Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-11-18
T'|HE OLD MANS
DREAM.
By Douglass 4. Morse.

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He knew that he was browsing In
hh chair and that the light was burn.
Ing low He thought that he would
arouse himself, presently, before he
had quite what was that--did
some one knock just then, at the
door? He could not be sure; 1t
founded 30 far away. He struggled
10 drag himself back to full con.
hciousness and to listen. He fancied
hat he had very nearly succeeded;
he felt that he was almost poised and
then, In twinkling he had lost his
balance and he was slipping slipping.
He had vague sense OF trying to
catch himself, Of clutching at threads
that. snapped before him. Then be.
lore he was quite over the border he
heard, or rather sensed, once more
i rapping-very faint but very real.
and the realnes Of 1t caught and held
kim there irresistibly. HIS nerves
,ingled in response, but 1t seemed an
lge before he could speak. Then,
naturally enough, he cried. Come
MI" But his voice sounded foreign
md distant like some one else's
noice; and he found himself wonder.
ing dimly whether he really had
Ipoken-wheth -he-really---
Presently 1t occurred to him that
the door had opened His voice then
z-of course. The cloud lifted i'm.
nediately; 1t was astonishing how
slear everything became. Some one
vas coming In. He was aware Of 4
strange, battered figure that stepped
forward, uncertainty. screening a
lighted miners candle with one hand.
Bomshow or other even before the
agure spoke, no knew that II was
sDickie.
Dad I-sI,m sorry to bother vo,i
,nce more" the figure laughed nerv-
usly.
Yes. 1t was DickieAof that much
he was certain. But it was perfect
Il impossible Tor Dio,xie To re there
md he was equally, certain OF that:
lor his son had gone away. very far
away, and he would never come back
lat any rate never like that N those
putlandish clothes. Spruce. fastid,-
Z pus Dickie! II was 20 inconsistent-
70 utterly absurd that he perceived
u once that he was dreaming. and
Iegan to admire the logical soa,ndn aee
II his own inference. To know thu.
; he was dreaming and yet to dream
m! He could scarcely restrain q
pelf-satisfied smile as he teanea hack
sasily In his chair.
II have come hack. once more.
asainst your orders" Dick was say.
tng. "and against nv own resolve.
have no right. know. after" ha
paused and olapped his hand to the
back Of his head in that Old. awk.
ward way.
After my folly, and your in1us.
noe. swore then. AZ ahnnld he the
hst time-but I. was mad when 1
swore. And 80 1 went al "a the
Mines
His voice broke huslsily. and his
lace was 90 very white. The hand
which he dropped from his head was
I Flowed with blood. and his brown hair
Also was matted with black er,1me.
For the first time he noticed that
there was AN ugly cash behind
Dickie's ear. This frightened him
antil he remembered that It was all
! dream. He resolved that he would
not forget that and become confused
again. But why should Dickie look
10 terribly serious? Perhaps he did
not know 1t was a dream. On the
whole, the situation was rather anus.
Ing, and he was half-minded to laugh,
but then-he might awaken. and he
wanted to see the end.
Dickie. who had started again.
stopped short and WINGED Just q lit
tie at that flicker Of a smile. Then
be crowned at his candle and con-
tnued:
"Tomght II was working IN an old
shaft. The timbers must have been
rotten. All / remember il the crash. !.
the Other was listening now, The
notion to laugh had suddenly left him.
when / came to. everything was
dark. / lit this candle. It is all I
haye-when it goes out Will be
alone-off there In the darkness"
Oh-he wished Dickie would not
look 80 solemn.
Tomorrow is Sunday. Thew will
not miss me till the next morntnr.
The rocks are all about mel am