The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-08-23
A TERRIBLE NIGHT.

A TERRIBLE NIGHT.
"Ah, sir, / see you're admiring my
flowers Well, they are pretty-that
they are-though doubt as some would
call the marigolds and carnations COM
mon and old-fashioned. You don't see
many of 'em now in your fine new
tangled gardens, do you? It's a pretty
place this, amt it, sir? And it's my
own, too, my very own-and will go to
my grandson after me. He's a good
lad, he is-it's him as looks after the
garden. Mighty fond of flowers he is,
and rarely proud he'll be, | know, when
he hears as fine town gentleman has
taken notice of 'em! All, | was fond of
gardening too, in my timei But I'm
getting an old man ow-eighty-fve |
am come Christmas and / can't expect
to be spared much longer, though I'm
hale and hearty yet, thank heagenl All,
times have altered, sir, since my young
daysl For the better, you say? Well,
things are grander now than they were
then, but somehow / seem to like the
old times best, perhaps because l was
young and strong in 'em. And talking
of old times reminds me of something
that once happened to me. Like to
hear it, sir2 Well, so you shall, and vel
come, if you don't mind wasting an
hour or so with an old chap like me.
Sit down, then, on that bench and make
yourself comfortable.
you've been to Chelmsford, per-
haps? Then, may be, you know the
Saracen's Head?' Well, close to where
that now stands there used to be an
old inn called the Swan A queer old
place it was to be sure, with its case
ment windows and overhanging cables.
| was living at Ralphan then-it's nigh
upon sixty years ago-a farmer | was,
and had been married only a short
time to a dear little wife as [ loved
well and true till she died, poor lass.
Zone cold December day l started
for Braintree to look at some stock as
| thought of buying. AS 1t was a two
days journey, | meant to stop at
Chelmsford for the night, and go on
early the next day. | didn't leave
home till about 2, and | had a weary
road to travel, so that the darkness
came on before | reached the gibbet
on the edge of the common; and / can
tell you my flesh crawled, as the say
ing is, when | galloped past at full
speed. 1t was bleak cold night, and
the road was bad, so that it was late
before | rode into Chelmsford.
81 put up at the 'Swan'-that being
the first inn / came tO-and was stand
ing watching the ostler rubbing down
my good old mare-for / always at
tended to that the first thing when the
landlord came slowly out to me; he
was a short, sharp-faced man, with great
black eyes that had an uneasy sort OF
look in 'em. / told him I'd had a long
ride and was glad enough to get safe in
his yard-for I'd gold about me and
we'd heard horrible tales of the robber-
les and murders on the Kings highway.
Well, he showed me into a long, low
room-the kitchen it was-with brick
floor and bright fire burning.
There's noisy lot in the parlor,
sir said he; you'll be quiet and cosy
here, for maybe you're tired and chilly
after your ride in the wind
Il ordered a steak and some wine,
and, as L ate my supper, / thought to
myself that | couldn't well have chosen
better place than the Swan to stop at.
After | had finished / called for pipes
and grog and sat by the fire with the
landlord, but | might as well have been
alone, for he never spoke a word but
sat staring into the fire with a wicked
look in his eyes that / didn't like,
though didn't take much notice of it
then. Ahl / know now what his
thoughts were as he gazed moodily in
to the glowing Goals. He was thinking
of the disgrace brought upon his name
by his only son, and wondering where
the money was to come from which
must be procured somehow if his boy
was to be saved from ruin. And then
no doubt he planned to murder me
all, It's all true, sIr-ITe got his confes-
sion by me now-and bury me down by
the riverside, in the meadow behind the
stable. Then he meant to turn my
mare out before dawn so that the serv.
ants might think | left early; and then
you see, when it was found, people
would think something had happened
to me on the road to Braintree. Well
my companion reused himself after a
time and began asking me what ]
thought of the country, if 1 had ridden
far, whether bad been advised to put
up at the Swan and such like ques-
tons, answered them freely enough
never surprising that he asked them
Tor any other reason than Just to keen
mp the conversation. | asked him to
call me early and he promised he would
do so.
III do it myself said he, for the
girl and ostler will be abed.'
Then he called his wife and told her
10 bring him candle, which she did.
She was a coarse-lookina care-worn
woman, and I noticed when she showed
me to my room that her hand was shak-
ing, and her voice sounded thick as she
ade me civil Good night
My bedroom was a long. low room
with queer old furniture, quaint carved
chairs, and great four-post bedstead
which seemed as big as hearse. There
was no lock on the door, and the bolts
were rusty, so | could only put the
latch down. | thought of putting a
char againstit, but that seemed childish
and no protection after all. The night
was wet and windy, and the skv black
as INK. Try as l would I couldn't get
70 sleep, and there lay listening to the
ghostiy tapping of the ivy leaves against
the window, and thinking of the evil
iook In the landlords eyes, and all the
horrld stories | had ever read came
crowdlng into my mind, when suddenly
started up III bed, wide awake enough,