St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-10-07
THE UNDERTAKINGS STORY.
London Truth.

times, when / have been telling this
experience of mine, ! could detect GER
tain indications that some of my hear
ers were OF that opinion; but | have
not yet so far failed in charity as to
wish any of these scOffers put to a SIM
liar test.
had run over to Paris, had spent a
couple of weeks in that bright city, and
was on my way home again. / took a
night train from Dover to London, and
in the compartment which l occupied
there was but one other passenger-a
sharp, intelligent-lOOking man, with a
very grave face. We got into CONVEX
satiOn after travelling more than half
the distance in that silence which is
invariably adopted by Englishmen
when they meet. After discussing
general subjects, a remark of my COM
paniOn led me to say that he seemed
to have had a very wide experience,
and among nearly all classes of society.
eyes," he answered slowly, and with
marked hesitation. eyes, / am an
undertaken. l have had a good deal
of experience, and L have had my
share, think, of remarkable adven-
lures. | never take this ride from
Dover to London without a very pain
ful recollection of one SUCH"
We had still nearly a half hours ride
before us, and his manner, as much as
his words, aroused my interest.
"DO you care to tell it ~ asked.
A quick, involuntary shudder gave
to his voice a slight tremOr, as he ans
wered, 81 wish l could keep from
thinking of it, but l might as well tell
it as sit here quaking in silence over
the awful memory of it." He paused a
moment, drew a long, shuddering
breath, and then he commenced:
GA little over year ago what L am
about to relate happened to me. L had
established very good business,
chiefly among the upper class of trade
peOple-thOugh, of course, L did not
decline any call upon me that promised
a reasonable profit. l received one
day telegraphic dispatch from Paris
asking me to take charge of a dead
body that was to be sent from Paris to
London for burial. | was to meet it
at Dover on the arrival of the night
boat from Calais, and make all the ar
rangements for it's further transpOrta
ton by rail, and / was referred to a
well known banker as security for my
expenses.
HIS lOOhCu lAhO SOOu OuSihCoo, 81
| lost no time in getting the necessary
permits and went to Dover in the even
ing. | had some details to attend to
there in order that everything might
be i'm readiness and no time lost after
the boat arrived Then l had nothing
to do but wait. | sat up reading to
keep myself awake.
ait was beautiful still night in the
Il, IL f,,ll
remember, and the boat got in on time.
| received the box containing the body
and saw it placed in one of the lug
gage vans of the train; and in due
course arrived with it at Victoria sta
ton. One of my wagons was there
waiting to take the body to my place,
where | was instructed to keep it un-
til morning, when the proper parties
would call to make arrangements
about the burial.
$50 far of course, there was nothing
specially remarkable about the affair.
at is little unusual in such cases
not to find some one connected with
the deceased accompanying the body ;
but hardly gave that matter second
thought. | had no doubt but that the
right persons would appear later in the
day.
"When l got to my shop, it still
lacked two hours of daylight, and, as l
felt no slight responsibility, l didn't
think of going home, but made myself
as comfortable as possible in my Office
for the rest of the night. You must
bear in mind that all the sleep had
secured was broken, uneasy slumber
on the Journey from Dover to London,
and when went to sleep in my chair,
after stirring the fire into blaze, |
slept very soundly-very soundly, that
is, for awhile, and it was still dark
when | woke up in a sudden and startl
ing way.
"Have you ever wondered" the un-
dertaker asked, turning his eyes full
upon mine for the first time since he
had begun his story, "what mysterious
influence that is which makes you feel
another presence in the same room as
yourself, though you heard no one and
see no one? It's queer feeling at
any time, but / don't know of any Oc
casiOn when it can seem more queer
and awful than when it comes to man
locked up in the dead of night with
nothing but black plumes and grave
clothes and pals and collins about
him." He turned his eyes to the floor
again, and a cold tremOr crept through
my own flesh in the brief and OminOus
pause he made before he went on in a
lower voice:
"This was the feeling had when |
suddenly awOke from sound sleep to
full consciousness with chilling shud
der of horror. | was sitting before the
fireplace, with my back to the door
that led from the office to the shop. i
had purpOsely left the door ajar. The
fire had died down to a dull glow, and
it seemed to me that breath from the
Arctic zone had penetrated the room.
l cannot describe the kind OF cold 1t
was. My very bones seemed to be ice.
And then l felt that presence"
The undertaken seemed terribly af
fected even now by his recOllectiOns of
that sight. 1t was impossible to re-
sist the infection, and my own flesh
was creeping in very uncomfortable
way. He made strong effort to re-
cover himself and steady his voice,
but, in spite of all, it trembled with an
ever deepening terror as he went on,
curdling my very blood in sympathy.
al had turned the gas out when l
sat down in my chair to sleep, so that
the only light in the room came from |
the dying fire. | became aware of that
presence the very instant | awOke.
Mind, sir, this is not dream. l was
as fully awake as | am at this moment.
The thing was there! 1t was between
me and the door. | had got to turn |
my head to see it. But l knew it was
there! Who it was, or what it was,
didn't know; but | was sure that
some living thing was standing behind
me mOtionless in the dim, ghOstly