Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1880-12-18

slant, and his step grew quicker as he
listened to the students questioning, but
presently he threw himself into a large
arm chair and burst into a loud laugh.
The students were startled.
There was something so unnatural,
unearthly and unreal in the doctors
laugh that the:nFstery was Immediately
deepened, and the students involuntari-
ly drew their chairs closer together.
sit is wonderful said the doctor,
chow hospital traditions survive. Why,
had supposed that old story was for
gotten years ago by all save l. shall
never forget it. Let me see. 1t hap
pened just twenty-eight years ago this
month. The hospital of that day was
our present hospital, and I was a student
myself, but an assistant surgeon also, in
cases of emergency, and that was how
came to sleep in the building. The room
l occupied was in the northeast corner,
on the third floor. 1t was large room
with two windows in front and one at
the side. My bed was placed in the
northwest corner, and at the southwest
corner was the door, which led into the
hall. am thus particular as to details,
because remembrance Of them will en-
able you to better understand my story.
1t was my privilege at that time to en-
gage in some outside practice, and one
night was called some distance in the
city to see patient. ] had occupied my
own time going and returning, and thus
it was that reached my room in the
hospital about eleven o'clock in the
evening. Then, as now, ! was devo-
tee of tobacco, and it was with sense
of relief and qualification that ! lit my
pipe and lay down upon the bed to smoke.
1t is indistinct in my memory how long
lay there but it must have been half
an hour, and all my senses were as acute
and active as at this moment. Sudden
ly permitted my hand and arm to fall
over the edge Of the bed, and to my as
constituent, another hand closed upon
mine with a vice-like grip. It was q
cold bloodless hand, and recognized in
all it's outlines the hand of . corpse.
Though say it myself had the reputa-
ton in those days of being young man
of great personal courage, and imme-
diately regained my wonted equanimity
but before ! could fully recover from my
astonishment the hand was gone. All
the superstious tales Of a lifetime crowd
ed into my brain, and l lay there won
dering from what on earth that queer
circumstance could have originated.
With desperation-for was growing o
little nerv0us-I reached down and felt
about the floor for the hand, but it
could not be found and ! was still more
mystitied. Again and again reached M
der the bed, as far as possible from my
reclining position, but each time with
ont success. This constant failure to
renew my experience with the bloodless
hand nerved me to my usual composure.
Then arose and proceeded to make an
investigation, and was not at all sur
prised to find underneath the bed the
lifeless body of man. Though the
room was quite dark could almost dis
tinguish it's features, and knew it must
be a man of about forty years of age.
The body was partially dressed, but
from thf waist up there was no clothing.
My familiarity with dead bodies was of
long duration, and was no longer both
cred with superstitious doubts or fears,
except as to the one fact that the lifeless
hand had certainly reached ont and
closed upon mine; but that fact dis
missed from my mind upon some physi-
illogical reasonings satisfactory to my
self, and thought could not be fright
ened again.
How the body came into my room and
underneath my bed was the next inquiry
That question, however, could be easily
solved, for the hospital students were
more mischievOus and more daring then
than now. and ] resolved that they had
done this work to brighten me. laughed
quietly at the fruitlessness of their adj
venture, and began making arrange
ments to remove the body 1t taxed all
my strength to drag the corpse from UNI
derneath the he'd. Then | thought |
had better have some assistance from
the porter, and to call him ! stepped to
the door.
ITO my surprise the door was bolted
from the outside, and knew in a mo-
ment that | was doomed to the all
nights companionship of a dead body. |