The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1873-05-29
A GHOST STORY.

lie had sat Tor two hours IN the snug,
brown coffee room of the Four Swans,
Norham, and had ordered nothing, not
even bedroom or cup of coffee. All
in vain had the honest old waiter bus
tied in and out, stirring the fire and
Ticking crumbs from the table. He had
only brought himself to the conclusion
that this strange guest was a "queer
sort, especially for Christians eve.
In fact, they of the -Four Swans were
not much used to strangers of ary sort.
They had quiet, steady-going con-
nection in Norham itself. Three or four
trade clubs held their meetings there,
and the six or seven bedrooms of the
establishment were kept in just the
state of order and comfort which suited
the individuality of the six or seven
commercial gentlemen who, when
on Norham business, had patronized
the Four Swans for the last twenty or
thirty years. If ever stranger appear
ed. it was generally with some such
introduction as this: Landlord, Mr..
Dash, of Blank, toldme you would give
me good quarters for day, or for a
week., as the case might be. Indeed,
the -Four Swans had, as it were, hidden
itself from all chance-comers, for it
was situated in quiet corner of very
quiet street, down which nobody would
think of turning unless he knew some
thing of it beforehand; and altogether,
with its interior of brown paneling, its
wealth of quaint and grotesque orna-
ments, its red-tiled veranda, and its
communicative confidential old servants,
the Four Swans was an excellent type
of those honest, homoly hotels which
are fast being improved from the
face of the earth.
The gentleman in the coffee-room did
not notice that he had done an odd
thing by coming in without word, and
remaining without an order. Perhaps
he had other things to think about. He
was tall, middle-aged man, with
good deal of hair upon his face; and,
though he was Enthusiastically well
dressed, he had that indefinite air
which most men carry, who, at any pc
Rod of their lives, have "knocked
about " in ships and colonies, in canvas
suits and corduroys.
He had come in about o'clock, and
6 o'clock struck, and 7, and it was with
in two minutes of s, when an old Nor
ham townsman came in to look over
the papers, To the intense satisfaction
of the waiter, that effectually reused
the stranger. But so slowly-like the
awakening from long sleep. And SO
it had been an enchanted sleep haunt
ed by dreams of five-and-twenty years
ago.
81 want to stay here for the night,
waiter" he said abruptly. "Any COM
Portable sort of bedroom will suit me.
And bring me some tea and toast"
The waiter was alert. "There's a
little private room off here, sir" he
said, throwing open door. "I'll set
your tray there; it's more retired-like
than this"
The gentleman followed as invited.
1t was a square closet, with two or
three stuffed chairs, polished round
table, and dull oil-painting over the
mantle. That was all that would strike
strange eye. But the gentleman
walked straight to a panel beside the
fireplace, and peered at it. Under the
slow discoloration and many washings
of long time, there was still visible
slight dashing pen and-ink sketch of
an old man, with long nose and gog-
gle spectacles.
"Dear me sir, you've got quick
eyes to find that out directly" said the
chatty old waiter. "Clever, isn't it ?
A young daredevil he was that did it, !