Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1891-07-23
MY GHOSTLY COMPANION

/ ton is dangerously i'll and wishes to see
you"
This was a telegraphic message which
! received one cold January morning
about six years ago. Surprise was my
chief feeling at the moment, for Mr..
Thomas Warrington had never been
more than a name to me, although he
was my uncle. had never seen him,
and had never felt any particular desire
to do so, not from any dislike or grudge
bore the old man, but simply because
had forgotten all about him.
Certainly he was my uncle, my IA
theirs elder brother, but for years before
my fathers death there had been feud
between them relating to small estate
which my father claimed, and which
my uncle, though a rich man with much
property, also claimed A court Of law
settled the matter after much delay and
anger on either side Ny uncle was able
to pay for expert counsel, my father was
not, for, except this small estate which
caused the quarrel, he had nothing but
the precarious income of an author. My
uncle fought hard, grasping old man
that he was, and won his case. But this
had all happened SO long ago, in the days
of my extreme youth, that had never
given second thought, certainly never
serious one to the story. Hard words
had passed between the brothers, be-
lieve, very hard words, and my uncle
had sworn loudly and deeply that he de-
tested the sight of my father, and hoped
never to set eyes on him or his again as
long as he lived.
Perhaps you think it was unusual for
young man of no means never to give
a second thought to an uncle who was
the possessor of money and lands, but it
really is fact, and although my uncle
was rich andf childless, / knew that he
detested me and my connections, and
his estate was unentailed. | myself was
very young barrister, with enough to
think about, and, up to the present, as
much as could do to get through my
examinations.
Some friends of mine were talking the
other day about strange things which
had happened to them, and it set me
thinking about the only really strange
thing that ever happened to me, and ]
record the circumstances, hoping that
some reader may be able to afford me an
explanation.
Well, to go back to the telegram
was certainly very much surprised, and
for minute or two stood staring at the
slip of pink paper in an absent minded
sort of way. Then it occurred to me
that was wasting time. The telegram
demanded my presence, and / had no
time to waste. / looked at my Brad
shaw, found that had an hour before
the next train started, so ate my break
fast calmly, and packed portnanteau,
feeling glad for the first time since l had
become full blown barrister that no
pressure of work detained me in town.
l soon found a corner seat in smok-
ing carriage, and resigned myself to
fairly long journey on this cold January
day. had taken my place in very good
time, SO amused myself by watching the
people hurrying to and fro, and was
good deal attracted by white haired
old gentleman who slowly passed back
fore the carriage in which | sat, and
who, every time he passed, seemed to
look at me with far away expression in
his eyes. was beginning to feel inter
ested in the old fellow, when the train
started, and soon forgot all about him
By bad luck the train which / had
managed to catch was terribly slow
one, which stopped at almost every sta
ton big and small, and ! was surprised
always to see the same white haired old
gentleman passing to and fro on the
platform every time we stopped He
never passed without looking at me with
the same faraway expression in his eyes.
At the first few stations | scarcely no
ticed him, but after bit | began to
wonder who he was and why he paraded
about in that manner, and took sort Of
lazy interest in him, pitying the poor old
fellow for having to travel on such a
bleak day.
The journey was certainly tedious
one, but found good deal to occupy
my thoughts-my uncle, whom | had
never seen; the old quarrel; the chances
Of his relenting in the matter Of my
fathers estate, for surely he would not
summon me from London for no other
purpose than that l might make personal
! inquiries as to his health.
The day wore on, and the short winter
afternoon began to close in. We had
passed most Of the larger and buster
towns, and were coming to villages and
small stations. All my fellow travellers
had left the carriage, being mostly bust
ness men they had reached their several
destinations in the larger towns, and /
sat alone in my corner, when the old
I white haired gentleman, whom was be-
ginning to look upon as rather eccentric,
/ turned the handle of the carriage door,
came in, and sat down in the corner op-
| posite to me- He said not word but
gazed out at the landscape in dreamy
manner, while took the opportunity to
examine his appearance more closely.
He was tall, thin and looked emaciated,
with clearly cut features of waxen
color, and wonderfully blue eyes. He
wore an old fashioned, low crowned silk
hit and s long, thick coat with fur
collar. The expression of his face re-
minded me of some one, but could not
remember of whom. did not notice all
this at once, for did not like to stare
too long at the old gentleman, but
need not have troubled myself, for he
never turned his eyes from the window
The evening drew on, the daylight
faded and the lamps were lighted, and
still he kept his'eyes fixed and gazed out
of the window into the darkness, while
the dim light Of the oil lamp shone down
on his pale features. and | smoked hard
and said nothing.
| think | must have dozed for little
while, then ! heard the guard calling
'Ashbridge roadi Ashbridge roadI" and
started up, grabbed at my portman-
teau and prepared to get out of the car
riage, for had reached my destination;
but my companion also rose, turned and
looked me full IN the face with a look
which seemed to make my blood grow
chilly, stepped out before me and fol-
lowed.
The station was certainly very badly