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