The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-08-18


cred that on the wall above the parcel
hung a life acknowledgement OF the fea-
lures of that very Charley whom I had
seen in this room when I was dreaming
in the railway car. aFudgem ! Isnorted,
and rubbed my eyes and thrashed my
limbs, to work myself, II possible, out Of
my mystifcation. ~ --'-.,'s
1t was not to be. should not be
from my cloudiness so readily.
The door opened, and my fellowitraveler
preceding her mother. And
that mother; was the mother whom
had already SEEM rs She had the same
dissatisfied look with which she dis
turbed, the tete-a-tete of Charley and
Minnie. But the lines in her face had
deepened, and the discomfort of time
had palpably worked into her features.
1 could have counted the years in the
indurated wrinkles which had stereo.
typed her frown since saw her dismiss
poor Charley from that room. You
will observe that speak of the railway
experience as of an actual one of many
years ago. I can not help it, and have
no other mode of expressing the idea as
it impressed my mind. -
/ bowed, in deprecation of all iil-hu-
NOR, and turning to the daughter, said,
u VIII kO away Oh bAO Ao1At
train. II
"Minnie, fndeedI" the old lady broks
in-"Minnie indeedtd Yoa hsVej gruwE
wonderfully fez,iliari ON n short ac-
quaintance. My daughter told me that
she had never seen you before, and
can not tell whether she has brought
home q tramp, or burglar, or forger,
or what" zou' ilal 3. .ii.l.t
\ Poor Minnie's face put on q look Of
wondering confusion. So, 7 suppose,
did mine. The old lady continued:
'eAnd, Mary; you must have become
quite confidential in your ride, when
this manAthis OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES you
by q pet name never heard out Of this
house."
1t was 8 a-quandsry, more for Minnie
than for me, and yet sufficiently mys-
terious even: to, myself. Just then ]
heard railway, whistle. Eager to ,es-
cape, I said, "There,s my train, and
I'll go at once"
alt is the eleven clock, up train,"
said Minnie; and her mothers brow
darkened, If possible, still more. Your
train down viii not be here for an hour
yet" trnli- .shg5 .-l,gO .s,rsii7F'c ,5lI.e
What more might have been said or
done in the fog We were all in=Minnie
even more perplexed than /, and the
mother~rnthftft besidesswii never be
known. For there came q knock at the
door, at which mother and daughter
started and stared aghast. . Only birth
or q death should cause q summons like
that, at near midnight, in the village at
Wampum Station. The knock being
unanswered, there came q tap upon the
Windows trembling, nervous tap. The
20
Scarce had we heard her challenge, and
the sound of the bolt withdrawn, when
she came flying back, screaming in ter
ror, and rushing as far as the narrow
Limits of the room would allow, her
hands to her head, and her face in a
corner. Following her, entered a stout
good-looking sailor fellow, who stood
for an instant by the roll of goods and
the portrait, presenting to my confused
eyes and my departing wits tloo Char
feys!
An instant he stood-it was only an
instant. Minnie threw herself upon the
living Charley, who, nowise loath, sec
onded her hug with ardor. And Up
Why, naturally looked round to see
what part the;old woman. took in this
chapter of accidents. There she lay,
dropped. down in s-oonfused tsngle on
the floor. C5.p .-.-.....f45 =. .,,a-
I" Charley P" said. 7s' rec .'.-2i- =.
"You seem to, have got my name and
the number of my mess, shipniate," he
answered, gruffiy. ~ '-l 1,sii'- $50
LOOK t6erei" said I, and pointed to
the mingled mass Of woman and night
shawls. ~ a,r-..,7 ~ =. -.
sAvast hugging for a bit, Minnie,
while we upooil your mother d She's
like q bunch Of foul hawse there in the
corner" -' 40
And forthwith Charley took the old
lady by the head aud shoulders and
straightened hero out on the floor.
beckoned him away, and, with Minnie,
chafed q slapped1 her hands, and
bathed her temples with water. % Min
ME bathed; confessed that doused. }
As she opened her eyes at length, she
staRmered,
'AWhere-whers.. .is-wherez is the
The GhostP''
But, not. TO multiply words, the old
lady finally kissed Charley with her two
lips and all her heart-which she did
not do when I frst saw her at that other
distant time Aand declaring that she was
'clesn stuckered out and done over,''
she tottered -outuf the room. Fefei
lt.fhere Is my: train inow,n 1 said,
catching up my hat.
"Hold5 ION there, and belay ALI" said
Charley. You don't go yet.,
on my arm, while she clung to Charley
waist with the other. ssWait till morn
ing"
So did. Meanwhile the mother,
| finding her wits in the kitchen, was
soon Joined by Minnie on hospitable
4 thoughts intent. While the women
were out I told Charley my story, with
frequent Interruptions of Minnie's face
at the door, and now and then rush in
to seizethersupposititiuus ghost- round
the neck, and to be sure of his exist
ance in the flesh.
The reader knows all I conld tell
Charley, and what he told me will bear
compression. They had been married
Minnie and he, seven years. From hi:
first voyage, after his marriage, he re.
turned in safety. On his second his yes
sci was lost, and he had this night or
that cup train" brought the earliest
tidings Of his survival. Sorrow anc
/ poverty are twin sisters. Heart-sicl
with hope deferred, Minnie had beer
put to the sad straits in which me-
her. VI
A cup OF hot coffee somewhat re-
tored my mental poise and q tougi
doughnut convinced me, not in spite O
my teeth, but by the aid of my molar.
and incisors, that was possessed of my
normal strength. did not again thai
night dream one note of dream. Per
haps that was because it takes two tC
dream such a dream as this. The morn
ing sun awakened me at its earliest con
venience-not so very early on q Decem
Der day. When came down to break
fast a little voice piped out: EA.gt :
"Mammal gran'mal here comes an
other papal"
We alf tried to compare notes. Blu
the impalpable affords no positive basi
of comparison. 1 commenced, verl
Foracularly, at last-having read abou
odic forces, and subtle sympathies, an'
spiritual copnitions, and unconsciou