The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-07
AReturn From
Oblivion
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

first will appear in the spirit to the
other. l 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 II was
when I was young. Scientists have
taken up the matter. but the laity don't
feel much interest in it
i made one of these agreements with
Dick Atherton 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. l
began on river work and eventually
came to own and run a steamer that
usually laid up in winter, but ran
as an excursion boat in summer
One season had contracted to take
party Of excursionists out of Boston
harbor 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 If I
didn't attend to them myself I wouldn't
be ready to keep my contract for the
excursion. The consequence was that
got no sleep for two nights ana 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. ana
when had clear course ahead of me
L sat down on the seat behind the
wbeel. reaching forward to take 1t
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
1 must have slept quite awhile. Sud
denly I awoke, frightened out of my
wits. for knew what 1T was TO 20 to
sleep at the wheel. There was a man
standing between me and 1t, turning IL
rapidly. Whether he was really hazy
or not l couldn't say. He certainly
looked 30 through my sleepy eyes. /
tried to wake myself enough to get M
and take the wheel from him, but
somehow. considering that he was
there, couldn't do It.
60 to sleep, Tom,s he said. You're
not In at condition for pilot"
whether was not entirely awake.
whether 1 was dreaming, / couldn't
make out, but the voice was certainly
Dick Atherton's. Then dreamed that
] said to him:
Dick, have you come back TO keep
your promise when we were young
stersr'
Tive come back to keep you from
running full Roadway against Folly
point was the reply.
! have said that dreamed this. be-
cause that's the way 1t 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 heavensp' exclaimed. "Can
1t be that I've been asleep?"
Reckon you have, SIR"
How long have you been at the
wheelT'
about ten minutes. / 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 man at the wheel who was
steering OF. He gave me the wheel
and left the pilothouse."
"a man?"
Yes, sir, he was a man. Why do |
you think he was anything elseY'
What did he look like?'
II didn't notice him very particular
". I was too much upset by the mar
row escape. But remember that his
hair was red"
Dick Atherton's hair was red When
he was boy we called him Reddy.
50 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 II he felt sure he
could attend to the wheel safely, and
when he replied that he could l told
him l 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
when 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 fin
ger to his lips, he said: Don't get
broken up over It, old man. Only l
Ind the man who relieved me at the
wheel know about It"
Dick then briefly explained. He had
escaped the wreck of his vessel and
pent year In the east, mostly Japan.
Returning. he had seen an advertise
nent Of the excursion on my boat, my
lame being mentioned as master. He
lad come aboard without making him
elf known and had gone up to the
dollhouse to surprise me, but instead
was I who had surprised him.