The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-10-06
MISCELLANEOUS.

BY JUSTIN Mccarthy.

LONDON 10 LIVERPOOL, tOoK tner seats one
evening in a first class carriage of the five
o'clock express at the Euston Square sta
tiOn-a station known, venture TO think,
to every American who has ever invaded
the old country. There were only two
other seats occupied in the compartment
entered by The two young men. Two Ia
dies-at least, lady and her maid-were
the other occupants. The lady was youny
and pale and pretty; the maid was fresh,
blooming, round-eyed north country girl
the moment she spoke word her SC
cent made it plain to one Of the two ad
vccates, himself from the lakeland Of
Northern England, that the girl came from
dear old Cumberland. Two gentlemen,
one apparently the young lady's father,
attended her to the carriage door, snd
waited at the door until the train actually
moved of. They both, especially the one
who seemed to exercise parental authori.
ty over the young lady, kept necessarily
casting expectsnt, eager, suspicious eyes
about the platform, as if they looked for
or dreaded the arrival Of somebody.
These little facts the two barristers, &C.
custOmed to note small things and con-
struct them into evidence, observed al
most uGcOnsciously, and by the sheer
force Of habit.
The older man, whom both the youths
learned in law assumed TO be the father of
the departing young lady, at last nodded
significantly 10 the other, and said, ia q
low tone: 'lt is all right, Cunningham,
He is not here. Thank Reaven!"
he can't come now," said the other.
at would not have much mattered
even if he had, the elder observed "He
should not have exchanged word with
her-,iot one word But I'm glad to es.
cape scenes and tears and confusion, for
ali that"
The LADY in The carriage had heard
nothing Of this. She sat al the farther side
of her compartment. Doubtless what
was said would never have been spoken
had she been near enough to hear il. One
of cur lawyer friends, however, cid hear
tin fact, he could not help himself; he
had no choice but to hear.
TIE elder of the two speakers had
taken farewell OF the girl when he put
her into the carrisge-that is, he kissed
her very coldly, and said good by, and
added few whispered words, which
seemed TO be something in the nature of
q caution or menace. Now, as the train
moved off, ne ONLY nodded q farewell He
bad formally handsome face, regular,
cold and harsh, with thin lips and very
white teeth.
The train then went On, and very soon
whirlsd through the pleasant suburbs of
that side CT London, and away into the
open country. The young lady seemed |
very melancholy and absorbed. She re
Piled gracefully to a few civilities and at |
tcndoas offered by the two barristers, but |
was evidently not much inclined to any
manner of conversation. She exchanged
q few words every now and then with her
naid, but for the most part remained 81
lent.
1t was growing to be late in autumn,
and dusk soon began to come on. The |
evening was soft and beautiful; the face
of the country looked tender and poetic,
with al its autumnal Charm and melan |
chOly grace around it.
Our two friends talked together on
many subjects, at first in q low tone, then,
as the young lady appeared to be asleep,
or wholly absorbed in her own thoughts,
they began to spesk a little more freely
and loudly. Something or other, perhaps
the gray poetic sadness of the evening,
Set them talking OF the old world ghosts
the dear, delightful, torturing, hair lift
ing, blood chilling spectres who used to
haunt our childhood. They actually be
gan telling each other ghost stories, and
cid not observe the shuddering terror of
the Cumberland lass, who could hardly
SIT Still IN her scat, so great was her inter
est, excitement and superstitious dread.
g. don't know" said one of the two
young men, Lewis Rossmore by name,
why railways should be supposed TO
have necessarily banished ghosts. l can
quite imagine a ghost making his appear
ance in this very train, for instance"
Can you" replied Fred Sargent. 81
confess can't; but 1 think you North
men, near he Scottish border, have more
Imagination than we prcsaic cockneys."
At the same time he happened to glance
at the young lady In the corner, and her
pale, sad face seemed ghostlike enough in
the gray evening light. Sargent thought
for moment of the legend of the com
pany who Sat one evening telling ghost
stories until at last the turn came to pale
young lady, who had been silent all the
time, and who nov, when asked to co.,
tIi50te her share TO the entertainment,
said, in low, tOneless voice, 81 have no
ghost story to tell, but am q ghost my
seltp' aud so vanished.
Yes" pursued Lewis R0ssmOre; al
can easily imagine it and think it could
be done with rather q fine effect. Look
here, Sargent, take note OF this ijes,
aud make something of it for one of the
magazines. Two people are travelling
alone IL railway-the express-and have
just passed one of the only stopping
places. Behold, as the train is rushing at
full speed across the open country, fifty
miles an hour, and the evening is growing
dark, like this, they suddenly perceive
that one of the seats has an occupant,
whose presence was not observed be-
fore
Gods sake don't we 90 on in that
way" broke in the Cumberland girl, I'M
able to contain herself any longer. "Don't
yc go on SO, gentlemen it's enough to
raise ghost right i the midst of US all"
The young men laughed at first, but the
superstitious fear of the poor girl was SO
obviously genuine and profound that
Rossmore discontinued his goblin invep-
ton, and they treasured her and talked
Tor few moments of something else
then the train stopped for five minutes at
the one only station where it was to make
any halt during the long journey. No
one got out Of the compartment in which
our friends were, and no one got into it
and when the train had fairly moved off,
and our two fIieads felt secure against
further disturbance, they settled them
selves for sleep. The young lady appear.
ed To be already asleep.
Both young men slept. Suddenly
loud shrek caused both to start up and
rub their eyes.
II was the Cumberland girl who had
given the alarm.
''it's ghosti it's gnOstl" she cried.
That's what comes of your deviltry and
your talk-you've brought ghost among
usp
The evening had sunk into almost COM
plete darkness the one lamp, the high
est luxury in the way of illumination, to
which even first class passengers In an
Eogllsh express are treated, was burning
very dimly; but it needed little light to
See that there Was fifth figure in the
carriage the figure of man. There he