The Portland daily press., 1875-03-13

HcSS vi tu0 SlIl UOhO e'S
Aunt Dora.'-all Young people called her
aunt never could have summoned cour-
age to travel by rail to-day. had 1t not been
to visit YOU
Phil took his leave, and Miss S., accom-
panied by her hostess, soon went to her own
apartment, my aunt begging nae to remain
until she came down again, which, however,
was not until had grown very tired waiting
for her.
Auntie came in with a worried expression
on her gentle face.
Were il the least superStitious,' she said,
as she took the easy chair | had drawn to-
wards the fire for her, i should implore Miss
S. never to put her foot within railway car
again. l must tell you, Phil, the strangest
story. 1 don't know whether to call it a
dream or a trance. You viii doubtless put
it down as merely imagination; it is never
theless true that for years Miss 5. has never
travelled by train without having a most sin
gular dream. The dream in itself is singu-
lar from its vividness; but more singular
from the fact that in its many repetltions the
details never vary
But, exclaimed with 1 admit, lamenta-
BILE lack of gallantry, why, in the name OF
wonder is Miss S. so stupid as to go to sleep
| in the cars if their motion or their noise gives
her bad dreamsp
She does not really Sleep cried my aunt
energetically, she is, I think, in mesnerlc
trance
sPshawp l answered; that is all nonsense.
Let us hear the dream, however,
And my aunt, prefacing her story with the
entreaty that Miss S. should never know that
the subject had been mentioned to me,
went on to say that Miss S. could only be in
duced to give vague description of noise,
hurry and confusion, of pain and anguish, not
as endured by herself, but as going on about
her. From all this confusion, howeve, soon
emerged one central figure, and that wo-
mans head, crowned by braid OF blonde
hair fastened by knots of black velvet. ms
head seemed 10 be elevated above surglng
crowd, and to be borne slowly past the WIN
doWs of the car. 'Of course said my aunt,
Il told her she had fallen asleep, and that she
had dreamed of some tragic event IN the
French Revolution-of the Princess Lam
bale, perhaps.
AT the same time,' continued my supersti-
tious aunt, Il could not but shudder as
glanced at her own fair hair, and the knots
OF black velvet that adorned it.
My dear boy she continued, with re-
proachful look at my unimpreSsed, smiling
countenance-syou must remember that this
dream or trance, or whatever you please 10
call it, is not a thing that has occurred once
or twice, but dozens of times in the last five
wears. Remember, too, that Miss s. has
never had any fear of any accident to herself,
that she does not regard the dream as any
premonition, or indeed as in any way person.
al, and breads its recurrence only as a shock to
her nerves.
But aunty,' 1 questioned; is the head seen
but once in each dream? AND whose are
the features OF the face"
The head,' answered my aunt gravely, is
carried on pike as it were, many times to
and fro. Or, as Miss S. describes the scene, a
procession of heads all alike, and giving the
impression of being one and the same, are
borne slowly past the windows OF the car, IN
the glare Of torches. The poor child has
never seen the features, for the face is always
covered by delicate, half transparent hand
kercnief in the corner Of which is coronet
and cipher of delicate embroidery. Miss ..
saws that she is conscious of vivid curiosity
at each recurrence of this dream only as to
the cipher on the handkerchief; she never
thinks whose features it wells.
Il dare not continued my aunt, 'coun.
sci her never to travel by rail, lest l should
inspire her with fears which hitherto she has
never felt. For alas! feel absolutely certain
that some fearful accident will happen to
herp'
Some fearful accident will happen to me-
/ said laughing, if sit longer by this TOO
tempting fire. I must be off and to bed, Tor
have long journey before me tomorrow.
The next day went South, and was de-
tanned there week after week. Spring In TACT
reached Boston before did. OF course at
once went to call on Aunt Dora, whom
found rather out of spirits and lonely,..as Miss
S. had left her day or two before, having
been suddenly summoned to the far West by
an invalid sister. -.I
While we sat talking in the soft dusky twi-
light, the servant entered with the evening
paper. I took it from his hand, and careless
ly opening it. my eye eye fell upon the head
ing Fearful Railroad Accident
First on the list of killed was the name OF
Miss S. My aunt saw my agitation, and in
sisted on being told its cause. Thankful
enough was l, that she was not alone when
the sad intelligence reached her.
s'And PHILIP I said hurriedly reading on,
only to find his name among the injured.
Weeks passed before Phil was suffic iently le-
covered to be brought tohis mothers house,
and still longer time elapsed before the
name of Miss S. passed his lips.
'You remember" he said to me one night,
breaking long, sad silence-'you remember
the strange and persistent warnings received
by Christine-warnings to which she paid so
little heed, to which we were all so shamefully
indifferent-but you do not Know" he con-
tinued, ''all the details of the tragedy. l.
must unseal my lips to you now, for II lie
here longer, and brood in solitude over the
mystery and horror of it all, shall certainly
60 crazy.
In vain did l beg my poor friend to wait
until he was stronger.
Il shall never be stronger" he exclaimed,
''until / have spoken. You know" he MUIR
INJURED, as convulsive shudder shook the
bench on which he lay, shat Christine was
killed instantly-but you do not Lnow that
was not at her side at the m Oment OF the ac-
cident; was in the smoking car, and was
not myself hurt at that time. My injuries
were received afterward, from the fall OF
burning beam of the station house. When
Miss S. was found the body was decapitated;
the guiotine itself might have done the
dreadful deed. In my anguish no thought OF
her dreams came to me. But when plying
woman's hand yelled with tender reverence
the pale, tranquil features of my dead love,
and saw the masses of fair hair all undis-
turbcd, there came fash of memory" Phil
was silent. At last he spoke. "Give me that
desk, dear friend"
'Reluctantly and with many fears, I gave
it him. He took from it, with trembling,
emaciated fingers, small package. Rever-
emily opened it, he unfolded delicate hand
kerchief. In the corner was the coronet, un-
der it the cipher-all as had been foreshad-
owed to Miss S.
"'Yes,' said Phls trembling voice, 'hcre
it is. That day we had noticed and admired
French woman, evidently of rank, whose
seat was near ours, and she it was who COM
peted the Dreams fuliment.'
Gas Phil uttered these words his sister
entered the room with peremptory injunc-
tions to silence.
81 was only permitted to clasp his hand in
warm sympathy, and to say good night TO
him, as now do to you ALL" And the
speaker hastily left the room.
The fire gave one expiring flicker. The
pale moon, shining through drift in the
hurrying clouds, glanced in at the small Win
dows.
Silence claimed us for her own. The strong
emotion of our friend had made its mark.
We all wished ourselves safe in our beds. At
last one lover of Shakespeare mUrmured I'M