The Monitor., 1888-05-25
THREE MINUTES TO TWELVE.

TN cOlu winter nlShb SOilc tWchty
years ago, when the earth was bound i'll
black frost and the bitter wind blew strong
and sharply, | was returning home from
spending the evening at a friends house
situated some three or four miles out of
town. The sky was SO black, the country
lanes were 80 dark, that was truly thank
ful when the scattered lights of an outlying
suburb began to twinkle in the distance,
stopped under the first lamp post | came to
and looked at my watch. 1t was no easy
task, for the lamp glass had pane broken
and the strong wind blew the gas in all di-
rections and almost extinguished it.
read the time at last-three minutes to
twelve-and, looking mp from my watch
face, started, to see man standing close
opposite to me. had heard nothing of
his approach We looked at each other
but for moment, yet it was time sufficient
to imprint his features indelibly on my
memory. A tall, shabby man, in thread
bare black frock coat and seedy tall hat,
his face lantern -jawed and sallow, his eyes
sunken and lusterless, his beard long and
ill-trimmed. In tone Of elaborate civility
he asked me for the time, thanked me for
my answer, and giving me goodnight
passed into the black darkness, which
seemed to engulf him like a grave.
| turned for a moment to think of his lonely
walk in the grim obscurity, and resumed
my homeward way, laughing at myself
for the start he had given me, and reflect
ing 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 comfortable shudder steal
upon me as | imagined him facing the
bitter blast in his insufficient clothing.
In the course of a week or two the Incl
dent-trihing enough-faded from my
memory, and thought no more of it.
In those early days | was actively en-.
gagged in the timber trade and the course
of my business took me good deal abont
the country, and brought me largely in
contact with the agents of the different
noblemen and country gentlemen Of the
district. With one of those agents, whe
resided near the county town OF Ii
had numerous transactions, and | used
often to run down to L to meet him,
for the town was only fifteen miles away
and was on a line of railroad. 1t was
dull little hole enough, that only warmed
| up into life when the militia were ont or
| the assiZes were on.
One night / returned from l., having
just made a large purchase from my
friend the agent, whose master sporting
nobleman, had been reduced to cut down
the family timber. When | fell asleep
that night l had very simple but vivid
dream. | thought | was standing on a
lofty hill. BY my side stood yelled
figure, who with a commanding gesture,
motioned me toward the town of l.,
which lay in the far distance. Then
suddenly awoke.
OF course l explained the thing to
myself easily enough. had been good
deal engaged in the neighborhood of the
place, and had large venture more OF less
remotely connected with it. Still the
dismiss it from my thoughts during the
whole of the day, and when | went to bed
at night wondered if it would again visit
| me.
! 1t did come again; precisely the same
dream, in precisely the same manner.
| Once more | found convincing explana-
tion. Doubtless had been thinking too
much abont the first dream, and this had
given rise to the second. But my explana-
tion did not convince me in the least; again
| was haunted by the thing throughout the
day, and when came home at night my
preoecupation was so evident that it
attracted the attention of my wife. She
questioned me upon the cause, and, only
too thankful to unbosom myself of what
was now almost a trouble, | told her about
the dream and it's 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 any
thing, more vivid and startling than before.
This time was utterly unhinged, the pale
face that fronted me in the looking glass
was hardly recognizable for my own. ]
went down to breakfast filled with fore
boding of some misfortune-bad news in
my letters-I knew not what.
The maid entered with the letter bag.
"There, said my wife, passing me let
ter on which was the L. postmark.
| ''That breaks your dream, john
| opened it hurriedly. 1t was from the
| agent, requesting me to meet him at l.
that day at o'clock, to arrange difficulty
that had arisen in the performance of his
contract.
| was intensely relieved. Here was an
opportunity to go to L, and perhaps the
very fact Of going would put me tight.
| There were two fast trains to LIN the
morning, but l decided to so by the first,
regardless of the fact that | should have
some hours to wait. So found myself in
few minutes speeding away to my desti-
| nation.
| The carriage was full. Pipes exhaled
their fragrance. Newspapers were turned
| and fiattened, and there was that leisurely