The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-04-19
A TRUE STORY OF A DREAM.

cNcHtS dui dDOuL 10 ucSCI4Dc y dDoOiulc-
ly true in every particular.
Ny friend, Phil easy, was talking about
dreams one day in my office. He is q
muscular limb of the law" about 80
years Of age, with no nonsense about him.
Il know you don't believe in dreams" /"
he said, ~and neither do /. But now
that we're on the subject I'll tell you
something which you can perhaps ac-
count foF-I can't. And then he told
me a story.
"a few years ago was living in the
village Of Saybrook, you know. One
evening after had been working very
hard all day over a complicated case.
reached home with that peculiar, don't
eare-a-cent, done-out kind of feeling
which excessive brain work is apt to
produce.
After supper picked out the hardest
chair in the room and sat down to read
the daily papers, for was 50 tired that
feared to fall asleep should seat my
self in an easy one
My wife sat near me quietly sewing
We had 10 youngsters then, nor servants
and the house being on the very out
skirts of the village, was still as an empty
church. Absorbed, rather selfshly. per-
haps, as was reading uparrears of news,
Twas not 8 particularly entertaining
companion, presume, and about nine
o'clock my wife rolled up her work and
said: 4 think I'll 90 10 bed, Phil. Don't
sit up too late, and with dainty good
night kiss she disappeared.
Instead of following my better half as
should have done, continued to read /;
but, by and bye. with the idea Of brush
ing the eobwebs from my brain before
going to rest, I strolled across the road
and called upon my friend, Frank Stay
ner, who proposed q short walk, the
night being warm and moonlit
This suited me exactly, and We set
out by way of an old bride path which
led across the fields into the country.
After little chatting and laughing, as
old eronies viii, We came to q small
brook, which We passed over dry shod,
on stepping stones, Frank being at the
moment some yards in advance Of me.
~He was leisurely ascending the oppo-
site bank and had just reached the mid
dleIof cIumb Of alder bushes when he
was violently felled to the earth and
knocked senseless by q violent blow on
the head from masked man, who sprang
out Of the dense thicket.
Frank had fallen face downward and
lay motionless a. a log. In an instant
the ruffian was upon him, turned him
quickly over and began ritiing his poek-
cts with skill and celebrity evidently
born of long practice.
What was l doing all this time?
Well, simply stood there, looking on /;
not in the least terrified, but by some
strange influence, absolutely incapable
not only Of motion, but even Of uttering
q sound. Stranger still, although stand
ing in the broad moonlight, at less than
thirty feet from him, the highwaymAn
seemed totally unaware Of my presence
and went on with his vi,tim were the
only human being within a hundred
miles.
"He had emptied my friends trousers
and coat pockets and was now feeling
about his breast for his watch, very
valuable one; as l knew, which Frank
always carried in the inside pocket Of his
vest secured by strong silk cord pass
ing around the neck.
The robber always working in grim
silence, soon found the watch and not
bothering TO cut the string, jerked MS
prize violently away. The shock seem
Ell to restore Frank to partial conscious
ness and be drowsily murmerei; Hello:
what's upg
AT the sound of his voice all my be-
numbed faculties awoke to instant life,
and, rushing forward, still unseen by the
footpad, dealt him a terrible blow on
the back Of his neck, and he fell insensi-
bic across the body OF his PROSTATE prey.
Quickly rolling him aside 1 pulled of bis
Grape mask, revealing most yillAinous
face.
Then I assisted Frank to rise. He
seemed quite recovered and none the
worse for the assault After securing the
stolen property We took our pocket hand
kerchiefs and tied the fellows hands firm
ly behind ais back. He Was still entire
ly helpless and unconscious; so, one of
Us at the head and the other at the feet,
We carried him of to the village unresist-
ing.
~On arriving at the little police station
the officer on night watch asked What
have you got there, gentlemen
80 Nothing very nice, guess replied
Stayner; ne knocked me down, how
ever, and picked my pockets in good
style
The officer flashed his light upon our
prisoners face. Why, sure as you i've
he exclaimed, fts Ike Berry IA notorious
crook of whom I'd often heard that we've
been afte- the last three months. Dump
him down anywhere All right, said l
Let 90, Frank and We dropped our bur
den with crash TO the floor. At that
moment wonan's voice screamed out
Why Phil, what's the matter? and /
awoke to find myself sprawling over the
carpet and the whole affair q dream"
"a rather lively one certainly Phil"
said |, @b1t have heard lots as curious"
~Why, man alive I'm only beginning
my story. You don't suppose I'd bore
you with such stuff if that were all? Is
! said before I'm no believer in dreams
never in my life knew one to come
literally true-but somehow this parti-
cular dream 50 impressed me that |
e11ldn't get it out out OF my mind
Having dread Of my wife's good hu-
mored railery did not tell her the dream
But the next night really did 90 to