Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-02-08

Ill Iue EaSC, Small American FeNolNc
which fitted in my waistcoat pocket. L
would kill at twenty PAGES, and would give
| me my mittimus easily enough. ] drew l
out and placed it against my forehead
then it struck me that the ball, after pass
ing through my head might pass alst
through the partition dividing the com
partments and strike some one in the mex
carriage. turned, therefore, my back t.
the window, and again placed the muz2l
OF the pistol to my forehead. Again with
drew it. There was no hurry. The trail
did not stop till it reached Woking.
could not possibly be disturbed. / wanted
asignal: the whistle OF the engine, as thu
driver sighted the red lamps at Working
should be the signal for my departure irou
the world,
Yes | said, aloud, turning upon my
self, as it were, in sort Of frenzy" yes
the moment the whistle sounds, William
Heathcote, you shall die"
L have said that the rising moon wa'
shining brightly into the carriage, full up
on the coffin, and upon the mysterious in
soription. | don't think 1 really believed
that this coffin had any tangible existence
1t might be but the production q my owl
tevered brain, but none the less, on that
account, was it vertable warning of my
doom. Looking up, however, to see If il
had indeed disappeared, | saw no Longer
the ceAin-lid, but white shrouded figure
a pallid, corpse-like face, the eyes of which
in the moolbeams, shone upone me with
a sepulchral CLEAN.
For moment, I thought that / had in
deed passed into the land oc shadows; that
L was a disembodled spirit, looking upon
my own mortal remains and the thought
that had ceased TO be an individuality,
and had become the mere shadow Of a
thought, struck such a chill terror and hor-
ror to my soul, that every other impulse
of it was lest in an eager effort to resume
my individual existence.
came to myself with deep gasp, dig
ging my fnger-nails into my palms. All,
the joy Of that moment, after the torture
Of the struggle back to life Lite-ragged,
miserable, it might be, but still dear life
how precious itseemed bow unlathomably
deep, below the utmost wretchedness of
being, was the dread abyss olnon-eXistence!
Shadows! I dehed them.
"Come forth, old mole |" shouted to
my double in the coffin. lie came forth.
As 1 live, he stepped out of the coffin, seat
ed himself opposite to me, and laid finger
on my arm-laid finger on my arm, and
lcaned forward to speak in my ear.
ENERGY, mercy" shrieked the figure, in
q voice that pierced the roar of the train,
then laundering over bridge. "See !"
cried the figures, slipping paper IN my
hands "keep it; keep it; only don't be-
tray me-"
Whew-w went the whistle of the engine,
shrieking, as it seemed, close into my ears,
[ turned my head for moment: the moon
had just passed into cloud the figure
had vanished the coffin still stood in the
corner, dark and grim, The train Slacken-
ed, stopped.
"Jem," said voice-that of tie guards
-" there's body in that middle tirst-clOss
coach; there's some parties coming to meet
it with an 'caIsc."
"All right, jack" said another voice;
"thcy've come to fetch him. Bear hand
here, will you? Oh, Lordm shouted the
man, as he saw me sitting in the corner.
ooh, beg yonr pardon, sir. | hope you
aren't been annoyed, sr2 Jack, what did
you mean by putting the gent into this
compartment %
81 didn't" growled Jack; she must "a
got in by hisself"
"All right" | said, getting out and
stretching myself on the platform. "Pll
get into the next carriage. No bodies
there, are there 2"
"D'yc call me nobody p said Pat Reil-
ly, looking out Of the window. "Jump in,
Billy, me bhoy Fve cleared out the
rest Of the company; yell introduce lit
tie fresh capital into the concern"
What contrast to the scene had quit
ted was the cheerful, lighted carriage,
with its occupants, all brother officers OF
mine, smoking, chatting, and playing loo
on rug stretched over their knees! Sure
ly the whole of the previous scene had been
dream, or could it have been an incipient
attack Of D. T.? not brought on by drink,
indeed, for was not given to that, but by
irregular habits and stress of mind.
1t wasn't till had reached my own hut
at Aldershott, that thought Of the paper
which the ghost had given me, and which,
in my delirium, had imagined | had
thrust into my waistcoat pocket. Here
was test, at all events: if there was a
real paper, bearing signs Of its ghostly or
igin, then | was still sane, and the appar-
alton | had witnessed was not delusion
Of the brain.
In the corner of my waistcoat pocket
was crumpled piece of tlimsy paper; |
uniolded it, and found it Bank of England
note for one hundred pounds.
From that time | was al altered man.
! paid my gambling debts; confessed all
my embarrassments to my friends, who
lifted me out Of the mire never touched a
card or die; studied for the Staff Col
lege; passed good examination; went to
Sandhurst, came out with high honors, and
having little interest at headquarters,
got an appointment as commissioner, to
watch the operations of the American
War of Secession, on General IS
staff.
1t was at the close OF a bloody but des-
perate battle, or series Of battles, which
resulted in the retreat of the army
of the South, that Visited the field-hospit-
ais at the rear Of the army, in search of a
friend who had been wounded during the
day. The doctors and attendants were
too busy to pay any attention to my
wants, and walked down the long rows
Of hastily improvised couches, trying to
recognise my friend.
Scraps Of paper, on which the names Of
the patients had been hastily scrawled,
were pinned to the coverings, and started
as | read on one, civilian Heathcote"-