The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-27

uOors were Diocheu up with DhxBdBe,
leaving him barely room to "check up |"
and put his 4" local" out the side doors
he being prisoner, as IL were, in his own
car
The conductors GAN aboardl" sounded
as he pulled the bell-rope- cord, Johnnie
g dropped her down in the corner" gave
her steam, and in a few minutes we were
dashing along, forty miles an hour.
We made a good run to N, and leav-
ing there were once more flying over
bridges, through tunnels, around curves,
and past waiting freights, when a shrek
from the brass throat Of our Roger "
called a stop, the air brakes were applied,
and we came to a standstill in a deep cut.
The conductor and brakeman rushed
out to ascertain what the stoppage meant,
and found the engineer talking TO Jack,
who had stopped the train with the bell
cord, and was now declaring, with pale
face and trembling voice, that the corpse
was alive and had been pounding to get
| out.
The mail was pulled of the box, but as
nothing was heard, Jacks story was ridi-
culed, and he was finally convinced that
the noise was occasioned by Jumps of coal
thrown from the tender against the car
by the rapid motion.
Amid much laughter at Jacks expense,
the signal was given and on we sped
again.
No more was heard from Jack and his
ghost until we reached the next station,
when he Jack, not the ghost) came back,
looking like a veritable ghost himself,
vowing that something WAS ac,' and
that he would not ride in the car with
that corpse.
He commenced knockin' again, not a
minute after we started up back thcro,"
said Jack, an kept it up until we passed
| the cut half mile from here, an every
little bit heard a mufiled scieech, | am
just goin' TO ride in the COACHES tween
stations, ami"
And he did SO, despite the jeers and
laughter of the train men, who could no:
refrain from making ailusions % "tbat
melancholy cuss, Bob and advising him
| to put the corpse on the front platform
At D., the car inspectors, in going
| their rounds, discovered loose brake rod
under the baggage car, and that the rock
| ing of the car in rapid motion had thrown
| it up against the floor with sufficient
| force TO start the boards.
This was Jacks ghost" AMI to this
day a loose brake-rod is So called OH that
road.
"Ye may laugh" said Jack, "but the
stoutest hearted among We would have
felt just as did about 1t. / was sittin' by
the stove thinkin' o. old Bob--as told we
an how lonesome il was sittin' there
near corpse as might have died o. small
| pox, or yaller fever fur all ] knowed,
when all at once | heerd hard rap rs
seemed to come right from the coffin, then
another, an / seemed to hear screeches an
! groans. or course the knocks was from
the rod, an the groans was made by the
| fianges o. the wheels grindin' 'gainst the
rails, but how was to know it thep?"
! "But why didn't you pry of the lid Of
the box il you thought he was alive" the
conductor asked, "and relieve him from
his unpleasant predicament? Such things
have happened, and you might have made
| quite hero of yourself"
"That's just what l would have done,
you bet your bottom dollar on that" put
in "Our Johnnie" as he tipped wink
to the boys. 81 would never have stopped
the train until got a look az him any
how"
Yes, we may talk!n replied Jack, with
infinite scorn depicted in his homely face,
and not dreaming, that they were only
drawing him out.n eye may talk, but
there isn't one man in million as would
have done any different from what did.
The bravest man in the world has a
certain amount of cowardice mixed up
with his composition, an il only needs
somethin' like this to bring it to the sur
face. My respected father-Heaven rest
his soul-was one who was never known
to finch, an he bore the marks o. wounds
received in many death struggle with
the Greasers' in Mexico; but he was
scared nearly to death once by corpse,
an the dear old mans hair would hnvc
turned grayer than a rat il it had not
been already white, what little he had,
from the frosts o. three score winters.
"a neighbor o. his took il into his head
one smilin' day in June, that this world
was a fraud, an he the biggest fraud in
il fur presumin' TO live an hsvin' TO w0k
like a slave; so what's he do but ups an
takes n dose O. pizen, an sets himself IN
a corner o. his barn where he could die
nice an comfortable like. He was found
there, in due course, sittin' up stiff, starin'
the old COW out o. countenance, an deader
than door nail.
He was laid out, an my old man was
invited to set up with him, which cor
dial invitation he accepted on. So he goes
there after night an sends all TO bed, an
was sittin' half dozin', when all on a sud-
den he was reused by tremenjus thump
on the floor. Jumpin' up, what's he see?
"Why, old Smith, sittin' up starin' at
him with his stony eyes wide open. Dad
give one screech an lit out like he was
runnin' a race with the lightnin' express.
The folks heerd the old man yell, an came
down an pushed the corpse back on the
board, put the weight on him TO keep him
down, an set up the balance o. the night
themselves.
"Yo see the jints and muscles o. old
Smith was stiffened in a sitting position,
an when the weight slipped OF, Of course
he set up. My old man was 'shamed
'nough when IL was explained TO him;
but | say-as l do bout my affair-that
any one else would have done the same
thing under the circumstances" Good