The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-16
ARetulrn From
Oblivion
By WILLIAM CHANDLER


agree that If possible the one who dies
first will appear in the spirit to the
other. I don't think such agreements
are as apt to be made now as formerly.
for belief in the temperance of those
who have died is not what It was
when I was young. Scientists have
taken up the matter, but the laity don't
feel much interest in It.
] made one of these agreements with
Dick Anterior when we were eighteen
years old. Dick became a sailor. and
on one OF his voyages the vessel he
sailed in was wrecked, and all on
board were lost: At any rate, IL any
OF them escaped death he was never
heard from. took to the water, too,
but not in the same line as Dick. 1
began on river work and eventually
came to own and run a steamer that
/ usually laid up in winter, but ran
az an excursion boat I'm summer.
One season had contracted to take
Q party Of excursionists out of Boston
harbof around Cape Ann. For several
days before our sailing everything
went wrong. The government inspec-
tor took It into his head to find fault
with lot of things which he required
me to improve, and l knew that II l
didn't attend to them myself wouldn't
be ready to keep my contract for the
excursion The consequence was that
I got no sleep for two nights and a
day before we left Boston.
had several hundred persons aboard
and, rounding Cape Ann. preferred to
rely on myself rather than on any one
else. was passing Thatcher's light
when began to feel so drowsy that
feared to fall asleep. Notwithstanding
the fact that the lives Of so many hu-
man beings were dependent on my
keeping awake. l was tired, too, and
when had clear course ahead of me
| sat down on the seat behind the
wseel. reaching forward to take It
whenever required. This I should not
have done. A man may go to sleep on
his feet He is much more liable to do
SO while sitting.
Slumber got me. though, at last.
l must have slept quite awhile. Sud-
denly ! awOke, frightened out of nv
wits, for / knew what It was to 20 to
sleep at the wheel. There was a man
standing between me and II, turning It
rapidly. Whether he was really haxy
or not couldn't say. He certainly
looked no through my sleepy eyes. I
tried to wake myself enough to get up
and take the wheel from him, but
somehow. considering that he was
there. couldn't do 1t.
go TO sleep, Tom.' he said. you're
not In III condition for a pilot"
Whether was not entirely awake,
whether | was dreaming, couldn't
make out. but the voice was certainly
Dick Atherton's. Then dreamed that
| said TO him:
"Dtck. have you come back to keep
your promise when we were young
stersY'
1--WE come back to keep you from
running full Roadway against Folly
point" was the reply.
I have said that I dreamed this, be-
cause that's the way It seemed to me.
What 1t really was might be another
matter.
] woke up again later, looked ahead
and saw that there was clear sailing.
Thompson, one Of my steersmen, was
at the wheel.
Great heavensr' I exclaimed. "Can
It be that I've been asleep2"
Reckon you have, sir"
How long have you been at the
wheelr'
about ten minutes. 1 happened to
look ahead. and the boat was heading
for Folly point. / ran up here to see
what was up and found you asleep
and a man at the wheel who was
steering of. He gave me the wheel
and left the pilothouse."
"a manT
Eyes, sir, he was a man. Why do
you think he was anything elseT"
what did he look nke?"
~ didn't notice him very particular
~. I was too much upset by the mar
row escape. But l remember that his
hair was red"
Dick Atherton's hair was red. When
he was a boy we called him Reddy.
So Mortified was at my narrow es-
cape from sacrificing a boatload Of ex-
cursionists that had scarcely time to
wonder about Anterior or his ghost.
asked Thompson If he felt sure he
could attend to the wheel safely, and
when he replied that he could / told
him / would go below and rest a bit,
for ! was completely knocked out by
what had occurred. Leaving the pilot
house, walked aft through the crowd
OF excursionists-they were ignorant
Of the frightful doom they had escaped
and was about to go down the stern
companionway when l felt a hand on
my shoulder. Turning, there stood
Dick Atherton. He was ten years old
er than when had last seen him, but
/ recognized him at once. He was
looking mighty serious. Putting a I'm
ger to his lips, he said: Don't get
broken up over 1t, old man. Only 1
and the man who relieved me at the
wheel know about It."
Dick then briefly explained. He had
escaped the wreck Of bis vessel and
spent q year in the east, mostly Japan.
Returning, he had seen an advertise
ment Of the excursion on my boat. my
name being mentioned as master. He
had come aboard without making him
self known and had gone up to the
pilothouse to surprise me, but instead
Il was ! who had surprised him.