Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-08

SO. 1t was l. Yes, l am what you
would call a ghost, although we do
not consider that just the correct
term among ourselvds-we have a bet
ter word for it. Now 1 have told you,
what / am. you will, doubtless, like to
know what I want. Very good; you
shall see."
The ghost in my body then began to
feel in my pockets, from whichhe drew
out my meerschaum, which he filled
from my pouch and lit with one Of my
matches.
''Ah," he proceeded, putting like q
s~team-engine, ..you smoke very good
stuif-natural leaf and Old Judge; not
a bad mixture, though I prefer a little
Cavendlsh with it myself. Not at all a
bad body yours, either" he went on,
cycling the form in which he was sit
ting; mot at all bad body; and it
fits me to a I, only a little short in the
arms. By the way, l find one of your
front teeth a 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" l shuddered
as Isaw him take out my pocket-hand-
kerchief and use it on that cherished
organ of mine.
Eyes, 1 dare say now you feel the
cold a little; I did at first, but it's
nothing when you are used to it. l
find your bod5 very warm-being
heavier than. l am accustomed to wear;
but it won't be for long. I require it
positively for this night only as you
say in your p%Iay-bills; and will return
it uninjured by the time we get to Ash
bourne. by the by, let me beg of you
to be a little careful how you throw
yorr arms about so much as you did
just now, for my body is of a more del
icate construction than yours; and be-
ing SO thin in substance, I am afraid
you will chafe it under the arm-pits.
You will observe, ladies and gentle
men," he went on, in lecturers style,
THAT if I take lighted match and in
sert it in the corner of the patients eye,
he will feel no pain" Saying this, my
dreadful companion proceeded to illus
trate his remark BY making a dive at
my shadowy eye with a burning match.
I certainly felt no pain as the match
burned in my head.
'sYou will allow, after all you see,
that my shape has its advantages" the
ghost proceeded; ''but it also has its
disadvantages. Try the pipe now" l
tried to take the pipe-it dropped
through my vapory fingers. He placed
it in my mouth; [ could not hold it,
nor get q Whit from it. Precisely so,"
said the ghost. .'Now, this is just what
has brought me here tonight. A great
smoker all my life, doing my twelve
pipes a day regularly, 1 have been de-
tunct these two years, and during all
that time [ haven't had a smoke! Not a
blessed draw. l miss my 'bacca dread
full. There is a provision made for
smokers down with US, you will un-
derstand; but we are governed by a
Board of Directors whose general in
capacity equals that of. many of your
city boards. There is a stock of bod
les kept for smokers, SO that if you
want to enjoy a pipe you must go into
one of the bodies to get it. But if you
will believe me, the supply is SO no
toriously insufficient to meet the de-
mand that there is no chance what
ever for a new ghost to get a smoke.
When 1 entered the society all the
bodies were out in use, and booked for
three years in advance. My name has
been down on the books for two years.
and there is no chance of my getting a
body allotted to me for a twelvemonth.
Fancy two years without a smoke!
Why, sir, the incompetence of our
board is something awful. can only
explain the reason why we put up with
such gross mismanagement in the other
world is because W. have become so
used to 1T, in this. Our constitutions,
however, are being undermined to that
extent that the board has at last been
coerced by popular feeling into passing
a measure, empowering ghosts to rem
der themselves visible to a single in
dividual at a time, in order that they
may effect a change of bodies for short
periods, always with the consent of the
person in question, for the purpose of
INDUCING in a habit which the directors
say they car not, however, but char
acterize as pernicious and injurious.
George III. and George Washington,
both members Of the board, opposed
the measure; they, however, were left
in a ridiculously small minority. Under
this new act, l obtained your body"
''You never had my consent, fiend!!h
I cried.
eft is vulgar to call names. my
friend,' the ghost replied, smoothing
my mustachc with my fingers; ''but you
are tritling. 1 asked you to change
places with me, and you agreed, as you
must be well aware. But, dear me!
here we are at Ashbourne; but, how
ever, 1 must finish my pipe-think of
two years., and not a blessed draw, my
friend"
The train was slackening speed. MY
companion leaned out of the window
pulling fast and furious
PLENTY of time to change bodies"
he said; sit shall be done in an instant,
as soon as the train stops" and he con-
tinued blowing great clouds of smoke,
till we pulled up at the depot. He
hurriedly knocked out the ashes of the
tobacco. as the conductor cried:
Change here; all change here.
please"
A sudden glow of warmth seemed to
pass over me as l rubbed my eyes, and
found to my great delight my own
smooth hands against my own TN
wrinkled cheeks. | looked up for my