The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-04-23

l never saw her after the first day
until she came on deck on our arrival
at New York.
As we came into dock saw her make
for the side OF the boat. and commence
waving handkerchief to some one
amongst the crowd on shore.
Looking in the direction in which she
was gazing, | saw her signal answered,
and answered with black bordered
handkerchief Then!
Now, in the name OF all that is in
fernal! how the deuce did he get here?
There, standing on the dock, close
TO the boat, was my friend the manilSin,
with the same undaunted air Of solem-
nifty, the same black suit, the same
black hat, black tie and black cuff but
tons. waving the same black-bordered
handkerchief.
was puzzled! Not only that, was
mad The same feeling of irritation
with which his appearance on the boat
in Liverpool had inspired me came back,
int, nsiied. The same longing to pick
HIM up between my finger and thumb
returned with uncomfortable force.
Unfortunately perhaps. fortunate
ly for him and me, tool lost sight OF
him in the hurry and hustle Of land
ing.
On my way to the hotel kept won
derng how on earth this remarkable
morsel of humanity had got to New
York ahead of us. lie could not have
come as a stowaway on our boat, for
saw him standing on the dock when
we left Liverpool, and | found him
standing on the dock when we reached
New York.
lie could not have come by another
line, for the ship in which / had crossed
was the fastest Atlantic liner afloat,
and we had made a record voyage.
And yet the fact remained that had
left him in Liverpool and that found
him in New York on my arrival.
There was something | did not like
about it-something uncanny, unnat-
ural. If he had intended crossing the
Atlantic, why did he not come by the
same steamer as his lady friend, Mrs.
johnson? Where was the necessity for
the fearful leave-taking or the demon
strative reunion?
Then there came into my mind the
thought that this was no man at all.
lie was will-o'-thewisp, a spook. an
elf. goblin!
The thing played upon my mind as |
drove to the hotel. until felt impelled
to report the matter TO the police. |
believe should have done this. had not
two considerations restrained me. The
first was that had no time to spare, and
the second was that l was afraid of
making fool of myself
Eventually. / concluded that my man
kin must have solved the problem OF
aerial navigation. and that he had
crossed the Atlantic in an airship.
And when remembered his bird-like
appearance, | was more than half in
clined to accept this theory as a cor
rect one.
| had Just time to take good din
ner at the Hoffman house: and then
| had to hurry off to the depot TO catch
the night express for Chicago. | had
business there which required my i'm
|
Peckitt in the Windy city to wnom
had letter from Liverpool merchant
and whom il was necessary for me to
see at the earliest possible moment.
had boarded the train and sat look
ing out of the window, when caught
sight Of Mrs. Johnson coming along tho
platform with the Mite.
fns n
starting; and. after they had gone
through the same performance of kiss
ing as in Liverpool, Mrs. johnson go
into the car. leaving the manikn stand
ing on the platform. As we steamed
cut Of the station | saw him waving {
farewell signal with the old black-bor
dcred handkerchief.
"Well, thank goodness. that's the las
OF him." said to myself as turned II
To my sleeper. Flying machine or M
flying machine. he can't get ahead o
the train. even if he did beat the steam
ship"
slept soundly. and did not awakel
until reused by the black porter in tn
morning.
NON may al 'iit lfONNA' ~ 49, ~
ness seize him." was my prayer. as. OF
reaching Chicago. | saw the little mai
, standing in the station. waving hi
black-bordered handkerchief to Mrs
johnson.
There was the identical manikii
whom I had left standing on the dock
at Liverpool eight days ago. and lef
again on the railway platform at Ne'
York the night before.
The same black suit. the same blac
hat. black tie. black stick; the sam
black bordered handkerchief waving i
the breeze.
IT was pulling. II was annoying.
took It as n personal affront. VIII
! should this travesty Of mankind pul
sue me with such pcstilent pertnacity
Z Could not go anywhere in this wild
G world without meeting that elf-like fl
Y ure, and having that garb OF unuttel
G able woe presented TO my unwillin
S eyes? Were there no means Of putin
e a quietus to this cmniprescnt mimicr
OF humanity? I should 60 crazy, IL
L ! a. l. fafa "a, him, "A 81