San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-06-12


and his head was even more shrunk within
his shoulders than usual, so that could not
rightly distinguish his features: but his gait
and dress were as familiar as they were re-
markable. About the cut of that brown
coat, as about the peculiar inclination Of the
head and body, there could be no mistake.
But how and with what object had he come
thither! l had left him in his own house
true, there was nothing to prevent him from
following me, but what could be his motives.
Was it possible was the dupe after all of a
mailman, and that the traits had regarded
as mere eccentricities ought, in reality, to
have given me the clew to the truth? Was
it to be accounted for in this way, or was it
that the sarcastic humor, of which had seen
good deal in my intercourse with him, had
prompted him to subject my boosted scepti-
cism to an ordeal which, malicious though
it might be, was, perhaps, not unde-
served? But this last hypothesis would not
hold water for moment. Granted that the
old Dutchman had the will to conceive a
practical joke of this sort, he would as
suredly, were he in his right mind, have
chosen a more convenient season for carrying
it out in his own proper person. There was
but one calculation of conduct so extraor-
dinary-my first orjecture was the right
one-Mr. Van Deckermann was not account
able for his actions.
1t is not an agreeable sensation, that of
being tete-a-tete with mailman, even though
he be old and feeble, and you apprehend no
violence from him. In the moonlight, too,
things have a strange, uncanny look with
them. l tried to fiatter myself that l was
keeping silence and pretending not to be
awake, partly in order TO see what my
visitor was about to do, partly to defeat his
insane malice; but was conscious, in spite Of
myself, of fascination against which l was
powerless To lie and watch from between
my closed eyelidS was all could do
Still with hands outstretched, still with the
same tOttering gait, past the foot of
the bed, and toward the fireplace
where, turning round in the mid,
stream of the moonlight, face and
figure alike stood revealed The same and
yet not the same, mask rather than face
the lips parted, the eyes open and staring
fiXedly before them, with a terrible, unmis.
taxable stare of vacuity-the face of one
more dead than alive. Terrible as the sight
was, it brought with it a sudden and I'M
looked for relief The first look at those APP
parently sightless orbs and that expression
less countenance assured me that the old man
was as genuinely unconscious of his sur
roundings as | was endeavoring to appear to
be of mine. Once before, l had seen man
walking in his sleep, and l had not forgotten
that CHASTITY phenomenon.
He was still cropping about with his hands,
and it did not occur to me at the moment as
altogether opposed to the theory had so
readily adopted that what was in his normal
state only nearsightedness should be exag-
gerated in his present condition into almost
if not total-blindness Suddenly, while |
was still watching him, for my eyes had not
quilted him for a moment, one wandering
hand found resting place on the arm of the
big chair had noticed upon entering the
room as having been put for my accommoda-
ton. The effect upon the frame Of the old
man was as though there were connected
with the wood galvanic battery. Every
nerve in his body seemed to be put in mo-
ton, but though his teeth chartered and his
eyes moved in their sockets, no sound escaped
hint was as though one had electrified a
corpse
So strong as that, and yet not strong
enough to awaken him! A chill that could
not account for, and that seemed to be numb
The face that was staring at, with eyes
which refused to leave it for the shortest mo-
ment of time, seemed more and more the dis
torted image of that l was familiar with;
felt as though break this unnatural silence
must, but no words came to my assistance.
Had l, too, been struck dumb and helpless2
Ii only he would speak, rave, do anything! !
1 was scarcely conscious of the longing
hot hafn dyoc Tod
the trembling figure erected itself, as if de-
terminedly getting the better Of the shock it
had received, and once more, but this time
as of fixed purpose, the thin grasping fingers
were stretched out in the direction of the
chair. As they closed upon it, the whole
face changed, an expression of eagerness and
avidity took the place of the vacant stare
had hitherto confronted, what looked like a
flash of triumph seemed to quicken into life,
beneath their bushy brows, the eyes whose
power of vision l had thought suspended,
and with a strange, unearthly sound, half
cry, half chuckle, which made my blood
creep the old man flung himself on his knees
before the chair
In this attitude and with his back to me,
what was it be was doing, or attempting
to DO.
l raised myself a little in the bed and saw
to my increased mystitication that he had
taken hold of the chair-a ponderous old
contrivance, swathed in loose cover of faded
damask-snd was apparently endeavoring to
tilt it up. The chances were he would upset
it, and not escape without more or less in
jury 70 himself in doing So Yet how TO
withdraw him from it without awakening
him, and that roughly-a measure always,
so had been instructed, to be carefully