The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-05-31
A PREMONITION.

we WoIo IollIHS III couple OF easy
chairs on the veranda one evening
after dinner, Stanfeld and /, when my
friend sent the glowing stump of his
cheroot pirouetting down the steps,
and turning in his chair said, alb
ruptly:
"Do you know, Dick. man was
shot once just where you're sittingP"
Naturally I was startled, and in
stead of replying to Stanfield's remark
glanced uneasily down the long, ghost
ly veranda, of which the outer edge
lay in bright moonlight, while the in
ner portion was wrapped in the dense
shadow of the partly drawn bamboo
jalousies.
81 know the feeling" said Stantield,
noting my uneasiness. 81 never sit
here of an evening without getting a
creepy sensation all over me. The
servants say the old bungalow is
haunted, and l shouldn't wonder if
they are right. Anyhow, if it isn't it
ought to be, for the story connected
with it is an uneanny one altogether.
See that hole in the jalousies there on
the rightP"
"Do you mean the oblong slit just
above the balustradep Pom my word,
against the moonlight it looks for al
the world like malignant eye!"
$50 it is" said Stanfeld, with a
slight shiver. "It was through that
hole Judge Robertson, mypredecessor,
was shot"
"Ah! I've heard there was a strange
story connected with his death, but I
know none of the particulars. Sup
pose you light another weed and talk
me out of this creepy fit"
Talk you into worse one, more
like," retorted Stanfeld, striking
fusee. "I'll wager you never heard
weirder story, but you shall have the
facts and then Judge for yourself.
With that he settled himself in his
chair and after putting refectively at
his cheroot for some seconds went on
to tell me the story of the shot through
the jalousies.
Robertson, you must know, was an
Eton boy. We were chums in the old
days and that is how l came to know
of peculiar tradition that is said to
have been in his family for centuries.
"It seems that for hundreds of years
no Robertson has ever died without
having distinct premonition of his
approaching end and, what is more re-
markable still, the warning always
comes in the form of an odor-an
earthly smell; the smell of new-dug
grave.
well, about a week before his
death, when he was on his way to take
up his appointment here, in fact, Rob-
ertson passed through Malariabad,
where / was at that time stationed as
Of 7
for the night. After dinner we were
sitting smoking just as you and l are
now, when presently he says:
"'Stantield,' says he, there's a devil
ish queer smell about. Been having
any digging done on the premises?'
"'No, said l, I haven't and for the
life of me I can't smell anything ex-
cept these Dindiguls we're smoking
"'Perhaps that's what it is, then,'
said he, doubtfully.
"Just as I'VE were making move for
bed, however, he suddenly grips my
hand and 'Stanfeld, says he hoarsely,
for Gods sake tell me that your peo-
pie have been digging somewhere near
or that there's been a shower! can't
get that earthly smell out of my nos
made grave
well, all of sudden it flashed up
on me what the poor fellow was driv-
ing at, and just to reassure him said
/ thought there must have been a
shower somewhere to windward, and
probably it was that he smelled.
"Just week later to day | was ct
work in my Office one morning when a
fnln
that telegram brought the news that
Robertson had been shot dead by his
own butler at s o'clock the evening
before!"
"By his own butler!" 1 exclaimed,
horriiied, for while Stantield was re-
lating this tragic tale had heard the
voice of his butler giving orders to the
table boys in the dining-room at our
backs
eyes, by his own butler" resumed
Stanield, "and on the very spot where
you sit. Indeed, consulting his watch,
ait happened just at this time, for it's
now o'clock to the minute"
"But," l cried, "why by his butlerP
For Reaven's sake explain!"
al will, continued Stanfield, "but
first I must bark back bit and tel
you that the telegram ordered me tc
proceed at once to this station as Rob
ertson's successor; well. did SO and
almost my first duty as a judge was tc
| try the poor fellows murderer"
"The butler?"
"The butler; and that brings me tc
the explanation. Robertson, it ap
pears, had had case before him in
which a native was charged with NAL
treating his wife in such a brutal man
ner as to cause her death. Robertson
did what almost any other Englist
Judge would have done under the cir
cumstances, gave the scamp his deserts
and sentenced him to death.
"Now this occurred only few hour
before he was murdered; in passing
sentence of death upon the brutal ma
tive he virtually passed sentence upol
himself.
Robertson had in his service at tht
time butler who was related to tn,
man he had just condemned. Whethe
he was aware of the exact Relationship
existing between the two / don't know
but am inclined to think not. As
matter OF fact, when Robertson sa
down to dinner that night, after sen
fencing the native to death, he wa
waited upon by the convict's owl
brother.
"You observed rifle on the dining
room wall, have no doubt, just oppo
site your place at table. 1t was from
that rifle the fatal shot was fired.
"Not while Robertson was at din
ner, though. Phe butler bided hi
time until his master had seated him
self here in the veranda, taken his col
fee and smoked his cheroot Then
when these had begun to make hir
drowsy, the fellow took the rifle fror
the wall-it was always kept loaded
and crept through the bedrooms to tn
far end of the veranda, where, as yo1
see, the shadow lies so deep.
Sitting as we are now, you observ
that the steps between the far end @
the veranda and the jalousie with tn
hole in it are concealed by Ghe row c
pillars; and you will readily under