The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1869-07-17
FORTY sHILLINGs AND COST
Am English Story.

An English Story.
had been all day trying to get from
Aveminster to Chichester by country
line. a London line, and branch line Of
railway. A solitary passenger had en-:
tered my carriage, or ratherswas banged
into it by She guard. Another minute
and the guard had banged intq, his van,
emitting the growl Change here!!'
Our fiery and restive' iron steed. nc
doubt weary with it's headlong career Of
full twelve miles an hour, gave a heroic
neigh of triumph, resembling a feeble
crow, in emulation of past exploits, in
days long before it was Condemned to
transportation on branch, and dragged
US off into the bleak night,
Ny companion was ,all, slim, middle
aged man, with face lean and withered
like Ariveled apple, concluded below
the chin by stiff satin eravat. In a
dress, tight.ftting and Of ancient and
faded black, he looked altogether like a
man who had run very much 10 seed,
which perhaps accounted for the luxu.
rious growth Of his arms and legs. Ob-
serving his clothes steaming with the
damp air, I began to realise it was very
chilly. 1t certainly was.
AQui'e a change in the weather. |
remarked. Very cod tonight. is 1t
not?' .....-...
Don't feel the cold. myself: Per-
haps you would like to change places
with mt. There is no draught here"
I replied ! should be very pleased to
do so, if not to his inconvenience; and
accordingly We changed seats>
1t was cold, and no mistake. must
have taken chill, for [ felt the cold
creeping over me in most unaccounta-
bic mauners
Looking at my companion on the op-
posite seat, on whom the lamplight now
shone full, saw that his face was not so
thin, nor his features SO withered as I
had at first supposed; and ] must have
made q mistake as to his age, for he was
BY no means so old as l had previ. usly
Judged. How odd it was to be sure! As
/ continued to look at him, I noticed his
aspect changed momently-that he was
growing younger: that the wrinkles In
bis face were filling out, and smoothing
down; and that he was gradually becom-
ing like some one I had seen before AS
his cheeks grew round and ruddy. and
his hair changed from grey to brown,
before my very eyes, became in such
nervous agitation, I endeavored to cry
ut,abut could not was paralysed
with the cold-cold that seemed to make
my limbs rigid and numb my ritals; for
| saw the man sitting before me was no
longer stranger-no mere friend or
acquaintance ; be had become me!
| held mp my hands to try and shut
out the sight. AID as did SO, saw they
were withered, nd thin and old, | press
I'd them on my brow, to see if I were
dreaming; but I found it shrivsled, seam
I'd and puckered. And I knew that this
man-this fend.-had stolen my body
and given me his. Maddened with this
discovery, rose to my feet-his feet
which swayed beneath me, and | struck
wildly at the vision Of myself on the 9th
or seat. But found my arms light as
vapor. for they passed over his body,
which went through them, giving me
the impression of pain. TWAS body
of shade that had been given me for my
own body of flesh and blood. which this
wretch had stolen. BY some sorcery or
other. we had indeed changed hands.
"Sorcerer demon!" cried out, only
to hear myself speaking with his sharp,
cracked voice, When saw myself sit
ting opposite TO me, eoolly addressing
me in NY own voice, I could no longer
credit my senses if indeed I had any OF
them at all left of my own.
"Daresay you think you are speaking
loud now," he said.
answered by calling the guard as
loudly as I could halloo.
"Ah, you might call a good deal loud.
er than that, if the carriage were full of
passengers, and they could no more hear
you than they could see you." he con-
tinued, chuckling and screwing up my
features into hideously knowing grin,
such as could never have made. them
assume. "You see. my friend. yours is
body of air. Of shadow, insensible, i'm
spalpable to all but myself, just as it was
to all but you when I entered the car
rage. You wish, perhaps to know who
/ amt Well, two years ago, tonight, |
was a passenger by this very up.mall'
There was q collision you see, and the
result was that several passengers were
injured One Of them was-well, it is
no use mincing matters-killed on the
spot. Quite 60; it was I. Yes, | am
what you call ghost. though we consid
er the word rather infIa Dig. among
ourselves, and have a better term for it..
Now ] have told you what I am, you
will like to know what I want! Very
good. You shall see.' Il ...
The ghost in my body then began to
feel in my pockets, from which he drew
out nv meerschaum, loaded it from my
pouch, and lighted it with one OF my
Vesuvians. .54S@ .s'., -, '...,5
"Ah," be proceeded, whiting the
weed rapidly. " you smoke very good
stuf-Golden Leaf and Returns; not a
bad mixture. though / prefer little
Latakia with it, myself. Not at all a
bad body yours either" he went on
1eyeing the form in which he was sit
ting-"not at all bad body; and it fits
me 10 o T. only little short in the
arms. BY the way. I find one. Of your
front teeth q little loose, 10 don't say ]
did that, when you come to yourself
again; and your nose is little long for
i, q. hnt + dare saw II blows none the