The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-03-22
A THRILLING SKETCH; :
.EEAE a iiAAJt iitas
A Ab0eg that iEsO0 Eaitaa e'ual
for aRis Master. 80 sgsrNn

IVA E77 ~ NftSN +ftfeSF N ~ ~ '~tl
England, there lived, a long time ago,
man and his wife of the name of
Pollard. The former was the keeper
Of the turnpike gate, and he had only
married somos~twoa sorsu three
months, whom the circumstances oc-
Cured OF which we are about to write.
The small toll house in which he lived
was situated vt a pointlwheretheroads
met, and in place Where tho scenery
was singularly wild and dreary, 1t
stood in 4 deep hollow formed BY two !
chains ofhigh. hills, whose sides were |
covered with naugt but continuous
surface of dark brown heath, or occa
sional bushes Of prielly goose Not
another house was to be seen for miles,
and the only evidence of life were in
the few lfoclls Of sheep which, were
here and there browsing along the
mountains side on the mail coach and
afew wagons which at intervals pass
ed-along the road. The only--perso A.
who ever paid visittothc toll-house
was butcher framed Godfrey, who
called every Saturday Tor tie purpose
of supplying the Pollards with fresh
meats.
Mr.. Pollard had lived in his present
abode during several yearsprevious to
his marriage; and being, Of a very
Courageous disposition. and having
become accustomed to the loneliness
OF his place of residence, he was not
much affected thereby; but his wife
who had ever been accustomed to liv-
ing in q, populous town, and being,
withal Of very timid nature, now liv-
ed in a constant state of alarm and
dread more particularly whenever
her husband paid visit to. the neigh
boring towns foriisuchc necessaries as
they required And what tended to
increase this feeling Of alarm to-a still
greater extent, that part of the coun-
try was at that time infested by
band Of lawlcss men, who almost
nightly robbed eand mudered some
unfortunate cavalier. or broke into
and plundered some lone farm house
nor could the utmost vigilance of the
authorities succeed in detecting them.
Ofthose men she lived in daily dread,
lest they, discovering that her husband
was possessed of large sum Of money
the savings Of former years-should
sieze an opportunity, when, he. was
from home, and murder her to obtain
it. She frequently pressed her hus.
band to give up his station, and re-
move to some safer place Of abode !;
but he inevitably laughed at her fears,
assuring her that there was not the
least danger, as none hut themselves
were awareof the fact of his possessing
the money in question. One day in
December he received a letter, inform
ing him that his father was lying at
the point Of death, and earnestly wish
ing to see him before the event took
place. This letter gave him great I'M
casiness, forsapart from the grief Il
occasioned at his fathers situation, il
he went he could not possibly return
before the next days as his parents
resided morothan thirty miles distant
and his wife would be obliged to stay
and take care Of theFgate." Hemust
60, however--he-could not refuse his
ther'ssdyihg reqhest. When he i'm.
parted his Intention to his wife, she
was seized with the utmost terror, and
and earnestly.entreated him to foregc
his resolution nor was it until long
time, during which he had used the
utmost endeavers to sooth her, that he
could venture to proceed on his
journey. -.
1t was Saturday morning when he
started, and one of the dreariest days
OF the season. The snow lay thick
upon the ground, and still continued
to fall heavily, causing the face Of the
surrounding scene to look. more wild
and lonely than ever. As Mrs Pollard
set in the small front apartment Of the
house, her fears gradually increased
moro and more. as her imagination
conjured up tho usand dread forcbod-
ings, and almost fancied that each
sound of the wind .whistling through
the valley WAS some Aone even nov
about to break in, Time sped, when
at lsnelh Godfrey, the butcher, ap
preached i;her terror had attained tC
such height that she determined 20
ask him to stay in the house until her
husband returned. ,.s f. +.
This Godfrey was tall, powerfully
built manS about sforty-fiss or fifty
years of age, and with rough counte
nance by no meaps prepossessing
He resided III house some five miles
distant, and which7was at least that
distance from any other. He had oc
cupied i TOR years, following his pres
ent business, and disposed Of his meal
by taking itgin bis wagon to. the differ
ent families In the vicinity. =
She was unacquainted with him un.