Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-12-10
v. CONFESSION.

Philip Fosdick had a way Of ex-
orcising constraint and implanting
confidence even in those who had no
special liking for him. And Priscilla
was genuinely attached to him, more
so than she knew. And when she saw
how well he looked, how very much
alive and alert-mentally and physi-
cally Philip always seemed at concert
pitch and never to know let-down-
hesitation and doubts were swept
away like leaves before an autumnal
wind.
81 suspected It." he announced, nod
ding sagely: you're a fraud-and
thank God for thatl Now give me tea,
please, and tell me ALL"
She made a little move of petu-
lance. 'I knew you'd laugh at pe"
81 hoped I would"
Philip Topped boyishly into his ia
vorite chair, helped himself to Gig
aret, and watched Priscilla narrow
ly while she sugared his cup with the
traditional two humps, added the slice
of lemon, and drowned Doth in tea.
Never had she seemed more beautiful
or more perfectly poised. Impossible.
he told himself, there could be any.
thing amiss with a creature of such
radiance Some girlish notion, noth-
ing more serious
"How long have you known me,
Philip"
'Let me see To the best of
my recollection, since you were about
year old; I remember coming into
the nursery Unexpectedly and finding
you"
"Never mindl Have you ever OBJ
served anything in me that led you to
believe was abnormal in any way?"
He contemplated a frivolous reply,
but seeing the gravity in her eyes re-
| Trained.
"NeverI' said Philip solemnly.
swell, there is something
Philip: I have dreams. The strangest
dreams Let me tell you. And
please don't laugh, Philip. It isn't
any laughing matter"
He drew the soberest face of sym.
pathy imaginable. go on"
"As far back as I can remember
I've every now and then had a special
sort of dream that seemed very reaI
to me. Even as a little girl-thougt
then, think, they weren't so definite
/. But when began to grow into
long dresses, the dreams took on 8
certain form they've kept ever since
"Such as-T
"What / fancy slums must be like
The self see in dreams belongs there
dresses, acts, talks precisely like {
girl who's never had any advantage:
to speak of, much education or con
tact with the pleasant side of life. AL
the same she is myself mucf
as If put on some disguise so com
plete 1t disguised even my speech an(
habits Of thoughts, even my senti
ments and impulses. This girl doe,
and says things / never could and
awake, have never thought of. But t,
her they seem quite right, the natura
and right things to do and say. Th,
truth is, most of the time she's rathe
self-satisfled and pleased with every
thing-the life she leads, the peopl,
she knows, the fun she has-every
thing"
81 understand" Now unfeignedl,
intrigued, Philip had abandoned al
pretense of treating the matter light
ly, and was sitting forward, cigare
smoldering between his fingers. hi
eyes intently searching Priscilla
face. "Tell me something about tn
content of these dreams. Go back a
far as you can :"
my first memories are 7ery vague.
Priscilla told him. 'sThey We're child
. ish and simple impressions of anothe
little girl who was rather unhapp
most of the time. I think she live
J with an old woman-a wretched oil
witch Of a woman who was cruel t
her, seemed to hate her and enjo
. beating her-in q mean little fla
somewhere. The old woman used t
: tell fortunes with cards in the fror
! room. But all that's very vague nov
J I don't remember much more, exceI
that the little girl used to play a grea
, deal in the streets"
D But when sheer you-grew VI
{ The dreams became more real?"
] "Yes; about that time somethin
4 happened to the old woman, I presum
D she died, and the girl was left alone
look out for herself. don't know whs
: she did for a living because neve
saw her except at night. Then woul
t meet her, or rather find myself wit
: her In the Street of Strange Face
f A questioning look obliged Priscill
Q to break off here and explain abol
{ the river, the Dark Corner, and tt
3 Street.
|, sand then we," she resumed-"C
= she-would start off and have curior
! experiences. She somehow fell in wit
sort of desperate, a gang leadt
! such as one sometimes reads about
: the newspapers, named Red earn
y han" ... -