Connecticut western news., 1895-10-31
SKEPTIC BROWN.

ition. He derided all the good old saws and he jeered at omens. It was his one hobby, this warfare with the believers in signs and portents. There was no mercy in him for the credulous. He laughed at broken mirrors Nothing pleased him better than to see the new moon over his left shoulder. The ever recurring terror of Is at table he had reduced to mathematical problem to be solved through the law of chances and the statistics of life insurance actu- aries. Three mornings in the week he put on his right shoe first. On the other four the left preceded the right. Last, but not least, he had taken lodgings in 3 rather poor neighborhood because it Aoounded in white cats, and the hkeli hood of one of the unlucky animals crossing his path was thereby greatly increased.
 These things did not add to his popu- larity. Most men summed him. So did some womer, though their aversion to him interested no one but themselves, for Brown would have been a misogy- mist had he been.able to cherish two great hatreds simultaneously. Sometimes, though, he longed for more friends of his own sex. He had but two or three, and he could not preach to them always. There was a point at which they re- belled, and when that point was reached Brown felt alone ill the world.
 So at last, through growing dread of isolation, he came to spare these two or three, which proves that the man of one idea may learn in the school of bit ter experience. Even when, out of the goodness of their hearts, they now and then cleared the lists for him to break a lance in his favorite cause he declined the challenge-sometim And then the others began to fear for his health.
 "Your trouble, Brown, is that you lack an actual test" observed Ferguson, on one of theso occasions of combat de- clined. You're theoretical. You've never faced a ghost nor heard super natural voice. Now, if you only could have something uncanny happen.
 Ferguson paused, partly because he thought he had said enough in the way of encouragement, but more because his ci- gar demanded attention. Randall nod ded approval of the curtailed sentiment. The three had been dining together and were lingering over the coffee.
 ''No, I've escaped so far," Brown answered slowly. "At least-well, nothing has occurred to shake my com mon sense. Truth is, though, may be able to tell you something convincing in few days. Last night had what some fools would call warning"
 "What?'' cried Randall
 "You had?" asked Ferguson incredu- lously.
 1T had dream" Brown continued. "I don t know where the scene was laid or whether there was any. But held Q bit of newspaper with edges jagged, as if it had been torn from the sheet. On one side was what seemed to be an &C., count of curious accident to a sound steamer which was run into by a schooner whose jib boom pierced the wall of a stateroom and impaled the occupant. The name of the steamer was missing.'
 "And the passenger's name?' que ried Randall.
 ''It was not to be found in the part of the article before me-"
 "Sure it was Q sound steamer?" Fer guson asked.
 "Yes. Something in the context made that clear. There was no hint of the date. I turned the paper over, but found on the other side nothing but part of table of stock quotations. l,a1 n1 that s all remember to have noticed. "
 "I'd like to see the stuff there even in drean," said Ferguson feelingly. He ventured into Wall street occaslon- ally.
 "No doubt you would, "Nsaid Ran- dall. "But, Brown, where's the warn ing? Arc you going down east?"
 "Ye5. I'm due in Boston next Satur- day morning. And always go by boat. ? "This time too?"
 Certainly" responded Brown with dignity. "This time of all times.''
 Well, I'd stay ashore if were you, " Randall counseled. "As boy had my fill of trying to see if things were loaded"
 The skeptic smiled a superior smile. 1T have already arranged for the trip, he announced. "Thls morning reserved stateroom on the Yankee land-she's next Fridays boat. In short, I propose to prove so conclusively | the''-
 Precisely" said Ferguson, rising | from the table in some haste, i've real | ize what you expect to prove, old man. I know you think it too good @ chance to be wasted; but, just as friend oi yours, I'd get out an injunction to keeI you from going-I would indeed-jf ii were not for that quotation of Great Eastern at 20 In view of such freak of midnight phantasy I guess l won T have you dragged inlo court. But yor ought to be fined for dreaming such 2 thing and unduly exciting tl imagina ton of the honest poor, who I've put gooG money into that stock. i"
 | Browns friends bade him good night l at the door of the restaurant.
 "Well, what do you think?" said Fer guson to Randall, as they. walked uI town together.
 "Oh, if anybody else had had such ; dream I'd be worried" said Randall tt 1 Ferguson. But Brown won't be evel rightened-more's the pity. By tn, way, he has loaned me one of his scien tific antighost books I'm going to reat it as a personal favor to him-that is