The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-01-09
THE OLD MANS
DREAM.
By Douglass H. Morse.
Ras+Nss,ss,s: s,.s ;s;,,ss ~ III, :as.ss,ss%s.s

He knew that he was browsing in
his chair and that the light was burn
ing low. He thought that he would
arouse himself, presently, before he
had quite-ah, what was that-did
some one knock just then, at the
door? He could not be sure; it
sounded 50 far away. He struggled
to drag himself back to full con-
seriousness and to listen. He fancied
that he had very nearly succeeded;
he felt that he was almost poised and
then, in a twinkling he had lost his
balance and he was slipping-slipping.
He had vague sense of trying to
catch himself, o. clutching at threads
that snapped before him. Then be-
fore he was quite over the border he
heard. or rather sensed, once more
rapping-yery faint but very real,
and the realnes of it caught and held
him there irresistibly. His nerves
tingled in response, but it seemed an
age before he could speak. Then,
naturally enough. he cried, Come
fn!" But his voice sounded foreign
and distant like some one elses
voice. and he found himself wonder
fng dimly whether he really had
spoken-whether-
Presently it occurred to him that
the door had opened. His voice then
of course. The cloud lifted i'm
mediately; it was astonishing how
clear everything became. Some one
was coming in. He was aware Of
strange. battered figure that stepped
forward, uncertainty, screening
lighted miners candle with one hand.
Somehow or other even before the
figure spoke, he knew kat it was
Dickie
Dad, I-Ial sorry to bother you
once more" the figure laughed nerv-
ously
Yes. it was Dickie-of that much
he was certain. But it was perfect-
~ impossible for Dickie to be there.
and he was equally certain of that;
for his son had gone away, very far
away, and he would never come back
at any rate never like that, in those
outlandish clothes. Spruce, fastidi-
Gus Dickie. 1t was 50 Inconsistent
so utterly absurd that he perceived
at once that he was dreaming. and
began to admire the logical soundness
of his own inference. To know that
he was dreaming and yet to dream
on, He could scarcely restrain a
self-satisfied smile as he leaned back
easily in his chair.
Il have come back once more,
against your ORDERS" Dick was say.
ing. "and against my own resolve.
/ have no right. know, after" he
paused and clapped his hand to the
back Of his head in that old, awK.
ward way.
after my foI'y, and your intus-
tice. / swore. then, it should be the
last time-but l was mad when |
swore. And so l went off to the
mines
His voice broke huskily, and his
face was so very white. The hand
which he dropped from his head was
gloved with blood, and his brown hair
also was matted with black grume.
For the first time he noticed that
there was an ugly cash behind
Dickies ear This frightened him
until he remembered that It was all
a dream. He resolved that he would
not forget that and become confused
again. But why should Dickie look
So terribly serious? Perhaps he did
not know it 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 tn see the end.