The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-05-22
A RAILWAY GHOST.
An Explanation to Set Myself
Right Before the Public.

An Explanation to Set Myself
Right Before the Public.
As there is ghost in this story. &C
cording to all established rules it ought
to commence with "once upon q time, !"
but as am somewhat of an iconoclast,
not even such a venerable figure OF
speech can escape humiliation at my
hands.
Let me be exact in chronology at
least. had been hastily summoned
from Cornwall to the bedside OF a
wealthy old uncle from whom had ex-
pections, and as the telegram informed
me that he could not survive his pres
emit attack of gout, thought it might
be rs well for me to be lin at the
DEATH and so one foggy day in No
yember, 1860, found me travelling to
Ashbourne, little, out-of-the-way
place, where the old gentleman lived.
There were but few passengers on the
train, and had the comfort of . car
rage all to myself. We stopped to
coal at some little way-station. when q
passenger was hurriedly ushered, or
rather banged, into my compartment
by the conductor.
The stranger was tall, thin, mid
dle-aged man. with q face lean and
withered like shriyeled apple. In a
dress tight-fitting and of an ancient and
faded black, he looked like man who
had run very much to seed, which per-
haps 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
ssQuite change in the weather" /
remarked. Every cold tonight is il
notpn
..Don't feel the cold myself. Per-
haps you would like to change places
with me; there is no draft here.
replied that would be glad to do
SO If il did not Inconvenience him, and
accordingly we changed seats.
1t was cold. and no mistake. Unjust
have taken chill, for felt the cold
creeping over me in . most unaccount-
able manner. Looking at my compan-
ron on the opposite seat. on whom the
lamplight now shone full, | saw that
his face was not so thin nor his features
so withered IS at firstsupposed; and l
must have made mistake as to his
age, ;or he was by no means ~ old as
had previously Judged. How cold it
was, to be sure! As looked at him. l
noticed that his aspect changed mo-
mentarily-that he was growing young
er; that the wrinkles IN his face were
filing out and smoothing down. and
that he was gradually becoming like
some one / had seen before. As his
cheeks grew round and ruddy, and his
hair changed from gray to brown be-
f0re my very eyes. became nervous,
and endeav0red to cry out. but could
not was paralysed with the cold
cold that seemed to make my limbs
rigid and benumb my vitals, for saw
that the man sitting before me was no
1ongeR stranger-no mere friend or
4 acquaintance-he had become Mel
I Aeld up my hands to try to shut out
he sight and, - did 80. saw that
they were withcred. and thin. and old.
pressed them to my brow, to see II
wore dreaming, and found il shr:v.
eled. and scanned, and puckered. And
then I knew that this man-this fiend
-had stolen my body and given me-
His. Naddened with the discovery,
rooo to my feet-his feet-Wh:ch tot
teEcd beneath me, and I struck wildly
at the vision Of myself on the othes
oeak But found my arms light q
vapof, for they passed over his BODY;
which went through them, giving me-