The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-10-30

HE mixture of loathing and rage. In a Sec
ond /, is gone-I am as we'll as ever. Have
YOU in your experience, met with such case ]
j am not given to idle fancies. When ! tell
Won doctor, that have been presen in eleven
battles, have passed nights among dead and
dying creatures, witnessed every phase of the
terrible side of war, you may believe that my
nerves are not easily shaken. But will own
that the Circumstance l have alluded to, IN its
singular recurrence gives me considerable un-
easiness; and fearing that should the hoIros :
seize me In my wife's presence, the cnants VI
countenance / cannot control might oceas,oh
her grave alarm, l resolved 10 take your ol'in
ion on the subject. Let me nave IT,
"Mawry pondered deeply for moment
He was struck with the coincidence Oh tue
symptoms described with those WnIcn iau az
dtcfed Nav Calender. some Whisper OF the
supernatural agency TO which they were at
tributed had reached him in o3s or other OF
his freq uent visits, but his mind gas devoid
of the slightest faint OF superstition, anu his
thoughts now set strongly in quite another
direction.
"tCan you recall he presently asked, the
first occasion on which this sensation &C.
CURED ?
"I4et me see. No. Stay-yes. / had been
chatting with my wife, had partaken of her
afternoon tea, and was returning to nv study ;
ut happens most frequently after meals ,
60 No, l think not,' said Doulton, refiec ting
go on take refreshment sometimes during
the day you Indian gentlemen must have
yonr tifiin, and perhaps, in the intervals, a
glass OF pale ale or soda-water.'
90 Possibly said the colonel, whose atten-
ton was languishing, Il believe do
drought TO You by the butler, eh } What
claret this is Tredway, then, is always your
cup-bearer-eh. colonel ,
al suppose sol forget. Really, / can
hardly tell YOU. Sometime. TredWav, some
times Mahmoud sometimes, eh-ah! The
colonel yawned
"'Sometimes 7
"sOld Charlotte, think they call her. An
al wit IN hor
here, for the sake apparently, of helping eight
idle servants to do nothing. But why these
domestic queries and especially what has
that old baggage TO do with the matter!
Him . said Mawry, rather gravely, L don't
know. When did this happen the second time :
49, had been writing for a couple OF hours,
when, feeling weary, and missing perhaps my
sizes Ia threw myself on the bed-there is one
in the room-and fell asleep. In about an
hour, as / afterwards found, | started up in a
state-I frankly avow it-of horrible alarm,
as though had been set upon by band of
fends Then came that choking horror
then, thank q od I, release, for L do not think
buman mind, however strong, could sus-
tain so much as minute OF that anguish, and
keep its balance
"'It is curious said Mawry. Il confess,
colonel, l do not comprehend your case. So
far my skill instructs me, you are sound
in body and unques tionably sane in mind
Still there are faucies. Firm and self-possess-
ed rs you SEEM it is vet quite possible that the
solution may be found IN some disarrangement
of the nervous system. You have perhaps
overtasked your brain-a little less work, and
more exercise
~ see, sir seer exclaimed the colonel,
rising, with some heat; you take me for an
illusjonist, q - Ha ! by Heaven, 1t is comm
HOr -
"Nawry looked steadily at him. The colo
mel was not acting. The dark lined counten-
ance grew deadly pale, the eyes glowed. the
teeth chartered and CRASHED. In spite of him.
self, the doctor was awe-stricken At an appear
ance that powerfully recalled the fearful ira
dItiOns of possession.
The attack, whatever its nature was but
momentary. With long, deep inspiration,
like one over whom sitting wave has passed
the colonel seemed to recover himself COM
pletely, and, with a light laugh, held out his
hand.
'Mawry took the hint, and his leave.
II will send you pleasant draught,' he
said or rather, l will instruct your butler to
make it. And you Will oblige me, colonel, by
receiving nothing of a liquid kind from any
hand bat has. This is important: l will give
my reasons hereafter. Take your wine as
usual. Good night
colonel Doulton neglected one portion OF
his friends adyice-he took even less than his
accustomed exercise, and was so rarely seen
abroad, that old Charlotte underwent some
severe cross examinations. Her report now
NvAS. that the mis- tresS grew stronger and
stronger but refused to take the air that the
colonel was becoming seriously Iil-cOuld
scarcely bear the fatigue of walking up stairs
and confined himself almost wholly to his
study, dividing the day between his writing
table and the bed The doctor, somewhat at
fronted at his patients systematic disregard
Ct his coursels. had discontinued his visits,
and had not hitherto been invited TO renew
them.
THUS affairs remained for several weeks,
till one morning the reverend rector was sent
for to the house. His visit was a prolonged
one. He came out grave and pale, and charged
with a melancholy tale, of which he made no
secret. The colonel had beer stricken with
some mysterious visitation beyond the reach
OF human skill, and, with a rooted PRESENT.
ment of his approaching end, was pressing
the work on which he had been so long en- gagged
TO a conclusion. He seemed to be awaiting.
although with the courage of a Christian and
a soldier, an Inevitable fate.
Nor was he deceived. One bleak, grey
morning in December, the windows of No. %
remained closed. Colonel DouIton was dead -
Ito BE CONTINuEp IN OLE NEXT.l