The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-06

more tragic and intense than usual my mental feelings were analogous to those physical ones described by many when there is thunder in the air." Something remarkable was going to happen, nay,
 was happening, just outside the range of my perceptions groped in the dark
 ness, and had not the sense necessary to discover what was going on around me.
 To all outward appearance the worldSwas quiet an at rest; to my uneasy conscious ness it was full of painful life which de- pressed without revealing itself to me.
 When my landlady brought my supper that night took occasion to ask if the
 place had ever been haunted, but she re- pelled the idle. with indignation. Noth- ing had ever happened there to make it haunted, she said. It had always been a
 well-to-do place, with well-to-do and we'll behaved folks living there. l came to the conclusion that my own nerves were at fault, and that period of rest and quiet would dissipate all unpleasant fam cles.
 But the next night as sat at the table writing a hand seemed to be laid on my shoulder. turned quickly, and seemed to sec woman's eyes fixed on me in the dimness behind. There was something commanding in the look, and the hand held me as if to compel attention. reused myself to an attitude of repellent observation, and as l looked defiantly into the shadow the sensations faded away; there was no hand on my shoul- der, there were no eyes in the dimness |; yet, before they went, their look had seemed to change from passionate insist ing to entreaty, reproach, despair.
 got up and walked abort the room im- patiently, determined to shake of my nervous weakness; something stopped me once, like a sob of disappointment, but when listened, again there was si- lepce.
 moved the furniture, looked into the cupboards {; finally took my hat and went out. But from that time forward was haunted not only by the conscious ness of life which moved unseen around me, but also by that of reproachfll per- sonality, which followed me sadly from hour to hour, and vainly strove to open some communication with me.
 did not want the communication, for my part. l avoided it, and repelled it. It seemed to me the beginning of mad ness, or of some knowledge too sad to be borne. When in my idler moments the consciousness grew upon me, and the touch took more definite form, until it seemed as ifthey would blend at last into a voice which must hear, then l reused myself dehantly and said to the unknown presence, "You are not there; do not believe in you will not see you," and stared hard into the daylight or the dark ness.
 With the sound of a little sigh, the breath of hope gone out, the presence would cease to be, and stood free for time.
 In all these strange visitations, which grew more frequent and more defined, I could not say that ever heard, or saw, or felt any distinct thing; was only con- scious through my brain, through my intel ligence, as distinguished from my senses at the moment, that they were there to be heard, or felt or seen.
 knew that some one spoke, felt cer. tain that some one looked at me, but it was with the consciousness with which we realize things told in clever books that knew it. My senses had little to do with this experience as soon as reused my self to have full command over them, l became convinced that my impressions had no foundation in fact: they were woven out of my own vivid imagination, and seemed real because my nerves were weak.
 This feeling being continually followed by presence which was sometimes re- proachful and sometimes beseeching was, | however, very unpleasant. The vague | which l occasionally felt con corning the other visionary personalities which appeared to live round me was quelled by my instinctive resistance to the one who seemed to have some claim | or to make some demand upon me. l | felt at times as if an effort was being made to reach me in some way and to | compel my conscious attention. There was something was to be made to know, something was to understand.
 l had no desire to understand it. The only world with which had, SO far, had any personal acquaintance contained great deal of unpleasantness and large number of responsibilities. l did not wish to be introduced to another one, and to be entangled in it's troubles. fel. sure already that it was full of troubles If it was real world, wished to have nothing to do with it; if, on the other hand, it was the creation of my ill-con- trolled fancy, this fancy must be resisted ln the interest of my own sanity.
 AS my health improved and began to eat and to sleep we'll, and yet the strange impressions did not pass away, l resolved to leave Alderthwaite, and so to get rid of them. announced my resolution to my landlady, without telling her my req son, and 1 began to pack up my things, But from the moment when determined to go the struggle, if may call it so, be- came more intense. never felt alone hands followed me, entreat- ing voices spoke to me, angry eyes looked at me. What they asked did not know; l only knew that could not be rid of them however much absorbed myself in activity.
 At last was tired, and sat down to rect ip rnu eiftsr vonrn Yt rra~11nS> :.