The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-12-07

iv do that right away. Even if they did
could get him back and have him fixed
M most likely. Decidedly tomorrow
will be time enough. | shall see the
item in some morning paper, wire over
to the railroad authorities, who of course
have all the facts reported to them, find
out where he is, go on and get him. To-
night belongs to Alicia. / have heard
nothing about john" And he DELHI
erately put the clipping in the fire and
went on getting himself into full dress
was, to put it mildly, disappointed
Still could not blamehim, and he had
given me a good idea-ani1nal that I had
been not to have thought of it for my
self long ago! Of course there would
be, somewhere in the company's offices
over in Jersey City, an official report of
the incident, and might have the luck
to find it. Anyway, could go and try
good deal quicker than K. could tele-
graph, even if he had been willing to do
so that night. So I did, and for once
fortune favored me. The conductor Of
''fast line, number FOUR had duly re-
ported the finding of dead man on his
u dill duu tIiO u1NAolOu superintendent,
probably with an eye to having the data
handy for reference in case of inquiry
by friends of the deceased, had hung the
statement, open, upon hook beside his
desk, where found it. From it learned
that my body had been "taken in charge
by Undertaken j. B. tablet, of Harris
burg"
What more did l want? Nothing.
Happier. / believe, than ever was be-
fore, 1 darted at once to Harrisburg.
It was easy enough to find and enter
Mr.. tablets establishment, which was
quite conspicuous, and there, sure
enough, found my body. 1t had been
unclothed and stretched out on board
in sort of cold storage room, like
big refrigerator, but happily not in con-
tact with ice. Life, though weak, was
still in it.
But had not arrived a moment too
soon. Another astralized man, who
confessed he had lost his own body
years before, was already there, seeking
to appropriate mine. Hewas just about
trying it on when came and stopped
him. saw at glance it would not fit
him, as he, too, could have .seen, if he
had not been so madly DESTROYS of OBJ
tanning a material shell that he was
quite desperate. Indeed he would al
most have ratified around init, and could
not have controlled it at all, for he was
but a little whiffet of fellow, while !
am of the goodly size man should be-
So bounced him." morally speaking,
sympathetically but firmly, and was just
about taking up my old quarters when
was interrupted.
The door opened suddenly and the I'M
dertaker came in, accompanied by his
son. | waited to see what they were
after. Mr.. tablets look did not please
me. He was muscular fellow, short
but strong, with broad, square lower
jaw and sloping forehead which spread
away gradually in wide bald area of
skull fringed at the back with short red
hair Altogether he seemed an ugly
person to argue with, and judged he
had been drinking.
'.They don't get this stiff away from
me-" he was saying to his son as they
entered, ''until they put up handsome.
Business is bad and he comes along as
windfall. He has, judging from what
was found on him, friends who are well
fixed and mean to work them"
l felt that tablet. if he thought me re-
viving, might be quite capable of knock
ing me on the head to prevent what he
counted upon as fat job slipping
through his fingers.
"Oh, there amt much in it" replied
the son indifferently; mot more than
forty or fifty dollars, and do the best
you can with it,"
"Ain't, eh? You're not smart, Dan'l.
You don't know the business yet. I'm
going to give you pointer you'll find OF
use some day; maybe I'm a-going to en-
balm him"
dad, you're a daisys didn't think
of that"
"Course you didn't. But you amt me.
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: eyes, sir; we'll fix you up. Fix
you up to the queens taste. Nothing
like style for corpse-when there's
money to pay for it, | fairly boiled
with rage, but what could do? Were
to enter my body at once would but
precipitate my fate, for in the numb and
stiff condition my muscles were certain
ly in l 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 I heard them lock the front door and
go away. Then Immediately resumed