The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-09-21
SELECT STORY.
A wIFE's LETTER,
THE LOVER AND THE HUSBAND.

The inn was a stopping place for
the farmers as well as commercial
travellers on their way into and going
from the city; snug, old-fashioned
house, two-storied, and one of the few
still sound and substantial relics of the
coaching days of former period.
In front of the door was the ousto-
mary wayfarers' bench, and little
further off toward the road were the
pump and the long watering trough.
On what was termed the 'London
end" of the inn, separated from it by
small courtyard, were the stables
with their long shelter shed.
From a wooden arm at the summit
of a post planted near the horse
trough, and beside stepping block,
swung the old sign, bearing on each
side the weather-worn and then al
most colorless painting of what the
painter, twenty years before, had de-
signed as an exceedingly fierce bull
dog and very black and affective
magpie; beneath were the name of the
landlord, "John Ransome,' and the
word ''inn."
The custom of the inn, however, at
this time had dwindled to scarcely a
quarter of its former extent; its halt
ing travellers were few, and its regular
patrons were chiefly the small farmers
of the neighborhood and the loungers
of the village. ,............... -.
| John Ransome, turned 60, his wife,
ten years his junior, kitchen servant,
a bar-maid-the latter more sprightly
and intelligent than the average of
her class-the hostler and stable-boy,
completed the household.
The kitchen servant was Mary Ell
derkin; the bar-maid, Jenny Marten /;
the hostler, George Tompkins.
John Ransome, the landlord, still
hale and hearty, on the evening in
question, was sitting in the bar, and
near him, on low stool, sat Jenny,
who served the guests.
There were in the room some half
dozen farmers, drinking ale, and with
the gravity of statesmen and the usual
knowledge Of yokels, discussing crops,
and politics and the work of Parla-
ment, at the moment when the two
men came in.
| One was tall, middle-aged well-olad,
and had the appearance of well-to-do
tradesman the other was broad shoul-
dered, muscular, rather roughly dressed
with by no means prepossessing cast
Of countenance. His hair was red
and cut short, and his beard a sort OF
rough, uncleanly.looking stubble.
The two men seated themselves al
one of the three tables of the room an6
called for drinks, both of them de
handing "goes" of brandy. The bar
maid in serving them noticed thai
their faces were already considerably
flushed, and that the shorter man O
the two had what she termed ''al
ugly, quarrelsome look"-the look of {
man who would knock a man on tn,
head for "penny 'orth of GIN
The two men sat at the table nearl,
an hour conversing i'll low tone, ano
appeared to be on very friendly terms
The two or three farmers and tn
loungers had one after another de
parted, and the newcomers had tn
room to themselves.
Presently the taller of the two arose
and asked Ransome if he could Civ
them lodgings for the night, as the,
didn't care to ''tramp it into LondoI
so late at night"
They paid their score and wer
shown into bedroom directly owe
the barroom, a small but snugly-ful
nished apartment, principally occupie
by huge, high-post bedstead, whic
looked as if it had been built in th
age of Queen Anne /
The bar-maid showed them to th
room, and placing the candle upon th
little table at the foot OF the bed an
pausing upon the threshold Of the doc
asked: .....
"What time shall you be called p
"Well call ourselves when we wal
to get up" was the gruff answer of th
shorter guest.
The girl closed the door and d.
scended to the bar
AT 4 o'clock in the morning til
short man, who had given his name ,
James Barton, entered the bar. Onl
the hostler and the stable-boy wei
up.
'See here" said Barton. 'FTell Il
landlord when he gets up that he's n,
to rouse my friend, Tom Ashton"
eyes, sir" was the reply of Il
hostler.
The man went out upon the roa
walking rapidly, and was soon out
sight, going in the direction of Lo
don. The hostler said to himself,
he entered the inn quickly:
"That's queer cove, and wouldl
be safe chap to travel with on da
night
"Blest if he don't walk as if Ja
Ketch were ahind 'im,-" was the !
mark of the stable-boy.
The landlord, Ransome, was down
the bar at 7, the bar-maid having pl
= ceded him by an hour, and the dai
routine of the house began,
AT 0 o'clock the stranger, Thom
Ashton, not making any movement
the room overhead, the landlord fe
ing somewhat uneasy in reference
the early and hasty departure of I
companion, sent his wife up to kno
on the room and arouse him. She {
so. There was no response. Th
she tried the door and found it
| locked. .....
'He must have been sound asl,
when his friend went out, she thoul
AS she pushed the door open and
tered the little room. She spc
twice, thrice, as she stood near
threshold. One of the little SOU
windows of the room was open-w
open.
= There being no answer, she step
out to the head of the stairs and cal
to her husband. He came up
went into the room, glanced abb
then turned to the bedside. There
the lodger Thomas Ashton-q
enough. For he and death were
Ransome uttered a cry of hor
~ which was echoed by his wife. TIL
upon the bed, the lower limbs dri
Il