, 1878-09-19

Irucc and gloom that seemed to wra,
around her Ike a Shroud. and al
sort, of 4ri>N possibilities began t.
occur to her abnormalIy excited fan
cy Gould it be, she thought, 'tha,
this was some poor Iuuatic, whom
they were transporting to the private
asylum at Geneva Heights Anc
at the very idea her blood began t.
run chill through her vcius,-ShouIc
she call aloud for he lp?
Just then they rumblcd past the
lights Of a tolI-gace, and from the
one swift glance which Rachel was
enabled to take, she could perceive
that the figure opposite her was
wrapped in travelling rug, and re.
ciucd stiIlly, as if perfectly rigid
and that the face was deadly pale
and without a hat.
And then with lightning sudden.
ness it flashed upon her that she was
shut up in the same place with
IA dead man.
In vain she tugged at the check.
strings and ratified at the door-the
former was broken beyond all posi-.
bility Of use, and the noise and Jolt
ing of the wheels drowned all other
sounds.
On went the stage down a descent
as if some unseen tiends were at the
horses heels, and poor Rachel
crouched down in the corner of the
stage, pale and paIpitatug, with a
dew of cold terror breaking out up
on her forehead and eyes close shut
to avoid the ghasty sight opposite.
But there is an end to all things,
even to waking nightmare like this,
and in the course of time the stage
came to a stop, the driver once more
descended from his seat and flung
open the door.
Halfway house, miss said he
Hadn't you better step out and have
"A warm while we're changing horses
More dead than alive Rachel stun
bled out, clingiug to the arm of the
driver. But the instant she felt her.
self free, with the lights of the way.
side hostlery shining on her face,
and the welcome sound OF human
voices once more in her ear, she
plucked up resolve.
Sir said she to the landlord, who
stood beaming on the threshold, 'to
you | appeal for protection and hel p?
There is some horrible mystery herer
'Eh said the landlord opening
his mouth and eyes simultaneously.
For the sake of humanity per-
sisted Rachel, look after the other
inside passenger. See who he is,
and what he is ?
But at these words the man who
had set with the driver, and who had
been drinking glass of mulled ale
before the bar-room fire, emerged
into the scene.
q can tell you MISS said he wip-
ing his mouth with the back of his
shaggy sleeve. 1T amt no human
crectur at all, but only barber's
dummy as White & Co., up to Gen
eva Heights, has bought second hand
for their show window. They sent
me down 20 fetch it home. and when
it came on to storm SO hard ! was
afeared of the wax washing off, or
or the hair loosening, so | just
wrapped my shawl around it, and
gave it my inside place, while |
climbed up alongside the driver.
Just look here if you don't believe
me-
And he briskly hauled out the
dummy as he spoke--a three. quarter
size, with very pale complexion,
with bushy black moustache, and
eyeiashes at least twice the length Of
life.
Rachel broke out into hysterical
laughter.
'O! cried she, what a fool | have
been! But was so frightened!'
And no wonder,' said Jared Pea
body. We ought to have told you;
and so would if I'd s'posed you
didn't know White & Co.'s dummy
from a man. But, after all, the mis-.
take was nat'ral enough. Now, then,
with the fresh horses therc!'
And Miss Rachel Hall reached St.
AdeIgitha's Academy without any
further adventure.
But TO the day of her death she
could never recall that half hour OF
night aud chill and darkness without
a shudder.