The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1901-04-27

IL ID IdTt tEtat.
There was no noise except the foot
fall of the horse The entire absence
of jar was something particularly
pleasant. According to my way of
thinking it was an ideal method of
locomotion.
Strange as it may seem, no longer
had any fear of the fitting thing of
the air that lowered alongside the
horse, and I decided once more TO
break the ice of conversation, and
called out: "a pleasant evening.
stranger"
At this he turned, and, floating up
to my side, brought his face so close
to mine that l felt his breath.
II came to me like blast from the
Klondike, and seemed to freeze me
to the bone. I regretted that ] had
spoken, for he sent his icy exhala.
lion thrice into my face and each
time it seemed colder. tried to de-
tect the charnel house smell that al
ways goes with a ghost, but feel
bound to say that peculiar odor was
absent. i will, however, state for the
benefit of the reader, that l was suf-
fering from bad cold, which to
some extent may account for my In
ability to detect it.
While was wondering what would
happen next. it happened before ]
knew it. I suddenly found myself
on the other side of the big gate
that bars the road about quarter
of mile from my house. The gate
is always kept shut, and it is great
bother to open it. but on this occa-
sion. lust as I was about to halt TO
unfasten it, | found that ] was al
ready through. The fact of being on
the other side of a gate was some
thing altogether novel to me, and no
one who has not had the actual ex-
perience can possibly get any idea
of the extraordinary sensation of be-
| ing on the other side of gate when
you are quite well assured in your
own mind that you never got there.
Rather than involve myself in a
maze of complications or contradic-
tions I will consider the gate Incl
dent closed, and pass on to the other
extraordinary things that happened
between the gate and the house.
Before proceeding hundred yards
| I became aware of the circumstance
that the various parts of the harness
we're melting away. The collar and
names dissolved into nothingness,
the bride was whisled into space,
the tugs followed suit and the traces
did not even leave their own name
behind. Yet in spite of this the We
hicle moved right along as before.
and turned up the winding path to-
ward the stable as well as If every
thing was in its normal condition
and my own hand was guiding the
lines.
When it came to halt under the
shed l got out and went to bed qui-
etly, not mentioning the events of
the night to my spouse, as / did not
care to harrow her feelings with
such uncanny subjects.
In the morning, however, while the
matter was still fresh in my memory,
told her everything that had hap
pened, and expressed my determine
| ton to write full account of the
same and forward it over my sigpa-
ture to some scientific journal, that
these strange happenings might NOT
| be lost to the world. Her only reply
was to inquire the time of my ar
rival home and my retirement 10
bed. / definitely fixed the hour at
one o'clock, which she disputed at
! once, and dropped the subject, not
caring for Improbable controversy
with a woman. l knew in my own
mind, however, the absolute correc.-
ness of my statement regarding the
hour, as l distinctly remembered
having heard the clock strike one
no less than four times in succession.
So satisfied was ! that such a plain
mathematical demonstration would
be lost upon her, being but woman,
as / have before remarked, / did not
mention it..
Later on she called my attention
to the fact that the harness which 1
had described as having vanished in
to the night was in reality piled at
the foot of the bed, and that my
clothes were hanging on a peg in the
stable. This was indeed TO my mind
a strong corroboration of my story,
but she did not so regard it, and was
unkind enough to suggest that when
/ sent my account of it to a se;entifie
journal I should mention also tina.
4 / had attended banquet the even
ing before, given in honor of tbs
election of United States senator
from Nevada, where more than Sc
cases of champagne had been con.
sumed prior to the time that ] had
been called upon to respond to d
toast. l mention the circumstance
as requested, although the connec
tion between it and my strange ex.
perience on the lonely moor is no:
apparent TO me.
In revising my manuscript I notice
! that it mentions the removal by fhs
ghost of five separate wheels froir
the buggy, which may be regarded
by some as an inaccuracy. A gentle
man for whose opinions ! have al
ways entertained the highest re
gard has suggested to me that, fol
the sake of lending greater plausi
bility to my narrative, l omit al
mention of the appearance-or, more
properly speaking, the disappearance