Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-07-20
A Dream.

| lltNc. IL IL oCcnis ihOi iCuiulc Sdii
bring forward no proof but my word
and the deep scar on my forehead.
1t happened about five years ago,
while travelling for my health, that
| arrived quite late one night in the
thriving town of c.. secured
a room at one Of the hotels, and
after dinner, feelingpretty we'll worn
out, went to bed. But could not
sleep, 1t seemed that every horrible
murder and every painful scene that
had ever heard of or experienced
during my lifetime would rise be-
fore my eyes again and again, each
time with redoubled vividness.
At last | could bear it no longer.
rose and seated myself before the
fire with the uncanny feeling of be-
ing watched that one often has up
on leaving a dark room. After
time this wore off a little, and / fell
asleep.
I seemed to be in a large octagon
room. Narrow oblong windows,
with their upper halves of red glass
were cut in the walls so near each
other that the whole place was bath
ed in light; but as | looked it was
not the mere light from the wind
ows that gave everything its rosy
hue. Blood was everywhere. 1t
stained the walls and clung to the
wooden bench encircling the room.
1t crept along the floor in sluggish
streams, and oh, horror! they were
all creeping toward me!
| turned to find some place of es-
cape. Behind me was massive
door of bronze open-work. | beat
against it with my fists, but it did
not stir. Through it l looked into
a sort of cage which did not appear
inviting, but in my unreasonable
terror ] would have braved perdition
itself to have escaped those pools
SO steadily pursuing me.
| beat upon the door of the cage
again and again, with renewed
strength. 1t gave way, and | flung
myself through the opening just as
the first stream had almost touched
my foot. But some change caused
by my entrance was fast taking
place. began to feel deathly
faintness stealing over me, and could
hear myself mutter inarticulately.
"Air-air! | am i'll" Then q
voice rang through the stiffness,
"Why, it's as easy as A, B, c." and
fiendish laugh seemed to echo and
re-echo through my brain. Then
came a jar and lurch, and ! was
shot down, down, down-and awoke,
sitting in my room before the dead
ashes of the CRATE fire.
At first | could hardly realize that
the octagon room, the blood and the
terror, were only a dream, but l
finally succeeded, and thinking,
Fred, old man, that lobster salad
and maraschino that you INDUCED
in for supper were too much for
YOU" crept into bed and slept until
morning!
The next day, as was stolling
through the business part Of the
town, I felt hearty slap on my
shoulder, and turning, met the smil-
ing face of Tom Norris, my old
college chum.
"Why, Maxwell, who would
thought of meeting you here?" he
exclaimed. "How long do you stayp
Going home tomorrow! Well.
that's rather soon, isn't itp But l
suppose you've done the town.
Seen the observatory"
replied that l had not-in fact,
did not know there was such a place.
"Why, you must not go home
without seeing the only object of
interest in c., | will go there with
you this afternoon if you wish"
l accepted the invation, and three
o'clock found us wandering leisurely
on our way to the observatory.
After short walk we entered plain
stone building, the pride of c..
"The elevator is at the top. Let's
walk up. 1t will do us good"
We did so, and presently emerged,
very much out of breath, into large
octagon room."
| Wherehad seen it before? II all
seemed so natural; the low bench
running around the wall; the win
dows with their upper halves of red
glass; the--rosy glow; the--sud-
denly the truth flashing through my
mind. twas the room of my dream
"Why, Maxwell, what ails you?
Are you ill.,"
mo, no." | answered hurriedly.
ut will pass away in moment"
Maybe it was the stairs" said