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


black man. pressing his finger on Toms
forehead. So saying, ho turned OFT
among the thickcts of the swamp, and
seemed, IN Tom said, to go down, down,
down into the earth, until nothing but
his head and shoulders could be seen,
and so on until he totally disappeared.
When Tom reached home hc found
tho black print Of n finger burnt, as II
We're, into his forehead, which nothineE
could oblitcrate. m-e<. ~ ."-.-e< When
The first news Lnc'd -
was t,ss.S Stewqns wife had to tell him
- ] .1 sa,idcn death Of hhsalom Crown.
inshield, the rich huccaneer. II was an
nounced in tho papers with the usual
flourish that "a great man had fallen IN
Israel"
Tom recollccted the tree which his
black friend had just hcwn down, and
which was ready for burning. "Let the
freebooter roast said Tom; "who
carcsy" lie now felt convinced that all
he had heard and seen was no illusion.
lie was not prone to let his wife into
his confidence: but as this was an un.
easy secret, he willingly shared il with
her. All her avarico was awakened nj
the mention of hidden gold, and she
urged her husband 10 comply with the
black mans terms and secure what
However Tom migfs have felt disposed
to sell himself 10 the devil, he was do.
tcrmincd not 10 do SO TO obligo his wife;
50 he ilatly refused out of the mere
spirit of contradiction. Many and bitter
were the quarrcls they had ON the sub
ject, but the riore she talked the more
rcsoluto was Tom not to bc damned to
please hcr. At length she determined
to drive the bargain on her own account,
an # she succeeded 10 keep all the gain
to herself.
Being of the samo fearless temper as
her husband, she sat ok for the old In.
dian fort towards the close of a summers
day. She was many hours absent. When
she came back slo was reserved and sui
len In her replies. She spoke something
of n black man whom she had met about
twilight, hewing at the root of tall tree.
He was sulky, however, and would not
come to terms; she was 10 go again with
u propitiatory Offering, but what it was
she forbore 10 say.
The next evening she sat off again for
the swamp, with her apron heavily laden.
Tom waited and waited for her, but in
vain; midnight came, but she did not
ma kc her appearance, morning, noon,
night returned but still hho did not
come Tom now grew uneasy for her
safety, especially rs he found she had
carried otf in her apron the silver teapot
and spoons and every portable article of
value. Another night elapsed another
morning came, but no wife. In a word,
she was never heard of more.
What was her real fate nobody knows,
In consequence of TO many pretend
ing TO know. 1t IL one of those facts
that have become confoundcd by
a variety Of historians. Some asserted
that she lost her way among the tangled
maZes OF the swamp and sunk into some
PIT or slough; others, more uncharitable,
limited that she had eloped with the
household booty and made oil to some
other province, while others asserted that
| the tcmpter had deCoyed her into a dis
nal quagmirc, on top of which her hat
| was found lying, In confirmation of this
! II was said great black man with an AK
on his shoulder was seen late that very
! evening coming out of the swamp, car
| ryinS IA bundle tied in check apron,
with an air of surly triumph.
The most current and probable story,
however, observes that Tom Walker grew
80 anxious about the fate of his wife and
his property that he sat out at length To
seek them both at the Indian fort. Dur
ing long summers afternoon he
searched about the gloomy place, but no
wife was to be seem He called her name re-
peatcdly but she was nowhere to be heard.
The bittern alone responded to his voice,
as he few screaming by, or the bullfrog
croaked dolefully from neighboring
pool, At length, it is said, just in the
brown hour Of twilight, when the owls
began To hoot and the bats To fit about,
his attention was attracted 10y the clamor
OF carrion crows that were lowering
about cypress tree. lie looked and be-
held a bundle tied in check apron and
hanging in the branches of "A tree; with
great vuiture perchcd harr by, as if
keeping watch upon il. He leaped with
JOY, for he recognized his wifc's apron,
and supposed II to contain the household
yaluables.
"Let us get hold of the property" said
he consolingly 10 himself, "and we will
eE7eavor 10 do without the woman"
40 az scrambled up the tree the vul-
ture spread its wide wings aud sailed OF