The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1892-10-14

concern about my loss, untitled me for
the calm self control should have had
and made me subject to all manner of
vicious illusions and painful impress
sions, artfully produced by the mali
cious sprites constantly besetting me.
Late in the afternoon, weary of aim
less wandering about the town, l vio-
lated resolution l had firmly formed
the night before, which was that ]
would never look upon Marian's face
again. 1t seems as if there were a sort
of fatality against a mans keeping the
resolutions he makes concerning wom-
en-. Doubtless if l had gone slowly to
her house, as my body would have had
to, memory and reflection would have
braced up resolution and turned my
steps aside, even from her door, to the
club; but having only to think of any
place in order to be there, if l wished
it, was actually in her parlor before ]
had time to remember had abjured
her.
She was lying upon a sofa with her
face in its cushions, crying bitterly, and
an evening newspaper, dropped from
her hand, lay upon the floor. My first
glance at the sheet caught the para
graph which had no doubt caused her
grief. 1t was this:
HARRIsBURG, Dec 22-In sleeping car berth
on the Chicago train arriving here at three
q. m. u passenger was found dead. Papers in
his pockets enabled his Identification as John
Bentley, of New York. He was apparently
well when he boarded the train at Pittsburg.
Death is ascribed to heart failure. His body is
held to await claim by friends.
''May the blessing of the unlucky
light on the writer of that item," said
to myself. "Why could not the wretch
have said where my body is held to await
the claim Of its best friend?' | Won
lered if it was being held ION ice," hav.
ing slowly frozen out the little spark of
life had left in it? If some sapient
country doctor, to make an imposing
spectacle of himself before coroner's
jury, would not want to cut it open and
take look at the heart, to be sure it
had failed? Either was quite possible.
Clearly had no time to lose if | was
ever to get that body back in reasonably
serviceable condition. But to find where
it was ''held" was the first thing. Per-
haps some other evening paper had fuller
particulars.
! was really sorry to have to leave
Marian in such bad spirits, notwith-
standing her blamable behavior the
night before, but could not do the Slight
"Coufse you didn't. But you amt Inc.
I'll load him up with eight shillings'
worth of fluid and get seventy-fve dol
lars and the thanks of his friends for
the job, Go and get the fluid jug and
We'll do him up now. His friends may
come for him in the morning."
The son went out and the old fellow,
standing by my body, slapped it ON the
leg with insolent familiarity, chuck
ling: "Yes, sir; We'll fix you up. Fix
you up to the queens taste. Nothing
like style for q corpse-when there's
money to pay for it." l fairly boiled
with rage, but what could 1 do? Were
l to enter my body at once I would but
precipitate my fate, for in the numb and
stiff condition my muscles We're certain
ly in I could not hope to whip those
two sturdy rascals. Judge of my in-
finite relief if you can when heard the
son call out from another room at a lit
tie distance, dad, the jugs empty"
SIS that so?" responded the old man
regretfully. "Well, then, we will let it
go tonight; but you must get up early
in the morning, start the fire and make
some more fluid. He will have to be
fixed before the morning train gets in."
Father and son went out together,
closing the door behind them. Present
ly heard them lock the front door and
go away. Then Immediately resumed
my body. Words can convey no idea of
how horribly cold it was. In my astral
form | of course had no sensations of
temperature, and the body, being with
out consciousness while l was away,
had not suffered, but when it and were
joined our common suffering was in
tense. l seemed to have arctic winters
in my veins, and was really afraid my
fingers and toes would snap off like
icicles when l attempted to use them.