News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-07-12

who are you?" l said, "and what
/, devils game are you playing with meP
, There was no answer; but a kissing as
of kettle boiling over came from be-
tween his teeth. had but lately seen
''Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, /" and visions
of the latter came vividly to my mind.
l managed to reach the table and to
i light a candle. At this the man, with
some incoherent gibberish, rushed at me.
l had thought I was strong, but,
whether owing to the terror of the situa-
tion or what, this fiend incarnate
had me by the throat, and was
oh, help!-killing me! l remember
struggling and writhing, bat all to no
purpose; and then a choking, burning g
sensation, and then all was blank.
When I came to l found | was once
more in bed. The candle was still
lighted, and l saw Macray sitting on a
chair near me with his head buried in his
, hands. A slight movement on my part
caused him to start
Are you better, old fellow?"
"Yes," l answered; lit is gomez"
He seemed to understand, for he said
simply, "Yes."
"What-or who-was it?"
II will tell you everything to- morrow j;
had you not better waltz" replied Mac
ray.
No; tell me now. am all right,
think, though l had pretty tight
squeeze"
1T was my brother Charles who
attacked you. Ii is strange story and
l will not ask you to believe it. Some
five years ago Charley was in business
and had a home of his own. One day
he told his wife he had to go to Gin
c.nnati. The nature of his business re-
quired him to go qu te often on short
ips to the neighboring cities.
This time he was absent about
a week. When he got back
he had not the slightest idea where he
had been, nor could he give any account
of his movements since leaving New
/ York. He said he could only remember
travelling a good deal on the cars. To
me and his wife he admitted (although
he could not at all explain it, that he felt
he had suffered some harm; but of what
nature he could not say. This went on
for year, when in the same week pre-
cisely, as year before, he had an attack
of insanity, which lasted just a week and
left him perfectly sensible; yet very much
CALIduStCd lIliS HESl dlldCh
occurred when he was alone with me on
fishing excursion in the mountains.
What | had to endure that week no one
can imagire, and no one will ever know.
Well this has gone on for several years.
The mysterious attack always comes :
in that particular week of the year. The
doctors declare it is not insanity; in fact !
l can get no definite answer as to what
is the matter with my brother. Charley
has always had morbid fear of an in
sane asylum, so promised him always to
take care of him during that particular
week in the year. So secretly has the
matter been kept from the public that
not even his own wife knows of it. You,
and one or two doctors to whom
l have introduced my brother
as stranger, ale the only ones that have
seen Charley in one of his fits, or what
ever you like to call them. have al
ways had taste for carpentering and |
have fitted up the room directly above
yours for him. Last night he managed
to escape out of the window, and thus
got into your room. 1t was most fortu-
nate that arrived when did, for in an
other moment he would have strangled
you. However, there is no need of
further alarm. | saw him safely into his
strong room, with no possibility of an
other escape. If you like it, we will go
and see him. think that would be the
best means to settle your nerves."
l thought so myself, so we went. AL
though the room was directly above
mine, we had to walk quite distance
through an upper hall before we came to
it. Stopping at heavily barred door,
Macray after unlocking an upper and
lower lock, drew out long thin key,
with which he finally opened the door.
Are you not afraid to go in" l
asked.
'Oh, no, he always seems to know
me-"
Holding lighted candle, we entered.
At first | saw nothing of my late in
truder; but heavy stertorous breathing
led us to where he lay in front of a
thickly- barred window. We lifted him
up and carried him to small iron bed
steld The candle light fell on his face,
which was repulsive one with savage
scowl still lingering on it. His hair was
thickly matted.
After standing a moment Macray said:
''Come, we will have glass of some
tn ing. / see your nerves are shaken
BIT. Look out or you will drop that
candle"
''Of course, Jack, continued Macray,
when we were downstairs, 'you will
never mention what you have seen
to any one. BY the way, old Pompey
gave me a big fright tonight: l
thought it was Charley"
Eyes, | noticed it, Thought you were
ILL.," | answered.
"Do you know what | think the matter
with Charley is2 1t is this; that he is
tormented by an evil spirit that at certain
times and seasons enters into his body
and takes possession of it. You may
have noticed the large number of books
| have in my library devoted to the sub
iect We read that there were many in
the old days possessed with devils and
unclcan spirits. Why could not that be
the case TO- day? Nothing else to my
mind will satisfactorily explain my
brothers trouble"
After the exciting scenes | had just
witnessed, could but answer: 81 think
so too"
Some two or three weeks later, I was
again asked to visit Staten Island.
Among those whom | met was Charles
Macray, and his clever wife. | could
hardly bring myself to acknowledge that
the man who sat opposite to me at dinner,
and who by his brilliant conversation
held the entire table, was the same who
had attacked me in the dead of night
only few weeks before. And yet it
was the same, and as l continued to
look, recognized some of the character
istics of the first face.
A half amused smile was playing about
my hosts face His eyes met mine and
they seemed to say: "Have | not spoken
the truth about my brotherl Is it not
as | said2'
The next morning in the city, before
we finally separated, Macray turned to
me and sad:
"Jark, do you realize now that Shake
speare was right when he said that there
are more things in heaven and earth,
than are dreamt Of in our philosophy2
Good bye" and he was gone.-1he
ECOh.
In a minute the slowest sound your
car can catch has been made by 99J vi
brations, while the highest tone reaches
YOU after making ?, 229, 900.