The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-02-23
Niscel lanen1ls.
Three Minutes to Twelve,

oI II COlu lJeCcmDer nlSnt some Twelve
years ago, when the earth was bound in n
black frost and the bitter wind blew strong
and shrewdly, | was returning home from
spending the evening at II friends house,
situated some three or four miles out of town.
The sky was black, the country lanes were
so dark, that | was truly thankful when the
scattered lights of an outlying suburb began
to twinkle in the distance, and it was with n
sigh of relief that stopped under the lamp
post l came TO and looked at my watch. 1t
was no easy task, for the lamp glass had a
pane broken and strong wind blew the gas
in all directions and almost eXtingushed it,
| read the time at last-three minutes to 10
and, looking up from the watch face,
started to see man standing close opposite
me- | had heard nothing of his approach
We looked at each other but for moment,
yet it was sufficient time to imprint his fca.
lures indclibly on my memory. A tall, shah
by man, in n threadbare, black frock coat and
Il seedy tall hat, his face lantern jawed and
sallow, his eyes sunken and lustreless, his
beard long and ill-trimmed In tone of
elaborate civility he asked me the time,
thanked me for my answer and giving me
good night, passed into the black darkness,
which seemed to engulf him like grave.
| turned for moment to think of his lonely
walk in that grim obscurity, and resumed
my homeward way, laughing at myself for the
start he had given me, and reflected that the
strong wind had blown away the sound of
his approach. thought of him as | sat and
smoked my pipe over my fire. and felt COM
Portable shudder steal upon me as imagined
him facing the bitter blast in his insufficient
clothing.
In the course of week or two the Incl
dent-trifing enough, Heaven knows-faded
from m and | thnnUht
of it.
In those days was actively engaged in the
timber trade, and the course of my business
took me a great deal about the county, and
brought me largely in contact with the agents
of the different noblemen and country gentle
men of the district. With one of these
agents, who resided near the country town
OF L., had numerous transactions, and l used
often to run down to L. to meet him, for the
town was only fifteen miles away, and was
on line of railroad. 1t was dull little hole
enough, that only warmed up into life when
the militia were out or the assizes were on.
One night returned from L., having just
made large purchase from my friend the
agent, whose master, q sporting nobleman,
was reduced to cut down the family timber.
When fell asleep that night had very
simple but vivid dream. | thought | was
standing on lofty hill BY my side stood
a yelled figure, who, with a commanding ges-
ture, motioned me towards the town of h.,
which lay in the far distance Then |
awoke.
OF course, explained the thing to myself
easily enough. had been good deal en-.
gagged in the neighborhood of the place, and
had large venture more or less remotely
connected with it, Still the dream was so
vivid that could not dismiss it from my
thoughts during the whole of the day, and
when went to bed at night l wondered if
it would again visit me.
1t did come again, precisely the same dream
in precisely the same manner. Once more
found convincing explanation. Doubtless |
had been thinking too much about the first
dream, and this had given rise to the second.
But my explanation did not convince me in
the least; again | was haunted by the thing
throughout the day. and when came home at
night it attracted the attention of my wife
She questioned me upon the cause and, only
too thankful to unbosom myself ofwhat was
now almost trouble, / told her about the
dream and its repetition. She had the tact
not to laugh at me, but was evidently little
impressed by the narrative.
The third night it came again, if anything,
more vivid and startling than before. This
time l was utterly unhinged, the pale face
that fronted me in the looking glass was hard
| ly recognizable for my own. | went down
to breakfast, filled with foreboding of some
misfortune-ba news in my lcttcrs-I knew
| not what.
The maid entered with the letter-bag.
"There," said my wife, passing me letter on
which was the L. post mark That breaks
your dream, John"
opened it hurriedly. 1t was from the
| inn mr. IN poapt hin, at T. thnf
day at O'clock, to arrange difficulty that
had arisen in the performance ofhis contract
| was intensely relieved Here was an OPP
portunity to get to L., and perhaps the very
fact of going would put me right. There
| were two fast trains to L., in the morning
but decided TO go by the first, regardless o.
the fact that | should have some hours &c
wait. So l found myself speeding away
towards my destination.
The train was full Pipes exhalcd theil
fragrance, newspapers were turned and fiat
tened and there was that lrisurey kind o
morning conversation that prevails among
men going off by an early train to their day
work. soon discovered that had falleI
among party of barristers, and their chic
topic was n peculiarly interesting case whicl
was to be finished to-day at the L. assizes.
"He must sum up against the prisoner,
said gentleman with fat, ford face ant
long sandy whiskers, who wore light over
coat and shepherds plaid trousers. 9Th
defense was a complete failure, and deserved
to be-"
at was certainly rather audacious," re
turned a clean shaven young man with
double eye-glass, who sat opposite me. "Bu
don't like circumstantial evidence"
GAIL evidence is more or less circumstan
tial" answered he of the ford complexion