The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-25
A DREAM AND "A SLEEP.

Il
upon the silence OF the room. 1t wat
near dawn-winter dawn--and still We
had no thought Of separating. Emile
| and Gerard had come in at 2 O'Clock In
the morning, and when such a thing hap.
pened we generally saw the daylight be:
fore we shook hands again. We had
turned over many subjects, and had had
two or three bitter arguments; for Emile
and Gerard always fought with buttons
! off. At length Gerard yawned. Emile
Caught the arms of his easy-chair, sal
upright, and looked tixedly into Gerard's
| face.
.'Gerard,"he said, "you have yawned.''
| sNo doubt,D answered Gerard. NWhat
of thatP You haven't said word for q
quarter of an hour. Yoa have been
| asleep"
Hear himiv cried Emile, appealing,
as it were, to the four millions of sleep.
ers surrounding him. sHe says slept
He has the audacity to seek justification
Of his offense in a crime created by his
Imagination for me. Mark" he asked,
turning to me, shave sleptW
| "Beyond the fact that you sat very
still and kept your eyes closed, there is
no circumstantial evidence against you,"
! replied.
| "Therep exclaimed Emile. "Hear in.
| dependent testimony But against you
| there is irrefutable proof. You yawned
| We heard you. You are beneath con.
tempt. You are creature of sensation
aud emotion, wholly destitute of reflec-
tion of self-supplied stimulant. Bahl
you are like a womanV
Emile" l lnterposed, "you are un-
gallant"
"But, Mark" he pleaded, "Gerard is a
BEAST"
.You are over the bounds" protested
Gerard.
s'Not OF TRUTH" asserted Emile.
| s'Of civilized conversation. The word
sbeasp is not in any blue-book applied
to man."
"No," 1 agreed, 81 never saw it,"
| "Then~ cried Gerard in triumph,
ssEmile pays the penalty"
s'But, as l live,n pleaded Emile, 81
have no story to tell tor forfeit. AS l live,
/ am a squeezed orange"
"Lemon," muttered Gerard, as he lit
his pipe.
"Lemon is over the bounds" inquired
Emile, clasping his hands and turning
imploring eyes upon him.
| "No! Lemon is within the limits. Go
on with story, Emile"
He made a pathetic gesture and fell
back in his chair. ''They, or rather he,
said was asleep" he whispered in a
voice of stage "aside," "and wasn't. /
was only thinking of my first night in
London. What a night it was, to be
sure" Then. with animation, "Did ]
ever tell you OF my first night in Lon.
donW
"No." el
"No."
VI will.''
" had just completed my 25th year
| when ! first set foot in London. i had
come partly to see the place, and partly
ITO meet relative OF mine whom we eX.
pected to arrive from India any day ol
the week. AS you know, Mark, have
always been quiet, curious, dull fellow
taking little interest in the ordinary
amusements provided for the general
public, and having no appreciation Of
what is called fun. So that, instead OF
seeking theater, or some other brilliant
place Of entertainment, put on an over.
coat, lit a cigar, and walked out about
| O'Clock.
s'There was a dense fog, and the. all
was damp and unWholesome. / hap
pened to be staying at hotel so situated
that by the map took all my bearings
with relation to Holborn. The gas-lamps
Of the opposite side OF the street were tt
be seen like balls Of tow Illuminated By
a dull glow. They were visible, but gave
no light. was in a large and very busy
street. Cabs, and carts, and omnibuses,
] passed in an unbroken current. / be
came little depressed and contounded
and meeting quiet-looking street Which
seemed to lead into some silent, lake
enced the most inexpressiDle relief from
4 thp mn I'll pd mtltpnnaa HrODu6.
81 suppose must have gone about ID
yards in straight line before l discoy
cred there was no way Of exit at the end
1 crossed, and began walking back to
wards the head of the street. Before
had got half way reached a turning t.
the left, and, tor moment, stood irres
olute as-to which course should take.
/ "As was deliberating, l heard foot
steps approaching rapidly. l drew
little out of the way to let him pass; bul
as he went to the same side, he raj
against me rather forclblY, and, trippin
over raised stone in the kennel, tel
heavily to the ground. l helped him t
rise. He was not hurt; and when b
i. turned slowly down the street, and t
, the left, and walked with bent head an
deliberate step.
'srhe two questions which arose to m
were, who was he? and what had OF
casioned his haste? His manner an
| speech were those of gentleman; anC
SO far as could see, there was nothin
i'll his dress or appearance inconsisteI
. with the presumption that he was one
, What could make man OF his clas
rush down a by-street at such pac'
: and. then suddenly, upon receiving
, lmomentary check, subside into
shamble? Had he committed som
tcrime, and were the ministers Of justIc
J, upon his track?
81 listened, halt expecting to hear tn
clatter of feet in chase. All was still i
the street, and from beyond the stree
the sound of traffic came feebly an
duly, like the muJtering Of water in
. distant cave.
Il "Aiech hanically turned into the ma
lroW street the man had entered. c0ul
) mot relieve my mind Of him. He clun
to me like the vapor. But what was
that seemed so strange about him2 A
OF us have experienced the phenomeno
Iof remembering, or recalling, or rein
; Iposing on the mind, persons and objecl
OF which, atthe time they were displaye
Ito us. we took no sensible mental In
! pression. Soft was with me in this cas-
Iii began realizing his face; although |
! | the same time we stood opposite to OIL
another had no image or which Wa
conscious in my mind. Now the face WI