Evening star., 1901-04-27
AFTER HIS BURIAL.
Story of a Man Who Came Back to
His Friends.

His Friends.
Col. Prentiss Ingraham, novelist, ex-con-
federate officer, hero of several wars and
an adventurous spirit generally, had the
floor.
Yes" he said, In response to an in
quiry. Il was buried just back of little
church in Marietta, Ga
"Aliye?" asked a Mortified listener.
''They didn't think was at the time"
laughed the colonel. but let me explain.
L was soldering then for the lost cause,
and in the course of my duties 1 slipped
away one night quite unbeknownst as it
were, to do some secret service work. The
next morning a shell from federal cannon
came over our way and exploded right in
front of a man on my horse, with the re-
suit that there were only scraps of him
left. Naturally enough, my friends thought
it was l. as the horse was still recogniz-
able, and they had funeral, at which 1
was leading character, but did not even
do a thinking part. My sisters were noti-
fled of my death and just back of the little
church was a grave with headstone bear
ing an inscription including my name and
a date or two. Which was a good deal
more than most soldiers got at that time.
or course, l didn't know anything about
all this. and when my work was finished,
which was in about ten days, 1 returned to
camp. 1 got there about dusk and headed
for tent where we did our eating. such
as 1t was. and the first man 1 met was
Jake. our colored boy. who was going into
the tent with a two-bushel basin Of SOUP
occupying both his hands.
Hello. Jake says l. never thinking
about anything but the soups savory smell.
But Jake didn't say word. He Just
stared at me for an instant, turned a gray-
tent, hurting the soup basin before him and
scattering its contents over a half dozen
oHicers sitting around table. 1 was close
on his heels, and as they looked up in sur-
prise 10 shower 0f
unceremonious entry Of Jake. they saw
me. and with a smothered sort Of yell, they
began tumbling over each other upset the
table and the tent and for the next ten
you ever saw. I couldn't understand what
1t all meant, but I had sense enough to
know that somebody y would be hurt in the
wreck unless help came pretty soon. and
took hand at getting matters into
shape. By doing this had a chance to
catch hold Of an officer or two who couldn't
get away. and when they found wasn't
ghost they grew ca1mer' and began to ex-
plain That was easy enough, you know.
when things were Quieterf and we had
pulled Jake out from tho bottom and re-
stored him to consciousness for the darkey
had collapsed entirely. You know. dar
kies have no use for ghosts.
They told me the story OF the man being
killed on my horse, and thinking 1t was i.
they had buried me and had real funeral
sermon by preacher who lived in Mar.et-
and 1t made me feel little bit queer to
look at 1t, but wasn't sorry was able to
do SO: l wrote to my sisters explaining
that the report of my death was a mistake
and they wrote me that they had gone into
mourning for me, but 7 needn't worry on
that account, as the black dresses could he
trimmed in colors and still be useful, You
see. they were disposed to have fun with
me when they found was all right. What
newspapers were In existence had nice mo-
tices of me- and the pleasant things said
about me in letters Of coincidence to the
family really made me quite satisfied that
something had happened 60 call forth such
expressions" s2f - 10