Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-10-04

5 lane i could hear suudry bolts beiI
e shot within the nut. and the rattl
rattle of a heavy chain drawn aero.
T the door 1ilg iilae3s en es4ss 3A-i'
3 oT''A A careful old gentleman I solil,
? quized, as / made the best of any wa
to the Lion Inn" at Mantle I'll
: Lion Inn" was the first house in I'll
village, and not more than 300 var,
from the wretched domicile of Jaeo
J Wisford. Itwas a small inn enough
but it looked grateful shelter froI
the dark, lowering night, as | turne
!, the curve of the lane, and saw th
bright red fire shining through th
upper panes of a window only hal
masked by the low, wooden shuttle
before it. The host of the Lion,
thin, lank- haired, long man, responde
to my summons at the doorals oi oii
Forum, says / amt to have n
sleep tonight" said he, admitting me
; there never was such times at Mantle
/ Good evening to you sir. fear there
little space at your service Som
gents are down, here surveying an,
meas ring about, and hayen'tleftmuel
room.
mo matter. An armchair and m,
travelling cloak will serve on an emer
geney."" s.dt Il t-rfu mid cini
| You re very kind, sir; but it need q
be so bad as that. We've spare room
up stairs-sweet and clean, at ami
rate i all I3gU qidsHf.n H. sal
A sight of the spare room showr
me by the hosts faring candle, put
me so much in mind of the coffin of 8
stout uncle of mine, whose funeral ]
had attended a few months before, that
L beat hasty retreat down stairs, say.
ing that | would prefer the fresidC
and the armchair.
Quill have company there, sir
male and female. There is myself
who is sitting up tonight for gen;
who is expected late, and there's a
poor woman, who came in a minute or
two before yourself, that hadn't the
heart to turn away, though it's blessed
little | shall get by her. This way,
sir" u,- 81. ii. bf.t.s .oafl
Into the bar-parlor, or tap-room, or
whatever else the host of the Lion
might choose to designate ii, / follow
ed my guide. IT was triangular
shaped room, with a sanded floor and
three dark-stained tables on one of
which rested the head and outstretch-
ed arms of the woman who had cross
ed the ferry with Inc. The bonnet she
had worn was lying at her feet, and
her hair-it had beenraven black once,
but was now thickly sown with gray
hung tangled and disordered over her
Outspread arms. 1t was the wreck of
a woman-a wreck, perhaps, of all that
had been good, and loving, and tender,
in the maidenhood of years ago.
Dead beat said the landlord, SEN
tentiously. l9 ti1idS sBI 1913 1'
Poor womanI Do you know her p
Never saw her afore. Working her
way to Pendlehant, she tells me. y
Indeed !" li5f BOG 1saJpl -
l composed myself in the arm chair
before the fire, and the landlord took
a seat opposite me, and smoked his
pipe, and looked refectively at the
flames. Although | was tired, and
had made up my mind to sleep, fate
was against me that night. Little
chance incidents occurred that set my
eyes staring widely just as they were
becoming heavy and | was losing CON
sciOusness of outward things. The
landlord had strong, hollow cough
that burst out unexpectedly at times
the woman at the table by the window
was restless, and moved once or twice
in her sleep; the Goals were small in
the CRATE, and would tumble suddenly
through the bars to the hearth; and
the American clock over. the mantel-
piece struck l like a death-knell. |
gave up the attempt to sleep at last,
and regarded my landlord opposite, /
who still smoked his pipe composedly.
When my host was perfectly assured of
my wakefulness he said: aota
Did you cross Mantle Ferry to-
night, sir? -bl
Yes, after some trouble to rouse
the ferryman. @'l toA
"Ah he's queer one, observed
my host. I'D lay wager he was
watching You through his night-glass
long before he made up his mind to
ferry you across. Few more careful
people in the world than old Jacob, I
take it" s-f 4s 4lrr.srrl7s s'i
1T struck me that he was a little
suspicious.
He suspects everything and every
body, sir. He don't believe in any
thing He's what you larned people
call skiptic. When he comes to the
Lion, sir, he drives me wild with his
doubts of fair pint of beer, or his
right change out of it. And he likes
his screws of baecer rather larger than
anybody else's.'
"The way of the world, friend"
well, it's an uncomfortable way,
and aggravating the more so to me
because | knew him twenty years ago,
and he warn't the misery old hunks
he is at present. There warn't once a
better man than Jacob Wisford this |
side of the Mantle" -.-- --.
MAY | ask what misfortune changed |
his character so much ?"
[ had met with misfortune myself. /
and was interested in ellow-sutierer, |
| was eourious to know what had |
changed the old mans life and eharac- |
ter, and whether some lesson might be |
taught me on my own dark way. /
"a hard misfortune, certainly. |
Twenty years ago he was a widower,
with an only darter-a darter very
beautiful, and much looked upon and I
liked. Its story old as the hills, sir |
-she went wrong. . a $3.50 .a s.ael
Poor girl !" r.r fr yf1. a-
Tempted out of her station, sir, BY /
some artist-gentleman, who took it into
his head to sketch hereabout at that /
time, and who met and spoke with her,
and wound round her heart like sar-
pent-the Lord forgive the william |
He went away. sir, to make arrange I
ments for his marriage with Jenny (
she supposed, and time went
on, and the old man woke suddenly to |
the knowledge of the shame his /
daughter had brought upon his head |
and hers. He was good old man
and bore it well. 1t warn't the sight !
Of his darter's little baby that turned /
him hard as iron. HI grew 10 love |
that baby sir, aud to hope in his dar-
Ier's repentance, and brought her to /
Mantle Church every Sunday yarternOOn,
to look them down who sneered at her
and thought themselves so precious
good. Well, sir, there was worse to /
come What's that?p psH at
The landlord of the Lion and myself |
both turned and looked toward the
table where tue woman slept but the
figure was motionless, and in the same
attitude. The woman had I
mnyed again In her slanrs--.tknI ,ras [