MENTAL TELEGRAPHY
and then cut my letter suddenly short, because a strong instinct told me that the firm had begun to move in the matter. When I came down to break fast next morning the postman had not yet taken my letter away, but the electrical man had been there, done his work, and was gone again ! He had received his orders the previous evening from his employers, and had come up by the night train.
If that was an "accident," it took about three months to get it up in good shape.
One evening last summer I arrived in Washington, registered at the Arlington Hotel, and went to my room. I read and smoked until ten o clock; then, finding I was not yet sleepy, I thought I would take a breath of fresh air. So I went forth in the rain, and tramped through one street after another in an
aimless and enjoyable way. I knew that Mr. O ,
a friend of mine, was in town, and I wished I might run across him; but I did not propose to hunt for him at midnight, especially as I did not know where he was stopping. Toward twelve o clock the streets had become so deserted that I felt lonesome; so I stepped into a cigar shop far up the avenue, and remained there fifteen minutes, listening to some bummers discussing national politics. Suddenly the spirit of prophecy came upon me, and I said to myself, "Now I will go out at this door, turn to the
left, walk ten steps, and meet Mr. O face to
face." I did it, too! I could not see his face, because he had an umbrella before it, and it was pretty dark anyhow, but he interrupted the man
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