Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-06-01

least 20 says the authentic Old legend.
which closes his story In the following
manner:
On one hot afternoon In the dog days,
Just as a terrible black thunder gust was
coming up, Tom sat In his counting
house In Ills white linen cap and India
silk morning gown. Ilo was on the point
OF forcclosing a mortgage, by which he
would complete the ruin Of an unlucky
land spccuIator for whom no bad pro
fessed the greatest friendship. The poor
land iobber begged him TO grant a few
few months indulgence. Tom had
grown testy and irritated and refused
another day.
"My family win be ruined and brought
upon the parish" said the land jobber.
Charity begins at home," replied Tom,
81 must take care Of myself In these
hard times"
"You have made 30 much meney out
Of me-" said the spcculator.
Tom lost his patience and his piety-
1.-THE devil take me-" said he, "if have
made farthingl'
Just then there were three loud knocks
at the street door. He stepped out to
see who was there. A black man was
holding black horse which neighed and
stamped with impatience.
IOtn, you Tc COInt hiiu tflt Di}tCh
fellow, gruiIly. Tom shrunk back, but
too late. He had left his little Bible
at the bottom of his coat pocket,
and his big Bible on tho desk buried
under the mortgage he was about 70
foreclose; never was sinner taken more
,inawares. The black man whisked him
like u child astride the horse and away
he galloped in the midst of a thunder
storm. The clerks stuck their pens be.
hind their ears and stared after him from
the windows. Away went Tom Walker,
dashing down the street; his white cap
bobLing up and down. his morning gown
iluttcring In the wind, and his steed
striking fire out Of the pavement at every
bound. When the clerks turned to look
for the black man he had disappeared.
Tom Walker never returned to fore.
close the mortgage. A countryman who
lived on the borders of the swamp re-
ported that in the height of the thunder
gust he had heard great gathering OF
hoofs and bowling along the road, and
that when he ran TO the window he just
caught sight Of a figure, such as ] have
described, on a horse that galloped like
mad across the fields, over tho hills and
down into the black hemlock swamp
towards the old Indian fort, and that
shortly after thunderbolt fell I'm that
direction which seemed TO set the whole
forest in blaze
The good people Of Boston shook their
heads and shrugged their shoulders, but
had been so much accustomed to witches
and goblins and tricks OF the devil in all
kinds of shapes from the first settlement
of the colony, that they were not 80 much
horror struck as might have been ex-
pectcd. Trustees were appointed to take
charge of Toms effects. There was
nothing, however. to administer upon.
On searching his Golfers all his bonds
and mortgages were found reduced to
cindcrs. In place OF gold and silver, his
iron chest was filed with chips and
shavings; two skeletons lay In his stable
instead of his half starved horses, and
tho very next day his great house took
fire and was burned to the grouG
Such was the end of Tom Walker and
his i'll gotten wealth. Let all gripping
money brokers lay this story to heart
The truth of il Is not to be doubted The
very hole under tho oak trees. from
whence he dug Kidds money, Is to be
seen TO this day; and the ncighboring
swamp and old Indian fort is often
haunted in stormy nights by figure on
horseback, in a morning gown and white
cap, which Is doubtless the troubled
spirit of the usurcr. In fact, the story
has resolved itself into a proverb, and u
the origin of that popular sayinsd ,rI
valent throughout New EnglQ,ssN' Lrre
Devil and Tom Walk -. .sshhId OF "Iht
TAYp.
La