Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-08-23
ELECTRIC LIGHT ON A SHADOwY SUBJECT.
consideration OF tho Problems OF
Psychicnl Research.

imagined. at the moment. how soon
the general truth of my theory was to
be demonstrated.
OF my own case say. without eth
or assumption on the one hand. or
compunction OH tho other. that while
mental strength alone Is mine. my sis
ter possesses only that of the body!
At the time referred to, she had jeered
at my plan of founding school for
the ethical education of American
mend But regardless of all
save the example OF great educ ators.
| had come to the Summer School Of
Languages to prepare for further
study ia Germany, the land of
schools.
The heat had obliged me to leave a
door open on 10 the p azza Although
my room WAS on the second floor, the
passing thought of an energetic burg
lar climbing piazza pillars had in
creased my natural tendency toward
insomnia.
At last rising. donned my dressin ing
gown and seated myself by the open
window. To protect nv neck from
the draught, l placed the arm chair
with its back toward the doorway. and
sat absently regarding the blank wall
opposite. On this, through the open
door, fell the glorious beams of the
new. was about TO write moon.
/ But let me keep strictly to facts. and
therefore say electric light And why
notp The benighted heather of old
praised the moonlight. But let Ameri-
cas- free born citizen. when he is be-
nighted, praise the incandescent
began repeating recently learned
! German words, in soothing tone.
Holding up my own hand. by way of
object, l said aloud. '.Die Hand"
YES" 1 thought. feminine gender.
article die" Then repeated the word
'kopf," which | knew meant head.
''But was it feminine. or was it'-just
then the hair on nv own head rose to
mountains, as the Germans say. As |
prom ounced that word the distinct
shadow of human profile appeared at
the outer edge of the brilliant renec-
ton on the wall. 1t vanished almost
instantly. But l knew it was no lllu-
sion. and / also knew that my fellow
boarders had long been quiet in sleep.
Whoever had produced the shadow
was quiet as well. Visions of felt
slippered ruflian glided through my
BRAN. as he would. no doubt, soon
81 de into my room. l seemed to feel
him coming-coming. Had my sister
and but been one, l should not have
felt so distressing sensat on in the
pit of my stomach! Before | could
summon physical strength to move or
turn my head the shadow had reappear-
ed. l grew still with horror-the full
shadow OF human head in profile fell
high up in the center of the space,
the shadow of n head without the body I!
With painfully fascinated ewes / stared
at it | could not turn my head to sec
what sickening TRACED, was being en-
acted in the awful silence and outside
my very door! l realized that the
profile was feminine, that of a deli
cate y-featured girl, although the hair
was short l feared to raise my ewes
10 the top of the head lest L should sec
the shadow of ruilian hand amid the
locks.
A moment more and | should have
broken the bonds of terror and rushed
to beauty in distress. But hardly had
these thoughts flashed through my
mind when q second shadow came into
view. First that of large foot. in
voluntar Is drew up into my chair, so
terribly did this affect me. Then APP
peared gradually the entire shadow OF
a most muscular man-no, the shadow
was not entire. not complete. Most
strange was this body too! 1t had no
head.
l had shrunk back; almost ceased to
breathe when the foot had inlruded itself
into this horrible pantomime. But with
mingled wonder and faintness l watch
ed the new conner raise an arm and
taking the shadow head above. as
though it had been a ball. place this on
its own shoulders.
1t then real zed that this thing which
renamed unmoving on the wall before
me could not be the shadow of pres
ent tragedy. That it was that of past
one doubted not. But what meaning
should this nightmare combination
have for me? Its dark grotesbueness
became more dreadful to me each
moment. l was too exhausted to read
the riddle. My mind was ready TO chal
lenge it, but the weak body refused tC
aid the stronger body. Still, / an
sure should have sprung to my fee
in just one moment more! But at tina
instant there was a CULVER Sigh
flare of the electric light. Total dark
ness and the stroke of II came together
1t was as though that shadow had
suddenly expanded and enveloped me
in its gloom.
} Late the next morning. and NOR,
exhausted than usual, / dragged my
self to the breakfast table.
The other boarders had already gon,
! to class. hastily drank cup of cofle,
and then sought my landlady. l haC
resolved to solve the previous night
mystery If possible.
Let mo give. in my landlady's naive
words, the information to which
listened so eagerly:
"Who used to be in that room, die
you ask. sirP Well, it makes me fee
real bad to think of 1t! She was
pretty girl-a real pretty girl, tn,
speaker looked astonished at the "ves
yes'' could not help putting in. "Bu
"A l.. Ill A