The Car Ghost

All draped with blue denirn - the seaside cottage of my friend, Sara Pyae. She asked me to go there with her when she opened it to have it set in order for the surnruer. She ooufessed that she feit a trifle uervous at the idea of entering it alone. And I am ahvays ready for an excursión. So rnuch blue denim rather surprised ine, because blue is not coinpliruentary to Sarah 's complexion - she ahvays wears some shade of red, by prefereuce. She perceivëd my wonder ; she is veiy nearsighted, and therefore sees everything, by some sort of sixth seuse. "Yon do not like my portieres and curtains and table covers," said she. ' ' Neither do I. But I did it to accoinmodate. And now he rests well in his grave, I hope. " "Whose grave, for pity's sake?" "Mr. J. Billington Price's. " "And who ishe? Hedoesn'tsound interesting. !' "Theii I will teil you about him," said Sara, taking a seat directly in front of one of those curtains. "Last autumn I was leaving this place for New York, traveling on the f ast express train known as theFlying Yankee. Of course I thonght of the Flying Dutchman and Wagner's musical setting of the uncauny legend, and how differeut things aie in these dtiys of steam, etc. Then I looked out of tbo window at the landscape, the horizon that seemed to wheel in a great curve as the train sped. Every now and then I had an impression at the 'tail of the eye' that a man was sitting in a chair three or four numbers in front of me on the opposite side of the car. Ea3h time that I sawthis shape I looked at the chair and ascertained that it was unoccupied. But it was an odd trick of visión. I raised my lorgnette, and the chair showed emptier than before. There was nobody in it certainly. But the more I knew that it was vacaat the inore plainly I saw the man, ahvays with the corner of my eye. It made me nervous. "When passengers entered the car, I 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 removed at the next station. Then a baby was placed in the seat. It began to laugh as though some one had gently tickled it. There was something odd about that chair - 13 was its number. When I looked away frorn it, the impression was strong upon me that some person sitting there was watching me. "Iteally, it would not do to humor such fancies. So I touched the electric button, asked the porter to brmg me a table, and taking from my bag a pack of cards proceeded to divert myself with a game of patience. I was puzzling to put a seven of spades. 'Wherecan it go?' I murmured to myself. A voice behind me prompted, 'Play the four of diamonds on the five, and you can do it. ' I started. The only occupants of the car besidesmewere a bridal couple, a mother with three little children and a typical preacher of one of the straitest sects. Who had spoken? 'Play up the four, madam,' repeated the voice. I looked fearfully over my shonlder. At flrst I saw a bluish cloud, like cigar moke, but inodorous. Then the visión cleared, and I saw a young man whom I knew by a subtle intuition to be the occupaut, seen and not seen, of chair No. 13. Evidently he was a traveling salesinan - and a ghost. Of course a drunimer's ghost sounds ridiculous - they're so extremely alive ! Or else you would expect a dead drummer to be particularly dead and not 'walk.' This was a most commonplace looking ghost, cordial, pushiug, businesslike. At the same time his face had an expression of utter despair and horror which made him still more preposterous. Of course it is not nice to let a strauger speak to one, even on so impersonal a topic as a four of diamonds. But a ghost - there can't be any rule of etiquette about talking with a ghost ! My dear, it was dreadf u 1. That f orward creature showed me how to play all the cards and theu begged me to lay them out agaiu, in order that he might give me some clever points. I was too much amazed and disturbed to speak ; I could only place the cards at his snggestiou. Thisl did so as not to appear to be listeuingtothe empi ty air and be supposed to be a crazy woman. Presently the ghost spoke again and told me his story. " 'Madam,' he said, 'I have beenriding back and forth on this car eversince Feb. 22, 189 - , seven months and 11 days. All this time I have not exchaugcd a word with any one. For a drummer that is pretty hard, you may believe. You kuow the story of the Flying Dutchman? 'Well, that is very nearly my case. A curse is upoa me and will uot be removed until some kind soul - . But I'm getting aheadof rnytext. That day tbere were four of us, traveliug for j different houses. One of the boys was ! in wool. oue in bakiug powder, oue in : boots and shoes and myself in cotton goods. We met on the road, took seats together and feil into talking shop. Those fellows told big lies about their sales, Washiugton's birthday though it was. The baking powder man raised the amount of the bilis of goods which he had sold better thau a whole cap of his stuff could have done. I admitted the straight truth, that I had not yet been able to inake a sale. And theu I swore - not in a light minded, chipper style of verbal rrimminEcs, but a great, round, hoaveu rlefying oath - that I would sell a caae of blue deuims on that trip if it took me forever. We becaine dry with talk, and when thé train stopped at Bivermouth we went out to have som beer. It is gootl tbere, you know - pardon me, I forgot that I was speaking to a lady. Well, we bad to run to get aboard. I missed ïny footiug, feil under the wheels, and the neit dring that I knew they vrere holding an iuquest over my remains, while I, disembodied, wus sittini; (in b coruer of the undertaker'a table, wondering which of the coroner's jury was likely to want a case of blue denims. " 'Then I remembered my wicked oath and understood that I was a soul dooined to wauder until.I could succeed in selling that bill of goods. I spoke once or twice, offering the deuims uuder value, but nobody noticed me. Verdict : Accidenta] death, by negligence of deceased. Railroad Corporation not to blauie. Deceased got out f or beer at bis own risk. The other drummers took charge of the remains aud wrote a beautiful letter to my relatives about my social qualities and my impressive. conversatiou. I wish it had been less impressive that time. I might have lied about my sales, or I might have said that I hoped for better luck. But af ter that oath there was nothing for it. Back and forth, back and forth, on this road, in chair No. 18, to all eternity. Nobody suspects my presence. They sit on my kuees - I'm playing in luck when it is a nice baby, as it was this afternoon ! They pile wraps, bags, even railway literatnre on me. They play cards nnder my uo.se - and what duffers some of them are !, You, madam, are the first persou who has perceived me, and therefore I ventured to speak to you, meaning nó offense. I can see that you are sorry for me. Now, if ycu recall the story of the Flying Dutchman, he was saved by the charity of a good wornan. In fact, Senta married him. Now I'm not asking anythiug of that size. I see that you wear a wedding ring, and no doubt you make some man 's happiness. I wasn't a marrying man myself and uaturally am not a marrying ghost. And that has nothing to do with the matter anyway. But if you could - I don't suppose you would have any use for them - bnt if you were disposed to do a turn of good, solid Cbristian charity - I should be everlastingly grateful, and you may have that case of denims at $72. 50. And that quality is quoted today at $80. Does it go, madam?' "The speech of the poor ghost was not very eloquent, but his eyes had an intense, eager glare which was terrible. Something - pity, fear, I do not know what - compelled me. I decided to do without that white and gold evening cloak. Instead I guve $72.50 to the ghost and took from hiru a receipt foi the sum, signed J. Billingtou Price. Then he smiled contentedly, thanked mo with emotion and returned to chair No. 13. Several times on the journey, although I did not perceive him again, I feit dazed. When the train arrived at New York and .1, with the other passengers, dismouuted, it seemed to me that a strong hand passed under my elbow, steadying me down the steps. As I walked the length of the station my bag - not heavy at any time - appeared to become weightless. I believe that the parlor car ghost walked beside me carrying the bag, whose handle still remained in my other hand. Indeed once or twice I thought I feit the touch of cold fingers against mine. Since then I have no reason to suppose that the poor ghost is not at rest. I hope he is. "But I never expected or wished for the blue denims. The nest day, how ever, a dray belonging to a great wholesale house backed up to our door and delivered a case of deuims, with a receipted bill for the same. What was 1 to do? I could not go about selling blue denims. I could not give them away without exciting cominent. So I furnished the cottage with them, and you know the effect on my complexion. Pity me, dear ! And credit me, frivolous woman as I am, with haviug saved a soul at the expense of my own vanity. My story is told. What do vou think about