THE GHOST OF A CHANCE.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume II, Issue 118, 7 May 1880, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE GHOST OF A CHANCE.

I left King's Cross by the night-mail on the 16th of last August. I was out of health, tired, and wanted to sleep ; so, settling my traps on the seat to my satisfaction, 1 suddenly remembered that I had nothing to read, and I called the guard to the window that he might get me a book.

Returning in a, minute,’ he put into my hands Bulwer’s ‘strange Story ; ’ and as I gave him the money, he said— ‘ Row we’re off in one minute, sir ; I hope you’ll like my choice.’ Leisurely turning the leaves by the light of the carriage lamp, I very soon found that the work my friend had selected was utterly distasteful to me, and I regretted having wasted my money upon it. It was a story, as most people know, treating of spiritual influences, a subject on which I was thoroughly sceptical. I soon got tired of it ; but it served my purpose, and sent me to sleep, and in sound sleep I remained till the train stopped at Peterborough. Only partly awake, I remember letting do>vn the window, and that several persons in the crowd on the platform tried hard to get into the carriage ; one fellow, just as we were starting, thrust his head in so far that I thought he was going to make a harlequin’s leap for it. Drowsily congratulating myself on having the door Focked, I was dropping off to sleep again when I suddenly discovered I was not alone. Who was that seated in the opposite corner of the carriage? A young lady, assuredly. The dim light from the lamp enabled me to discern that she was in evening dress, with the hood of her opera-cloak over her head. She appeared to be busy fastening her earring into her left ear.

‘ How odd,’ I thought, ‘that I should not have seen her get in !’ Here were my legs still stretched Jacross the seat with my rug over them, and surely I must have known if she had passed me : and the door certainly had never been opened. Very angry and puzzled, I determined to remonstrate with the guard at the next station. What an odd costume, too, for travelling, I thought; I couldn’t make it out. The young lady was very quiet and still, and, as she appeared not to notice me, I hardly liked to begin any conversation ; so I sat watching her till sleep again overtook me. All at once the slackening of speed and the shrill, horrible, hollow danger whistle of tho engine again disturbed my comfortable nap, and, lazily looking out, I found to my surprise we were not stopping at any station, and that outside nothing could be seen. A darkness that might be felt was all that met the eye when turned to tho open window, whilst the fresh damp air announced that we were in the midat of country, and the sighing of the night breeze told of woods not far off. Neither .station, lights, nor dwellings were to be discerned in the utter gloom. A furtive glance across the carriage Bhowed the young lady still quietly sitting

there fidgeting with her earring, and not the least alarmed at this interruption to our journey. I called to the guard as he ran by the moment we stopped, and, putting my head out of the window, inquired what was the matter ?

‘Nothing, sir,’ he said cheerily; ‘no danger; only the line’s blocked, and we're waiting till they signal us to go on. I expect its a goods that’s being shunted. It’ll be all right, sir, in a few minutes.’ I then said, in a low tone, ‘ What possessed you to place this young lady in my carriage, when I so especially enjoined you to keep it empty V ‘ I never let anybody in,’ protested the man, with surprise. ‘ A young lady, do you say V Springing on to the step as I drew my head back, he looked into the carriage, and exclaimed, ‘Why, ther’s no lady there, sir. ’ I turned, and imagine my confusion — she was gone. ‘ This passes my understanding,’ said I, ‘ for though I’ll swear she was there before I spoke to you, there i 3 certainly nobody there now ; she must have got out.’ ' I crossed to the further door, and tried it, it was locked, sure enough, I let down the glass and looked out, but in the darkness, of course, could see nothing. ‘ Why you’ve been dreaming, sir,’said the guard, as I, looking somewhat small, resumed my seat. ‘ Don’t teil me V I cried indignantly, and disgusted at the absurdity of the position; I’m perfectly convined that she was in the carriage! Why, here is positive proof,’ I went on, as I perceived and immediately picked up, a gold earring from the floor between her seat and mine. Amazement, mingled with doubt and distrust, was plainly depicted on the guard’s handsome countenance, as, regarding me with a puzzled half comical expression, he said after a minute.

• Well, sir, if you really believe you saw her, I’d advise your changing your carriage. ’ ‘ Why so ? ’ I demanded, in surprise. ‘ Because it’s well to be on the safe side, sir, for I’ve heard something of this kind before. Young ladies are dangerous customers in trains sometimes, sir,’ he added, with the twinkle coming into his eye again. As I drew myself up somewhat indignantly, he continued, ‘They say an accident is almost certain to occur when an apparition has been seen.’

So, opening the door, he began to collect my bags and traps, while I, perplexed, and not without some feeling of alarm, alighted and followed him hastily along the side of the line.

‘ You might have seen some ladies and gentlemen, all dressed for a party, get into the compartment in front of yours at Peterborough,’ resumed the man, as ho steered me by the light of his lantern over the rough ground; ‘ and fine and merry they were; they are going to a ball at Grantham. I fancy you must have been dreaming, sir, for certainly none of them got into your carriage, though one did try ; and as to apparitions, well ’ He did not finish the sentence, for just then we found an empty compartment at the rear of the train ; and the engine’s whistle at the same moment announcing the line clear, with but few more words, I was very soon locked in again and left to myself. My first act, wdien the train was once more in motion, was to examine carefully the earring so unaccountably found. The shape struck me as curious. It was a wheel suspended from a birds claw, which turned when touched. Snrely, as I had told the guard, this trinket was a proof that I had not been deceived or dreaming; at least, this was not the apparition of an earring, at any rate. What could it mean l The more I thought of it, the more I was perplexed ; and, finally, I put it away in my portemonnaie ; and, with a mind wearied with puzzling over the strange occurrence, I at length fell asleep once more—but not for long. Suddenly I was rudely awakened by a terrific crash and a shock which threw me violently forward, while the carriage lurched over and nearly capsized. I knew at once an accident had happened—the accident half-prophesied by the guard. As soon as I could collect my scattered senses, and found myself unhurt, I clambered out of the carriage and ran down the line to the front of the train, to ascertain the extent of the catastrophe. It was difficult to find one’s way in the darkness and confusion ; but what were my feelings of horror and amazement, joined to intense thankfulness, when I discovered, after some light had been obtained from a hastily kindled bonfire, that the carriage I had previously occupied was lying a complete wreck ! I knew it by its colour and the number, still visible on the battered panel. Then I learned that several passengers in the other compartments of it had suffered fearfully, and I was so overcome that I felt quite dizzy.

Here was a wonderful and miraculous escape indeed. All the events of the last half-hour rushed through my troubled brain. On that smashed and splintered seat I had sat; and, but for the presence of my mysterious companion, there I should be lying—crushed, and, perhaps dead ! Horrible ! The sweat broke out on my brow as I thought of it. When my nerves had recovered a little, I sought out the guard, who, pale and grave, was endeavouring to reassure the frightened passengers assembled on the bank. He was comforting them with the intelligence that a special train would arrive shortly from Grantham, and take them from the scene of disaster.

‘My good fellow,’ said I, ‘you must explain to me what you meant respecting that young lady—the apparition, I mean, as you choose to call it. You said an accident ’

‘Lor bless you, sir,’ he interrupted sadly, ‘ ’twas only my chaff. I never heard anything about a young lady ; but I thought as you seemed a bit scared it would make your mind easier like, that’s why I shifted you. I can’t give any reason why such a fancy came into my head ; but It’s well it did, sir, for it just saved your life, saved it by ‘ the ghost of a chance,’ as one may say’ and there was a faint return of the old humerous twinkle in the man’s eye as he thus aptly made a play upon the words. ‘ It was the carriage you were in that suffered most. ’ ‘ Well, there’s many a true word spoken in jest,’ returned I. Are there many hurt?’

‘About seven, I fear, sir, and four or more killed. We don’t know the cause at present, sir ; ’twasn’t a collision, and don’t Appear to have anything to do with the stopping of the train awhile ago. These things do turn one up more than a bit, sir,’ added the man, as he was called away.

The lamps of the special train were not sighted, and we, the unscathed, were speedily in our places, and arrived at our destination without further hurt or hindrance.

But what perplexed ideas whirled in rapid succession through my mind as we were hurried along ! Here was I, saved from a dreadful and untimely death by—what ? Not a dream, certainly; but, whatever it was, by a most marvellous interposition, or, perhaps, as the guard said, ‘by the ghost of a chance.’ How could I call it a dream or entertain the notion of ghostly influence, when the earring picked up by my own hands was now safe in my pocket ? Was it safe i I looked. Yes, safe enough, the wheel suspended from the bird’s claw. A wheel of fortune it had indeed proved to me.— W. W. Fenn, in ‘ Time ’ ior January.