The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-05-23
A GHOST STORY.


He had sat for two hours in the snug,
brown coffee room of the Four Swans,
Norman, and had ordered nothing, not
even a bedroom or a cup of coffee. All
in vain had the honest old waiter bis
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 Christmas eve.
In fact, they of the Four Swans were
not much used to strangers Of ny sort.
They had a 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
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 a 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 a day, or for a
week, " as the case might be. Indeed,
the Four Swans had, as it we're, hidden
itself from all chaace-cOmers, for it
was situated in a quiet corner of a 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 paneIing, its
wealth of quaint and grotesque orna-
ments, its red-tiIed veranda, and its
communicative confidential old servants,
the Four Swans was an excellent type
of those honest, homely 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 q word, and
remaining without an order. Perhaps
he had other things to think about He
was a tall, middle-aged man, with a
good deal of hair upon his face; and,
/ though he was Enthusiastically we'll
/ dressed, he had that indefinite all
which most men carry, who, at any pc
/ riod of their lives, have knocked
about in ships and colonies, in canvas
suits and corduroys.
/ He had come in about 5 o'clock, and
/ 6 o'clock struck, and Z, 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 efiectualIy reused
the stranger. But so slowly-like the
awakening from long sleep. And SC
it had been an enchanted sleep haunt
ed by dreams of five-and-twenty years
ago.
I want to stay here for the night,
woiter, 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 &
little private room off here, SIR" he
said, throwing open a door. "Tn sci
your tray there it's more rctired-like
than this"
The gentleman followed as invited
1t was a square closet, with two OF
three stuffed chairs, polished round
table, and dull oil-painting over the
mantle. That was all that would strike
a strange eye. But the gentleman
walked straight to a panel beside the
fireplace, and peered at it. Under the
slow discoloration and many washing.
of long time, there was still visible {
slight dashing pen and-ink sketch O
an old man, with n long nose and cog
/ gle spectaclcs.
Dear me sir, you've got quicI
/ eyes to find that out directly" said tn,
chatty old waiter. ''Clever. isn't it
4 young daredevil he was that did It
and that was portrait of the Londor
detectives that had come down to tax,
him off TO prison. His last meal il
Norham he ate in this room, sir, and
rare lot of ham and eggs he did ge
through, sir, and never minded a bi
that the policeman was watching o
him"
The gentleman said not one word.
He's quecrcr than ever" confde,
the waiter to the old cook, as he receiy
ed the tea and toast from her hands