Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1859-01-29

George keeps all his savings in his
room at the lighthouse returned nv
mother, sobbing. Il cannot help
Hark! did you hear that scream?'
Two or three shrieks rang through
the house, as she spoke and my sister
Mary, with her hair disheveled, and in
her nightdress, rushed into the room.
% mother father !! cried she, |
cannot stay any longer by myself; !
have dreamed dream that haunts Inc
whenever | shut my eyes. When l
LETT my room just now. to come to you,
l thought the Italian was at my heels,
who seemed before, in my sleep, to be
numbering Georgy. He has murdered
brother George, I do believe
you dreamt that?' exclaimed her pa
rents.
Yes said she; Il dreamt that he
cut my brothers throat in the light
house,
My father rose in haste, dressed him
self, and started at once, in the moon
light, for the fishing village over against
the rock, which was my lonely dwell
ing place. 1t was a good ten mile
walk, and when he had been about two
hours on his way, and it was five
! o'clock, he met me coming homeward,
with distressed and unwonted look.
Little did / understand why he wrung
my hand, and welcomed me so heartily,
without even asking how it was that I
came to be e BON the chalk doWn-lands,
there, at such an hour, instead Of at
my post. | had a tale to tell him which
| was, by that time, ashamed to relate;
although I had started on the way ex-
pressly to do SO.
Father said I, Il have done a fool
ish, cowardly thing
George replied be, I forgive you
before you tell it to me. am too glad
to find you alive and we'll, for reproach;
say on
I have quarrelled, father, with the
poor Italian foreigner, although he has
not deserved it. | have given him fair
warning that | will not be his mate in
the lighthouse any longer
sThank Heaven = cried the old man.
Nay said I surprised enough, 'but
it was hard thing to do, since I had
nothing whatever to justify it except a
dream
a dream!' exclaimed my father with
look of terror What! Another
dream? Did you dream that he was
going to murder you, lad?'
sYes, father. I dreamt that dream
two hours ago; and even now, in the
broad daylight, I feel that I could not
venture to sleep another night upon the
rock, with that man only as my COM
panion.'
Heaven forbid you should respond
ed my father, solemnly.
4 saw him. continued I, as though
with my open eyes, as I lay in my bed,
with his hand kept back behind hia,
as though it were holding some weapon
out Of sight, and with murder set upon
his face as plainly as though the word
had been written there in blood. I
was on my feet in second, but yet
not soon enough to prove that my dream
was true. I thought [ heard bis agile
step upon the iron stair. I thought [
saw a shadow firt for an instant across
the door of the lantern; but when [
got up there he was trimming the lamps
so naturally, and met all my angry sus
picions with such astonishment and
GOODNESS, that am upon reflection fair
ly steggared, and don't know what to
think. So certain was I at the time,
however, of the warning which my
dream seemed to convey, that l bade
him seek some other employment else
where, for I would have him for my
mate no longer. Then I signaled for
boat, and came on shore, intending to
tell you all, and to consult upon what
is best to be done in this strange busi-
ness. But am afraid you think me
fool
Then my father, upon his part, told
me Of those dreams at home, and of
the reason of his being upon the way
where I had met him. It seemed to us
both that the neglect of four such won
derful coincidences-to say no more
would be far from right, but that at the
same time we should not be justified
in Furnishing upon such evidence one
who might be, after all, as innocent Of
any evil as either Of US. So | turned
back to the village with my father, with
the intention Of putting off to the rock,
and coming to some arrangement with
the Italian, that should not deprive him
Of his bread.
A little after my departure, however,
it appeared that he had himself signal
ed for boat, and that, taking with
him what little property he possessed,
he had landed, and been seen to walk
away northward out of the town.
None of us have ever set eyes upon
+! this man from that eventful night