River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-09-25

Wlsh, good SIR, but truly / do not nm
derstand you. Have you a written re-
quest ?"
"a written request How could /
write it without body! Will you not
self %
What Why, how can | do that
when don't understand what You
say ?"
II will dictate it. You need only to
write"
Sevastianovitsch selected a sheet of
stamped paper, and said:
Well, tell me your name. your
title, II you have any, and your pro-
fession.
My name is John Louis"
Profession?"
. au stranger and nobleman. 3"
Sevastianovitsch wrote the usual form
at the top of the sheet in big, fat let
tiers the name however, suffered some
what at his hands.
"'Io the police authorities in Ke-
jensk:
"' The stranger, Saveh Julutscheo.
noblemln, says Well, what else ?"
write down everything now. Just
as tell you. / greatly desire"
SO | greatly desire-well?"
So greatly desire to have my body
back again.
a." The devil cried Sevastianovitsch
throwing down his pen. "You are only
amusing yourself at my expense"
BY no means. | am telling the
truth, | assure you. Go on. Fifty
rubles for the mere trial; if you sue
coed, fifty more when l re-enter my
body"
Sevastianovitsch again seized his
pen.
"On the Goth of November last I
was travelling in ki6itka on the high
road toward Keiensk. 1t was intensely
cold, and the road was in Il very bad
condition
Hold hold You will excuse me.
but l can't write that. That affects 4
citizen, and the law positively forbids
my writing anything that affects any
citizen
Every well, then, write: The
weather was very cold, and fearing that
my spirit might be frozen into my body.
and that should be without assistance
l, as is my habit when in danger. left
my body"
GOOD heavens /" cried Sevastiano-
vitsch, raising his hands in holy horror
" Be calm. What else could have
done? And then, what 1 did was no
crime"
every true. Well, what further ?"
az slipped out of my body, after
having bundled it up as well as | could
in the wagon. | placed it so that it
could not fall over, binding it fast by
the hands with strap. Then l has.
tened to the next post station, hoping
that my horse, urged forward by the
cold and hunger, would follow ON be-
hind"
Il must tell you that you were very
CAT the station l sat down behind
the stove and warmed my frozen spirit.
| waited an hour, when, according to
my calculation, the horse should have
arrived then / went into the court
yard and waited another hour, two
hours, the whole night, but neither
horse nor body made its appearance.
At break of day / FASTENED back to
where | had left them, but neither was
to be found. My poor body, in iolting
over the impracticable road, doubtless
fell out. As for the holse and wagon,
heaven only knows what became of
them. For three weeks / looked for all
three in vain. Finally | learned that
the authorities of Kaiensk had in their
possession "A strange body, which was
probably mine. | therefore herewith
entreat the said authorities to deliver
up the said body to me, its rightful
owner. | further beg the authorities to
first lay the said body in cold water. in
order that it may thaw out; and, if the
said body has received any injuries,
either ry falling ont Of the wagon or by
freezing, they will employ a surgeon
for them at my expense. To all this, as
the law requires, | hereunto set my
hand and atfix my seal
Well, well, come and sign now.
"Sign? That is easier said than
done. have not my hands with me
they are with my body Sign the docu-
ment yourself and add, "For want of
his own hands.
"No, no, pardon me that will never
do, replied Sevastianovitsch. "You
ask too much. The law forbids our
taking petitions that are not drawn up
in regular form. | must conform to
regulations can't sign for You unless
| state that you cannot read or write. "
"Well, just as you will-sign I"
And Sevastianoyitsch wEote: CAS-
the petitioner can neither read nor
write, | sign for him"-etc.
thank you, sincerely, Ivan Seyas-
tianovitsch. Now, don't lose any time,
1 beg. in arranging the matter. All,
you can form no idea what misfor-
tune i is 10 lose ones body. must
so now and make my wife u hasty visit.
Spare no pains, / beg You will not
find me ungrateiul.
Hold hold Mr.. Deadman !" cried
Sevastianovitsch; you have made q
blunder in this petition. How could
you tie yourself fast by the hands ?
that can't understand.
But no one answered. A dread 81.
lence within and without the house. dis
turbed only by the whistling and moan.