The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1885-01-09


believed. do not say that such events
and condolences are Of every day occur
renee. Had they been SO, l should have
no objec. in writing this tale. But / do
say this, all else save this one thing
could prove to be true, If not by direct,
by circumstantial evidence; all else can
be explained either simply or scientific
ally; but what follows l can only give
my word for. Call it what you like,
dream, Authorization, overheated mag
ination-call it anything save invention
Il shall not be annoyed. This is what
happened.
Pauline at last lay still. Her moan
had sunk into silence. She seemed once
more to have lost all consciousness. My
one idea now was to remove her as speed
lily rs possible from this fatal place. All
sorts of strange thoughts and specula-
tons were thronging my brain. All
sorts of hopes and fears were shaking
me. What would the explanation be,
if ever l could get it?
Ny poor darling lay still and peaceful.
/ thought l would let her rest so for y
few moments before | carried her ont.
dreaded what waking her might
mean. So took her hand and held it
close in mine.
The candle was on the mantel-piece
behind me. 1t threw little or no light
into the front room, the folding doors
of which were only partially open-the
half behind the couch on which Pauline
lay closed. 1t was, therefore, impos-
sible for me from my sea: beside her to
look into the front room. Indeed, as 1
sat there my face was turned from it.
held my wife's hand for a few Sec
onds, and then a strange, undefinable
feeling crept over me-the kind of feel
ing sometimes experienced in a dream
in which two persons appear. and tho
dreamer can not be certain with which
ones thoughts and acts he Identifies
himself For awhile seemed to have 4
dual existence. Although perfectly
seat, still held Pauline's hand in mine, /
was also seated at the piano, and in
some way gazed through the half
opened doors into the other room, and
that room was full of light!
Light so brilliant that in glance
could see everything that the apart
ment contained. Each article of furni-
ture. the pictures on the walls, the dark
curtains drawn over the window at the
end. the mirror over the fireplace, the
table in the center. on which 4 large
lamp was burning. could see all this,
and more! For round the table were
grouped four men. and the faces of two
of the party were well known to me.
That man who was facing me-lcaning
across the table on which his hands
rested. whose features seemed full of
alarmed surprise, whose eyes were fixed
on one object few feet away from him
that man was Ceneri, the Italian
doctor. Pauline's uncle and guardian.
That man who was near the table on
Ceneri's right hand-who stood in the
attitude of one ready to repel posi-
bic attack. whose face was fierce and
full of passion, whose dark eyes We're
blazing-that man was the English
speaking Italian, Macari, or, as he now
STYLED himself, Anthony March, Paul
ines brother. He also was looking at
the same object as Ceneri.
The man in the backgrounds short.
thick-set man with a scar on his cheek
was stranger to me. He was look
ing over Ceneri's shoulder in the same
direction.
And the object they all looked at was
4 young man, who appeared to be fall
ing out of his chair. and whose hand
grasped convulsively the hilt of dag
ger. the blade of which was buried in
his heart-buried l knew by blow
which had been struck downward by
one standing over him.
All this l saw and realized in a Sec
ond. The attitude of each actor, the
whole scene surrounding was taken in
by me as one takes in with a single
glance the purport and meaning of a
picture. Then l dropped Pauline's
hand and sprang to my feet.
Where was the lighted room? Where
were the figures l had seen? Where
was the tragic scene which was taking
place before my eyes? Vanished into
thin air The candle was burning dimly
behind me. the front room was in dusk.
Pauline aud were the only living Great
ures in the place!
1t was dream. of course. Perhaps,
under the circumstances, not IN unnat-
ural one. Knowing what knew al
ready of the crime which had taken
place here; feeling sure that in some
way Pauline had been present when il,
was committed: excited by what had
occurred to-night-Pauline's strange
walk, her sudden bursting into song.
the very song l had before heard, that
song with the dreadful ending-it is nc
wonder that l imagined scene like
this. and taking the only persons
knew who were in any way connected
with my poor wife, brought them into
the life-liSe vision.
But given that man may dream the
same dream twice. perhaps three times,
there is no record of his dreaming it as
often as he willed. Yet this was my
case. Again l took Pauline's hand
and. after few moments waiting. ]
felt the same strange sensation and saw
the same awful sight. Not once, not
twice. but many times did this occur
until skeptical as / was, as even l am
now in such matters, l could only be-
lieve that in some mysterious way was
actually gazing on the very sight which
had met the girls eyes when memory,
perhaps mercifully. fed from her, and
reason was left impaired.
1t was only when our hands were in
contact that the scene came before me.
This fact strengthened my theory. ]
felt them feel now. it is the true one
What peculiar mental or physical organ
ization can have brought about such ar
effect. am unable to say. Call il cata-