The Meeker herald., 1892-04-09

NHlksshXG<I6
Wisconsin was IN its infancy, and the
now prosperous inland cities, with
their Immense lumber mills, were mere
Villages OF lumbermen and loggcrs.
Travelling men were correspondingly
scarce. We grew lonesome and sui
icrcd many hardships OF which the
travellers OF to-day know bu, little.
Consequently was glad to meet no
plcasan, companion ms John sturte'
want. Like myself he represents! "a
,nbacco firm, but our "brnnds" were
of an entirely different kind; hence. We
were not competitors and visited the
trade from town to town together.
Stur,cvant was my senior by proba-
bly, ten years-a handsome man, pre-
mnturc!y gray, clean shaver. save for
IA mustacl. OF brownish color, which
ron,rRstcd quccrly with his rapidly
silvcring hair. Ills clothing was costly,
"bu, not expressed in fancy" lie dis
liked n Top and was strictly business
iik, in all his transactions: kept n
close guard upon his tongue, but
spoke int.liiccntly and to tn. point
when h. spoke at all. lie was well in
formed, and ia short, a gentleman
with whom almost any one would
readily have made friends NJ the h.-t
opportunity lac Afforded them. lie
seemed to take quite an Interest IN
me. and was proud OF u aud could
have assured him. Ind chosen. that
the interest wa, f,-riprochtcd.
one pleasant summer night. n lew
weeks alter our first meeting. ] invit'
ed him into my room Just across the
hall from his IN the little frame hot.l.l
ii- accepted my invitation. We
brough, forth our pipe, iillcd them
from our respective brands, III
them and jokinsiy cspia;ci upon the
qualities and merits possessed 10y
each. Thus We chst;c'l pleasantly Of
our sales and failures 10 sell; our
plan. FOR the comm: week. etc. until
n, las, our conversation turned upon
.omc remark which can NO, recall.
but in til, same manner that thou.
sand. of conversations hav" turned
bsfar-l into the suprtna'urHl-dFcnm
especially.
II. then related TO inc the iollowin.
story. which give in hts own Ian.
ruas-. rs accurately n. my memory
serves me. and | am positive that |
have forgotten no incidcn, connected
with IL. ! might further add that !
hav. no reason whatever to doubt.
in the least. it, absolute ;ruthiuln--s.
l.syin. hts pipe on the table. near
by. he began thus
II can not say. even alter the expert.
cnc- ] am about to relate. that ] place
much confidence IN dreams. this ON.
b.in. tho only one have ever been
able to trace ,oRnytltins ike tnnsibil.
i,y. lam sure that I nm no more
spp~r-ti,ious than the average oi men.
md have always chosen to attribute
tho fuliilimcnt OF any dream TO chance
or coincidence rather than TO any
other cause.
Fourteen year. ago. last winter,
wa. in ,d-nticnlly ;hc -nm- position
which ! now fill. excepting tho fact
tim, I am now dir-c;in. tho move
mcn,- o. a few men. You will know.
of course. that mt that time ] was
young man, to be accurate. twenty.
three years of ne-. ~ the time OF
which speak was on my maiden
trip. and. n- though to insure inc to
the trials and hntdships o; a travellers
life. the house Ind kept inc out al.
mos. ycnr wi,hou, 40 much rs n
t~cnty.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 ns
my home.
Here h. hc.ita,cj and passed his
hand through his hair. lie seemed to
be los. in meditation. or in trying
to think whcr. he should begin again.
Presently he said:
II will not worry you with the dc
tails of n love story. but suffice to say
TINT this same city was the abode OF
my sweetheart, Mary. whom ! Ind
known in infancy. whom had loved
from childhood. and to whom ] had
been bctrothed for two years. ! hold
close and regular correspondence with
her, aud her cntrcaties for inc to come
home were Mt times pitiitil. However,
wishing on this trip. above NIL Others,
to convince the firm that they need
have no fear OF my becoming home
sick. had never asked for leave of alb.
scncc.
at last. about the 1st ofDcccmber.
n letter reached me from the house
while I was in Alabama, stating that
after thc 10th inst. all travelling
agents will he Mt liberty until Jan. ] =.
and wishing ms n merry Christmas
and Happy New Yeas. OF course.
was extremely pleased, and mentally
calculated that after the days labor
wns completed on the 10th I would
board the . p. NJ. train for Nashville.
and reach home by the morning OF the
18th.
Retiring early on the night OF Dec
ember g. suffering from no undue men.
tai or ply steal excitement. fell into
what appeared to me to be a peaceful
sleep. in which dreamed that ] stood
a. the rear entrance of a strange
brick house, one which I had never
seen in my waking moments, but eve
nv exterior detail of which | seemed
to note carefully and still remember.
Why or how ! was supposed to he
there. or why was at the rear door,
| do not know, but ] wns perfectly
sur. that it was proper to he there,
and also equally as sure that this was
Msry's home. | knocked upon the
door and was admitted by Mary,
s,s,er. who, though it seem.