The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1875-05-19
VOL. l.

and cousins-to say nothing of my wife
pronounced it the pretiest baby in The
world, and dare say thought they wer,
not far wrong but one cannot sac
rifice to a household idol of this kind
without a little extra outlay. and for thi,
reason aud few others not worth Will,
mentioning, Lizzie and the baby were up,
permost in my thoughts. | amused my.
self like a child with spending the money
hoped to receive in a dozen different
ways for their benefit.
AT times glanced at my fellow trav-
eler who was all this time sound asleeI
in the coroner directly opposite to me
His head was thrown back, a bright vel.
low bandana handkerchief covered his face
and a thick railway rug was tucked tight
ly around him. Now having started in
a great hurry, as Ross and Haviland had
got a hint that old Brown meant to make
a heightened tonr on the continent, / had
forgotten to take my wrapper with me, SO
| contemplated my opposite neighbor with
rather curious eyes, thinking how warm
and comfortable he looked, and how very
cold ] felt. ! tiled to forget my discom-
fort by reading over my papers; but when
at last got through them | was as cold
as before or perhaps a little colder. How.
ever we were getting towards our jour
neys end, and that was some comfort -
determined to follow my fellow-traveer's
example, and take a doze. / wish hear
tilv had not done so.
First OF all, | had a singularly unpleas-
ant dream; for | dreamed that on arriv~
ing at home found the street door open,
and, on going in, saw staircases in all di>
rections. | went up the one | fancied led
to my rooms, but it seemed a. if | should
never get there! Flight after flight | went
up, and thought the stairs would never
come TO an end. Then suddenly found
myself in the drawing room, and was
struck by the cherries look of everything;
| there was no fire in the CRATE, and the
room was so dimly lighted that at first
did not see Lizzie. Then became aware
that she was leaning back in her arm
chair with the child lying in her lap; her
eyes were closed, and her face was deadly
pale. ! cried out her name, but she did
| not move With an underlined dread that
seemed to make my heart contract, |
rushed across the room 10 her; the floor
heaved and swayed with my weight:
flung myself down by Lizzie's side, and
had seized her hand, when the chair over
turned with a crash, and she seemed to
fall heavily into my arms!
81 awoke with a cry ofterror. The train
had run nearly off some facing points and
the tremendous jolt had thrown my fellows
| traveller across my knees. ! lifted halfup
but he made no effort to help himself
With difficulty replaced him on the seat
The head dropped back into the old po-
sition, and as the light now fell on the face
| saw to my horror that the man was
dead
al fell back into my seat, gasping for
| breath; but the next instant | started up
and went to the further side ofthe carriage.
'Dead?' said TO myself, mo it is imposs>
ble he cannot be dead and turning. hur-
riedly toward the old gentleman ] endeav-
Ored TO stammer out a possible hope that
the fall had not hart him. 1t would not
do; the words died away on my lips.
felt the fact OF his death was but too true,
and the folly Of asking a corpse il fall
had hurt it crossed my mind aud gave me
an absurd inclination TO laugh, though !
never felt less merry in my life
Then a terrible curiosity drew me back
against my will to look again at the life
less man. The blue, glazed eyes were
wide open; the jaw slightly dropped; the
once ruddy color had settled in patches OF
dark purple in the checks He was tall,
stout man. about sixty-five, and must have
been handsome when alive; indeed, the
face would have been still but that the
halfopen mouth and sightless stare gave
HIM such ghastly appearance.
THE bad dream had had, the sudden-
" startling awakening, aud the horrid GER
tainty that | had been travelling all the
way with a corpse utterly unnerved me,
and ! vainly endeavored to regain my
composure. could only gaze on the dead
face before me with vague feelings of wou-
der and distress
"Well, Charlie, | did about the most
foolish thing | could have done A shrill
whistle and a Stacking OF the speed an
nounced our approach to liighgate, and
in another moment the lamps of the sta.
ton flashed their light in ard out the car,
riage window as we passed up to the plat
form. With desperate feeling that, as,
after all, it was no business of mine, |
might as well try to escape a heap of
questions that could not answer, | snatch
ed up the old gentleman's yellow hand.
kerchief, flung it over his face. seized nv
traveliRg-bag, and sprang out OF the carr
riage.
81 remember well the nervous dread
which came over me that the body would
be discovered before ] could give up NV
ticket and get clear of the station. No
one stopped me, however. hailed a cab,
jumped in, and in ten minutes more was
safely deposited at nay door There dis
missed the cabmaa With a double fare,
and in another minute stood in nv own
bright cheerful sitting room, with my
dear vii. clinging to my arm.
Everybody was as unlike my dream
as possible Lizzie loo ied rosy and smil-
ing; her baby was in the cradle fast asleep;
there was a bright fire in the CRATE; the
supper table was laid, and our neat liltle
cook entered with tray on which Lizzie
seemed to have assembled all the GOOD
things she could think Of But in spite
of the comfort around me, could not
shake off feeling of dsquietude, and !
suppose this vas visible enough to a pair
of loving eyes like my wife's, for she said;
What is the matter, dear? You look
quite upsetg'
a. -, Lizzie" ! burst out, Il have had
such a horrid adventure, | must tell YOU
about it,
mot yet returned she. 'Sit down
take some supper first, and you shall tell
me afterward. However disarreeable
your adventure was, it has not ended bad
ly, since l have got YOU safe home apain