The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-11-23
MISSING EVIDENCE.

On cold December night some 30 years
ago, when the earth was bound In black
frost and the bitter wind blew strong and
shrilly, I was returning from spending
the evening at friends house, situated
some three or four miles out Of town. Tho
sky was 80 black, the country lanes were
| 10 dark, that / was truly thankful when
the scattered lights of an outlying suburb
began to twinkle in the distance, and it
was with sigh Of relief that stopped
under the first lamppost l came to and
looked at my watch.
1t was no easy task, for the lamp glass
had pane broken, and the strong wind
blew the glass in all directions and almost
extinguished 1t. read the time, at least
| three minutes to 12-and looking up
| from my watch face started to see
man standing opposite me- l had heard
nothing of his approach. We looked at
each other but for % moment yet 1t was
time sufficient to imprint his features in
delibly on my memory.
A tall, shabby man, In o threadbare
black frock coat and a seedy tall hat, his
face lantern jawed and sullow, his eyes
sunken and lusterless, his beard long and
I'll trimmed-in tone Of elaborate civil
ity he asked mo tho time, thanked Inc for
tho answer, and, giving me GOOD night"
passed away into the black darkness,
which seemed to ingulf him like grave.
l turned for moment to think of his
lonely walk in that grim obscurity and
resumed my way homeward, laughing at
myself for the start he had given me and
rejecting that the strong wind had blown
away the sound of his approach. thought
of him as l sat and smoked my pipe over
my fire, and felt comfortable shudder
steal over mo as imagined him facing
the bitter blast in an insutficiency of cloth
ing.
In the course of week or two the Incl
dent faded from my memory, and l thought
no moro of it. In those days l was active
ly engaged In the timber trade and the
course of my business took mo a good deal
about and brought me largely In contact
with The agents of the different country
gentlemen of the district With one of
these agents, who resided near the county
town of Leham, had numerous transact
tions, and used often to run down and
meet him, for the town was only 10 miles
away and was on a railway.
1t was a dull little hole enough, that
were out or assizes were on. One night
returned from Leham, having just made
large purchase from my friend, whose
master, sporting noblemsn, was reduced
to cut down the family timber. When
fell asleep that night, had very simple
but vivid dream. l thought I was stand
ing on a lofty hill. BY my side stood a
yelled figure, who, with commanding
roJ Boz, !
Loham, which lay In the far distance.
Then awoke.
OF course l explained the thing to my
self easily enough had been good deal
engaged In the neighborhood of the place
and had large venture more or less re-
motcly connected with it. Still the dream
was SO vivid that l could not dismiss it
from my thoughts during the whole of the
day, and when went to bed wondered If
itwould again visit me. 1t did come again
precisely the same dream in precisely the
same manner Once more found con-
vincing explanation. Doubtless had been
thinking too much about the FIRST dream,
and this had given rise to the second.
But my explanation did not convince
me In the least. l was haunted by the
thing throughout the day, and when l
came homo at night my preoccupaton was
so evident that 1t attracted the attention Of
my wife. She questioned me upon the
cause, and, only too thankful to unhosom
myself of what was now almost n trouble,
told her about the dream and its repeti-
ton. She had the tact not to laugh at me,
but was evidently little impressed by the
narrative. ~ e..
The third night 1t camo again. If any
thing moro wildly and startling than 1T
did before This time Twas utterly I'M
hinged. The pale face that confronted me
in tho looking glass was hardly recognize
able as my own. went down to break
fast filled with a foreboding of some mis-
fortune-bad news in my lotters-I knew
not what. The maid entered with the let
ter bag.
"There," said my wife, passing mo q
letter on which was the Leham postmark,
that breaks your dream, John"
Iquickly opened it. 1t was from tho
agent, requesting me to meet him at L.
ham that day at o'clock to arrange diff
1culty that had arisen in the performance
Of his contract.
was intensely relieved Here was an
opportunity to go to Leham, and perhaps
the very fact Of going would put me right.
There were two fast trains to Leham in
tho morning, but l decided to go by the
first, regardless of the fact that l should
have some two hours to wait So found
myself shortly in first class compartment
speeding away toward my destination
The carriage was full. Pipes exhaled
heir fragrance, newspapers were turned
md flattened, and there was that leisurely
Kind of morning conversation that prevails
Imong men going of by an early train to
heir days work. Their chief topic was a
interesting case which was to
&c finished that day at the Leham assizes.
He must sum up against the prisoner
urely," said gentleman with fat,
lorid face and long sandy whiskcrs, who
wore light overcoat and plaid trousers
Tho defense was complete failure, and
deserved to be.
ut was certainly rather audacious, re-
marked clean shaven young man with
onble eyeglass. but don't like cir
evidence"
"All evidence is moro or less circum-
tantial," said he of tho ford complexion,
and this man is as clearly guilty In my
lind US If there had beon dozen wit
csses to stand by and see him do the
eed. That's my opinion, Haywood"
And the oracle disappeared behind the
ewspnper
Feeling glad to discover any topic thai
'ould divert my thoughts from their
loomy forebodings addressed myself to
eywood, the young barrister, with whom
had slight acquaintance
"You seem much interested in this trial