Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-03-07
of Woking should be the signal for my
dnnartI1re from the 1ycrld

of Working should be the signal for my
departure from the world.
ayes, | said aloud, turning upon my
self, as it were, in sort of frenzy
eyes the moment the whistle sounds,
William Heathcote, you shall die
| have said that the rising moon was
shining brightly into the carriage, fully
upon the coffin, and upon its mysterious
inscription. | don't think | really be-
lieved that this coffin had any tangible
existence 1t might be but the product
of my own fevered brow, but none the
less, on that account, was it veritable
warning of my DOOM Looking up,
however, if it had indeed disappeared, |
saw no longer the coffin-lid, but white
shrouded figure, a pallid, corpse face,
the eyes of which, in the moonbeams,
shone upon me with sepulchral CLEAN.
For the moment | thought that had
indeed passed into the land of shadows;
. that | was disembOdied spirit, looking
upon my own mortal remains and the
thought that | had ceased to be an indi-
viduality and had become the mere shad-
ow of thought struck chill of terror and
horror to my soul, that every other i'm
pulse of it was lost in an eager effort to
resume my individual existence
came to myself with a deep gasp,
digging my finger nails into my palms
All the JOY at that moment, after the
torture of that struggle back to life
Life, ragged, miserable it might be, but
still dear life, how precious it seemed,
how unfathOmably deep, below the ut
most wretchedness of being, was the
dread abyss of nOn-eXistence. I defed
them.
Come forth, old mole :" | shouted to
my double in the coffin. He came forth
AS | live, he stepped out of the coffin,
seated himself opposite to me and laid a
finger on my arm--laid a finger on my
arm and leaned forward to speak in my
ear
''Mercy! mercy :" shrieked the fig
ure in voice that pierced the roar of
the train then laundering over the
bridge. See :" cried the figure. slipping
paper into my hands, "keep it, keep
it ; only don't betray me-"
WheW-ew, went the whistle of the en-
CINE, shrieking, as it seemed, close into
my ear. | turned my head for a mo-
ment; the moon had just passed into
cloud; he-fgure had vanished; the c0f-
fin stood in the corner, dark and grim
The train slackened-stOpped.
''Jem, said a voice-that Of the
guard-''there's a body in that middle
first class coach; there's some parties
coming to meet it with a hearse.
''All right, Jack, said another voice:
''they'ye come to fetch him. Bear a
hand here, will you? Oh, Lord :"
shouted the man, as he saw me sitting
in the corner. 80, beg your pardon
sir, | hope you aren't been ANNOYED.
sir: Jack, what did you mean by put
ting the gent in this compartment p
Il didn't" growled Jack. .'hc must a
got in by hisself."
stretching myself on the platform. I'm
get into the next carriage. No bodies
there, arc there ?"
Dye call me nobody?" said Pat
Reilly, looking out of the window.
Jump in, Billy, me boy. Eve cleaned
out the rest of the company; ven intro
introduce little fresh capital into the
concern.
What contrast to the scene | had
quilted, was the checrfullv lighted car
rage with its occupants, all brother Of
fCers of mine, smoking. chatting and
playing loo on a rug stretched over their
knees Surely the whole of the pre-
it have been an incipicnt attack of D.
T. not brought on by drink, indeed, for
| was not given to that but by irrcgn-
lar habits and stress of mind.
1t wasn't till | reached my own hut at
Aldershott. that | thought Of the paper
which the ghost had given me, which.
in my dclirium. | had imagined | had
thrust into my waistcoat pocket Here
was a test. at all events, if there was a
real paper, bearing signs of its ghOstly
origin. then ! was still sane. and the ap-
partition | had witnessed was not de
fusion of the brain
In the corner of my Waistcoat pocket
was q crumpled piece Of flimsy paper:
unfolded it and found it to be a Bank
of England note for one hundred pounds
sterling.
From that hour | was an altered man
| paid my gambling debts. confessed all
my cmbarrassments to my friends, who
lifted me out of the mirc never touched
a card or dice. studied for the Staff Col
legr. passed a good examination, went to
Sandhurst. came out with high honors.
and having a little interest at hpadQuar-
tiers, got an appointment. as commits
~iOner to watch the operations of the
IS staff.
It was at the close Of a bloody but
decisive battle, or series of battles. which
resulted in the retreat of the army of
the South, that | visited the field hospi-
tai at the rear of the federal army. in
search of a friend who had been wound
ed during the day The doctors and at
PENDANTS were all too busy to pay any
o. 70 I
down the long rows of hastily imprO-
yised couchcs, trying to recognize my
friend.
Scraps OF paper, on which the names
Of patients had been hastily Scrawlcd,
were pinned to the coverings. and |
started as | read ON one William
Hcathcote'- own name The man
appeared to be sinking from exhaustion,
but he frightened Hp when he heard the
tones of a friendly voice.
knelt down beside him, and asked if
could do anything for him.
He nodded his head, 'You're Eng
IIsh - he whispered
Yes. [ am,
so am l. If you should be i'll the
ncighborhood of Bedford and should be
able to hear Of an old man of the name
Of Hcathcotc, retired draper, will you
tell him his son died in creditablc man
nrr? | was a disgrace to him, sir, when
| was alive; but when | am dead, per
haps he will think kindly of me again.
I'll tell my story sir. / was rogue
was. sir. / was an undertaken, but !
was a collector of taxes too; and | en-
tered into a conspiracy to dcfraud the
government. II came out, but had got
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