, 1885-05-03
A RAILWAY GHOST.


Let me De exact IN chronology at
least. ! had been hastily summoned
from Cornwall to the bedside of n
wealthy old uncle, from whom I had
expectations, and as the telegram in
formed me that he could not survive his
present attack of govt, l thought it
might be as well for me to be in at the
death, and so one foggy day in Noyem-
Der, 1860, found me travelling to Ash
bourne, n little. out-of-t he-way place.
where the old gentleman lived. There
were but few passengers on the train,
and ! had the comfort Of a carriage all
TO myself. We stopped TO coal at some
little w%ay-station, when a passenger was
hurriedly ushered, or rather banged,
into my compartment by the conductor.
The stranger wa q tall, thin, middle
aged man, with n face lean and with
cred like a shriyeled apple. In a dress
tight fitting and of an ancient and faded
black, he looked like n man who had
run very much to seed, which perhaps
accounted for the luxuriant growth of
his arms and legs. Observing his
clothes steaming with the damp air, ]
began to realize that it had suddenly
become very cold.
quite a change in the weather, |
remarked. Very cold tonight, is 1t
notg''
Don't feel the cold myself. Perhaps
you would like to change places with
me; there is no draft here
| replied that l should be glad to do
30 il il did not inconvenience him, and
accordingly we changed seats.
II was cold, and no mistake. must
have taken n chill, for | felt the cold
creeping vel me in almost %unaccount
able tanner. Looking at my compan-
ion on the opposite seat, on whom the
lamplight now shone full, | saw that
his face was not so thin nor his features
so withered as at first supposed; and |
must have made n mistake a. TO his age.
for he was by nc means as old as | had
previously judged. How cold it was, to
be sure, AS ! looked at him, ! noticed
that his aspect changed momently-that
he was growing younger; that the wrin-
kles in his face were filling out anil
smoothing Down, and that he was grad
ually becoming like some one | had seen
before. AS his cheeks grew round and
ruddy. and his hair changed from gray
to brown before my very eyes, l became
nervous. and endeavored TO cry out, but
could not. | was paralyzed with the
cold-cold that seemed TO make my
limbs rigid and benumb my yitals, for I
saw that the man sitting before me was
no longer a stranger-nO mere friend or
acquaintance-he had become Me,
/ held up my hands to try to shut out
the sight, and, as | did so. saw that they
were withefed, and thin, and old. |
pressed them to my brow, to see If |
were dreaming, and | found it shriv-
eled, and scanned, and puckered. And
then | knew that this man-this fiend
had stolen my body, and given me
his. Maddened with the discovery, l
rose TO my feet-his feet-which tot
tered beneath me, and | struck wildly
at the vision of myself on the other
seat. But l found my arms light as
vapor, for they passed oven his body,
which went through them, giving me
the impression OF pain. II was a body
of shade that had been given me for
my own body Of flesh and blood. which
this wretch had stolen. BY some
sorcery or another, we had indeed
changed places.
"Sorcerer-demonl' ] cried out, only
TO hear myself speaking with his sharp,
cracked voice. When | saw Myself sit
ting opposite to me, coolly addressing
me in my " voice, l could no longer
credit my sonses-if, indeed, | had any
Of them at all left OF my own.
Dare say you think you are speak
ing loud now, y he said.
| answered by shouting for the CON
dnctor as loudly as | could.
"Ah, you might call a great deal
louder than that. Why, If the ear
riage were full of passengers they
could no more hear you than they could
see you, he continued, chuck.
ling, and screwing my feature up
into n %hideously knowing grin, such
as | could never have made them as
sumo You see, my friend, yours is a
body Of air, of shadow, insensible, i'm
palpable TO all but myself, just as it was
to all but you when | entered the car
riage. loa wish, perhaps, to know
who ! am. Well, two years ago tonight
| WAS a passenger by this train. There
was a collision with a stupid freight
train, you see. and the result was that
several passengers were injured. Cne
Of them was-well, it's no use mincing
matterS-killed on the spot. Quite so.
1t was !. Yes, | am what you would
call n ghost, although we do not o
slider that just the correct term among
ourselyes-we have better word for it.
Now ! have told you what l am. you
will, doubtless, like to know what
want. Very good; you shall see"
The ghost in my body then began to
feel in my pockets, from which he drew
out my meerschaum, which he filed
from my pouch and lit with n OF my
matches.
All he proceeded, putting like a
steam engine, YOU smoke very good
tutf-natural leaf and Old Judge; not
u bad mixture, though | prefer a little
Cavondish with it myself. Not at all a
bad body yours, either he went on,
cycling the form in which no was sitting
moi at all a bad body; and it fits me 10
a I, only a little short in the arms. BY
the way. ! find one Of your front teeth d
little loose, so don't go and say | did
that, when you come TO yourself again
and your nose is a little long for me,
but l dare say it blows none the worse
for that" ! shuddered as ! saw him
take out my pocket handkerchief and
use il on that cherished organ of mine.
Yes, ] dare say now you feel the
cold n little; | did at first, but it's moth
ing when you are used to il. I find
your body very warm-being heavier
than am accustomed to wear; but Il
won't be for long. | require it posi-
lively for this night only as you say il
your play bills; and will return il unin
jured by the time we get to Ashbourne.
By the by, let me beg Of you to be .
little careful hoy you throw your armi
about so much as you did just now, FOL
my body Is of a more delicate copstruc
tion than yours; and being so thin IN
A ntartIIng DIncorerv.