Wichita eagle., 1888-02-03


John ana were in our own apartments.
John Immediately proceeded to undress.
! In five minutes he was ready for bed With
out delay prepared for the further execu-
ton of my plot.
"John,n said /, 'there's pint Of cham
payne left in my closet 1t strikes me that it
would be Just the thing with which to top of
this nights adventure. What do You say!'
"a most excellent idea" was Johns reply.
How smoothly everything was working!
opened the closet, drew forth the bottle and
wrenched off the wire with which the cork
was bound / then glanced furtively at
John. He was winding his watch, with bus
back turned toward me.
Iquickly filed the glass which contained
the drug and extended it to John tic
quaffed the contents with great relish,
meanwhile watching him over the rim OF
my own glass. He smacked his lips critically
after his glass had been drained.
ut seems to me that there is a singular
flavor to that champagne"
I felt a guilty thrill and affected not to
hear him
"How sleepy am" was his next remark.
at must be the effect Of riding in the cold"
Then he tunbled into bed, and the next
minute had sunk into a deep sleep. The
drug had taken effect with surprising, not TO
say startling, promptness, and l listened to
his heavy breathing with satisfaction.
l now began to give serious thought to the
situation, and to deliberate on the necessity
Of removing every trace by which the reality
Of our nights adventure could be proven.
knew that John could by no possibility find
the place we had visited, for the route was
long and circuitous one and had been trav-
eled in darkness. All There was the $40
gold piece which the woman had paid him
Without hesitation / removed itefrom his
pocket and placed it in my own. Was the
trail covered? l thought So In the morning
/ would declare that we had not stirred from
the house during the night and after per-
suading John that the whole thing was but
drea1n-making him commit himself fully to
that view of the case-tell him the truth and
thus confront him with demonstration of
my theory!
l smiled with satisfaction. But hold!
There was the boy! Suppose he should turn
up. must find him and purchase his silence.
l was so intent now on the success of the plot
that would have expended a hundred dol
lars rather than see it fail decided to go
to the livery stable in search Of the urchin
who had driven US to the abode OF the sick
child
First, approached the bedside to make
sure that Johns slunber was SO sound that
ho would be sure to take no notice of my de-
parture and return. He lay perfectly quiet,
but there was something singular in his ap-
pearance.
I a1edo oil ND
rified at change that had come over him.
He no longer breathed deeply, but in quick,
convulsive and exhausted manner. His lower
jaw hung down. his eyes were half open, and
be looked like one vainly struggling for
hold upon life.
l was paralyzed with disnay, and stared at
him in en- agony of fascination. More faint,
rapid and spasmodic grew his breathing;
more distressing the heavings of his chest
more CHASTITY the pallor Of his countenance.
Spellbound, as if in nightmare, l still
gazed upon him. The ebbing of vitality pro
cv-ded with frightful rapidly; there was at
length mere hutter of breath; and then
came that awful repose, that urspeakable
silence, that dreadful calmness of the un-
tenanted clay!
Then the full horror of the situation burst
L
WE'LL John Gorham was dead! / was his
murderer
''John" shrieked.
And then with rapidly scattering senses,
staggered and fell heavily to the floor.
"Ha! Ha! Ha"
What hooking laugh was that ringing
through the air9 Consciousness was return
ing. and with it the sound of harsh, discord-
ant merriment
Again came peal Of laghter. Was it my
own voice, and was lunatic!
opened my eyes and looked about was
still lying on the floor, but not by Johns
bedside. John seemed to be sitting in chair
with a book in his hand. stared at him in
a state of bewilderment
Again the laugh It was his voice. Then
he spoke:
do you want me to come and help you
up?"
Where am /, and what has happened." l
asked.
You appear to be sprawled on the floor,
and it is quite evident that you fell asleep |
and rolled of the COUCH" he answered
At these words l hastily rose ard pulled |
my wits together The truth was soon ap- |
parent. Following our discussion or dreams, |
he'd read '.Zanonin until sleep had stolen upon
me, and both the conception and carrying |
out of the plot to convince John were but |
the visions of a dream. / was somewhat |
mortified, but at tie same time immensely |
relieved, for John was alive and WELL and !
still held in his hand the medical report /
which he had been perusing when our dis
cussion began.
We soon retired for the night, but neither
at that time nor on any subsequent occasion
did | relate my dream to John, for in it is
the keynote of an experiment l mean to try
some day for his benefit. 1t is the only way
in which he can ever be convinced that the
phenomena of dreams involve possibilities
beyon. those dry, matter Of fact realities
that now form the boundaries of his expert
ence and mental vision.-O S. Adams in
The Epoch
An Incident in Cold HarSor.
want to invoke your muse again-not to
do anything, for thoughts such as yours and
the thrill and ring of such poetry cannot be
evoked But l give YOU a fact and sug-
gestion. At the battle of Cold Harbor, June
25, 1862, Gen. jackson ordered me TO take the
First Maryland in. and without any definite
orders where TO go.