The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1895-09-18
THE CAR GHOST.

All draped with blue denim-the sea-
side cottage of my friend, Sara Pyne.
She asked me to go there with her when
she opened it to have it set in order for
the summer. She confessed that she felt
trifle nervous at the idea of entering
it alone. And am always ready for an
excursion. So much blue denim rather
surprised me, because blue is not COM
plimentary to Sarah's eomplexion--she
always wears some shade of red, by
preference She perceived my wonder /;
she is very nearsighted, and therefore
sees everything. by some sort of sixth
sense.
"You do not like my portieres and
curtains and table covers" said she.
Mother dol. But did it to accommo-
date. And now he rests we'll i'll his
grave. hope"
"Whose grave, for PHYS sakeP"
"Mr. j. Ellington Prices. "
"And who is he? He doesn' sound in
teresting.
"Then will tell you about him, !"
said Sara, taking n scat directly in front
of one of those curtains. Last autumn
l was leaving this place for New York,
travelling ON the fast express train
known as the Flying Yankee. OF course
thought of the Flying Dutchman and
Wagner's musical setting of the uncan-
ny legend, and how different things are
in these days of steam, etc. Then l
looked out of the window at the land
scape, the horizon that seemed to wheel
in a great curve as the train sped. Ev-
cry now and then had an impression
at the tail of the eye that u man was
sitting in chair three or four numbers
in front of me on the opposite side of
tho car. Each time that saw this shape
I looked at the chair and ascertained
that it was unoccupied. But it was an
odd trick of vision. raised my lor-
gnette, and the chair showed emptier
than before. There was nobody in it
certainly. But tho more l knew that it
was vacant the more plainly l saw the
man. always with the corner of my
eye 1t made me nervous.
"When passengers entered tho car, l
dreaded lest they might take that seat
What would happen if they should? A
bag was put in the chair-that made
me uncomfortable. The bag was re-
moved at tho next station. Then baby
was placed in the seat, 1t began to
laugh as though some one had gently
tickled it. There was something odd
about that chair-13 was its number.
When l looked away from it, the i'm
preston was strong upon me that some
person sitting there was watching me.
"Really, it would not do to humor
such fancies. So l touched the electric
button, asked the porter to bring me q
table, and taking from my bag pack
of cards proceeded to divert myself with
game of patience was puzzling to
put seven Of spades. where can it
goP' murmured to myself. A voice be-
hind me prompted, Play the four Of
diamonds ON the five, and you can do
it. started. The only occupants of
the car besides me woro bridal couple,
a mother with three little children and
a typical preacher of ono Of the strait
est sects Who had spoken? Play up
tho four, madam, repeated the voice.
looked fearfully over my shoulder. At
first l saw u blush cloud, like cigar
smoke, but inodorous. Then the vision
cleared, and saw young man whom
I know by subtle intuition to be the
occupant, seen and not seen, of chair
No 10. Evidently he was travelling
salesman-and ghost. OF course
drummer's ghost sounds ridiculous
they're so extremely alivel Or else you
would expect a dead drummer to be
particularly dead and not walk. This
was most commonplace looking ghost,
cordial, pushing, businesslike. AT the
same time his face had an expression of
utter despair and horror which made
him still moro preposterous. OF course
it is not nice to let stranger speak to
one, even on so impersonal topic as
four Of diamonds. But ghost-there
can't be any rule of etiquette about
talking with a ghost My dear, it was
dreadful. That forward creature showed
me how to play all the cards and then
begged me to lay them out again. in or
der that he might give me some clever
points. Twas too much amazed and dis
turbed to speak; l could only place the
cards at his suggestion. This did so as
not to appear to be listening to the emp
ty air and DO supposed to be crazy
woman. Presently the ghost spoke again
and told me his story.
Madam, he said, L have been rid
ing back and forth on this car ever since
Feb. 90, 189--, seven months and II
days All this time have not exchanged
word with any one. For drummer
that is pretty hard, you may believe.
You know the story of the Flying
Dutchman? Well, that is very nearly
my case. A curse is upon me and will
not be removed until some kind soul.
But I'm getting ahead Of my text That
day there were four of us, travelling for
different houses. One Of the boys was
in wool, one In baking powder. one in
| boots and shoes and myself in cotton
goods. We met on the road, took seats
| together and fell into talking shop.
Those fellows told big lies about their
sales, Washington's birthday though it
was The baking powder man raised the
amount of the bills of goods which he
had sold better than whole can OF his
stuff could have done. admitted the
straight truth, that / had not yet been
able to make sale. And then l swore
NOT in light minded, clipper style
of verbal trimmings, but great, round.
heaven defying oath-that l would sell
a case Of blue denims on that trip If 1t
| took me forever. We became dry with
talk, and when the train stopped at
Riyermouth we went out to have some
beer. 1t is good there, you know--par-
don me, forgot that was speaking to
a lady. Well, we had to run to get
| aboard. I missed my footing, fell under
II the wheels, and the next thing that l
knew they were holding an inquest over
my remains, while I, disembodied, was
sitting on corner of the undertaken
table, wondering which Of the coroner s