St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-06-19
u SECOND SIGHT,
a Story Told by a Highly Imag.
NATIVE Musician.

Ghost stories have always had and
VIII always continue to have much in.
terest for readers-and even the mos,
practically minded persons. Here is
one which seems to lis to have a pecu.
harry strange character. touching upon
what sncients and moderns have alike
terT.ed second sight
In former times the forest of Senart
had bad name. One fine summers
night in 1893 the diligence going from
Paris to Melun entered great avenue
of oaks which traversed the whole
iong'h of the forest-oaks centuries old
and so vigorous of foliage that the road
beneath them remained cnyeloped 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 so@uc-'.La Belle Ar
sennc." Under such circumstances
there did no. seem to be anv danger for
anyt-od. and the driver kept his horses
at Il walk.
But on reaching Corbeil he whipped
up his animals and drove them into the
old sleeping town at rattling 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 drink Then they began
n
and to count up how many were in the
party.
We'll, this is very queer!!n cried the
driver. Where OH earth are my two
inside passengers gomez
Don't bother yourself, old boy,"
SAID the tenor; ''your two passengers
will turn up all right somewhere; the
wolves haven t eaten them"
''Parhleu"' rctorted a notary who
was one of the passengers. Il don't
think If is so very certain they will
up. just before we reached the forest
L leaned over to their door to offer
them a pinch of snuff
They waited and waited i'm vain The
conductor fretted. the voyagers began
to lose patience nobody came.
Alter an hour 5 waiting the passengers
had 10 proceed upon their way without
seeing or hearing any thing of the two
persons who had disappeared in so
I'D: Sterlovs a manner.
Some days after this incident NJ.
Mehul. professor at the conservatoire.
WAS notified by the police that his |
oldest and best friend. NJ, had never |
been seen since the evening he had |
taken the diligence for Melun. in the |
Cour des Messageries. The news caused |
great pain to the illustriouS maestro.
and he at once took all possible meas |
ureS to have his friend found. alive or |
dead. These efforts proved altogether |
fiuitless. The extraordinary circum-
stances of this disappearance impressed |
the artist very strongly; he thought and |
spoke of nothing else. and his grief left |
him sleepleSs. He lost his appetite,
and his health was considerably affected |
One night, while tossing feverishly in
his bed trying to sleep in vain. he heard
the clock of st. Roche Church. near
where he lived. strike two o'clock. The
moonlight, entering between the shut
tcrs-which Mehul always left half
open. so that he might be the better
able to get up early-tilled the room
with fantastic radiance. just then
tie musician saw. quite close to his bed,
a small humpbacked man with very
fcrocious countenance. who was hold
ing in his long, clenched fingers coil
of rope.
Mehul rubbed his eyes and rose upin
bed. trying to convince himself that he
was not the victim of nightmare.
The man still stood there, within few
feet of the bed. and the artist was on
the point of asking him what this ex-
traordinary visit meant when all of a
sudden his tongue Glove to the roof of
his mouth. his hair stood up anda great
trembling came upon him. Right be-
hind the figure of the hunchback he had
suddenly perceived another form. vague
and all white, whose eyes appeared to
be seeking his own. Mehul recognized
that presence. 1t was the phantom of {
his dear loss friend! At the same mo-