Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-02-24

all the assistance that lay In our power to
the poor creatures; and it was not Until
the sun had risen, on Christmas morning,
that we got sufficient hands together to
clear the line
Twenty-Five peop.e were killed in this
Sgfals alsseeiqeHtJ and FpEer. thirty scysrsip
Thenewsof ihe disaster bad reached Net
tleton some hours previous to my arrival
and when I.had briefly hafrhted the palm
ftil facts Of the case, r asked leave to go.to
my room, feeling perfectly unable to take
part in the ChTistmas; merry-makings.
was glad enough to throw myself on
the bed; and although | could not sleep,
the quietuile of the place, and the calm
rest which enjoyed, soothed my nervous
frame and cooled my burning brain, |
thought over the events of the short time
which had elapsed since left London,
and could not help connecting mymysteri
Gus fellow Traveller in some way with the
accident / was no believer in ghosts =
and yet what was the, meaning OF that
mans mysterious entrance at London
Bridge, and his still more mysterious dis
appeaancep Was 1t fancy? Certainly
mot. Could il have been warning of the
coming danger? / could not answer my
! self, but continued to ponder and argue
until could not bear to be alone, so got
up and went down into my uncle's library.
sent for Bessie by one of the servants,
and in a very few moments my dear girl
and myself were together. / told her all
my adventure. Atfirst she laughed at me
and called me Q superstitious goose; butt
when she found, me serious she was am
noyed, and gave me o good lecture, which
she finished up by telling me that l had
been working too hard and too late at NY
chambers, had overheated my brain, and
therefore fancied all manner of stupid
things. 1 promised not to allude to the
ghost" as she termed my railway COM
panion, during my 'holidays; and ! Kept
The few days leisure that1 had allowed
myself went quickly enough; and my
Nettleton visit was soon thing OF the
past, and / was once again hard at work
inthc Inn. AT times my thoughts would
/ turnito The events OF Christmas eve and
though strove TO Grace the recollection
! from my mind, could not forget my fel
! low-traveler. l fead books on spiritualism
and in spite of arguments with friends
and several serious conversations with my
1 relatives, became q belieVer in ghosts.
kept the truth from Bessie, for | knew
that she would be broken-hearted if she
knew thatI had become disciple of the
!
! very unsettled; my health was none of
the best; my spirits were low; and my
energy tagged considerably. So the long
year passed away, and Christmas came
again. Twas, as usual, to spend nay few
| daSs holiday at Nettleton, and L found
myself once more in n first-class carriage
| by myself at 5.55 on the Oath day of De-
cember.
The whistle was sounded, the engine
shrieked, the train moved, the door opened,
| and he entered the carriage, smiled in the
I same deathlike manner as he had smiled
twelve months ago, took his seat, produced
| the black book, and read in silence. do
not think was very much surprised st
| seeing him, for he had been in my . minds
! eye" all the year; but cold perspiration
came over me !; / felt asinking atmy. .heaTty-
and burning, throbbing pain flew to my
head. Man, if man you be-" Isaid, fxz
ing my eyes on the figure, "if you have
come to warn me of my coming danger,
! speak to me. am brave enough to hear
| the worst" He lifted his eyes from his
| book, yawned, closed the volume, and set
| tied himself to seep. mo" cried,
"you shall, not evade my questions you
must answer me- What will happenf
| Why are you here?" He reused himself
and looked at me with a smile upon his
hard lips; he then took out small pocket
book and wrote on a page, which he tore
/ out and handed me, these words: We
| shall meet tonight. -, 2 --
| read the five words over and over
again, but could not fathom their meaning
| | was painfully certain, m my own mind,
that some other terrible calamity of some
kind or ether would happen before long,
and that read my warming on the piece
! of paper 1 held in my hand. ! kept my
| eyes fixed on him for some time; but ma
| ture at length ruled, and fell asleep-not
into sound slumber, but into troubled
! fretful series of doZes of an unrefreshing
and feverish character. l was aroused by
1.-THE train slackening speed, and, on looking
! out of the window, found we had arrived
and Nettleton junction, and IRGs the only
occupant of the carTidgel Hastily gathering
my traps together, got out of the haunted
carriage, and inquired of porter if my
uncle had sent over any conveyance for
me. Yes, there was the dog-cart Before
leving the station | asked the statiOns
master il lie was sure that the train from
/ which l had alighted was the express from
town. Yer, Sir" was his answer /;
"through from London Bridge" What
an awful ride i had on that dark Christmas
eve AT every turn of the road thought
we should be overturned; whenever the
1 horse improved his pace L made up my
mind that he had bOlted; but, in spite OF
my fears, we arrived safely at Nettleton
House, and received a hearty welcome, as
of yOre. T0 Df9EfNITF r}I
1 All agreed that I was looking far from
well. Bless the boy" said my aunt;
you look as pale as though you'd seen a
ghost" l stammered out something about
! the closeness of London, and went up
stairs to. dress for dinner.
: How got through the meal have very
little idea. Bessie must have thought me
very stupid, for made few remarks, and
4 answered her questions in monosyllables.
There was TO ,bea dance, as, Usual, in the.
evening, and was engaged, Of course, TO
Bessie for the opening quadrille; but /
made so many foolish blunders, aud as my
sweetheart told me, looked so very unwell,
that was fain to leave OIL "d Sc
1 81" Come into this room, DEAR Bessie
| said cit is cooler there, and more quiet"
| We entered i started back with q look
4 of horror on my FACE ;t9r ths's, 6y tke man
tel-sIelG, Stood nt3 mysterious rritscay COM
pahiOh, toith a glass Of sherry in his hand.
Bessie,' sail earnestly, " come away;
come away, for heavens sakel"
II why what eyeris the matter, Charliep
You look SO terribly frightened" She said
i But beeded her. not, for j could, not
think of anything but the phantom before
me. He approached, with that cursed
smile upon his lips, and held Oqthis hand.
Bessie looked up laughingly at his face,
and said, Charlie, won't you shake hands
with Doctor LintoAs" - 9s'f sFt. .sHbl
/ "Who+-who is heY I asked. GKQt. 3
"Why, Doctor Linton, the deaf and
I dumb gentleman"
For a moment my brain whirled round,
and can remember but indisiiuct u Nv had
Immediately followed. saw bessie MAX
Ing signs with her fingers, and the doctor
replying 10 her in the same. This is what
learned in oalmer moments:% :%Nt tFt' y
The doctor was deaf and dumb, and a
season ticket holder on the line; and as
he could not always make the porters un'
derstand him, he was allowed a private
key. lie lived at little village some five
J miles the London side of Nettleton, and
: the managers of the line stopped the 5 ;55
for him out of courtesy