Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1884-11-29

. prrtty little piato this. amt IL. sir AMI
uS my own tony very ovu-and win 70
e. my grandson after me Hos wsgd lad
he SITS him a. hooks nftrr the gauien
Mighty foud " flowers, he Is, AMI rarely
pr,sud he'll h.. / know. when he hrafs -
nua town gentleman has taken notico u
rm' An. ! was fond u gardening. too
~ nv time but I'm getting an MI man
nov IS I am cumo Christmas and ] can't
crr.rt ~ ~ sIarsl much iongrr, though I'm
hale and hearty yet, thank Heaven Al
times have alicr,sl, ar, since my Young days
F.,r the better. you saw Well things Atr
srr,nirr now than they wcrc then. but Sumo
how / scom 90 like the old times bcst, perhaps
becnusc was young ami stfong in I'm And
talking 20 nd times reminds me ~ something
that once happened tn me lake 60 hear &c.
Or Well 81 yuu shall NJ vrlcomr " yap
don't mint wasting au hour or So with au Old
chan llke mo Sit down. then. on that bench
aud make yourself cHmfNriahc
.Nuu.vo tecn ~ Chelmsford pafhaps' Then
utstta you know the 'Sarrerns Head We'll
elise trwhsrv ra' now stands therr uaoi Co
- an Oh ian chii.i the swan a queer old
place DC we f1 h. SURE. with rs easement
Windows and aysrhauring gables vastly
ing nt Halrhau 'hcn-.ts nigh upun sixty
Year, nro.n farmer was, and had teen
married only = short time to a dear little
wife ~ loved well and true tn she dicd
poor las
como sold pycemhcr day | started for
Hraintr,,,. o. look ~ some stock a. ] thought
q buying A. it was two DAYS Journey
meant 20 stop at Chelmsford for the night
and go ou early the next day. idiint leave
home till about 9, aud ! had n weary rad g.
travel, 50 that the darkness cnmc on before
reached the gibbet On the edge u the com.
mou, and can tell you my lcsh crawlod as
the saying is, when gauloIod past At full
speed Il WAS : bleak, cold night and the
rad was bad VI that il was late bofore redo
into Chelmsford
Il pat up Rt the 'Swan'-thnt being the
first iun came to-and was standing watch
tnE the ostlcr rubbing down my guoi old
mArs-tor / always attended to that first
thinc when the landlord came slowly cut 10
me be was q short sharp faced man, with
great black eyes that had an uneasy sort Of
look In 'um told him I'd had a long ride
nni was glad enough 60 get safe into his
yard-- Ill gold about me and we'd hearl
horrible tales II the rnbberics and murders
on the kings highway Well, he showed
me into long low ruom--the kitchrn 1t was
with br.ck floor and bright fire burn.
ing
There's noisy lot In the parlor. SIR
said he 'you'll h. 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. a.
ate my supper thought 10 myself that |
couldn't well have chosen a better place than
the swan 10 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 word, but sat
staring into the fire with wicked look in his
eyes that didn't like, though | didn't take
much notice OF it then. All, know now what
his thoughts were he gREed modify into the
glowing GOALS He was thinking OF the dis.
grace brought upon his name by his only son,
and wondering where the money was TO come
from which must 10 procured somehow II his
boy was TO be saved from ruin. And then, no
doubt, he planned 10 murder me-ah, its all
true, sir, I've got his confession by me now
and bury me down by the riverside. in the
meadow behind the stable Then he meant
10 turn my mare out before dawn So that the
servants might think had left early: and
then, YOU SEQ when IL was found people
would think something had happened to me
ON the road 10 Braintrea Well my com
panion reused himself aftsr time and began
asking mo what thought OF the country. II
Ind ridden far. whether had been advised
10 put up at the Swan, and such like qucs-
tons ! answered them freely enough, never
supposing that he asked thcm for any other
reason than just to keep up the converse
ton asked him 10 call me early, and he
promised he would do 50
III do il myself, said he, for the girl
and the o-tlor will be abed'
Then he called his wife and told her 70
bring me n candle, which she did She was
ooarse-looking, carc-worn and | noticed
when She showed me To my room that her
voice sounded thick ~ she babe me an evil
Goodnight
My bedroom was long, low room with
queer old furniture, quaint carved chairs
and a Eeat fOur-post bcdstead which seemed
A. big as hearse. There was no lock to the
door, and the bolts We're rusty. - | could
only put the latch down. | thought Of put
ting a chair against IL, but that seemed child
ish and no protection after all The night
wss wet and windy, and the sky black a,
ink Try as would, i couldn't get to sleep
aud there | lay listening to the ghostly tap
ping Of the ivy leaves against tho window
and thinking Of the evil look in the landlord,
eyes, and all the horrid stories had ever
read come crowding into my mind wher
suddenly | started up in bed, wide awake
enough, Cor heani something or some ON,
climbing up tho ivy 10 my window | lay
with pslpitating heart and straining eyes
listening TO the horrible ghostly rustlins
which every moment sounded nearer
Suddenly thought struck me and
arose hastily smoothing the bedclo,h,s a
though the bed bad not been slept in haC
Just time to creep under the bod, when tn.
window was shaken open, and somebody
softly slipped in IL was n man, and, listen
ing intsntly, heard him sigh YEARLY Il
himself, as il be were tired out Then h,
got into my bed, drew the clothes over him
and in few minutes head him snoring.
You can imagine how pleaSan, felt, ane
the scamp had my money-bag under hi
pillow tool What was To be donsl
thought Of my happy home and the deal
little wife now perhaps dreaming OF me
and the though; of her gave m,
courage. l determined TO snatch a
my money and fight for IL with IN.
unseen visitor to the death, II need be. wa
crawling from under the bed when | hear
another sound, nearing the door this time
In minute the latch was quietly lifted, tn
door was gently pushed open, and | saw tn
landlord glide into tho Spom. Then han,
holding candle stole Ia at the door-only ,
hand; but knew those fingers well enough
The man crept on tiptoe To the bed and, lean
ing softly over the Sleeper. stabbed him L
the heart There was one deep gruan an,
all was over, The murderer draw the none,
from under the pillow and crypt stealthily /
the door, CHANGING behind him as though IA
feared tho dead man would get up and fol
low him.
shaking all over and with hair on end
cra~led from my hiding place, gropsd abou
for my clothes, and, after standing moment
dAzed with horror, followed the guilty coupl,
Their room was almost opposite mine, and
could 49, the lgh, under their door, whic
Was barely closed ! pushed II opsn an
T-~p~d ia Tho table faced the door an
thero they stood with their backs 10 ms
- inisnt upon the money that crept closs I
them without being heard
Look, look heard the man whisper
'thsre Is more tnan enough "a save our boy
How they shine And all ours uif.-.,,r.