Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1904-06-10
WHEN THE PRE-
M0NITI0N CAME


"Have you any belief IA premonl.
tions or in this business OF being able
10 forecast future events from dreams
and thingsg"
The war correspondent was silent
for a space and the rest Of us waited
eagerly for his answer. For he was
the acknowledged oracle Of our little
crowd, and his seldom-voiced senti-
ments we're highly valued.
ITS a little story about a friend Of
mine. It happened the ether day.
You know l landed in Boston, and was
hurrying to get back to New York
after a year and a halfs absence on
one Of those fne Shore Line trains.
Up in the buffet car ran into a
young fellow whom I used to know
a couple Of years or so ago here In
the city.
Although I suppose I wasn't par.
ticularly communicative the young
fellow seemed not to notice It, for he
continued a one-sided conversation
for fifteen minutes or more, in which
my part was nodding my head once IN
a while to show that / was awake and
that was about all He was a bright
young chap, and rambled on in a hap
py vein, and was glad to let his talk
play an agreeable accompaniment to
my thoughts. At last | got up and,
intlmating rather broadly that want
ed to be alone, went back to my
seat in one Of the rear coaches. The
last look 1 had at him he was sitting
there smoking a cigarette with a
smile still on his lips.
"You all know about the wreck.
How the engine and first three cars
we're smashed into kindling wood,
and all the rest that filled the papers.
But one thing that was unnodced and
hence kept out of print and which I'm
going to tell you Is the reason for my
belief in the intultive second sight
which our friend Raclin here has
seen fit to denounce.
after the first smash l pulled my
self together, found that was un-
hurt, and then thought of my young
friend up in the smoker l walked
forward as rapidly as | could, picking
my way through the wreckage until
reached what was left of the buffet
Pullman. l found the boy with his
legs pinned under one of those heavy
six-wheeled trucks He was conscious,
and faint smile lit up his face as he
saw me bend over him. in spite of the
agony he was suffering He was 50
weak from the loss of blood that he
couldn't raise his arm but following
the direction of his eyes l noticed an
envelope in his hand which he was
clutcnlng tightly.
Take it," he said and then shut
his lips tight together. 1t hurt him to
talk
There isn't much more to tell"
the newspaper man replied quietly 81
came to New York to carry out the
boys request but it was all useless.
Perhaps it was better that he never
got here 1t would have been a worse
ending to the story If he had"
Yes" broke in Raclin. "But what
about the second-sight business?
Where does that come inT'
"Oh," responded Macdonald, ''the
letter itself answers that" and he
drew crumpled envelope from his
pocket. We all leaned closer, that
we might not lose a word.
"The thing is not addressed, is
short and to the point" Macdonald
began.
Here it is, and he read:
Whoever may find this will please
follow out the instructions written
below as favor to a dead man. In
return, a check will be found inclosed
for $1,000 payable to the bearer. First
go directly to - West seventy-sec-
ond street New York City, and in
form Miss A. B. Conl1lin that the
owner of the inclOsure is dead; that
he has done his best to reach her but
that his service in the Philippines has
prevented his finding her sooner.
Secondly deliver into the hands of no
one but Miss A. B. Conklin the in
closed package. L. S. Rodman.
That's ALL" and Macdonald start
ed to put the thing back in his pocket
But we we're not to let the matter
!
him the sequel, and finally after
much persuasion. he told the rest.
81 went to the address given in the
instructions and found that there was
no such person as Miss A. B. Conk-
lin She wasn't dead exactly, but an
old white-haired mother told me
courteously enough that her daughter,
Mrs. H. f. Pell, had been married a
month.
80 l didn't give up the inclosure.
After thinking about it for three
days l decided to see what It was,
and inasmuch as Miss A. B. Conklin'
could never see It / concluded it was
breaking no part Of the compact for
me to open It.
1T was a wedding ring, done up in
piece Of paper, on which was this
beautifully sentimental but decidedly
childish bit Of verse;
When you've returned with spurs well
earned
From battles Ger the sea,
III wear the ring that you will bring
And your true wife will be.
"At the bottom were signed the
initials A. b. c. Now, I've told you
the whole thing.
But remember the boy had written
his death message on the train after
/ had left him Surrounded by
death. he had not given thought to It..
On the luxurious Pullman, with every
safeguard known to insure an early