Letters From The Time Traveler: A 100-Year-Old Mystery

Dearest,

Do you remember the Swinson sisters who lived around the corner?

I don’t know if you remember this story, but I will repeat it here. It has relevance to what happened later.

I lived in the boarding house next door. It was owned and operated by the old Swinson sisters. They had been born in 1772, right before the American Revolution concluded in 1776.

To say the Swinson sisters were unusual, would be an understatement. They had inherited the home from their father, John. It had 4 floors and was, at one time, quite a grand residence.

Wallpapered with bright colors, it was an unusual home. There were also paintings of their grand ancestors. As I was an impressionable 20-year-old (this was 1843), I was impressed with the Swinson sisters.

They talked incessantly about their grand family. I, being a lover of knowledge and history, listened in rapt delight to their stories. From the Mayflower ancestors to those who fought in the early wars of America, they had quite a few stories to tell.

Their old home, built in 1750 made all kinds of creaks and groans at night. Some nights, I heard light footsteps going down the hallway when I knew no one was there.

The attic was off limits, I suspected because the Swinson sisters were hoarders. But I also suspect it was because they were hiding something. Or someone. I never got an answer to that inquiry and was told to mind my business.

So every day at 2 pm, they had tea and cookies in the garden. Sometimes I would go over and visit with them for awhile. I was delighted to be a part of this makeshift family, as my family lived far away.

THE SISTER’S UNUSUAL STORY

At the time I lived in the boarding house, they kept a lot of secrets. I learned more about their history 100 years after they had passed.

Betty and Georgia were born during the Revolutionary War. Betty was the lovely, gregarious sister, who had many suitors. Georgia, on…