Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-04-29
LIE FUNERAL VAN.
Uaeanny Delusion of a Curious Char
ter Who Follows the HeaEse.

ter VIII Follow the HeaEse.
A funeral procession wound its gloomy
way down Mission street. The car
riages rolled heavily over the pave
mem
The hearse was a white one, and the
little coffin inside was covered witt
flowers.
An old nan passing along stopped
and raised his hat Is the hearse passed.
him, and a groupof noisy street gamin
stopped their play a moment. As the
last carriage turned the corner a stranC
figure shambled into sight-a weird
figure that seemed to loom suddenly
out Of the mist like aspecter-the hgurs
Of a tall old man running.
He was running rs fast as he could
with a sort of hating limp that brought
him every minute nearer the last car
mage. He stumbled painfully over a
stone in the street. but he never paused
he limped breathiessly on, bis wild
eyes glowing with an eager light He
was a thin, gaunt old man with a bag
gard face and jaws that moved horn.
bly,.
Jus4 as the PROCESSION stopped At TIM
church the strange figure stumbled for
ward
When the little COIN was lifted ee%
dsrfy from the white he&rse the hgm
pushed eagerly up to the steps. Tia
~paEbaarers walked carefully up thu
stains to the door.
On the topmOst step stood the tad
man He was still. His lean arm 49,
s<es1hed out in a stately gesture hin
Wild eyes were Alight with q f.nateh
ouffmEiasm.
whn the conn Dssed hfn he wa~e1
hk STICK with a kfng3y dignity. h
mut4sred something 70 hm1sA App
herman took him by the arm
Move On" he said
The tall man started aoadanly. IN.
light faded from his kaeA He hmped
Gaszt4y away. A htts child standing
ssAr the steps el1tehed her mother.
'%Oh," she sid, terrified, there =
die funeral man
The funeral man is a well known
EAAaEdGNtTs An ~ AAAaETAAAhFHN hAAEN
him. All the sections know him, bUi
NO one knows where he lives.
Some horrid intuition seems to tel
him where the unbuded dead are ly
ing. He haunts the afflicted Deighbor
hood until the funeral procession forms
Then he hurries behind the carnage.
and always NAG 70 reach the church
in time 20 meet the coffin as il h. born,
70 the church Sometimes "A couecv
starts without his haunting shape. but
he always starts into sight -om-whot5
and hurries, lnnpinr, after tine last car
ria-c.
He is very tall and very thin. His
caunt figure is iucased in a tight fitting
frock coat, which is shiny and thread
bare, but scr~upulously neat. His head
is covered By a gray cap and he carries
IN has hand a long stick. He neveI
speaks to any One o does he reply
when one Address him
No one ever sees him except at q
funeral. He seems to think il his mS
Gon to mutter his mysterious word,
10 the bodies of the dead. Wheshn
they be curses or bAessa1es no one ear
RneS There Is scaroe4y a church IN
the city upon whose steps he has no,
stood and waved his gaant arm in mys-
teriOus greeting 70 a silent figure in tn
eofRn-
The drivers of the bearses know
hnm, and look back eKpeetantly At tn
sound of his shambling limp.
The littTe children Of the poor, wbC
wander aimlessiy m the wake of any
procession, know him, and shrink away
frightened at his approach. Yet beha,
never harmed them He ses nOthint
but the nodding of the mourning
paumes. He listens only TO the rumbk
Of The heavy wheels of . heAze.
No on knows his name o. how hs
hpA He BsEmpay the 'Funerl hn'
To what strange hzppening he O~e
tins ghOulish fAney who e~n Ay6S~z
RnAneisco Exzmner.