Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-05-01
/" HELP! MURDER !"

|, Roscoe Anthon, am book seller.
Ny friend Arnold Percy, is a cashier In
bank. Our friendship dates back to
boyhood, and will last as long as life
does. We are not very old; l am thirty
and he is two years younger. We art
both well-to do in the world. There i:
scarcely scheme for the material ad.
vancement of the city in which we have
not direct money interest. We each
own a lt,le-not very much-of the
stock of the bank in which my friend
holds a position. This is our oldes,
venture and it pays well. We each
own stock-more this time in the
water works and pumping machinery
by which the city is supplied with water.
We are quiet and steady in our habits,
have the reputation Of being a good
business man-in books he-in money.
But most men have some enthusiasm
outside of business. We have. In fact,
we have two. And they are psychology
and electricity. We room in the same
house and on the same floor and on eX-
ac,ly opposite sides Of the hall. Ny
room is open to him at any time and
his to me. But in the interests Of elec-
trical science, we each have a telegraph
instrument Of the most costly kind on
our respective tables and Zine be-
tween our rooms. Besides this we have
telephone communication. A queer
freak, YOU say. So be it. We enjoy it,
and can afford it, and We have it.
Rare books, old and new, which treat
of either electrical or psychological ques-
tions find their way 10 our tables and
are read and discussed.
We amuse ourselves for hours toge,h-
er with our instruments. Then we
will meet in the room of one or the
other TO read, to smoke, 10 talk, yes,
let me confess ito write For We are
each at work on a book Mine is not a
booksellers catalogue. will cofess 1t
again il is book on dreams. And
Arnold Percy, who will never write any
thing very remarkable on finance, is
making a very readable book on tele'
graphic communication.
We are too good friends to te selfish
Arnold will talk an entire evening or
whatever pleases me best. He record:
his dreams for me and helps explain them
That is, when he has any dreams. We
are both too sound sleepers to dream
much. /, on the other hand, help him
in every way in my power.
In the preface Of my book there are
two fundamental statements which viii
copy here. They are as follows;
at may help in our study of dreams
to assert that they are the results of def
mite, even if not understood causes, and
that the study Of dream should include
the study of the day before the night
during which the dream occurs.
"As it IS difficult to tell just wher
sleep consequently dreaming) begins ant
ends, we should study all events which
are closely connected with a dream in
the light of the science of dreams"
will begin then, with the morning
of a certain day and relate, in consider
able detail, some Of the events Of tina
day. Arnold had told me the night be
fore that he should rise early to write {
few pages in his took. We had retire'
late. and had left our doors open in orde
to get more air during the hot nigh
!, than was otherwise possible.
l opened my eyes just before daylight
In the room objects which were lghte,
from the window alone were in obscurity
But a food of gaslight poured in at m
open door from the room in which m,
friend was hard at work.
up with the birds aren't you I" sai'
I. And certainly the birds were sing
ing in a pleasant manner outside.
; "Hold on. | want to try an experl
ment. Look toward the door,
: "All right
From my place in bed l could not Sc
into Arnold's room, but as | looked th
decrease in brightness showed me tha
he had turned his gas almost, but nc
: quite out. He turned it on again, the
, almost out. and so on ; sometimes slowly