stage. Dorothy laughed happily, heedless of the fact that her hu

ts of flame, then all was dark again. Harlan's answer was drowned by a cr

l come up to-morrer for the money. Goo

ut her wet skirts, when they were safely ins

ling for a match. "I suppose we've got it. Anyhow, we

little hysterically this time. Match after match sputtered and failed. "Couldn't h

t, wouldn't it?" he went on. "We could have sat on the stairs until morning, or broken our admirable necks in f

ent off on a tour of investig

sing furniture, which belonged to the black walnut and haircloth period. On the marble-topped table, in the exact centre of the room

le house in a suburb, or a cosy apartment in the city, and a lump came into her throat as her air castle dissolved into utter ru

Little by little the room crept into shadowy relief-the melodeon in the corner, the what-not, with its burden of incongru

r in a way that made her heart stand still. Human undoubtedly, but not in the least friendly, they were the eyes of one who bitterly resent

from some distant part of the house, accompanied by a cheery, familiar whistle. Still the stern, malicio

start a fire and hang

d Dorothy, her lip

zer's portrait," he answered. "Why, D

silence, smiling a little at her own foolishness. "It's

ndistinct murmur, but she still

ying kindlings, log-cabin fashion, in the fireplace. "If an archit

r-wait a minute. Let's ligh

the blazing splinter set the pine kindling aflame. Quickly the whole room was

rew their chairs close to the hearth, "that four

ckly. "I wouldn't want Uncle Ebeneezer sitting here bes

ife was never very good to him, and Deat

spoken question. "She died suddenly, when th

st time conscious of a tenderness toward

y, wasn't it?" he mused, ins

smiled back at him. "I feel lik

th it, and Harlan saw an exquisite loveliness in the deep, dark eyes, the brown hair that rippled and sh

cards that I've forgotten there ever was such a person as 'Miss Dorothy Locke,' who used to get letters,

wkwardly over the words-"I

le weeks. Come, let's go on an exploring expedition.

tructure, but wing after wing had been added until the first design, if it could be dignified by that name, had been wholly obscured. From each room branched a series of apartment

othy, "if we've come

to," muttered Harlan. "You k

neezer have a

I told you. Mother was his only sister, and

Dorothy, "Aunt Reb

"There are five sets of apartments on this si

ow window in the lower hall, seemingly with no purpose whatever, began far above the low door and ended abruptly at the ceiling. In the upper hall, a similar window began at the fl

chair, though in both rooms there was plenty of side light. One wing on each side of the house had been carried up to the s

any beds in my li

hing mirthlessly. In his heart he began to doubt the wisdom of marrying on six hundred do

n the dreary basement dining-room of a New York boarding-house, and speedily fell in love. Shortly afterward, when Harlan received a letter which contained a key, an

ven dollars and twenty-three cents remaining, as Harlan had accurately calculated, seemed pitifully

or us to have this nice, quiet place all t

tly touched the right chor

"Oh, Dorothy, do you thi

written yet, and I know you can! By next week we'll be settled here and you can get down to work. I'll

iter. We'll send for it to-morro

ed dollars without the stand. I don't need the s

ollars and twenty-three cents,"

corrected Dorothy. "I don't ca

you wanted it," stammered

ed, serenely. "Wait t

alight with high ambition. The candle in his hand burned unsteadily and dripp

the house, descending mysteriously into cavernous gloom.

an. "It reminds me of travelling in the West, where you look out of the

he stairs finally ceased. "Uncle Ebeneezer appea

ng the back door. "Sitting-room, bedroom,

ring into the darkness. "We can't kee

ess we've come down

bserved, pulling a little old-fashi

hat's worth three dollars in the of

by the prospect of wealth, "and I'll gi

against the windows, and a swift rush of hailstones beat a fierce tattoo on the roof. Built on the summit

inside. "Let's build a fire in the kitchen," suggested

chen?" ask

stairs end in, I guess. It seems

abin design by the limitations of the fire box, he handled the kindlings awkwardly, got a splinter into his thumb, said something under his breath

ed, "what sha

you're doing it, I'll get out the remnants of our lunch a

es and fruit. A hasty search through the nearest pantry revealed jelly, marmalade, and pickles, a box of musty crackers and a canister of tea. When Harlan came back,

realisation of the home-making quality in Dorothy. Certain rare wo

I'll go into the village a

on," she smiled.

e sound of the storm ca

u don't suppose the poor thing

. We've opened every door in the ho

ice was not pleading; it was

y," she called. "Wh

ushed a huge black cat, with the air of

o stroke the sable visitor, who instinctively

he exclaimed. "Don'

upon them. He was entirely black, save for a white patch under his chin, which, in the half-light, carrie

him," she said

" remarked Harlan, reach

like this one. Pl

this storm?

jected Dorothy. "He must have some

" said Harlan

y blinked, an

e, k

ce of cats, the visitor yawned. Th

is back, erected an enlarged tail, and hissed threateningly. In a dignified but effect

er flushed cheeks, when they had finally decided not to put the cat out. "A

wered Harlan. "It suits

d. Making the best of a bad bargain, she spread an old grey shawl, nicely folded, on the floor by the

in our own house, with a gale blowing outside, the tea kett

laudius purr?" as

erhaps something is wrong with his

es, followed immediately by a casual record of the hour from the clock on the mantel beneath Uncle Ebeneezer's portrait.

orothy, a little sadly, with a qui

ted Harlan, gathering her into hi

mless sleep to wonder whether life was any dif