The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-02-10
THE MYSTERY MORSE FARM.


THE MYSTERY AT MORSE FARM
It was a day in August. Th'
weather, property speaking, could no
have been called warm-it was un
mitigatingly hot And so the loung
ers of the small village of Miltou
found it; for the sun had climber in
to the middle OF the sky. and hung
like great fiery. unwiuking eve
above a dozen or so of whitewashed
houses which. nesting at the base oI
tall. rugged id44, formed the 1,ic
turesque little hamlet.
The very @stepfing, stones. ifenoi
absolutely melting with fervent heat
would. al least. have schorched any
unshod foot which changed to press
/ them. None seemed inclined. how.
ever. to test their temperature fOI
all the feet i'm the village with the
( owners thereof bothLman and beast.
had sheltered themselves from the
burning sun wtereVer they could find
a spot or shade.
The village boasted but one tav-
ern, in the porch of which a group of
loungers had congregated I; all di-
vested Of coats, and ali sprawling
listlessly upon chairs and benches.
At length one Of the number, a
thick set. elderly man. with grizzled
hair and a very red face, whose broad
cotton collar. and soiled shirt front
thrown back. revealed his neck aud
bosom beaded with perspiration, sud
denly rose to a sitting posture, and
shading his eyes with his brown,
scanned hand. looked away along the
dirt road, winding its length around
the hills.
"'Pears to me- said he, "ther,s
some un a-comin' down the road ]
see mighty cloud O dust yender by
the mill. Can you make 'em out,
Coon?" 1888 -. - E o 3.
The individual addressed. a tall,
slender man, with very round face
and very round blue eyes, stepped
to the edge of tue porch, and looked
earnestly in the direction of the Gust
in question; toward which a dozen
eyes were as earnestly gazing, CRATE
ful, perhaps for any variation TO the
heat and mopotony.
Thar is somebody a-comin' shore,
Toni can't make out who they are,
though." "
BY this time the approaching OBJ
jpcts were distinctly visible, riding at
a brisk canter towards the village.
In a few minutes more they halted in
front of the tavern. and before the
group of touugers who had SO ear
nestiv watched their coming; and
who now. with no trace remaining of
their former IIstlessness and Inertia,
were drawn up in a line along the
porch, gazing at the new comers.
They were evidently strangers, for
the group stared at them without
that jmpudent pleasantly with which
they would have welcomed any OF
their acquaintance.
The ewly-arrived personages, dis
mounting from their rather jaded
horses, hitci,ing them to the swing
ing branches Of an elm tree near by,
as if wholly unconscious Of the inter-
est they were exciting, and adyanced
to the-porcf. The younger OF the
two men, and evidently the supeti1r
OF tie other in refinement. as he GER
tainIy was inadreSs. was OF medium
size, with a welEknit figure, a bright
healthy complexion. and deep blue
eyes. His month aud the lower part
of his face was almost concealed by
a luxuriant brown beard. He was
clad in suit Of EiDe black cloth, and
from his neck was SUSPENDED 81 rich
Iy chased geld watch-chain-the on
Iy oruament tte wore 5Ea gf.
His companion was a large, mus
cular E4an. slightly stoop-shOuldered,
with a roaud, clearly shaveu face.
and pzIe, restless eyes lie was
in what had once been white
linen, but which dust anh,heat com.
bined had rendered exceedingly din
gy-
Advancing to the porch, they pass
ed through the crowd of loungers
who stepped respectfully aside. and
entered the lbar-room. There the pro-s
prietor Of the Milton House, a hand
some, healthy-looking young tnan,
laying down a bunch of mint with
which he was about to prepare a ju-
lip, advanced to meet them
The younger of the two men. lift
ing his hat from his head. and there
by revealing broad, white forehead,
surmounted by dark -bcown hair, ask
ed in a soft, pleasant eEOice. which
was characterized by that peculiar
intonation belonging exclusively to
the New England States, for a glass
of water. While he was partaking
of that Innocent beverage, his COM
p2niou, advancing to the counter.
slaIZed his thirst in what the host
rApturously recommended as mel
low apple brandy" More than once
while recounting the history and vir-
tue OF the brandy in question, the
landlord had glanced
from the elder and rougher. to his
younger and refined guest, as if to
call his attention to the merit OF the
article he was praising. If he had
hoped. however. to induce the stran-
ger to become a patron of the won
lerful fl0id, he was doomed to disap- !
for the young man. sat
I'd in a chair near the counter, wait
ID patiently until the landlord badex-
Aausted both his encomiums and his !
5Feath. and then quietly said 'sI sup
pose it is past your hour for dining,
,ut we would he very much obliged
{ yoG wosld let as have sonaeth ng
o eat as soon as possible; q cold ]
unch would be perfectly satisfac;
ory." sgAvE a-A4l /
Eyes" added the ether, 81 amt
vsry particulsr about what you give |.