The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-02-18

have been, saw clearly that my rival
surpassed me now, as | had formerly
been in advance of him, and whereas |
had formerly treated him with the gen.
eroSitY of victor, now began to hate
him for his success. 1t was his turn to
be always first, while | was not even
second. My classmates began to look
gueerly at me; my intellect grew weak
er and weaker, till was on the verge
of insanity. 1 noticed that there was
only one remedy to my disease, and
that was distance from my acknOwl-
edged tOrmentor. So l resolved to
leave college for time to recuperate,
and going down town to call on MOllie
for the last time before my departure,
and entering the house with my accuS-
toned familiarity, / was astOunded to
find my fiancee in the arms of my rival.
Never will | be able to forget the
feeling of revenge that seized me as l
rushed from the house. My weakened
bodily powers gained tenfOld their
former strength. That last blow broke
down every remnant of Christian feel
ing that survived in my breast, and
black murder took its place. Ibecame
cool and collected and went about con-
structing a plan of revenge with as
much deliberatiOn as if it had been
mere proposition in geometry. His
house was well situated for the COM
mission of a crime. No one was near
to near the pistol shot. none could hear
his death scream. Three o'clock in the
morning was the time | selected as
being the hour in which he would sleep
most soundly.
What followed l expect no one to be
lieve, yet have hopes that there m ay
be one, whose attention these words
may claim, who will disregard the
scbrn of the world and will give my
story the credence it deserves, for it is
true. This is not the frenzy of a mad
mans mind, but the narrative of a dis
cOyery so remarkable as to defy belief.
| warn the materialist not to proceed
with this subject further. but he who
believes that where there are so many
well attested cases of galvanism, mes
merism, spiritualiSm-call it what you
like-aS there are in this world, there
must be some at least that are true,
such man can read this narrative with
profit, for it may make him a discov-
erer greater than Harvey or an Ed
isOn.
Armed with a Smith & Wesson re-
volver | crept towards his lonely dwell
ing, at three o'clock in the morning,
just as thunder storm was beginning
to rage, a storm which filled my heart
with delight, for it was an image of my
thoughts. A flash of lightning sharply
outlined, for a moment, the white
stones against the blackness of the
night. 1t gave me light enough to
force open a window. | entered
stealthily, when-great Coda chill
ing something sank upon me from be-
hind-I could neither see it n or feel it
with my hands, but my nerves were
deadened by its presence. | could free
myself neither by bodily force nor by
reasoning. 1t was not something
whose coming but whose presence |
feared. My revolver dropped from my
trembling hands, huge beads of cold
sweat rolled from my body; | nearly
tainted with fright. The silence was
terrible, but l could not break it.
saw a phosphorescent beam of light
like the streamers that dart from star
when we look at it with eyes half
closed on some clear night. | could
not locate it with reference to objects
in the room, disclosed, as they were,
by frequent lightning flashes, for it had
no reference to them. 1t was not ma
terial but a mental light. | saw it not
with my eye but with my mind, and
along this ray felt the workings of a
will superior to my own. The specter
at my back seemed to sink its chilling
existence into my very body. 1t de-
prived me of volition; it stimulated my
Imagination to see phantoms that in
closed me on every side, yet though [
knew that these, ut least, were not true,
L feared them Just as much. Against
my will | was forced to open door,
descend staircase, traverse a long
gallery, full of horrors, and enter 4
chamber which | at once recognized rs
the rumored laboratory. At the oppo-
site side, his eyes lit up with savage
triumph, sat the man whose life | had
resolved to take, and the beam of light
which was upon my head [ dimly felt
to be connected with his hand. His
triumph seemed to infuse in him kind
of merriment which showed itself rs he
spoke:
''My dear Whitman" he said to me,
81 am so glad you have come to pay
me a call, but it might have been dis
astrous to me if my burglar alarm
hadn't give due notice of your ingress,
10 o1a
current between us. will forgive you
if you will only allow me to perform
some experiments on you before you
go, and, by the way, you will not 90 out
through the door, but through this
exit" Here he pointed to the drain of
the sink.
Il see you are puzzled" he added.
"What mean is this: Sulphuric acid
will soon put you in such a consistency
that you can go out this way without in
convenience. as several before you have
done. for | should like to be sure that
you do not tell my secrets, and l think
that will be sufficient guarantee.
Now l shall tell you something; for it
is quite pleasure to tell my discoveries
to one whom | know will not disclose
it. Do yOu remember when l touched
your head with my fingers? From that
day l had you in my power. You
understand phrenology, of course. 1
have found a way of stimulating or
soothing the parts of the brain that
perform each its own function simply
by establishing communication between
the brain of any person and my will.
by means of the nervous aura COM
municated through my fingers. Now
just for experiment l will arouse your
powers of pride and eloquence Here,
after some preliminary preparation, he
tn,,nhnI Il L., L II f--..4 e 49, L IL