Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-04-09

] turned, and imagine my confusion
she was g0hel "This passes my un-
derstanding," said /, "for though I'll
swear she was there before l spoke TO
YOU, there is certainly nobody there
now, she must have got out" crossed
to the further door, and tried it; it was
locked, sure enough. l let down the
glass and looked out, but in the dark
ness, of course, could see nothing
"WLy, you've been dreaming, sir"
said the guard, rs l, looking somewhat
small, resumed my seat.
Don't tell me-" cried l, indignant
ly, and disgusted at the absurdity of the
position; I'm perfectly convinced that
She was in the carriagel Why, here is
positive proof" / went on, as l per-
ceived, and immediately picked up, a
gold earring from the floor between her
seat and mine. Amazement, mingled
with doubt and distrust, was plainly de-
picted on the guards handsome coun-
tenance, as, regarding me with puz-
zled, half-comical expression, he said,
after minute, "Well, sir, If you really
believe you saw her, | should advise
your changing your carriage" "Why
sop l demanded, in surprise. BE
bduo6 IL Wbi W ub Ol tlAo SttA0 oluSs
sir, for I've heard something Of this
kind before, They say an accident is
almost certain to occur when an ap-
partition has been SEEM
So, opening the door, he began to
collect my bags and traps, while |,
perplexed and not without some feeling
Of alarm, alighted, and followed him
| hastily along the side of the line. "You
might have seen some ladies and gem
tlemen, all dressed for a party, get
into the compartment in front of yours
at Petersborough," resumed the man,
as he steered me by the light of the
lantern over the rough ground; "and
fine and merry they were; they were
going to bah at Grantham. / fancy
you must be dreaming, sir, for certain
/ ly none of them got into your carriage,
though one did try, and as to appari-
tions, welr' - He did not finish the
sentence, for Just then we found an
empty compartment at the rear of the
train; and the engines whistle at the
same moment announcing the line clear,
with but few more words l was very
soon again locked in and left to my
self.
My first act when the train was once
more in motion was to examine care
fully the earring so unaccountably
found. The shape struck me as curl
Gus. 1t was wheel suspended from q
birds claw, which turned when
touched. Surely, as told the guard,
this trinket was a proof that | had moi
been deceived or dreamingi at least,
this was not the apparition Of an ear
ring, at any rate. What could il
meanp The more 1 thought of it the
more | was perplexed; and finally put
it away in my portemonnaie; and, will
mind wearied with puzzling over the
strange occurrence, l at length fell
asleep once mOre--but not for long
Suddenly was rudely awakened by {
terrific crash and a shock which threw
me violently forward, while the car
riage lurched over and nearly capSized
/ knew at once an accident had hap
pened-the accident half prophesied by
the guard. AS soon as l could collect
my scattered senses and found mysel
unhut, clambered out of the carriag,
and ran down the line to the front o
the train, to ascertain the extent of thu
catastrophe. 1t was difficult to maxi
, ones way In the darkness and cOnfus
, ion; but what were my feelings of hOr
ror and amazement, joined to intens
; thankiulness, when l discovered, afte
! some light had been obtained from
! hastily-kindled bonfire, that the carriag
: ] had previously occupied was lying
complete wreck! j knew it by its colo
!, and the number, which had remarked
still visible on the battered panel. The
> | laatnad that aa,ys,,.oI ,,apoan ornrs in tb
p, other compartments of it had suffere
=, fearfully, and was so overcome that
!. felt quite dizzy.
Here was q wonderful and miraculou
= escape, indeed. All the events of tn
!, last half hour rushed through m
troubled brain. On that smashed an
: splintered seat had sat, and but 70
:, the presence of my mysterious con
: panion there should be lying--crushed
! manned, perhaps dead. Horrible! Th
bead broke out on my brow as though
of It. When my nerves had recovere
a little | sought out the guard, who
pale and grave, was endeavOriug to n
1 assure the frightened passengers Assem-
! bled on the bank. He was oOmfOrtin
y them with the intelligence that Il speech
!, train would arrive shortly from Gran
y ham and take them from the scene {
= the disaster.
T. "My good fellow" said /, "yo
: must explain to me what you meant r,
:, specting that young lady--the appAr
, ton, mean, as you chose to call |
= You said an accident "Lor' blel
u you, sir" he Interrupted, sadly, "'twi
I only my chaif l never heard anythin
y about a young LADY, but i thought |
z you seemed bit scared IL would mai
a your mind easier like, and that's why
. shifted you. can't give any reasc
u why such q fancy came into my heai
hut it's well Il did, sir, for II Just save
! your life, saved 10 by 'the ghost of
70 chance as one may say;' and the
10 was n faint return Of the odd humorol
q twinkle in the mans eye as he thl
ID aptly made play upon the word
,r I" II was the carriage you were in tn
le true word spoken in Jest" return,
N |, Are there many hurtp"
4 "About seven, | fear, sir, and to
y or more killed. We don't know d
u cause ut present, siri twasn't q
O. lision, and don't appear to have an
a. thing TO do with the stopping Of d
Up train awhile ago, These things {
turn one up more than bit, sir
ID added the man, as he was called ava
er The lamps Of the special train we
ed now sighted. and we, the unseathe
X were speedily ia our places, and q
re rived at our destination without fl
AZ ther hurt or hindranee, But what pc
K picked ideas whirled In rapid succe
ct sion through my mind as we were hr
NJ ried along,
n Here was /, saved from dreadful al