Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-07-01
A SHADOW BEFORE.

terest of u southern tobacco factory.
At that time the numbering industry
Of central Wisconsin was in its in
fancy. and the now prosperous in
land cities, with their immense lum-
Der mills. were mere villages,o of lum-
bermen and loggers.
Travelling men were corresponding
ly scarce. We grew lonesome, and
suffered many hardships Of which
the travellers of today know but lit
tie. Consequently | was glad to
meet 30 pleasant companion as
John Sturtevant. Like myself, he
represented a tobacco firm, but our
brands" were of an entirely differ
ent kind hence we were not com
petitors. and visited the trade from
town to town together
Sturtevant was my senior by prob
ably ten years "A handsome man,
prematurely gray, clean shaven, save
for u mustache Of brownish color,
which contrasted queefly with his
rapidly silvering hair. His clothing
was costly, but not expressed in
fancy" He disliked Il fop, and was
strictly busines5like in all his trans
actions; kept close guard on his
tongue. but spoke intelligently and
to the point when he spoke at all.
He was well informed and, in short,
Il gentleman with whom almost any
one would readily have made friends
at the first opportunity he afforded
them. He seemed to take quite an
interest III me. and | was proud of it
and could have assured him. had |
that the interest was recipro-
Gated.
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
hoteD. He accepted my invitation.
We brought forth our pipes, filled
them with our respective brands"
lit them and jokingly expatiated on
the qualities and merits possessed by
each. Thus we chatted pleasantly
of our sales and failures to sell; our
plans for the coming week, etc, un-
til at last our conversation turned
upon some remark which cannot
recall. but in the same manner that
thousands of conversations have
turned before) into the supernatural
dreams especially.
He then related to me the following
story, which | give in his own Ian
guage, as accurately as my memory
serves me, and am positive that l
have forgotten no incident connected
with it. ! might further add that |
have no reason whatever to doubt
IN the least its absolute truthfulness.
Laying his pipe on table near by,
he began thus:
Il cannot say, even after the ex-
perience | am about to relate, that l
place much credence in dreams, this
one being the only one have ever
been able to trace to anything like
tangibility. am sure that am no
more supeistitious 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 ]
waA IN identically the same position
which | now fill, excepting the fact
that am now directing the move
ments of few men, You will
know of course that at that time |
was young man TO be accurate,
twenty three years of age. At the
time of which | speak | was on my
maiden trip and, us though to
inure me to the trials and hardships
of travellers life, the house had
kept me out almost year without
50 much rs twentyfour hours visit
to the city in which my parents re-
sided. and which, for the lack of any
other, my parents being dead, still
claim rs my home.
Here he hesitated and passed his
hand through his hair, He seemed
to DO lost in meditation, or in trying
10 think where he should begin
again. Presently no said
II will not worry you with the de
tails of "A love story, but suffice 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 TO whom had been bethrothed
for two years. held close and reg
ular correspondence with her. and
her enueahes for mo 10 come home
We're at times pitiful However,
wishing on this trip, above all others,
TO convince the firm that they need
A. A.. /.