A Presentiment of Evil.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 305, 24 December 1891, Page 6 (Supplement)

A Presentiment of Evil.

When I had seated myself in the car I Examined my time-tables once more. At 11 o'clock that night I should connect with the through train for Chicago ; afc Chicago i should geb the 'Limited,' and on the 24bh ■ —the day before Christmas—-1 should reach home. The hope of spending Christinas with my wife and boy had remained with ma through weeks of lonely travel and hard work, doubly hard during the last week, and now that all was accomplished and I was actually on the way, I was full of thab exultant joy which makes men laugh and sing.

It was bitter cold, and against the windows, black with the outer darkness, came an unceasing rattle of fins, driving snow. The stifling hot car contained such an ac« sortment of passengers as is usually to be found on trains which traverse the backwoods districts of the north-western states. Near the centre of the car a moderately exciting game of pedro was in progress. From the forward end same the resonant snore of a sleeping lumberman, broken into snorts and mutterings at the frequent jolting and dancing of the car over the uneven road bed. Across the isle, a thin, worried-look-ing woman and a child smotbered in rusty wraps were eating grapes from a funnelshaped paper which the lank, fur-coatect husband and father had bought from the train boy. Ahead of me two well-dressed men werstalking of miries and mining, one quietly and steadily, the other pompously, bowing his head and impressively saying ' Yes , ate frequent intervals. Somewhere behind ma a was talking loudly and monotoi aously in hia own tongue to a deaf seatK mats. Two woodsmen ia slouch hafcs, checked shirts, and rod leggings, were making periodical trips through the train, bursting into our car from time to time, together with gusts of cold air and flurries of snow, banging the door shut, swaying and pifcchhsg, with drunken joke 3 and laughter, through to the other end of th© car and out at the other door.

All these sounds had mingled into a con-, fused and distant murmur when, with .my head against the side of the car and my eyes closed, I had allowed my thoughts to fly away ahead of the flow-moving train ta the cheerful little placa I called my home. I saw my wife tranquilly happy in the con« fident belief that. I would be with her before Christmas; I saw nay boy—my Rob—with his shining hair end outstretched arms, floating, floating toward me until ib seemed that his cheek touched mine, and then I started violently, for the cheek was cold as ice.

I was fearfully tired, and before long the heat of the car had made me drowsy again. Still thinking of the strange vision,"[ closed, my eye 3 a second time, and immediately the face and form of my boj' floated before me. He was stretching , out his hands, and. as he came close to mo I bent forward to> reoeive his embrace. Again he pressed his little cheek to mine, and again I started, terrified, for the touch had senb a chill through my whole body which I felfa vividly now, though quite awake.

I sat up straight and heard the sounds of the car, now separate and distinct. The loud snore of the lumberman, the monotov nous talk of the Swede, the pompous yes—. yea—yes of the fat mine-owner, the • Pass !* ' Save your clubs !' ' There's for low !' of the pedro players and the crack of their knuckles against the board as they threw down the cards.

The stoves were cracking and the heat o£ the car was intense, but I shivered continually. Twice again within an hour X had this vision, and then I closed my eyes no more.

My excitement was intense. I walked up and down the aisle. The slow crawling , and rumbling of the train maddened me. I staggered across the platforms in the driving snow to find the conductor and ask him when and where I could send a telegraph, message. I would wire my wife—what? Not the question that I was asking over and over in my thoughts, but I would sand some sort of a message and ask her to reply afc Chicago.

I looked at my watch. It was half-past 9. ' Whatever has happened to hin),, , I said, ' must have happened between S and 9 o'clock,' and as I leaned back in the peat I grew sick at the thought of wlyab this (Jhpistmas might be in my little home.

The train began to slacken speed, and feverishly impatient, I pressed my faco to the window to discover the cause. Then I drew back, and after an interval of stupefied thought I placed myself in the position I had occupied when the vision iit-Ht oc« curred. Then I closed my eyes and lee my muscles relax as if asleep. I allowed ray body to fall forward, a jolt, of the traits swayed me over against the icy cold windofc pane and—l laughed aloud.