Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1903-07-03
THE CLOSING
SCENE *
By HOWARD FIELDING
Copyright, i,o., by Charles " Noodle

" DO not know how much testimony
| would be required 10 authenticate
| such a story as this Indeed
doubt whether any finite number
of mere human witnesses could ever
make me believe IT, Half dozen OF
the most credible people whom / know
are agreed as TO the facts, and | myself
was present when the affair came 10 its
close, yet l cannot make up my mind
in regard to It,
The incidents as they are alleged to
have taken place are exceedingly sim
pie. Stanley Winthrop was man who
had been much given TO athletic sports
In his early life. When he was In col
lege and was little. snub nosed. free
Killed. schoolboy used TO look up To him
and envy his fame. He was the son OF
the richest man in our town.
Shortly after the close of his college
life Winthrop inherited nearly all his
fathers property. He Travelled for a
pew years and then settled down TO a
quiet and monotonous life In orr town.
which was nothing in the winter and
not very much In the summer. To be
frank about IT,
When he was nearly forty years old
Re made most unromantic match. He
married girl who had been born and
bred in the town and was content 10
live there all her days with her hus.
band. BY that time had sought wider
fields, and my knowledge of Winthrop
was derived from home letters and
from brief renewals of acquaintance in
summer vacations
Mrs Winthrop lived about two4years
In a placid state OF beatitude, as | am
Informed. and then she died of pneu-
monia.
Some one wrote TO me that Winthrop
was taking his bereavement very hard:
that his condition gave alarm to his sis
ter and other near relatives who lived
with him in the big house in Maynard.
which is the name of our town. He
seemed TO show no power of recovery.
no interest whatever I'm life. 1t was
necessary, indeed, 10 take some pains
with him in order that he might not
body, for such an engine as that re-
quires fuel.
Some weeks after receiving this ac-
count | received a letter from my
mother. | will quote a few lines OF IL
here:
Stanley Winthrop does not improve
in health but he has made up his mind
TO travel for n few months. and they
hope that that will benefit him. There
Is strange story about this intention
of his. and am going 10 tell 1t TO you,
although you are such n skeDtlc that
you will think It mere nonsense. had
ii from his sister. and It has impressed
me very strongly.
at seems that Stanley has slept very
little and that that has been the chief
cause OF their worrying about him.
Last Tuesday morning when he came
down to breakfast Marion. Winthrops
sister. remarked that he looked re-
had a wonderful nights rest. There
seemed to be some peculiar meaning In
what he said. and she questioned him.
tie tried to avoid direct answer until
he became convinced that his silence
would worry Marion more than the
truth. and then he admitted having had
a remarkable dream.
at was no more than that he seemed
to be in room which was different
from any that he could remember. He
L.. ., vii - Nn Inf
said that the impression which 1t made
upon him was extremely vivid, SO that
ne could not fail 10 recognize the room
In case be should ever really see it,.
As | stood looking at it in my dream
said he. i began 10 wonder why was
there. and presently in the gcntleSt
and best possible way that you can
imagine the explanation took posses
sion Of my mind. That is the room
where shall die. | received no ind
nation as TO when the event will oc-
cur, or how. or In what town or even
IN what land the room exists or Will
'xist. but somewhere shall find it.
ana / think you know that shall not
be sorry 10 see IT,
HtSt are Niaiic. : Nt!f.Ns AS 'f''-l
recollection OF his, as nearly Bel, can
set them down. Marion was much af.
fected When he told her after in the
day that he had made up his mind to
travel she did not wish him 10 20, al
though she had previously urged that
course upon him very strongly. She
knows well enough that he is going i'm
search of the room which he saw in his
dream.
The circumstances are known TO
the family, but little is said about it
because Stanley naturally did not wish
II to be publicly known that he at
tached any importance TO mere
dream. So | would not speak of IL IL
were you, but | wish you would
write me what you think about the
matter"
wrote TO my mother very mildly
TINT I did not 500 how INV oDinion