The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-04
THE INTERPRETATIONS OF A DREAM

Ing furiously at them, brandishing iumi-
nous swords that wayered and quivered
Ike the winter lights in the northern
heavens. but as they struck tie cage
they became mere clouds of mist and
drifted away on the wind. meaning with
disappointment or bowling With baiiied
rage IL was particularly trying 10 the
nerves and the next time Mr. La Motto
Tried 10 speak he found that his tongue
was eleaving tightly TO the roof Of his
mouth
Then. suddenly. something Ike guitar
String snapped in Mr. La Notes head
and the elevator man uttered 4 wild cry
OF alarm and tried TO jam his lever over.
But IL was too late; the elevator was al
ready falling with terrible velocity and
IN another instant IL crashed on the
moor of the rotunda. The woodwork broke
| Ike egg shells. the mirrors shivered and
/ me ironwork twisted rs If il had been
so much putty. Tons OF steel cable fell
on the ruin and the shrieks of the IN
lured and the groans OF the dying rang
and echoed through the hall. 1t was sOuit
time before Mr.. La Motto extricated HIM
self and found out where he was.
| The next mornIngzsNr La Motto started
/ for his Office on the fourteenth floor Of
/ the Pandomic building. just as he had
done with the utmost regularity for the
past ten years. He was pressed for time.
having quite little business TO transact
In time to get away and keep an appoint
ment, and his mind was busy with a
method of work, so that he hurried down
I the hall almost unconsciously and paused
at the door of the elevator, waiting for
the crowd before him to get I'm. Then IN
flash his dream recurfed 10 him and he
stepped back.
Plenty OF room, SIR" said the elevator
man. Mr.. la Motto glanced at him
sharply and then shook his head. II was
a new man who spoke and he had large
dark eyes and a pale olive skin that
stretched tightly across prominent cheek
bones. Il was the face of the dream, or
| something very close TO H.
For an instant Mr.. La Motto struggled
with a wild impulse TO entreat all the
| passengers to come out of that elevator.
but he was naturally a tImid man, and
while he hesitated the conductor elacked
his signal and the car shot upward. Mr.
La Motto shuddered and walked out Of
the building. In few moments, how
ever, iIlS ueSlTe 10 return became lfrtSlS-
tible. He returned, but the CHASTITY catas-
trophe thai he anticipated had not occur
red. The elevators were running up and
down with their accustomed regularity
and the candy. gum. and cigar vender
was perfectly calm and unruffied.
Nevertheless Mr.. La Motto did not go
up in the elevator. He walked up. toiling
flight after flight of the weary steps until
the fourteenth floor was reached. Then
he stretched himself our in his chair and
stayed there for the rest OF the day, walk
ing down the staircases again at night
And from that time forward Mr.. Ia
Motto walked. He dreaded TO so much
as look over toward the elevators. and
the clang Of their gates sent cold chills
coursing up and down his spine. The
dreadful vision Of shattered woodwork
crumpled iron, tangled coils of steel, and
mangled humanity was always before his
eyes with a vividness that startled him
and a persistence that made him feel
hopeless. Naturally people soon noticed