The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1880-04-15

The Fat Pass3nges's Chest Story.
The tall thin passenger shudders as
he looks out of the car window ON our
way to Bradford, for it SHOWS in the oil
country during this pleasant spring
month.
"It's too cold for the 10th of March,"
he grumbles. cts too dismal for any
thing. The car is cold and the air is
full OF snow and I can't SILVER fast
enough nor hard enough to satisfy my
sell. ghost couldn't keep comforta-
BILE on day like this"
"Speaking of ghosts" the fat pas
senger remarked, II had the most re-
markable experience in an old house
down in this country not 80 many years
ago
And we all shivered and crept up
around him and leaned toward him over
the backs of the seats.
can old house it was" he said, land
it had passed through many hands, be-
cause very few people who lived in it
remained there very long. was trav-
cling through this country and reached
the old, rambling mansion just about
dusk. I could 60 no farther, that night,
SO I stopped and asked for entertain
ment. My wishes were readily granted
and an old colored man opened the door
for me.
docs you 20 on in the mawnin',
bossp' he asked.
II thought the question singular
one," the fat passenger went on, "but
understood its import afterward. The
family made me welcome. I was very
timid, and after heavy supper retired
quite early. The apartment to which I
was conducted was plainly but comfort
ably furnished, the bed was comfolta-
BILE, and soon fell asleep. I do not
know how long I slept
Here the fat passenger paused and
the man with the sample cases kicked
the cross passenger to wake him up.
The fat passenger resumed:
81 awoke with sudden start, and q
strange supernatural dread. I heard
footsteps ascending the stairway at the
end of the hall. l listened. Nearer and
nearer my door they came, right oppo-
site to it they paused, and-ceased alto
gether. I strained my ears to listen.
There was no sound. rose from nv
bed, opened my door softly, looked into
the hall-there was nobody there. No
body. Nothing. And yet the footsteps
had not gone away"
The fat passenger was the boss of the
hour. We all crept as near to him as the
back of the seat would permit us.
II returned to my oed," he went on,
"but hardly had my head touched the
pillow, when again heard the foot
steps. They were on the stairway, and
they were approaching. 1t seemed to
me they were less regular and more
rapid than before, but that may have
been the effect of my excited nerves
and imagination. Again they came
down the hall, paused when only few
steps from my own door. ceased, and
heard them no more. Thank heaven,
/ thought, it isn't coming in on me
this time But did not hear the foot
steps 90 away, and what is more they
did not 60 away. l looked out into the
hall once more; trying to laugh at
my own fears. My laugh ceased when
1 looked down the hall-nobody ,oas
there"
We all breathed hard and waited fol
him to 60 on.
81 locked my door," he said, "and
went back to bed, but how could
sleepp just as my excited nerves were
growing little quiet and my eyes were
growing heavy with sleep, again
:: heard the footsteps, again they as.
| cended the stairway, they came dow
,, the hall, they passed a few step
beyond my door this time. hear,
them stop abruptly; listened with ev
!, cry nerve on tension; they did not g
away"
The fat passenger paused, took hi
, check out of his hat band, read tn
names of the stations and made som
: "well?'
. '.Oh WE'LL" he said, 81 hardly got
! wink of sleep all night, tired as was
: These things disturb me awfully, coz
sidering how much travel. And in
. . big hotel, it seems to me there is some
body coming in every hour of the night
and they always seem to take rooms il
my corridor and as close to me as the,
: can get"
Several passengers readjusted them
selves in their seats, and looked out OF
the snowy Landscape with disappointed
countenances.
Presently the man on the wood-bo,
said he knew man one time down il
Nodaway County, Missouri, who was 81
mean that he fell off the train and hat
the cars run over his legs at Sunday
school picnic, and then lived ten day
SO as to die on wash day.
, And the sad passenger said he knew
asked him who it was nor what he did
!, and the sad passenger didn't tell.
doubled up his oyercoat on o his e gr;nsac]
! put his head down on it. and had gon,
to sleep, unhaunted either by insinuat
ing remarks or mysterious footsteps =.
. | Rsts.r7offo Rs,s1,e, ,foss HosuL,,,.