Sunday morning globe., 1901-12-08
BENEDICT GORDON.
Written for the SUNDAY GLOBE ]
CHAPTER v.
By REVERE RODGERS.

The Farmers Rest Tavern. was a noble
old hostelry, that had stood for over a cen
tury on High street, midway between Beall
and Dumbarton streets. Il was exclusively
patrouized by the farming gentry, and their
families. and, on market day, the help"
employed about the house. had all they
could do to attend to the many demands
made upon their services. II was a roomy
comfortable, coy old place within; and a
large stable yard in the rear had ample ac-
commodations for an army Of live stock.
The cleanly kept tap-roOm, with its brave
display of brightly polished glasses, and sill
verware, not to omit the shining copper
boiler, that seemed to be forever singing
away on the hob was especially of winters
evening, when the hail and rain beat down
upon the town, picture long to be temem-
bered by those fortunate enough to enjoy
the hospitality Of the Farmers Rest Tavern
The evening meal at the tavern had been
finished and dish-washiug was in progress
when our friends drove into tine yard The
young driver turned the team over to a sta
blemau, but requested permission to accom-.
| pany himin orderto see that his charge was
well cared for Brown and Gordon, al the
request Of a hustling waiter accompanied
that brisk individual into the dining room
of the Farmers Rest
Ia few minutes you never had TO wait
| at the Farmers Rest, they we're busily en-
| gagged in demolishing juicy steaks French
/ fried potatoes corn ON the cob. sliced
/ tomatoes, succotash, and a half dozen other
/ wellcooked and admirably seasoned dishes
] But the bread; the delightfully."- crisp
creamy biscuits of those days Ah there
/ were cooks then and such cooks s. foam
ing tanEard of ale brought BOO at the couclu-
/ sion of the meal completed one of the
] most agreeable of repasts; and our friends
were lolling back in their chairs feeling at
peace with an the world and willing Co call
| any man brother. when the door opened
/ uoiselessly and In stepped Bolivar
"Why Capu," iovially cried Browuly.
] 1--WE were near forgetting all about You old
/ boy sit you down while call the waiter
The boy stood In the doorway, with his
/ ragged cap in his hand, aud with his eyes
/ glued upon a particular crack in the floor.
/ plainly abashed at his surroundings and IL
was only after repeated urgings and threats
/ that they could prevail upon him TO draw
/ his chair up TO the table even then he only
sat upon the edge of the chair, with his cap
| lying on the floor beside him tt was So
| evident that the lad was discounted at his
surrounding aud at the presence of
! his two employers in the room that.
at a signal from Gordon Browne fol.
/ lowed that careless gentleman into the
tap-room and left the much relieved boy to
the full enjoyment Of his substantial meal
The tap-room of the Farmers Rest was
/ particularly well filled on this night it
having been a busy market day, and many
were the inquisitive glances bestowed upon
/ Browne and Gordon when they entered
/ One lively appearing gentleman with a
/ Jolly rubicund couutenauce and short
bushy black side whiskers. seemed TO have
stopped in the midst of some vastly enter
tanning story that he had been uarratiuC
/ just before the entrance of the two straug
| crs judging from the numbers of expectant
eyes that were now lcveled upon him
This gentleman seemed TO enjoy his posi-.
ion as chief entertainer 20 the company
hugely, as he sat smiling beuevoleutlyat his
eager appearing audience When our
friends had first entered the room ne
stopped IN the narration of the story and
/ regarded them searchngly As they ad-
vanced TO a couple of uuoccupied chairs he
nodded TO them in friendly hail fellow.
we'll met sort of way and said.
'I was just telling nay friends here about
an adventure that befell my grandfather.
/ who was at the time the sexton of the Pres
/ byterian graveyard, up on Market street.
/ and though 1t is a ghost story we have no
| reason TO doubt the veracity of my grand
| fathers statcments, so if YOU gentlemen
care TO hear the story, / don't mind begin
/ ming all over again. As the man paused
| and looked expectantly at our friends,
/ Brownly jovially cried that he would be de-
| lighted to hear the story while Benedict
/ with a lazy drawl, exclaimed that as far as
/ ghost stories were concerned he was a per
/ feet fanatic upon the subject Indeed,
/ he added that some of his most intimate
friends did not hesitate TO declare that he
was little daft upon the subject Appar-
entity much gratifed at these statements
the genial stranger began the following
/ story.
The Doctors Adventure.
Sometime after the surrendero of Napoleon
Bonaparte there appeared in this town
mysterious doctor who was rcputcd 20
have been closely connected with that
greatest of an commanders. and who was
generally believed to have Fed on the night
Of the battle of Waterloo TO escape capture
and punishment by the allied forces. Any
way, my story has nothing TO do with the
. carrier history OF boNloI IcItduLc. Tic taa
tablshed himself in this town and by his
really remarkable skill he soon had an the
practice In this vicinity; he was a lecturer
at the college here controlled by the Jesuit
Fathers, and had many stauuch friends
among the priests up there they being at
that time mostly Freuchmen. Well, 70 get
on with my story, whenthe doctor had been
I'm this place several years and had ehdeared
himself 10 the people by his kindness
and his advanced knowledge of the art of
medicine a dreadful epidemic of some mys
terious fever broke out and people died by
the score, Doctor Delcaute was about all
hours of the day and night, ministering TO
the stricken, but with little success. The
disease would attack person suddenly and
in a few hours they would be dead "a panic
seized the people, and they ran screaming
through the streets in a hystercal condi-
ton Their hope had been centered i'm the
French doctor and he was powerless TO aid
them He, In conjunction with some of the
Fathers at the college, made elaborate re.
searches through the dne library they had
there in order TO see whether they could
...s. .,4HsfrrF as I'D.