The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-12-24


supposed to be well off; but now it was
the general opinion that every acre ne
owned was mortgaged. and that be was
much pressed for money. but" my
informant said, there is but one life
between him and the reversion to large
estates. and that life is poor one. /
believe even now there is talk about
the man who stands in his way being
mad. If so, Ralph Carriston will get
the management of everything"
After this news | felt it more than
ever needful to keep a watchful eve on
nv friend. So far as l knew there had
been no recurrence of the trance, and l
began to hope thar proper treatment
would effect complete cure, when. TO
my great alarm and annoyance, Car
riston, while sitting with me, suddenly
and without warning. fell into the same
state of body and mind as previously
described. This time he was sitting in
another part of the room. After watch
Ing him for a minute or two, and just
as l was making up my mind to arouse
him and scOld him thoroughly for his
folly, re sprang to his feet, and, shout
Ing: Let her gol Loose her, L say
rushed violently across the rooL:-so
violently that | had barely time to in
terpoSe and prevent him from coming
into contact with the opposite wall.
Upon returning TO his senses he told
me, with great excitement that he had
again seen Madeline; moreover, this
me he had seen Il man with her-a
man who had placed his hand upon her
wrist and kept it there; and so. accord
ing to Carriston' 5 wild reasoning, be-
came, on account of the contact, Wis
iblc II him.
He told me he had watched them for
some moments. until the man. tighten
ing his grip on the girls arm, endeav-
ored, he thought, TO lead her or induce
her to follow him somewhere. Al this
iuncture. unaware that he was gazing
at vision, he had rushed TO her AS
sistance IN the frantic way have de-
scribed: then he awoke.
He also told me he had studied tse
mans features and general appearance
most carefully with 4 view to future
recognition. All these ridiculous state
mentS We're made n he made the former
ones, with the ar of one relating SIM
pie, undeniable facts-One speaking the
plain. unvarnish"d truth, and expect
ing full credence to he given to his
words.
1t was too absurd too sad, 1t was
evident to me that the barrier between
his Authorizations. dreams. visions, or
whatever he chose TO call them. and
IL Ia
and fragile one But before l gave his
case up a. hopeless | determined to
make another strong appeal 70 his
common-sensr. told him of his couS-
ms visit to me-of his intentions and
proposition. l begged him to consider
what consequences his extraordinary
beliefs and extravagant actions must
eventually entail. He listened atten-
lively aud calmly.
You see now" he said. show CHIT
l was IN attributng all this to Ralph
Carriston-how right was to come to
you. 4 doctor of standing, who can
vouch for my sanity"
"Vouch for your sanity! How can /,
when you sit here and talk such arrant
nonsense and expect me TO believe it?
When You jump from your chair and
rush madly at some visionary foe?
Sane as you may be in all else, any evil
dence could give in your favor must
break down in crosS-eXam nation if an
inkl;ng of these things got about
Come, Carri>ton. be reasonable, and
prove your sanity by setting about this
search for Miss Rowan in proper
way."
He made no reply, but walked up and
down the room apparently in deep
thought. My words seemed to have
had no effect upon him. Presently he
seated himself; and, As if to AVOID re-
turn ne TO the argument, drew book
at hazard from my shelves and began
to read. He opened TIE volume ut ran
dom. but after reading IL few lines
seemed struck by something that met
his eyes, and in few minutes wa;
deeply immersed in the contents of the
book. l glanced at it to see what had
so awakened his interest. By curious
fatality he had chosen book the very
worst for him in his present frame of
mind-Gilchrist' 5 recently publish ID life
of William Blake. that mastery memoir
of a man who was on certain points IS
mad a CaTriston himself. | was about
to demonstrate. when he aid down the
volume and turned to me.
"Varley, the painter, he said. was
firm believer IL Blake'S visions"
Marley was a bigger fool than
Blake, | retortcd. Fancy his sitting
down and watching his clever but ma
friend draw spectral heads, and believ-
ing them to be genuine portraits of
dead kings whose forms condeSccnded
TO appear to Blake
A sudden thougkt seemed to strike
CarriSton. "WHl you give me some
paper and chalk?" he asked. Upon
being furnished with these materials he
seated himself ut the table and began
to draw. At least dozen times he
Sketched, with his usual rapidly, some
object or another, and dozen times,
after 4 moment s consideration, threw
each sketch aside with an air of disap-
pOintmcnt. and began fresh one. At
last one of his attempts seemed to come
up to his requirements. Il have it
now, exactly" he cried. with jov. even
triumph. in his voice. He spent some
time in putting finishing touches to the
Succe ssful sketch, then he handed me
the paper.
THAT is the man 1 saw just now
with Madeline" he sad. when |
find him l shall find her. He spoke
with ali sincerity and conviction. |
looked at the paper with, l am bound
to say, 4 great amount of curiosity.
No matter from what visionary
source CarriSton had drawn his
inspiration. his sketch was vigorous
and natural enough. | have already
mentioned his wonderful power of
d,-a ,rinn ,nnrtroitS from ,,,nnnn,.,- %