Before Raish could have repeated his real estate sermon, even had he so
desired, the car came to the top of a hill, emerged from the clumps of
pines shutting in the road on both sides, and began to descend a long
slope. And through the fog and blackness at the foot of the slope there
shone dimly first one and then several lights. Mr. Bangs leaned forward
and peered around the edge of the wet windshield.
“Is that it?” he asked, in much the same tone that Mrs. Noah may have
used when her husband announced that the lookout had sighted Ararat.
Raish Pulcifer nodded. “Yes, sir,” he declared, proudly. “Yes, sir,
that's East Wellmouth.”
The fog in the valley was thicker even than that upon the hill and
East Wellmouth was almost invisible. Mr. Bangs made out a few houses, a
crossroads, a small store, and that was about all. From off to the right
a tremendous bellow sounded. The fog seemed to quiver with it.
“WHAT is that?” asked Mr. Bangs, nervously. “I've heard it ever since I
left the train, I believe. Some sort of a--ah--steam whistle, isn't it?”
“Foghorn over to the light,” replied Raish, briskly. “Well, sir, here
you be.”
The car rolled up to the side of the road and stopped.
“Here you be, Mr. Bangs,” repeated Mr. Pulcifer. “Here's where Hall
lives, right here.”
Mr. Bangs seemed somewhat astonished. “Right here?” he asked. “Dear me,
is it possible!”
“Possible as anything ever you knew in your life. Why not? Ain't sorry,
are you?”
“Oh, no--no, indeed, I'm very glad. I was--ah--a trifle surprised,
that is all. You said--I think you spoke of Mr. Hall's cottage as
being--ah--off the track and so I--well I scarcely expected to reach his
house so easily.”
Raish had forgotten his “off the track” statement, which was purely a
commercial fiction invented on the spur of the moment to justify the
high price he was charging for transportation. He was somewhat taken
aback, but before he could think of a good excuse his companion spoke
again. He was leaning forward, peering out at the house before which the
car had stopped. It was a small, gray-shingled dwelling, sitting back
from the road in the shadow of two ancient “silver-leafs,” and Mr. Bangs
seemed to find its appearance surprising.
“Are you--are you SURE this is the Hall cottage?” he stammered.
“Am I sure? Me? Well, I ought to be. I've lived in East Wellmouth all my
life and Josh Hall's lived in this house ever since I can remember.”
This should have been reassuring, but it did not appear to be. Mr.
Pulcifer's passenger drew a startled breath.
“What--WHAT is his Christian name?” he asked. “The--the Mr. Hall who
lives here?”
“His name is--Why? What's the matter?”
“I'm afraid there has been a mistake. Is this Mr. Hall an entomologist?”
“Eh? He ain't nothin' in particular. Don't go to meetin' much, Josh
don't. His wife's a Spiritu'list.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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