The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1886-06-10
SECOND SIGHT.
A Story Told by a Highly Imag-
NATIVE Musician.

Ghost stories have always had and
will always continue to have much in
terest for readers land even the most
practically minded persons. Here is
one which seems to us to have pecu-
liarly strange character, touching upon
what aneients and moderns have alike
termed second sight.
In former times the forest of Senart
had La bad name. One fine summers s
night in 1899 the diligence going from
Paris to Melun entered great avenue
Of oaks which traversed the whole
longth Of the forest-oaks centuries old
and so vigorous of foliage that the road
beneath them remained enveloped in
darkness, The back and forward COM
partments of the vehicle were full;
there we're only two travellers, however,
IN the interior, and on the outside sat a
country tenor, singing with the whole
force OF his lungs rondeau at that
time greatly in vogue-.La Belle Ar
senne. Under such circumstances
there did not seem to be any danger for
anybody and the driver kept his horses
atawalk.
But on reaching Corbeil he whipped
up his animals and drove them into the
old sleeping town at rafting pace
that shook the pavement. They halted
at the relay station and all the passen-
gers got out at the invitation of the
driver, who was glad enough of the
chance to get adrink. Then they began
70 look around at each other, to yawn,
and to count up how many were in the
party.
"Well, this is very queer!" cried the
driver. Where on earth are my two
inside passengers gonep''
Don't bother yourself, old boy"
sad the tenor; ''your two passengers
will turn up all right somewhere; the
wolves haven eaten them"
"Parbleur' retorted notary who
was one of the passengers, 81 dom
Mlnk Il is so very certain they willtnrn
Up. just before we reached the forest
leaned over to their door to offer
them . pinch of snuff. . -
Ii.
conductor fretted, the voyagers began
% lose patience-still nobody came.
Alter an hours waiting the passengers
naa 70 proceed upon their way without
seeing or hearing any thing of the two
Persons who had disappeared in so
nysterlovs d manner.
Some days after this incident NJ.
hehul, professor at the conservatoire,
sas notified by the police that his
9aest and bestfriend, M hadnever
oeen seen since the evening he had
aSen the diligence for Melun, in the
oour des Messageries. Their caused
sleat pain to the illustrious maestro,
sna ne at once took all possible meas
utes 70 have his friend found, alive or
seaa. These efforts proved altogether
ruthless. The extraordinary circum-
aanees Va Of this disappearance impressed
~ W.. Artist very strongly; he thought and
spoSe OF nothing else, and his grief left
ma sieepless. He lost his appetite,
~ M nls health was considerably affected.
oae night, while tossing feverishlv in
~ oeo trying to sleep in,v vain, he heard
~ ~ clock of St. Roche Church, near
Were he lived. strike two o'clock. The
.Vnhght, entering between the shut
which s. Mehul always left half
Su, 60 that he might be sthe better
.s;a VII % get up early-filled the room
~ fantastic radiance. Just then
~ ~ Mss,clan saw, quiteclose to his bed,
tssa tsalsu humpbacked man with very
s,oelous ~ countenance, who was hold
sa u ms long. clenched fingers coil
~ sehul rubbed his eyes and rose up in
w. uylng toeonyince himself that he
IT, H. not the victim of a nightmare.
~ ~ nan stall stood there, within few
~ H. q the bed, and the artist was ON
i hsapp po.nt OF asking him what this ex-
4 mSas visit meant when all of a
H. hep 1is tongue Glove to. the roof of
bsn1,a'th s Ioath, his hair stood up and a great
s;na s;saIo,ing u came upon him. Right be-
,aasla I sne hgureof the hunchback he had
,nS Sa1s ~ perceived another form, vague
1 = .aal " white, whose eyes appeared to
MI lang his own. Mehul recognized
is az. presence: 1t was the phantom Of
: iost friend! At the same mo-