Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-04-24

botbam's niece a ball of the consistepce of
hasty- pudding hit him slap in the mouth,
giving him most grim aspect His whole
person was SO bespattered with the like filthy |
missiles that he had almost mind to ride |
back aud supplicate for the threatened ablu-
ton at the town-ruup; Tor, though not
meant in kindness, ii would now have been
a deed of charity.
However the sun shone bright on poor
Dominicus, and the mud, an emblem OF all |
stains OF unobseryed approbrium, was easily |
brushed off when dry. Being funny rogue, |
his heart soon Cheered up nor could he re- |
frain from a hearty laugh at the uproar |
which his story had excited The handbilIs |
OF the seleCtmCn would cause the commit |
ment OF all the vagahonds i'll the state the |
paragraph In the Parker's Falls Gu-fNC |
would be reprinted from Maine to Florida, |
and perhaps from an itom in the London
newspapers and many a miser would trem-
Bile for his money-bags aud life ON learning
the catastrophe OF Mr.. lligginbutham, The
peddler mcdtsted with much ferNoT on the
charms OF the young school mistress, and
swore that Daniel Webster never spoke nor
looked so like an angel rs Miss Higgiuboth-
am while defending hlm from the wrathtul
populace at Parker'S Falls.
DominiCus WAS now on the kimballton
turnpike, having all along determined To-
visit that place, though business had drawn
him ont of the most direct load from Morris
town. As he approached the scene of the
supposed murder, he continued to revolNe
the circumstances in his mind, and was as
tonished at the aspect which the whole case
assumed. Had nothing occurred to corrObO-
rate the story of the first traveller 1t might
now have been considered a. a hoax but
the yellow man was evidenuy acquainted
either with the report or the tact and there
was mystery in his dismaNed and guilty
| look on being abruptly questioned. When,
| to this singular combination of incidents, II
| WAS added that the rumor Tailed exactly
| with MIR. HigginbOtham's character and
| habits OF life aud that he had an orchard
| aud a ST. Michael's pear tree, near which he
| always passed at uightfall the CirCuulStan-
| tial evidence appeared So strong that noml-
! nlcus doubted whether the autograph pro.
duced by the lawyer, or even the niece's dl-
| rect testimony, ought to be equivalent
! Making cautious inquiries along the road,
the peddler further learned that Mr.. AigGin-
| botham had in his service AN lrishmau ot
| doubtful character whom he had hired
| without recommendation, on the score ol
| economy.
MAY be hanged myself" exclaimed
pominicus Pike aloud, on reaching the tol
Oi a lonely hill, "if I'll believe old HiCgin
botham is unhanged till see him with my
own eyes and hear 1t from his own mouth
And as he'sa real shaver, III have the min
lister or some other responsible man tor an
| indorser."
1t was growing dusk when ne reached the
dollhouse on KImballton turnpike, about y
quarter OF a mile from the village of this
name. His little mare was fast bringing hiu
up with man on horseback, who trUtted
through the gate a few rods in advance OF
him, nodded TO the toll.gatherer and kept on
towards the village. DominiCus was &C
quainted with the tollnan, and while max
ing change, the usual remarks ON the
weather passed between them.
Z" suppose said the peddler, throwing
back his whip-lash to bring it down like q
feather on the mares flank, you have no
seen anything OF old Mr.. Higgin bothau
within day or two r''
Yes" answered the toll -gatherer. d" Ii,
, passed the gate Just before you drove UP
, and yOnder he rides now, If YOU can see hin
, through the dusk. He's been to Woodhelt
, this afternoon attending sherlti's sale there
. The old man generally shakes hands and Ia
! little chat with me but tonight he nodde,
as if to say, Charge my toll and Jogge,
. | on for wherever he goes, he must alway
4 be at home by eig ht O'clock"
I " So they tell me" said DOminicus
never saw mau look so yellow an
- thin as the squire does" continued the tol
gatherer. Says | 10 myself tonight he
@ more like ghost or an OLD mummy tina
p good flesh and Blood
i The peddler strained his ewes through til
A twilight and could Just discern the horsema
= now tar ahead on the village road. II
seemed to recognize the rear OF Mr.. biggiI
\, botham but through the evening shadow
a and amid the dust from the horses feet, Il
"A hgure appeared dim and unsubstantial, as
, the shape of the mysterious old man WI
n iaintiy moulded of darkness aud gray llgh
- | DOmIniCus shiveTed.
q Mr.. Higginbotham has come back frOl
., the other world by way OF the klmballtO
!, turnpike" thought -.
ia tie shook the reiGus aud rode forward
D. Keeping about the same distance III the rea
"a OF the gray old shadow, till the latter wa
l. concealed by bend OF the road On react
ing this point, the peddler no longer sa'
o the man on horseback, but found himself I
U the mead OF the village street, not FAR from
! huthnef OF stores ana TWO taVerns cIEsiere
a round the meeting house steeple. ON hi
r LETT were stone wall and gate, the bounC
o airy OF wood lot, beyond which lay an o
Q ChaIu, larthef stlll a moving held, and las
g OF all house. These we're the premises {
. | Mr. HigginbOtham, whose dwelling stOO
IL tTuilu y tne n iI "a -, i
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