New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-03-07

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that for, old fellowl, said /. There's
Maudsley's treatise will tell you all about
it, if you really want to know; but, you see.
when everybody is more or less insane, it
breaks out in all sorts of ways. You have
to watch for it,
mo; but seriously, now, did you ever see
anything in me that made you think-that
Nonsense, Tom! what has got into your
headi'
That's exactly what want to talk to YOU
about. want you to feel my pulse'-here
he stretched ont an arm that would have
been formidable, indeed, had madman's
mind controlled its action. 'Does i. run
along furiCuslyl Look at nv ewes, are the
pupils dilated and glariDg! Is there any,
thing blOodshOt and feverish there! Do
avoid your glance? Look me straight in
the eye. Now give your professional judg-
| ment"
must have grinned in manner most
exasperatlng to an earnest inquirer as
gazed into Toms honest face and calm blue
eyes, and felt pulse full, strong and per
fectly regular in its beat, as my sense told
me, quite below seyenty-eight.
dont know az can trust you Tom
said l. laughing. "You are doubtless, as
mad as March hare; but, probably, there
10 nothing here to excite display OF your
| mania"
| w iuOHuI responded
| friend. II want to know exactly what you
think; whether you see anything strange
| about met"
| dear old fellow said /, at last, a little
troubled, "yonr head is as sound as nut,
| and don't you 60 to crack it with such
botheration. There is no surer way to get
| the hypO than to think about it,"
| "Well, believe you," said Tom. "But
| that settles the question. If I'm not going
| crazy, know what am"
whats that 2"
"FlOored." n
"Eh p
"Smitten Smashed! Done up entirely!
Spooney on ghost " calculated Tom, as if
to exhaust the synonyms of slang in aiding
my comprehension.
Now, as neither Tom nor myself was
even approaching that condition OF material
prosperity which is thought necessary
precedent Of matrmOny, it should, perhaps,
have been considered an act of profound
discretion on his part to fall in love, if fall
he must, with a creature go inexpensive and
intangible as ghost; but the statement was
none the less strange and possibly alarm
ing 1t certainly required explanation.
That's about the long and short of it,"
continued Tom, leaning back his head and |
sending the smoke through his nostri)s TO. |
ward the ceiling. eff I'm subject to illu- |
slons and that eOrt Of thing, l am all righ2; |
1t Is only an insane imagining. If my head |
clear, as you say it is, then 1 won't answer
Nine. LAstra's -"
you don't mean to say you've been
running after that sort of numbug, Toni
exclaimed, in amazement."
mean to say exactly that" replied he;
land don't know about its being a hum
bug, either; or that lawyer hasn't as much
right to investigate physical phenomena az
l svni,, To !
the first time | went to one Of those mate.
rializing seanCes, l fell in love with that
girl"
"Then she isn't ghost!'
"Oh! you know what | mean. They call
1T materialized spirit. l don't mind talk
ing to you about her. Roger, and l have
been bursting to talk to some one. l find |
cant keep it to myself; she is really grow
ing fond of me-"
"A true spirit love-"
"And isn't that the truest kind9 She al.
ways wears my flowers when she appears:
and madam Gays that if am not there, SHIT,
seems more shadowy and sad. Two
weeks ago she let me kiss her hand, |,
and when had private sitting, she really
put her cheek against mine. If it were not I
fo1 those touches, should think with you :
that 1t is all humbug; but they thrill me !
now. Then thought, perhaps was not
III right in my head. Perhaps you can't u
ell. Are you sure! But your brain is clear
enough, aud You shall come with me and 7
zee for yourself" c
"When!" t.
ut his watch. madame begins her seapce
It eight. We shall have just fifteen min
ties to get there" q
The doorway before which Tom halted 81
ne was the entrance of one of those semi II
ubllc buildings in which rooms NAV be q
lred tor any conceivable purpose on pay
lent OF rent weekly in advance, whether
ne may wish to use them for preaching,
Or manufacturing, or for lodging There
'as evidently photographers room in the =,
PIPER story, for padlOcked shutters hid VI
hat must have been remarkable display a,
art, just inside on the walls of tbs pas "
ige. The words, Intelligence Office" a, q.
locked the passer in brilliant let. "
RS on one side; and opposite swung W "
hen viewed in profile, illustrated the d le
gend OF "Gaiters Made to Order" and its
hen seen edgewise, painfully suggested O ~ Is
ctlm OF the torture of the iron boot. VI
here was, of course. a dentist up one o.,
ght, anu the sign OF patent invention of .o
me sort was very fresh at the foot of the Ut
aircase. va
The street lamp shone brightly. or the WI WI
flf
the door way, announcing mime Estele I'm
Astra, ClairvOyant," would have been so,
visible. Tom preceded me up the stairs, wi;
med to the right through close darkness tin
at seemed TO make itself smelt, and Al,
mbed another flight at the top of which m
,ung ann Kerosene lamp, shedding oily SEE
ys on two cards of the showcase Crder. VIII
e OF which read: Mime. Estele LAstra. an,
ls'ness and Healing Medium;" and the %,
her, "Seance Tonight" while the hand OF 10,
unproiessiOnal letterer had added in II
kerry print beneath, "Walk In" VIII
AS L followed my companion through the
or, which he opened as if familiar with mo
peculiar weaknesses OF the loose |.
OBJ and the rafting latch, there mi
ote upon my senses that Odor, in the
scrlbable in words, which is found nat
y IN apartments bearing more than anf
'lr share OF the burdens Of daily human HE
stence. There was a suggestion of tea :.
4 toast IN the air. with possibly something ridi
"a: sofa bed and curtained recess, sttt
zen was doubtless lavatory, hinted up
er family uses of the room; a faint flavor t,w
liza stand in the e en,rr 10 IN from the Reg
mt OF the lamps; and when to these were lass
led the burdened exhalations Of some star
cu Poisohs aireauy assembled Tor the | dist
loltlon, 1t did not seem altogether in a
liole that from such an atmosphere a ! do
ut having synthetic power could easily hall
Lei! the means o. materiaiization. in II
NY Genus achission. II you pie ase," A
large and not unkindly looking ton
nan, as we passed into this home of mys eyhi
es, auH ahclhg WIN an assumed dignity char
hau s out u keep'ng win the nature tipp
'e {. ueinanu. Ap! Mr. Bolter, l am bic
! W sec GU: we had a beautiful seeance ridj.
evening. They were all SO harmonious. of II
don't often get the conditions so perfect; and
mony is SO essential. There was ladv Lille