THE AUCTIONEER'S STORY.

Observer, 21 December 1893, Page 22

THE AUCTIONEER'S STORY.

""Well, my boys," said the old gentleman, "as you will make me give you something weird I will tell you a tale that is true enough, though I don't expect to get an ounce of credence for it. It happened long before I mounted an auctioneer's rostrum and plied his hammer. My early life was spent at boarding school, both parents being dead, and I was accustomed to betake myself for the Christmas holidays to a fine old country house in the North of Ireland, wherein dwelt a bachelor uncle of my father's and that uncle's widowed sister. One memorable Christmas Eve, when I had just turned eleven, I arrived about ten o'clock on a clear frosty night at the old homestead, wearied and drowsy with a long coach ride. A merry fire was crackling and blazing in the ample hearth, the spacious dining-room was brilliantly lit with candles, and a company of young people from the neighbouring farms were busily engaged in a game of forfeits, while their elders were gathered round the hearth toasting their feet and mellowing their clay with steaming glasses of fragrant punch. I received a joyous welcome, had my share of the good things on the table, except that I assuaged my thirst with warm milk instead of glowing toddy, and then Biddy, the red cheeked and cherry-lipped maid-of-all woik, marshalled me to bed. " The sleeping quarters occupied the first floor, and my room commanded a view of the orchard with a piece of lawn in the immediate foreground. I quickly undressed, and once inside the sheets I lost no time in dropping off to sleep. How long I slept I know not, but when I awakened with a start to find the curtains undrawn and the light of the full moon streaming into the room, the house was as still and, quiet as the grave. Without any sense of fear or loneliness, I got out of bed and went toward the window to draw the blind down. As I did so I chanced to look out, and at once started back in the utmost astonishment. Both lawn and orchard had disappeared, and in their place was a broad expanse of water, the margin of which was a few yards distant from the house. A small sailing boat was lying not far 'from the window, and an elderly man, whose face I distinctly, saw, was making preparations to receive on board two little fellows, one of whom was curiously like myself, and in the other one I recognised a favourite schoolmate named Frank Cullen. The old man was bareheaded, and had a plentiful crop of smooth white hair ani a full grizzled beard, but no moustache, his upper lip being clean-shaven. What fixed his face most

strongly i my mind however, was the fact that he had a squint in his right eye. I heard no word ~*^ spoken but I saw the little fellows get into the boat and the old man hoist the sail and then direct Cullenhow to steer. A fresh breeze seemed ") to be blowing, for the sail bellied out and the little craft heeled over to the wind. The wind ■*£" increased and came in gusts, and I saw the old ij, . man stand up to put the boat about. In the jT twinkling of an eye she capsized, and the whole of Z< the occupants were in the water. is, "At this sight I screamed out in great alarm' © and running out of the room I redoubled my criesj In a very few minutes the whole household was N up, and as I excitedly arid rather incoherently ?0 told niy tale they tried to soothe and reassure me, i^ protesting that the seashore was quite five miles ij distant, and that I had merely been dreaming. I dragged my granduncle to the window to convince }' him I was relating the actual fact, but to my amazement there- was nothing to be seen save the smooth lawn and the orchard in the background. Not a vestige of life ; everything calm and peaceful under the brilliant light of the moon. As I was still tremulous with excitement a little farm lad was left in the room with me to keep me company, and after the others had retired, he told me so many stories of marvellous dreams that I at last was persuaded I had dreamt everything. In the morning I was subjected to a good deal of mild banter on my strong imagination, and the impression produced by the vision of the night gradually wore off. " My holidays passed away all too quickly, and when I returned to school I saw Cullen there quite as happy and as careless as of old. I was restrained from ever mentioning the subject of the dream for fear of being laughed at. In due time the Easter holidays approached. Cullen was in high glee at the prospect of a gay party, which was to be given by his parents on Good Friday eve in celebration of the wedding of his eldest sister. There was to be a separate entertainment for the younger children and their friends from far and near, and Frank was directed to bring me with him. We had to cross a portion of Xioch Neagh to reach the place, and an old servant of the family was to be sent with a sailing boat to fetch us. My dream had long since faded completely out of mind, and I joyfully accepted my friend's invitation, and made all needful preparations to accompany him. "We drove down to the shore of the lake, and between 4 and 5 in the afternoon saw a small sailing boat drawn up on the beach. An old man with coat off and bareheaded was busily engaged, with his back to us, baling out the boat with a scoop. " As Frank merrily called out to him he turned slowly round, and I recognised at once the boatman of my dream — the same smooth folds of white hair, the same grizzled beard and shaven upper lip, and the same unmistakeable squint of the right eye. His appearance immediately conjured up the entire scene which had affrighted me during the Christmas holidays. An uncontrollable impulse came upon me to run back to school. I absolutely refused to step into the boat, although both Frank and the old man Dennis Murphy rallied me upon my fears. They spent half-an-hour vainly trying to persuade me there was not the slightest danger, and both were greatly puzzled at my pusillanimity, for I was still ashamed to mention the true cause of my fear. At length Frank lost his temper and told me sharply I was a miserable little milksop and might stay where I was ; he would trouble me with no more invitations. Dennis had ceased to expostulate, and was impatient to be off for the wind was rising and the sun was sinking behind the hills. '' Frank was sulky and would no longer speak, and I, too, was in a pet at the epithet he had applied to me, and therefore the more resolved not to accompany him even if he could have summoned a jaunting car to drive us to the .scene of festivity. The long and the short of it was that I made off back to school without even wishing them " good bye " while the little boat was pushed off, the sail hoisted, and when I took my last backward look at them they were bowling along at a great rate leaving a track of foam in their wake. " Then I secretly repented of my strange obstinacy all on account of the fancied resemblances in my dream. Still, pride swelled my heart, and I solaced myself with thinking how I would pay out Frank Cullen for having called me a milksop. At school I pleaded headache as an excuse for my unexpected return, and went to bed in a wretched temper with everybody, myself included. " About midnight I was aroused from sleep by the chambermaid. Mr. Cullen had ridden over on horseback in great alarm to ascertain what had become of his son and the boatman. I was summoned •to his presence, but could throw no light on the affair beyond . telling of their departure. My fears I again kept to myself. In the morning , the mystery was cleared up. The boat was found floating bottom up, and a few days later the bodies of my playmate and the old boatman were washed ashore. -Now, gentleman," concluded the_veteran, " that is the only thing in the nature of a queer, uncanny story that has ever come within my personal experience, but it is quite enough. You can call it a mere coincidence

between a vivid dream and an unhappy event or a ghost yarn or what you will. lam not vain enough to think there was a special interposition of Providence in my favour, but at any rate it was a very odd affair altogether."