The Savannah morning news., 1902-12-28

tell whether it was in my head or my
heart or my lungs, or where it was;
II was inside of me, that was all
knew. No, l knew something else
too, although 1 didn't know how
knew it. / knew that my idle wish
was to be granted. A few moments
later a messenger from Warren Esta-
brook summoned me to a conference
with the heads of the concern. which
resulted in my becoming chief legal
adviser of firm worth millions"
"Pshawi Nothing strange about
that. Such things are happening every
day. You were rising young lawyer
who had attracted the attention Of
men who wanted a hustler for attor-
ney: that's all. AS for the peculiar
bodily sensation. why, an extra piece
of pie, or a slice of underdone pork
will play the mischief with a fellows
insides sometimes. and make him
think he's all sorts and kinds of ma
chimes and thin<s.'
Yes, that's the way I explained II
to myself at the time. for I give you
my word that no thought of Marin
Lies CONFER crossed my mind. But
some time after I was searching for a
certain decision which was vitality i'm
portant in a case which the company
had on triad. 1 knew that it was in a
DOph III lily ADIdEYt Out, i
hunted for hours, 1 could not find 1t.
The time was Short l must have that
decision, or my kingpin was gone.
Hang it all!' 1 exclaimed in vexation.
I wish l knew where the thing isl
Scarcely were the words out of my
mouth, when I was conscious of that
curious sensation again. this time ac-
companied with a slight distress. or
sense of construction, and | saw clear
ly the name of the book. the number
of the page, and the place of the vol
ume on the shelf. I took down the
book, opened to the designated page,
and there was the decision for which
l had Vainly searched half a hundred
volumes. 1t was then that 1 remem-
bered Marin Lies prediction that ]
should have every wish granted. Do
you wonder that I did,"
"Humph! Decidedly queer it must be
confessed, but not necessarily con-
vincing. Probably a mere coincidence. -
But condolences that continue to
occur cease to be condolences and be-
come the manifestation of law. Once
the thought was in my mind of course,
L had to verify or disprove 1T by ex-
pertinent. This / attempted in various
ways TO do. / will not weary you with
details; 1t is enough to say that every
soon after to fulfillment. and that in
each instance there was this curious
feeling of which 1 have spoken, in
creasing in sharpness and strength
with each repetition. Shall l give Won
two Illustrations?
Il wished that I might know where
Marin Lie was. Just then the office
boy brought me the evening paper, and
the first thing that met my eve was
an account of the finding of the body
of an old negro woman in the woods
near Pittsburg, Pa, apparently starry
ed to death. The description given tall
lied exactly with that of Marin Lie
even to the crooked forefinger, which
you may remember. Mind. 1 had nc
reason to think that she had left town:
supposed she was still in the house
that | had bought for her. But going
down into that neighborhood the next
morning, 7 learned that she hadn't
been seen there for several weeks: and
on forcing an entrance into the house
II was evident that she had taken a
hasty flight, leaving everything in con-
fusion behind her. Another coincidence
you would saw"
But all that / could say was. go on
with your story
Il wished that 1 might be rich. Be-
fore night 1 received from New York
parties an offer of 100000 for some
mining stock that l had inherited from
my father, and had held simply be-
cause l couldn't get rid of it. Didn't
suppose 1T was worth a dollar, or ever
would be. OF course, 1 did not rise al
the first cast, and eventually cleared
up a cool million from it, Next day a
cablegram from London announced the
death of a great-uncle whom / had
never seen, and who might have been
dead score of years, for all l knew to
the contrary, leaving me sole heir ia
his property, amounting to more than
l dare tell you, or than you would cas-
lily believe"
Jimmy! This is getting interesting
Any more Marin Lies around with
their uncanny but lucrative predic-
tons? Give them a steer in my direc-
ton if there are. I'd like to get rise
of that sort out of them"
Would you take it at the price," he
asked, in the strangely dead, dull voice
which had characterized his recital
We'll, these instances simply illustrate
the history. / wished for success in
the law; and l won every case l tried
even against the most overwbelmins
odds of law and evidence and opposins
talent. 1 became famous Throughout
that whole region. More business wa.
thrust upon me than l could possibly
handle. l took a partner, then another
still the same unvarying story. At last
in WEAKNESS and, disgust at a success,
which was not the fruit of my owl
lawful striving, but simply the gift o
a dead black woman whose very mem
DRY l loathe6, l threw up my practice
turned everything over to my partners
and cleared out. Since then / hav
been a tramp; of a little higher orde
than the ordinary hobo, perhaps, blu
like him, following ever upon the heel
of a vagrant fancy"
And does this Aladdin-like power O
getting what you wish for continue?'
Yes, l SUPPOSE am afraid so. /
is long time since l have tried il
though Each new wish wrenched m
more than the last had done, and wa
conscious each time more sensibly O
giving up something of life in it. So
have cultivated the habit of not wish
ing for anything at all, and have at
tanned in some measure to that stat
of stolid animal content of which m
friend, the OK, is a conspicuous exam
| pie. That is the reason for my abrup
answer the other night. Much as