The Project Gutenberg EBook of Here Lies, by H.W. Guernsey

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Title: Here Lies

Author: H.W. Guernsey

Release Date: May 21, 2010 [EBook #32469]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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Here Lies

By H. W. GUERNSEY

[Transcriber Note: This etext was produced from Weird Tales October
1937. Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S.
copyright on this publication was renewed.]

[Sidenote: _An ironic little story about a practical communist who
taught his friend when to take him seriously_]

Chauncey knocked the dottle out of his corncob and briefly startled Old
Shep by inquiring unemotionally, "Will you never finish that blasted
stick?"

Which in Old Chauncey was tantamount to fury. Words being precious
things, both old boys hoarded every syllable; Shep tightened his
leathery lips and with the scalpel-point of the knife flicked away a
mote of pine. Each link of the chain he was whittling from that
interminable stick of soft pine resembled ivory in its satin finish. He
might produce one link in a day or let it require a full week. No hurry.
The current chain numbered four hundred and seventy-two links. A
masterpiece.

Under Shep's surreptitious scrutiny, Old Chauncey stood erect
purposefully and stalked to the woodpile. There a fat log stood on end.
With one swift, seemingly effortless stroke of the ax he cleft the log
in two, spat explosively and hiked into the house wagging his jaw.

The log-built house, a jewel of conscientious carpentry, stood on the
wooded elevation called St. Paul's Hill, near town. On the side hill one
hundred and twenty feet below stood another log-built affair, formerly
the ice-house. Since Old Shep had become Chauncey's permanent guest,
this structure had been equipped with furnishings as complete and
comfortable as the house, including plumbing. So there was no reason for
Shep to hang around Old Chauncey's kitchen.

The housekeeper, Celia Lilleoden, performed