The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-10-04

| IMPRESSION OI pun. III was tfiy 0l
shade that had leen given me for my
own body of flesh and blood, which
this wretch had stolen. BY some
sorcery or other, we lmd indeed chang
ed places.
"Sorcerer-demon." | cried out.
only to hear myself speaking with his
sharp, cracked voice. When | saw
myself sitting opposite to me coolly
addressing me in my own voice, |
could no longer credit my senses, II
indeed had any of them at all left OF
my own.
Dare say you think you are speak
ing loud now." he said.
answered by calling the guard as
loudly rs could halIoo.
"Ah, you might call a good deal
louder than that, if the carriage were
full of passengers, and they could no
more hear You than they could me you, "
he continued, chuckling. and screwing
up my features into hideously know
ing grin. such rs could never have
made them assume. You see. my
friend, yours is Il body of air. of shad-
ow, insensible. impalpable to all but
myself, Just as it was to all but you
when | entered the carriage. You
wish, perhaps, to know WHO | am?
Well. two years ago tonight. was a
passenger by this very up-mill. There
was Il collision with q stupid down
goods, you see. and the result was that
several passengers were injured. One
Of them was-well. its no use mincing
matter>-killed on the spot. Quite so:
it was l. Yes, am what you call u
ghost, though we consider the word
rather iallu dig. amongst ourselves.
and rave better term for it. Now |
have told you what | am. you will
like to know what | want: Very
good. You shall see."
The ghost in my body then began to
feel in my pockets, from which he
drew out my meer$chaun. loaded it
from my pouch, aud lighted it with
one of my Vesuvans.
"Ah." he proceeded, whiting the
weed rapidly, you smoke very good
stuff, Golden Leaf and Returns not
bad mixture, though | prefer little
L.atakia with it myself. Not at all
bad body yours. either" he went on.
eying the form in which he was sitting,
-" not at all a bad body; and it fits
me to a I. only little short in the
arms. BY the way, find cne Of your
front teeth a little loose, so don't say
| did that. when you come to yourself
again ; and your nose is little long
for Inc, but dare say it blows none
the worse for that" shuddered as
| saw him take out my handkerchief
and use it on that cherished organ of
mine.
Yes. I dare say now you feel the
cold a little; | did at first; but it's
nothing when yon are used to it. |
find your body very ot,-being Ieav-
ier than | am accustomed to wear but
it won't be for long. III require it
positively for this night only. as you
say in your playbills, and will return
it uninjured by the time we get to
Chichester. BY the by. let me beg
you to be little scareful how you
throw your arms about so much as
you did just now, for my body is Of
more delicate construction than yours;
and. hehlg so thin in substance, am
afraid ynu will selg it under the arni-
pits. You will observe. ladies' and
gentlemen" he Went on in lecturers
style. " that i'll take a lighted Vesu-
Wan and insert it in the cOrnea of the
patients eve, he will feel no pain"
Sewing this, my dreadful companion
proceeded to illustrate his remark by
making a dive at my shadowy eye
wirh burning match. felt no pain
as the match burned in my head, GER
tainly.
" You will allow. after all Won see.
tliat my shape has its advantages. " the
ghost proceeded "but it also has its
disadvantages. Try the pipe now"
| tried 20 take the pipe; it dropped
through my vapory fingers. He placed
it in my mouth | could not hold it,
nor get Whit from it. Precisely
50. I" said the ghost. Now. this is
just whit has brought me here TO
night. A great smoker all my life.
doing my six pipes a day regularly. |
have been defilnct these two years
and during all that time haven't had
a Smoke'- a blessed draw! | miss
my 'bacco dreadful. There is provis-
ion made for smokers. down with us,
you win understand but we are gov
erned by a Board OF Directors. whose
incapacity quite equals that Of most
of your City Boards. There isa stock
of bodies kept on purpose for smokers,
so that, If yon want a pipe. you must
60 into one Of the bodies to enjoy it.
But, If you will believe me. the sup
ply is so notoriously insufficient to
meet the demand. that there is no
chance whatever for new ghost to
get q smoke. When | entered the
Society. all the bodies We're out in use,
and booked for three years in advance.
NV name has been down on the books