Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-09-26
4 TERRIBLE NIGHT.

~" SAt'. 2 " Sia3 oiAIJ Az ~ Seby --ps1Sy
are though doubt as some would call
the marigolds and carnations common
and old-fashioned. LISA pretty little
place this, amt it, sir? Aud it's my
own too--my very own-and will go to
my grandson after me- He's a good lad,
be is-it's him as looks after the gar.
den. Mighty fond of flowers he is: and
rarely proud he'll be, I know, when he
hears as IL fine town gentleman has tak-.
en notice of 'em. All, I was fond Of gar
denlng too III my time! But Tn getting
| an old man now--eight-five am come
Ghristmas-and I can't expect to be
spared much longer, though I'm
hale and hearty yet, thank Heav-
en-! An. times have altered,
sir, since my young days! For the
better you say? Well, things are
grandcr now than they were then but
somehow I seem to like the old times
best, perhaps because I was young and
strong in 'enl. And talking of old times
reminds me of something that once
happened to Hae. Like to hear it, sir !?
| Well, 80 you shall, and welcome, 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 COM
Portable.
you've been to Chelmsford perhaps /?
Then maybe you knew the 'Scaracen'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 it's easement windows and
oyerhanging gables. was living at
Raldhan then-its nigh upon sixty years
ago-a farmer was, and had been mar
ried only short time to dear little
wife as I loved we'll and true till she
died, poor lass.
,"One cold December day started
| for Braintree to look at some stock as I
| thought of buying. AS it was two
days journey, T. meant to stop at
| Chelmsford for the night, and go on
early the next day l didn't leave home
till about two, and had weary road
to travel, so that darkness came on be-
! fore / reached the gibbet. on the edge
| Of the common; ind can tell YOU my
flesh crawled, as the saying is when I
galloped past at full speed. 1t was q
bleak cold night and the road was bad,
SO that it was late before I rode into
Chelmsford. +
Il put up at the sSwan'-that being
the first inn | came to--and was stand
ing watching the hostler rubbing down
| my good old mare-for 7 always attend
ed to that the first thing-when the
landlord came slowly out to me The was
a short, sharp-faced man, with great
black eyes that had an uneasy sort of
look in EN-. 7 told him I'd had long
ride, and was glad enough to get safe
into his yard-forsId gold about me,
and we'd heard horrible tales of the
robberies and murders on the kings
highway. Well, he showed me into a
long low room-the kitchen it was---
with a brick floor and bright fire
burning
"'There's o noisy lot in the parlour,
sir said he; you'll be- quiet and cosy
here, for maybe you're tired and chilly
after your ride i'll the wind
II ordered a steak and some wine,
and as l ate my supper, I thought to
myself that couldn't we'll have found
O. 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 we'll have
been alone, for he never spoke a word,
but sat staring into the fire with a
wicked look in his eyes that I didn't
like, though I didn't take much notice
of it then. All, know now what his
thoughts were as he gazed moodily into
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
it. his boy was to be- saved
from ruin. And then no doubt he plan
| ned to murder ne-ah, it's all true sir
I've got his confession by menow--
and bury me down by the river side, in
the meadow behind the stable. Then
he meant to turn my mare out before
dawn, SO that the servants might think
had left early. and then, you see,
when it was found, people would think
something had happened to me on the
road to Braintree. WE'LL my companion
reused himself after time, and began
asking me what I thought Of the coun-
try, if I had ridden far, whether I had
been advised to put up at the Swan
and such like questions. / answered
them freely enough, never supposing
that he asked for any other reason than
just to keep up the conversation. I
asked him to call me early, and he
promised he would do SO.
s"I1l do it myself said he, 'for the
girl and the ostler will be abed.'
"Then he called his wife and told her
to bring me, candle, which she did.
She was coarse-looking careworn wo-
man, and ! noticed, when she showed
me to my room, that her hand was
4 shaking, and her voice sounded thick as
she bid me civil Good night ..~, -.
t "My bedroom was long low room
with queer old furniture, quaint carved
chairs, and q great four-post bedstead
which seemed as big 90 hearse. There
was no lock to the /, and the bolts
were rusty and broker. so I could only
put the latch down. I thought of put
ting d chair against it; but that seemed
! childish, and noproteetion after all. The
night was wet and windy. and the sky
black as ink. Try as would, couldn't
! get to. sleep and there / lay listening to
| The ghostly tapping OF. the ivy-leaves
against the window, and thinking Of
the evil look in the Ian dlords eyes, and
! all the horrid stories I had ever read