The Republican journal., 1886-08-12
Long Branch Gossip.

know him. There he is, out on the porch.
| Come; let me present you.''
| These words We're said one week ago, and
were predatory to the beginning of one of the
most interesting acquaintance imaginable. 1t
| is not often that a man of such peculiar cro-
| chctS and inotlensive fances is met in this
| world of commonplace people. He is now a
Western merchant of prominence, of Scotch
| parenta@e, as his name indicates, and makes an
annual summer tour to Europe This year he
has fingered here later than usual, because of
the splendid series of races now being run at
Monmouth Park. Not that he is betting man.
Far from it. lie admres fine horse, and the
exhibition Of good blood therein delights him.
That is all. But it was pot until last night that
really began to understand this man. He is a
believer in omens-found his wife by one, made
fortune bY others. No ancient Greek gave
more heed to a premoniton than does he. He
confessed that he almost feared he was becom-
ing Spiritualist. When pressed him for the
reason, that led him to accept the mysteries of
such belief he was silent a few moments
Then he said, slowly:
HIS STRANGE PATRON.
/ w III zen Aot W llclicF ii tUTiis OUt Il >OnS
or sermon leave to you. TO me it has the
elements OF both. 1t is an event that has alter
| ed my whole life. DO you care to hear it?'
II am all attention.
"IWelve years ago was Il member OF the
New y ork Produce Exchange. | was unmar-
ried and led lonely life at an uptown hotel.
My friends were few. had no sources of in
formation as to the movements of stocks. One
day Il man. whom knew merely aS Il customer,
| came to my office and said: My health has
i,a1 a1.nn az R,,l l,n-
dered me TO 20 away where l can't possibly
speculate. Now. | have made profits amount
ing to over SJ0, 900 through YOU during the past
year Though have traded at half Il dozen
other houses | have invariably lost. | believe
you're lucky and an honest man. I'll tell you
what I'm going TO do. He is my certified check
for S30,OOO. place it in Your hands without
amy conditions. Yes will take your receipt,
Of course, and leave it among my papers, but
shall inlorse on its back Il declaration that in
the event of my death your statement of ac-
count must he accepted to my executor without
dispute. do not wish to involve YOU in a law
suit"
FIRST STRANGE INCIDENT.
"Did you accept:"
AT first dcclincd,'' was the reply. The
proposition seemed rather strange. Had the
man not been going away | wouldn't have
hestated. He insisted on leaving the check,
and after he Went away, promising to re-
turn later in the day for my answer, Went
round to the old Beaver street Delmoni-
cos for a bite of luncheon. was in Il brown
study. More than ever impressed with the de-
termination not to accept the trust from a COM
parative stranger, seemed to feel an external
influence urging me to do So My judgment re-
hclled against such psychic dication. Remem-
Der, now, | had been raised Il Presbyterian and
knew nothing about Thco>Opy-do not pretend
10 now. for that matter. But / was at logger
heads with myself That was the >trangeSt
meal ever tried to cat. Tie place was crowd
cd to siIiocation, but at the little table occti-
pied near one Of the windows The chair right
across from mine remained untitled. Several
gentlemen came that way as if to take it, but each
apoiogized and passed on. This soon began to
annoy me. Suddenly it flashed upon me that
the controlling influence came from the chair
opposite to me. Whether YOU believe it or not.
! had not drunk any liquor for week and wa,
perfectly rational. walked hurriedly back to
my office. saving all the way. i will not But
when got there Went to the ledger and with
my own hand reopcned an account with my
former customer. The money was placed to
his credit. and when he came, about half-pa>t
three, he took my receipt, made the peculiar
Endorsement thereon, and, shaking me warmly
by the hand, merely said:
81 felt sulc you would oblige me.
VANISHED UTTERLY.
lie left without giving me any address to
which could write him. His home had been
at the New York Hotel, but when | stopped
there several days afterWardand asked for him
The clerk replied that the guest | sought had
gone abroad. This preface has proved a long
story. but il is essential to understanding what
has since followed. | will not tire you With an
account of the three Years that succeeded.
began to have peculiar series of dreams. This
mysterious customer of mine began to appear
to me i'll my slecp-not every night, but some
times at intervals of several nights The mar
kct was very fcVerlsl and was very cautious.
The scene of the drama was always my office.
My absent customer would enter in his grave
way and say: Buy thousand barrels OF pork:'
sell five thousand bushels of wheat Occa-
sIonally he'd give an order for railroad stocks.
This went on for two or three weeks before |
began to be impressed with the fact that these
suggestions in nearly every instance would
have resulted in profit. SO impressed was |
with the dreams at last that | followed the
counsel one day and bought all the lard could
safely take. Not on my customers account.
remember. but my own. WAS not dishonest
III this. | sald to myself calmly that never
could explain Il purchase by saving that had
made ii at the in>tigation OF a dream. | would
have been laughed at and treated as an impoS-
tor and cheat. But, do you know, that lard
showed me profit of $4,000 i'll two weeks
time. The success both surprised and vcNed
me. Whom did the profits belong to? After
some thought decided to divide them. and ac-
cordngly placed the half, less my regular com
mission to the account of my absent customer.
spEcrLArING ruHoUGu pRE,N1,Sp.
The next time | saw the man he said.
Don't be afraid do as tell YOU To shorten
the story - written record of which, spread
upon by books, will stand the examination of
'.,'! ~ r i0, account hoMeu palalioe 10
600 Thourh thc s,1ccnSsa: wore ,cm,rl,hIn
made three or foIlr bad losscs. two of them ov
inc to an lumistakable ,nis,InIprstanIlino of
tha orders know. VA, nro .nn,,tiral n1t I
went TO bed every niJht With , note hook on :,
fable uparat hand i roulj wnI,n dirnltlv ,ftn.
the dream Was ended and enter the orJrrim the
book There N find if nnvf morn;n,t tttnn-
tion TO tLis trust had alrradv tolJ sHrionsl, an
my other business. NV health was unf 81
rood. either. sometime: 7 worried ahont nv
self fr,rino that I v,aS ,o.ll,, lnsin nv, rnon;,
Not a word in wrjtin,r Had Ievrrrrcniynd from
INV absent customer FINALLY i,,l-,..tel tJ;'
large fund in the best bonds and mort~orcs I
coill find enclosed tbnm in a lar,rn nnveInno
with Jrttrr scttin~ ont the facts a,7d dnnns;taL
thn wholn win y trust romn,n~ uant -
nv old home in ReIfast Nv hnnItb r,niJin ro,
rnvnrel baJ No rnnro Iran,,u p,,t ,,,,,,,,l
| nv early assoriato. I m;SloJ ono fano thot
was snrci,lIv ,nyious 10 sna Eo M a. w.
| mans face NV srhoolfellnw tn,irnw, ' Rrnc,
| had i'm tho .hsnnro Of a hrnthn, hnnn nlI that y
brother ronlJ Ne to ma n uo rs;n;an ~.
and at that timc was a sncciali,f ot tha Mnr,
nusiIn As,l,,m nn,, IIini,aI '' ~ ~ ~
timr in r,,n, dawn tn nno ~, y, iOs. ',a 'o
vsitn@ nhxscion and bnd lor,rn Ii4 o,nat;o"
of his own hannnneI tn nai ;n.t ~ ha hn> vo
eutnrin% his tir to % bis " siI, r' a. ilo Mm'
i'i''hN ms .'.'hy