St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-18
A VOCAL DUO.
Frances p. Kimball. !


talk drifted into telling stories, perso nal
experiences of strange condolences or
fulfilled presentiments. A newspaper
man turned to tall, good-looking fell
low, whose sighted RS and pleasant
drawl proclaimed him son of old Keu-
lucky, who was telling some queer
things. do you believe in PRESENT.
ments, cOlonel?'
WELL" he drawled, II don't know.
l hardly think do, but there are some
things one can't explain. About Year
ago was riding on local train from
Omaha to North Platte. The weather
had been disagreeable for several days,
aud the morning we left Omaha was
gloomy enough. Late in the afternoon
we were sidetracked about twenty miles
this side of North Platte. There we
waited for some time, 10 allow the
through passenger train that had been
delayed by washout to pass us.
81 here were very few passengers IN
our car, none that | cared to talk to. so
| sat curled up in seat. with book
for company, when the brakeman came
| in and dropped into the seat in front of
me with his hand on the back of the
seat. | always notice peoples hands.
They are sure Indicators of character;
and this one was worth looking at.
Ciean-cut, slender, small iointed ting-
ers, with well-cared-for nails, and
nervous, strOng-veined palm the hand
of gentleman. looked at his face,
and liked that even better than the
hand. 1t was strong and steadfaSt. |
remember that thought that he was
not the man to give up easily anything
he had made up his mind to do.
1.-The rain beat against the car Win
dow, and over the wide monotony of the
plain outside the gray banners of the
mist swept to and fro; but the brake
mans blue eyes looked far away to the
dim horizon.
II leaned over and spoke to him, and
for half an hour we talked on various
subjects; then he asked; Are you a
believer in presentim ents, sir"
"'Well, L dome know l said,
'''there are so many ineXplicable things
told that don't know what do believe.
Are yOu?'
~ don't know either, but | am OPP
pressed today with affecting that death
is near. You come from my old home
in Kentucky. and are an older man than
am. I'd like to tell you all about it,
Il put my hand over the clenched one
in front of me, and he told his story. 1t
was not an unusual one to me. Family
wiped out by the war, he and his sister
left alone in the world, poverty, pride
and struggle; but he managed to pull
through college, and came home to hear
a story of treachery and shame, told
over that sisters coffin. From that
hour his life had been search for the
man who betrayed her."
~ can't be far away from him
now,' he said. I've found out that
he's living somewhere about North
Platte
Just then we heard the whistle of
the delayed train. The brakeman
stepped out of the door and leaned off
at the platform as the train came thun-
dering by. In moment, no one could
tell how, he was under the wheels.
when the trainmen lifted the
crushed body, little packet fell from
one of his pockets. l picked it up,
and as l did so his eyes looked into
mine, and then fell to my hand.
keep it, he said. o.
"a spasm of agony contracted his
features; then he was dead.
when we reached North Platte |
opened the packet. There were few
letters in it and card photograph of
handsome man with name written
across the bottom. l have the picture
yet"
After moments silence, the doctor
exclaimed: as
"Well, by ,JOve! the strangest thing |
ever knew happened not far from North
Platte, too. Your story reminds me of
it, colonel. l am surgeon to that section
of the Pacific road, you know, and live
in that delightful city of the plain. l
know everybody there, and one of the
gayeSt, widest fellows and yet one Of
the shrewdest business men there, a
few months ago, was handsome Jack
Berkeley. Everybody liked him and his
worst fault was that, like good many
other people, he would drink too much
occasionally. He was a fine rider and
dearly loved the big black horse, Jim.
that had carried him over miles and
miles of that dreary country, and was
not afraid of anything on top of the
ground.
Zone day about six months ago he
rode out to ranch twenty miles or so
from town. He left the ranch about
shutdown. and few hours afterwards
some trainmen found him by the side OF
the railroad, hurt to death. The black
horse had fallen and rolled over on him.
They brought HIM into town and sent
for me. He knew before l said word
what my verdict must be.
"'Pm done for; you can't help me.
Shut the door. Doc he said. 'I'll tell
you all about 1t. was coming in from
Laisure's ranch tonight. When got to
the railroad it was growing dark, and
Jim was going at good trot, when sud
denly | saw man, or what looked more
like the shadow of man. walking on
the track. | did.nOt think much about
it at first, but after a little began to
wonder who the fellow was, and then to
notice that he was pretty good walker.
| touched jim up little. Still he kept
about the same distance ahead of me.
1t was as If he were leading my horse.
| felt for my pistol, took it out, in fact,
and held it in my hand. l began to
feel little queer, and as the railroad
was few feet above the road l was on
by this time. | determined to find out
what that shadow was. | turned Jim'5
head. and tried to ride him up the bank.
The figure stood still as if waiting for
me. Jim stopped, and would not go.
Instead he began to snort and tremble
and back away. l struck him with my
spur, and turned his head toward the
man again. He sprang forward, reared
and fell back, rolling completely over
me, and Pm done for; but Doc, know
who stood there, and L deserve all /
got.'
Nothing could be done for the poor
fellow, and in few hours he was Dead"
The Kentuckian leaned over with
card in his band.
"Would you like to see that photo
graph 1 spoke of ?' he asked.
YES" said the doctor. holding out his
hand. He took the card and looked at
the picture all instant.
Good God, Jack Berkleyw he said.