Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-07-08
A SHADOW CAST BEFORE.


terest Of Southern tabacco factory.
Travelling men were scarce. We
grew lonesome and suffered many
hardships of which the travellers of
to-day know but little. Consequently
i was glad TO meet SO pleasant COM
panion as John Sturtevant
Sturtevant was my senior by prob
ably ten years a handsome man.
prematurely gray clean shaveu, save
for mustache OF brownish color
which contrasted queerly with his
rapidly silveriug HAIR
One pleasant summer night a few
weeks after our first meeting / in
vited him into my room just across
the hall from his in the little frame
hotel)
Our conversation turned upon
some remark which | cannot recall.
but in the Same manner that thous-
ands OF conversations have turned
before) into the supernatural-dream
especially.
He then related to me the following
story. which | give in his own Ian
guage. as accurately as my memory
serves me. and l am positive that |
have forgotten no incident connected
with l.
Laying his pipe on the table near
by. he began thus:
Il cannot say. even after the en-
perience / am about to relate that l
place much credence in dreams this
one being the only one 1 have ever
been able to trace to anything like
tangioillty. i am sure that l am no
more superstitious than the average
OF men. and have always chosen to
attribute the fulfillment of any dream
to chance or coincidence rather than
TO any other cause.
fourteen years ago last winter l
was in identically the same position
which | now fill excepting the fact
that | am now directing the move
ments o. few men. You will know,
OF course. that at this time / was a
young man-to be accurate % years
of age. At the time OF which speak
l was on my maiden trip and as
though 10 inure me TO the trials and
hard5hips OF n travellers life. the
house had kept me out almost year
without so much as twenty-f four
hours visit to the city in which my
parents resided. and which. for the
lack OF any other my parents being
dead | still claim as my home"
Here he hesitated and passed his
hand through his hair. He seemed to
be lost in meditation or in trying to
think where he should begin again.
Presently he said:
Il will not worry you with the de-
.ails of love story; but su &c it to
say that this same city was the abode
OF my sweetheart Mary. whom | had
known in infancy. whom | had loved
from childhood. and 10 whom / had
been betrothed for two years. | held
close and regular correspondence with
her. and her entreaties for me to come
home were at times pitiful. How
ever, wishing upon this trip. above
all others to convince the firm that
they need have no fear OF my becom-
ing homesick. / had never asked for
leave OF absence.
AT last about the 1st OF December.
letter reached me from the house
while / was in Alabama stating that
after the 10th inst. all travelling
agents will be at liberty until January
1sI and wishing US ~ merry Christ
mas and happy New Year. OF
course | was extremely we'll pleased.
and mentally calculated that after tho
days labor was completed on the 9th
would board the p m. train for
Nashville and reach home by tie
morning OF the 18th.
''Retiring early on the night of
December 9th. suffering from no un-
due mental or physical excitement
fell into what appeared to me to be
peaceful sleep in which dreamed
that | stood at the rear entrance of a
strange brick house. one which | had
never seen in my waking moments.
but every exterior detail of which
seemed TO note carefully and still re-
member Why and how 1 was sup
posed to be there. on why l was at
the rear door. / do mot know. but
was perfectly sure that it was proper
to be there. and also equally sure
that this house was Mary's home. l
knocked upon the door and was ad-
mitted by Mary's sister who though
il seemed not in the least strange to
me. expressed but very little concern
at seeing me- merely saying. Mary is
In the front parlor and as persons do
in dreams disappeared. was alone.
Taking hasty survey OF the room. /
noticed that IL seemed in such dis
order as results from moving before
articles are placed in their proper po-
sitions / scanned things closely. A
pair of lady's shoes were in the mid
die OF the room close to the leg OF a
center table. A lounge was in the
further d. against ono of the cur
tains which hung over folding door
the other curtain being drawn. dis
closing small room. in which the
only article Fof furniture visible
through tho curtains was bureau.
such as were so much used at that
time. 80
lit Is needless for sme 10 mention
every object which i seemed to ex-
anime ia that one brief moment.
though / recall everything wildly
even to tho carpet the wall paper,
- n