Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-07-12
a Warning
BY ESTHER VANDEVEER

'SANEtS Oi soCleJleS TOT pSyCulcal re-
ssasTrGh, ! don't.
Tbgre are persons who are always
aavug either dreams that contain rev.
aasS2fions or see apparitions or are con-
sscie0s of something about to happen
cziszG does happen. have no confidence
siG &aese people. If l believed in them
Il 'Eeould argue that in their makeup
there is something especially amenable
w some hidden law But my own expe-
EBs1ce Gispfo~es this. | have had a
zzEanifestation-T know of no better
sgEzzlhe for it-of more consequence than
aXY of these of which l have heard.
YeE have bad but one in all my life.
And this experience Cf mine having
7SoL1e but once to me, in addition to
usually susceptible to such influences,
points to the fact that others, either
living or dead. do interfere at times in
the current of our lives.
But it is not my intention to deliver
u lecture. l propose to tell q story.
am a bachelor. live at a club, associ-
ate almost entirely with men and have
no thought of marriage, and l may
state here that l never expect to be
married. do expect, however, in an
other existence to be psychically united
with one who will be to me my other
self.
was travelling and had been travel
Ing for several days with but few and
rather short stops. The season was
Summer, the time of day evening. My
escenveyance was a railroad train.
rw2s sitting by an open window, look
Mg out upon the fields flying by to
the music of the car wheels dropping
,Tro6n the end Of one rail and jumping
on to another. A favorite occupation
OF mine on a train has always been to
Imagine some one swimming along be-
side the train through the fields Of
grain that often line the track. On
this occasion we We're passing numer-
@9us such fields. and my image of fancy
was swimming along Justify. But as
THE twilight faded and objects were
lost to view dropped asleep, lulled by
the rattle of the train.
when l awakened a train was be-
side the one was on, moving in the
same direction and going at the same
rate of speed. Indeed so exactly alike
was the velocity of the two trains that
z could see no gain or loss whatever
TO the train beside me. The window
1sashes of both trains were raised, and
could see the people of the other
train, some reading. some lounging,
some talking together.
But my attention was fixed on lady
who sat at the window opposite me-
Her sash was up as well as mine, so
that there was no obstacle, either
transparent or opaque, between US.
The distance between her and me l
suppose was about three feet. She
was looking at me with an expression
s0n her face, especially in her eyes, that
i never saw in any one before and
daVe never seen since, but can't de-
scribe it. While I looked she spoke
to me.
Leave the train at the next station
and follow me- she said.
She put out her hand. but before I
could grasp it the two trains separat-
ed, and in another moment the one In
(which the lady sat seemed to enter a
'Snnnel. while mine went on in the
open.
So vividly impressed was that when
"a few minutes later we slowed up /
Issok my grip and when the train stop
Eped at a station | stepped out. After
"A moments delay it went on and left
me standing on the platform in very
singular mental condition.
viii another train be along soon?"
= asked of a station man.
From the west?'
No; from the east"
No train from the east for four
hours
was puzzled. I had been coming
eastward.
rs this track double beyond the sta
gson9" asked presently.
No double track on this line"
"What?"
Single track from here both ways
-@aH the way to the terminals"
An uncanny feeling came over me.
Fad seen train on a track beside me
2zsaiked with a woman on that train
aEsa had obeyed her instructions. As
avon as l could recover myself | walk
~oA in half da:ed condition into the
zsation and sat down. l remember
Esething but clicking of a telegraph
S2S1Iument, How long l sat there /
ssnnf know, but when | came to my
NSual consciousness it was at hearing
cze telegraph operator cry out to man
~SaUtsne:
Great heavens! No. % has been
wrecked ON the bridge above Bridge
nE'{he whole train down, with a terri
Die loss of iifer'
Here was more to intensity that feel
Ting Of awe that had taken possession
ssa me. A phantom woman on a phan-
epsm train had warned me Of a real
srsflroad accident in which should