The Randall County news. (Canyon City, Tex.) 1908-1926, 1909-11-12
A ROYAL GOLFER,
By CLIFFORD G. SPENCER.

Blue Boar tavern. in Leicester. Eng
land, was sitting on the porch knitting
when an old gentleman rode up. dis
mounted and asked for entertainment.
lieving him to be of the gentry. took
him up TO The best room in the house.
| The bedstead was Il ponderous four
poster with hangings Of il date Il cen
fury later than the bedstead itself, the
other furniture corresponding with the
latter. On the walls hung two badly
painted portraits, the one of the thei:
reigning monarch, Elizabeth. the other
of King Richard III.
At supper the guest was waited on
by Dorothy, the landladys daughter. "A
cOmely lass of eighteen.
Can you tell me. child he said,
whence came the bcdstcad in the
room occupy"
Indeed, sir. | can. Put first tell me
why You ask"
1T originally belonged to some great
parsonage. That know from the
carving and the remains of gliding"
at did, sir 1t was near the end of
the last century when one day the
servants of King Richard Ill. came
to this house preceding the king with
his running wardrobe and set up that
bedstead in the room they chose for
his majesty's bedchamber. The king
himself arrived later slept in the bed
and the next day was killed on Bos-
worth field. No one ever came to claim
the furniture. My grcat-grandparents,
who then kept this inn, took down the
rich hangings They are now stored
In n chest in the attic, and the bed
stead has remained in its place ever
since"
The stranger remained at the Blue
Boar for some time. He wrote much
in his chamber and made excursions
into the neighborhood, especially to
Bosworth field. He and Dorothy be-
came great friends. and he told her
that he was writing a history. She
confided TO him that she had lover.
the son of farmer whose family
would not permit him to marry her
because she had no dowry. The guest
sympathized with her. but could do
nothing to comfort her
The young lover did not come TO the
inn. nor did the lovers meet clandes-
timely. But one evening while the
old man was sitting behind a clump Of
trees, studying some scraps of paper,
he heard voices on the road near by.
4 mans voice was saying:
Il have ut last quarrelrd with my
father. Dorothy. about this matter.
There is no hope for us In few
days | shall sail for the new land Of
Virginia If return from there
Don't talk thus. Joel. Virginia Is
far away and wilderness. The for
tunes said to he there are dreams
Then. Dorothy goodby, and goodby
forever shall always
The voices were lost in the distance
The next morning while mt breakfast
tn" stranger said to the landlord:
Mr.. Por.hcStrr. there is in this
house II property sufficient for dowry
for your daughter II has been my
good fortune To- discover it. and. though
it is NOT mine. | will not declare it till
| have yuur promise that it shall be
used - | direct"
Now. the landlord was a misery
man who thought more Of his own
gains than his daughters happiness.
"Wha'S in my house is mine" he
said
"Whrn You have discovered it."
Then will discover it at once"
That day he ranSacked every room
in the house and dug about every tree
in his yard. but no property did h"
find except what he had always known
10 be his own. In the evening h"
sukrd and the next day continued
his search Al the noon meal he of.
fercd the stranger u third Of the treas
urc if he would declar" it, But the
stranger said that none of il was his,
and he would have none of it. Be
Ing the diSrovcrcr. he simply claimed
It for one member of the family in
whose possession it happened to be.
At last the father yielded and with his
wife signed Il paper making over all
the unknown property to his daughter
Dorothy.
Now come To my ROOM said the
stranger when the matter had been
settled. WhereupOn the father, mother
and daughter accompanied the guest
upstairs and into his room.
Take off the bedding" he said.
pointing to the old four poster.
They did as he directed He then
lifted n portion of the bottom. which
was double. and revealed n heap of
shining gold pieces.
His three companions stood looking
ut the treasure in establishment Al
last Mistress PorcheSIcr asked how
he had come to discover it,
"a few nights AGO" hc said, mot
being able to sleep. tossed about the
bed After one Of my thraShngS ]
heard something drop on the floor. roll
for short distance and stop with Il
sound for all the world like coin
Him. on 81. eiJ, I ,r,t ~, with Dipt