The state journal. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1883-1885, 1884-12-20

pcTSOudBe. LIS uS uI6 was sui ~
sort of faint halo Of white misty light
probably my own figure presented a sim,
liar appearance, but did not know 1t.
What did know, by some lntultive pro
cess which l cannot explain, was that
had been drawn thither by the superior
will-power of the figure before me. ]
then learnt for the first time that others
besides myself possessed the same strange
faculty ofbeing able to leave their earthly
husk behind them for a brief season. But
/ what in me was abnormal and beyond my
own control, was in the figure before me
normal and exercisable at will. Mr.. Van
| Klugen-for he it was-had only to lie
| down with his head and feet pointed due
north and south, and to will intensely, in
order to bringona state fcoma or trance
\ in which for the time being the spirit
could separate itself from the body almost
aa easily as the body could cast off its
outer clothing. All this learned in after
conversation with Van Klugen. He told
me, too, that. his experience had brought
him into contact with some half dozen
| people possessed of the same singular fac
ulty; but in none Of them was it so pow
erfully developed as in himself With
him, in fact, the process mad almost be-
| come formulated into the simplicity of
an exact science.
We have never met before began
the shade of Mr. Van KlugeD, but so fine
is the chord of sympathy which vibr ates
between one human soul, and each
| and every soul when no longer shut up
| in f1eshly tenement, that as l sat here,
| pining in solitude, and longing for COM
| panion, knew to an instant when was
no longer alone in this debatable land
that lies between the common world and
| the world of spirits emancipated by death.
willed strongly that you should come
| hither, and you are here. But you are
troubled, brother shade. You are want
| ing in that air of serenity viii CHI should
ever accompany the philosophic mind
"Why l have been brought hither
| without any wish on my own part is a
| mystery to me, said, seeing that am
due in Hades at :05.
/" Us it indeedso? And | am to be made
spectacle for gods and men outside the
walls ola certain jail at 9 O'Clock next
Monday morning-and that for a crime of
which am as innocent as you are. After
all, our tates are not so very dissimilar. ,
"'Would that could change places
with you = l exclaimed. 1T is surely
better to die innocent, even by the hang
mans hand, than to be driven to end
ones existence by ones own act
That is as it may be- But tell me
what has brought you to this bitter
strait.
Il told him everything my faults
tollles, and crimes, and how had come
to the conclusion that there was no way
cut of my coil of troubles but one.
He listened attentively. And would
you really preferto change places with
me-? he asked when l had done
Reallyand truly would. l have a
horror of blowing out my brains; and
since die must, l should prefer to be
put out of existence automatically by the
hand OF another
"a long conversation followed, which
| have neither time nor inclination to
detail The result may be stated in few
words.
In the first place we were to exchange
identities. was to becomesthe tenant of
the unoccupied body of Felix Van Klugen,
at that time lying in comatOse state in
Hemingford jail he was to become the
tenant of my unoccupied body, at that
time lying in my chambers at Gray's Inn.
|, as the tenant of Van Klugen's body.
was to suffer the extreme penalty of the
law on the day appointed for that cere-
mony, in return for which, out of his
wealth (Which he had taken the precau.
ton to settle on his mother previously to
his triaD, he was to pay the whole of my
debts, to refund my mothers portion and
my sisters dowry, and in addition to
settle five hundred year for life upon
each of them.
''These preliminarieS having been
agreed upon, it was decided that we
should meet on the following night at
the same time and place tor the further
discussion of our plan.
"Even after l had got back to the
world of everyday realities l did not re-
pent the bargain had made. By Van
Klugen's instructions | took next even
ing a strong dose of opium in combina-
ton with certain other powerful Eastern
drugs. Ten minutes after swallowing
the mixture faded into Inconsistencies,
only to wake again in Van Klugen's IL
brary, where my shadowy host was al
ready awaiting my arrival.
"Atthat last meeting everything was ar
ranged, and it was decided that the all-im.
portant change should take place the fol-
lowing night. Much of the time we spent
together was employed in coaching up
Van Klugen in the history of my family
and myself He entered into all the details
with avidity, and l do not doubt that
those who, having known the Herman
Trevis of former days, may choose to
keep up their acquaintance with the Her
man Trevis of to-day, will find in him a
change that will seem all but miraculous.
In place of a spendthrift and a
sot of a man who cared for little beyond
the qualification of hisow. n vicious tastes,
they will find man temperate to the
point of abstemiousness, a man Hch
in philosophic culture, scholar and q
gentleman. How unaccountabls to them
will seem SUCH traormatn jusn
'fBut another hour hato:ss struck, and
l must hurry on.
Next night we met agan. There were
few final arrangements to make, andt
then both Ofus were ready for the grea
change. We shook hands and parted.
You know the rest. A fewseconds later
1, Herman Trevis, found myself in the
guise and outward semblance of Felix
Van Klugen, condemned felon in Hon
ingford Jail. while the real Felix Van
Klugen would henceforth be know to the
world as Herman Trevis.
Il accepted the alternative offered me
deliberately and of my own free will.
cannot say that regret having done so,
although may have found it matter of
some difficulty to reconcile myself to the
peculiarities of the position. Even that,
however, has been accomplished.
Il pen this confession under no appre-
hension that its contents can ever be made
use of against the real Mr. Van Klugen.
What indeed, could the law do in such
q case2 Nothing-absolutely nothing.
1t has claimed its victim and it is