The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1875-09-23

L udNG uelI11t1 tbueu HUI bltpU lOl
forty. eight hours, and l think 1 must
have walked a hundred miles in that
time"
I uttered an exclamation of surprise
and looked closely at him. He was a
young man, not more than nine-and-
twenty, or thirty at most, but looking
much older under the influence of ex-
IRENE physical exhaustion. Hisface was
flushed and hectic, and his eyes were
dim and bloodshot. His figure was
slender almost to emaciation, and deep
lines marked the face, speaking of pre-.
mature care or sorrow-I could not tell
/ which.
He did not heed my exclamation, but
went on, "You thought I was asleep in
the billiard-room. I was not. Forty
eight hours ago 1 awoke out of a dream,
and I have not dared to sleep SINCE"
"Was it SO terrible"
"Terrible ! terrible No. 1t was so
good, so healing, so heaven-sent, that 1
burst not sleep lest il should get the ie."
"But you will kill yourself. Youmust
sleep"
"What o'clock is it,"
ga quarter past twelve"
"In ten, perhaps in eight hours, 1
shall know if that dream was true or not.
You Thought 1 meditated springing into
the Thames. 1t was good of you to fol
low me. I am grateful to you for your
care of me. But in all London, in the
whole world, there is no man wants to
live more than I do"
"But-"
81 know what you would say am
going a bad way about it. Let that pass.
There is no other way. If you will stay
until the news comes you shall. If it
be good good, 1 shall sleep"
"And if it be bad2"
He knit his brow and clenched his
hands, and then said, with a strange
laugh, " 1 shall sleep all the same"
81 will stay if 1 may"
"Good. Then you shall hear my
dream"
He Lit a pipe, lay back in his chair,
and began in a low, strained voice, like
one who listens to words which have
travelled from a distance and repeats
them as they come.
"I need go no further into the past
than to tell you that five years ago my
father was living and was his third son.
At that time l fell in love. Twill trouble
you with no rhapsodies. It was my first
and only love. 1t was returned fully
and freely ; but 1 was too poor. Her
father would not hear of it, and in less
than n year my-she was compelled
compelled by all and every means that a
%tyrannical father and plant mother could
devise, to marry a rich Jamaica mer-
chant, a widower, a man nearly three
times her age. Since then Ihave neither
seen her no heard of her. Within a
tweivemonth of her marriage my two
elder brothers were drowned while
yachting in the Mediterranean, and be-
came heir. My father never recovered
the shock of their death, and in a few
months more he followed them to the
grave. The very day my poor father
was buried I left England, and from that
hour till now 1 have spent but three days
in this country. / arrived here three
days ago. I was worn out with travel,
and retired early. I had not been more
than an hour asleep when I awoke bathed
from head to foot in a cold perspiration.
I was trembling in every limb. I had
dreamed that L was standing on the deck
Of an Atlantic steamer, and there CAM
toward me a figure draped in black.
shrank back in inexplicable dread. ]
strove to fly, but my feet were like lead.
I grasped the bulwark for support. The
figure approached nearer. 1t was that
of a woman in widows weeds. The vel
was down, but 1 seemed to feel the face
Slowly, and when the figure was nc
farther from me than this table upo1
which my hand rests, the veil was raised
and 1 saw her face. With a shrek
awoke. That was my dream. VIVA
o'clock is it,"
"Half-past twelve"
Chow YEARLY long the minutes are
You are sure your watch is going?'
eyes"
81 burst not go to Queenstown my
self. There is a boat due i'll the morn
ing. L have n trusty man waiting.
shall have q telegram when the boat al
rives. When that telegram comes 1 shal
sleep. But you are worn out. Lii
down, and [ will sit and watch"
protested but he overruled me. III
placed some cushions on a couch, an
throwing a rug owe me, said he woul
t utter no other word until day had com
and brought the news.
1 resolved to close my eyes but Iha
come a long journey that day, and I wa
| completely worn out. Gradually til
3 warmth and silence overcame me, and
sank into Inconsistencies.
? L was aroused by a knock at the dool
I looked across the room. He was 81
} ting in precisely the same position as
had last seen him. He saw me NOV
and asked:
care you awake? Z"
eyes"
"Would you be good enough to tax
that telegram from the servant! Idon
want him to come in"
l went to the door as he had requested
/ I closed the door.
v "Now," said he, "draw back that GU
E tain and read that telegram"
l drew back the curtain. 1t was
Y black, bitter November dawn. I brok
/ the envelope, and read out:
"The widow of the late Mr.. jaime
Stopforth has arrived by the City
New York."
looked hastily toward the chair. H
r had not moved. spoke. He did nc
answer. I crossed the room and stoo
over him. His eyes were fixed.
rushed to the door, tore it open, Gale
l loudly for help, and then came an
opened the scarf and chafed the hands
! Water was brought, and we dashed
D over him, and in less than ten minute
i the doctor was in the room.
, For a few minutes the doctor did NJ
say a word. At length he turned t
f me, and asked, elbow did this happen?
E "He has been dreadfully excited, an
I has not eaten or slept for forty-eigf
hours or more. He has been walkin
p nearly the whole time. Will he not b
. well when he has slept"
: The doctor dropped the wrist.
"He said,"I volunteered, seeing til
: doctor pause, she would sleep to-day.
. "He was right" returned the doctor
5 "He was right. Draw back the GU
S tains. Let in the light. He is sleel
t ing now"
"You don't mean to say he is dead ?