, 1888-12-09
FERGUS CAMPBELL.

When my publishers assigned to me the
duty of reporting the Montreal carnival
/ ~telegraphed to Fergus Campbell to en-
gage a room for me in the house where
he had his lodgings. Already there had
been n tumultuous rush for the hotels,
and lodgings were at n premium.
Fergus Campbell was n Scot whom L
had met in Dunblane, but for ten years
he had been engaged on the rcportorial
staff of a Montreal journal. He hired
rooms of an aged Frenchwoman who
owned n dilapidated chateau on Dorches-
ter street. Ordinarily he was her sole
lodger, and madame was too decrepit to
properly attend even to his simple wants;
lat in those days of activity and festiv-
ity she imbibed some of the prevalent
spirit of enterprise, and agreed to rent
me n room.
Certainly / would never have chosen
the chateau for my permanent abode, al
belt was glad TO spend n week with
Campbell. 1t was composed of n crum-
bling mass of gray stone, and was dingy
and chcerless. Campbell hired n bed
room and n sitting oom in this unpleas-
ant dwelling, and two more unwhole-
come and disorderly apartments it would
be difficult to find.
1t was long after midnight when | first
entered the chateau. | had visited Do
mlnion square, and seen the ice palace
with its turreted lowers and frowning
hattlcments; we had tried the steepest,
G?csdie5t %toboggan shoot in the city; |
had Gcen the governor general open the
carnival, and had sent his speech YER
latin to The Pittsburg Bellows before l
renewed my acquaintance with Fergus
Campbell.
Late - it was he was engaged in cook
ing cur supper. He was committing the
culinary a]trocity of frying n beefsteak,
.ll waB smoking a pipe while he worked.
lie N.as u man Of T35 years, with n huge,
gngulir frame and big lungs. He had a
lhoek Of brown hair, n broad, white fore
had. Keen blue eyes under shaggy
lrawg, and a beard that presented MS un-
Lriupt IN appearance as n blackthorn
hvd5c g, llis big franc was clothed In n
t-gl.Cd dressing gown that had long lone
double service as n garment n pen
wiper. Certainly no one would have
suspected him of being a "ladies' man."
nor the hero of IA romance, yet l subse-
Quently learned that he had once been
betrothed to n woman.
We had "A very delightful time over our
bacf5trak and ale, for Campbell was ex-
CCiicnt company. He was sliDshod and
tattered; ho drank ale out of a pewter
hug, and smoked the worst tobacco in
the queens dominion. He was ugly and
eccentric, but he was picturesque, and
vas u%ndeniably n gentleman. He seemed
to DO uncomplainingly submissive to the
hardships in his life.
had need of his cheer for several
daye, for my work proved arduous. i
was expected TO send home entertaining
accounts of the carnival, and iE!vas vir-
tually suspended. A warm rain had
drenchcd me TO the skin, and had made
the ice palace p~receptibly thinner. If it
continued, this fairy building would soon
DO Oblitcrated. Out of door pastimeS
were impossible. and | returned to tho
chateau one night feeling tired and dis
heartcned. | intended to leave Montreal
On tho following morning.
] found Campbell in an unusually silent
mood. 1t was Il black night, and / sus-
pCctcd Tint he was depressed by the bad
Weather and by my approaching depart
i..,, The man was naturally soCiablc, and
- enJoyrd Companionship as ardently
ga boy. As we sat close TO his rustcd
Oh ,tavc, | kept wondering why this big
!.cGTtCd ScOtChman was SO removed from
no rest Of the world. A man of his
~ lily could earn Il living anywhere.
Why, in the name of reason, had he
never made uso of his voice? Evidently
Il had been cultivated, and he sang so
Sitll that he might have been famous
throughout tho world.
am not superstitious nor imaginative,
Lut on hat night | disliked my surround
ings. The room was dimly lighted. In
the adjoining apartment / could sec
CampbelTs dressing gown hanging ON
of the high, old fashioned bed posts,
and could not rid myself of the fancy
that an cmaciated figure stood in the
Scotchman's bedroom, clothed in his tat
tered gown, Worse han that, the fig
nre had the rigidity Of y corpse. turned
my back upon 1t,
"You ought TO leave this place, Camp
bel" l said, zane get into the whirl Of
American enterprise. Come with me to
the States, where journalism has more
to feed upon
He had been smoking in silence; but
now he spoke.
Montreal is not a bad place. 1t is a
deal cleaner han your town Of Pitts
burg, and u deal less informal"
HGOu knnw about as much Of Pitts.
burg as you do Of the Internal regions"
] said, surprised Mt lis remark. You
told me yesterday that you had never
visited the United States"
He crossed his legs. dropped his chin
upon his Zig chest and eyed Inc from
under his shaggy brows. Then he made
this remarkable statement:
HWhat ] said yesterday was true; but
since then ! have visited New York, New
Jersey and Penney lvania The last town
saw was littsburw, and | hope ] may
never De compelled TO Gco its like again"
| looked nj him SHARPLY. Was he joking
or laboring undCr lumo hallucinationP
His expression WAS E~yrious-nay, ever
solemn. There Were heavy shadows about