Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-03-06
from the Chicago Journal. |
Deswick's Strange Love.

|
had his extraordinary experience.
| His drama of life may be weakened
by the frauds of to-day, which simulate
it; but to him and to his friends there
was in its brief course sut b q dumb
pathos, such intense mental anguish,
AMI such a tragic finalily as can never
be forgotten. It is and was terror in
bas relief.
In the year mentioned, Deswick was
| just thirty years DID, and By profession
| q Journalistic slight, nervous man,
quick to plan and execute, impressible,
OF strong affections, Jet, withai, a quiet,
undelnonstrative gentleman, whom
those who knew him intimately greatly
admired. 1t Was in March that, going
| to his work, he encountered Mr.. Mel
son.
II want you at my house to- night
said Nelson. "Pve something in view
that needs your opinion, from what I've
heard"
| Hearty thanks I" exclaimed Des-
| wick, "But Pm so busy that I don't
see how it is possible to be with you"
| "Not word ~ commanded the other.
II insist upon your presence. Eskell,
the artist, and his sister will be there !;
Mr.. and Mrs. Penton; Filligrue, the
lawyer, and half dozen others-pieas
ant people all. Besides these, Deswick,
there will be yourself and-Tricatrac !;
altogether, no dumb show of social hon.
ors."
"And who's Tricatrac?" asks Des-
wick, struck by the curious name; 81
never heard of hin. before"
"a wonderful man, I'm told; one Of
whom no one knows the antecedents,
save that he came from the South
man of forty, perhaps, clean of dress
and strangely reserved in speech and
manner; man"-and Nelson uncon-
sciously lowered his voice and save it a
tone Of solemn slowness-'a man who,
I am told, can produce spirit which is
as natural as life; spirit you can see.
Deswick. Think of that! The man is
a mystery to every body, including him
self. l may say, as sort of secret, that
he has half promised to give an exhibi-
ton of his power tonight 1t is in the
line OF your profession. Now, won't
you come ?"
"Who could resist such temptation
Yes, will be there"
"Better for poor Deswick had he drop
ped dead then and there. Better had he
gone blind, or deaf, or fled the city,
Better anything than this advance to
meet destiny that should wreck his
life.
The dining-room of Mr.. Nelson's
house had been selected as the most suit
able place for the exhibition, being con-
nected with the back parlor by folding
doors. In one corner was deep, large
closet, with no opening save the door
The shelves had all been removed, and
nothing remained save the few cleats on
which they had rested. Mr.. Trieatrac
had been introduced to the company,
and made favorable impression by his
looks and by his brief but pleasant con-
versation He was tall, slim, thin faced
and hollow eyed; man of forty years
of age. perhaps, with hair prematurely
gray, and closely cut, and heavy IRON
gray mustache. He talked but little,
yet listened well, though with rather an
abstracted air. The ladies evidently ad-
mired him for his oddity of action,
while the gentlemen gave to him the
consideration necessary for the solution
of sort of social problem.
1t was just ten o'clock by the bronze
statue Of Time under the glass case,
when Mr.. Nelson stood up in the broad,
double doorway, between the parlor and
dining room, and remarked that after
some hesitation Mr.. Tricatrac had con-
sented to produce real, genuine ghost.
And Mr.. Tricatrac, as calm as q Judge
and as solemn as if he were about to At
tend a funeral, rose from his seat and
said:
'iOur host, ladies and gentlemen, has
expressed a desire for an exhibition o1
what he terms my powers as medium.
Now, l am not and do not profess to be
. medium. I dislike the word and the
business it implies. My power of mate
rialization which I am assured / exer-
cisee, though have no knowledge oi
what transpires, is something which has
been developed without my purpose, il
continued without my will, and is de-
mons trated against my inclination, be-
cause fear its results either upon my
self or upon those who may witness it,
! make pretence to nothing, explain
nothing You must accept without
questioning, whatever may be present.
ed"
At this point Mr.. Nelson interrupted
him by trying to state that he wished tG
apologize for or explain why he asked
Mr.. Tricatrac to exert his influence with
the dead, but the latter, with wave o
his hand, said:
"I-we all-understand you. You,