The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-05-09

Ihere was a man and he had a dream,
Ana t was queer was the dream.
lie saw a street 1t was muddy. Yes,
even as far as he could see. it was mud
py. And he could see far He could see
several blocks. And in the several blocks
We're many laundry wagons and many gro
Gerry wagons and many automobiles and
many street cars and many buggies and
many people, all going in many directions.
OF all things everything was In that
street except one.
There was no policeman
What If somebody should get hurt here
or what If some wicked person should
strike or rob another here?' he asked
himself. Here chance for me to be-
come rich. l will sell this city a police
force"
And the dreaming mans face wreathed
itself in smiles. for his dream of sudden
riches was pleasing to him. And he
started to arise to go therefrom and to
sell this city a police force and obtain
riches thereby, when suddenly by one
OF those strange idosyncrases of
dreams, he found himself bound fast by
a leash of goats skin, And he struggled
to free himself from that which held him,
but he could not. Perspiration ran down
his forehead, down his nose. down his
chin, and dropped, dropped, dropped down
below onto the head of the people passing
In the muddy street, and every one which
was struck by a drop of his sweat was
killed.
And then for a short space he ceased his
struggles. And far down the muddy
street he saw a grade crossing. Great
black trains We're rolling back and forth.
And every little while street ear or a.
wagon or an automobile or a pedestrian
wading through the mud was struck by
tram at this grade crossing. 1t was a
crue! and narrowing sight to behold, the
persplratfon again broke out and he tore
at the leathern thongs which held him.
on, that this city had a police force"
he prayed. Untold wealth is mine If 1
can but break asunder these cruel thongs
ana sell this city a good police force
And behold, there appeared before him
a beautiful girl! All How his heart
was buoyed up by the sight of this
beautiful maiden His limbs took on
new strength and he struggled anew at
his bonds. And the beautiful girl looked
upon him and in her eyes there was COM
passion. How beautiful were her eyes
he thought her brown eyes But she
was coy and she turned her head and
dropped her eye lashes and a tinge spread
over her cheeks because he looked at
her so hard. And then he saw how beau
tifully she was clothed "Ah. how inspir-
ing he thought, lis the sight of a beau
tifu woman beautifully clothed" And
then he struggled anew. But she turned
to him.
Cease she said, land / will for a
moment free thee"
She touched the tips of her beautiful
fingers to his right hand and immedi-
ately he was loosed from that which
had held him. But here occurred another
of those strange pranks which are a
part of dreams. For keep in mind all
the while, this is only dream.
Instead of the beautiful woman. there
now stood beside him an aged negro
workman and instead of the streets, he
was in very old and very decrept build
ing. ~.
Where am l." he asked frightened.
AT de cote house sah," responded the
old negro at his elbow "Ah ies com
heah to swear out a. warrant for a fellah
what last night done stabbed nah wife
an killed two othah niggahs." 1t was
one of the fouest smelling and most
dingy old buildings the man had ever
been in. He noticed something climbing
about on the walls which looked like
worms, He looked closer and saw they
We're great thyphoid fever and tubercu-
losis and malaria germs and hool<worms.
And he saw the court rooms iainmed with
a motley crowd. all colors, all ages, both
sexes. There was nauseating shiver
ran down his spine.
"Oh," he cried, ''let me out of herei"
And he turned and ran.