Year: 1865

In the spring of 1850 | went to Guilford to
transact some professional business and attend
a trial which was then before the Court. |
reached the place late in the evening, and
found that every hotel was full, with the ex-
ception Of one bed in Il double bcddcd room at
a secOnd-rate tavern.


The other bed is occupied by gentleman
from town" said the landlord and as an in
ducement for me 20 help on the profits of the
house, he added :" he is neither q rouge nor
cut-throat, Judging from his appearance. OF
course you ii not have any scrupeS about sleep
ing in the same room with him."


As had nothing about me to tempt even
third rate thief, and had never given any of
my fcllOw-men sufficient reason for severing my
ugular in the dark, decided to take the bed
in question, and soon after retired to the room.


My fellow traveller was already Ill bed and
apparently asleep, with his face turned towards
me. 1t was that of mild-loOking man of
thirty-fve, of a sandy complexion, with hun
CRY look. There was nothing in his physiog-
nOmy, however, that led me to suspect him
given to deeds of darkness; SO | ensconced my
self in bed, and, with my last thoughts upon
dear Mrs Jones' | was soon as unconscious as
one of the seven SlceperS.


A little past midnight was awakened by a
voice from my ncighbOr's bed. | listened-
He was muttcring something in his sleep.


ooh Mary, how can you cast me OFF, he
went on, in the pleading tones of distracted
lover: how can you forget the love that has
followed you for many years, and never turned
from you in your misfortune when you stood
alone in the worldY'


Then came pause, after which he continued
with more moving tones than before:


Say not sO-say not So Before he with
his wealth crossed your path we were happy in
each other; and why should be now cast of,
after you have sworn by all that is high and
good that you would be mine? All Mary, if
you reject me- my soul will be given to some
dark deed that will destroy us both. l shall
have faith neither in heaven nor in woman to
restrain me. Then you turn deaf year to my
last prayer? You have chosen your own fate ;
and mark my words-yOu shall never marry
| him"


The mind of the sleeper seemed to have be-
come calm and his dreams undisturbcd as soon
as he had given utterance to these last words.


He doesn't sleep well, y thought l. " He
| is going through with a romantic part of life.


He has taken the disease at an untimely age /;
| it goes hard with him.


| And as remembered had just such dreams
at one time, when was near losing, the pres
ent Mrs. Jones, | was not at all alarmed by
nv neichbor' S ominOus xpressiOns. thought
| no more about the matter till l saw the lndl-
vidual in Court the next day.
The case was that of young man on trial
| for the murder of young woman to whom he
had been betrcthed The ground of his arrest
was that ON the night of her murder, in her
own fathers house, he was the last person
known to be with her. She had lived for seve-
raj wears in London and it was reported that
she there made the acquaintance OF apennlless
voung rnan. to whom she was engaged to be
married and that she had broken off her en-
pagement with him for more wealthy rival,
whom she met after her return home.
| AS I listened to the proceedings Of the trial.
I noticed that my fellow-lodger seemed to take
more of an interest in the case than would be
expected in an ordinary spectator. then be-
Gan TO think whether there could be any con-
nection between this crime and what l heard
him saving in his sleep the preceding nj abt.-
| II was striking coincidence that Mary was
the name of the murdered young woman. He
had seemed to be pressing his claims as more
binding than those OF later and wealthier sui
tor Ills threadbare suit and general appear
ance showed that he might personify the poor
lover. Moreover he was from London, and
seemed to have no particular business, except
to hang about the Court and note the pro-
ceedings / kept my thoughts to myself, how
ever. and watched for further developments.


That night | went to bed first. My strange
friend came up after was apparently asleep.
He seemed wholly unconcious Of my presence.
He placed his candle on the table near his bed,
and began to examine some papers which he