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

inc Oh chair was still stt;G.2ding-and
standing on terra firma in the track of the
moonbeams-of the homely elderly figure in
the brown suit, which had been kneeling
before it a moment before, there was not a
trace. l sprang out of bed, fired with
a sudden overmastering indignation at find
ing himself, as it were, bafiled and cheated
and flung open the doors of the closet, of the
emptiness of which had assured myself be-
fore retiring for the night. 1t was as had
left it. The only other way in which, even
supposing my senses for the moment to have
deserted me, my visitor could have eluded
Inc was quitting the room outright.
/ went to the door-it was locked, as had
taken the precaution of locking it few hours
previously, on the inside.
l stood for a moment in an utter hopeless
bewilderment, and then burst into a laugh,
which sounded even to myself forced and I'M
natural
"Pshay" 1 exclaimed, II must have been
dreaming"
The words had scarcely passed my lips
when something, the like of which l had
never heard before-something between a
laugh and waIl-an indescribable minglinC
of pain and mockery-sounded close at my
elbow. Turning sharp round to see whence
it came, l lost my balance and fell face for
ward on the bed, dragging the sheet, at
which l clutched to save myself, to the
ground. As l did so, something fell on the
floor with thud. 1t was my watch. which
failing its accustomed receptacle, l had
slowed away under my pillow, but of this
did not satisfy myself until the morning,
when, upon finding and picking it up dis
covered that it had stopped at quarter
to o'clock. OF the rest of that night have
no remembrance, save a confused one of
scrambling into bed with, think, the most
fervent prayer to be delivered from evil l
had ever uttered on my lips.
''And you expect me to believe that you
were in your sober senses when yOu saw, OF
imagined you saw, tIis-wk;,t shall cal IL.
double of myself? said Mr. Van Decker
mann when / had related as briefly rs |
could my experience of the night before.
81 have told you already, sir, thGt was
wide awake. Put IL to yourself whether |
should be likely to be such a fool rs to Let
anything which l could possibly account for
to myself as bad dream or q mere optical
deluslon stand i'll the way of my acceptance
of so substantial benefit as that you offer
mel l could 10 more subject my wife,
''P'sh!" he broke in, scornfully; don't
talk about your wife. Be honest and say
frankly that you are not prepared to face it
yourself"
II had said as much already, Mr.. Van
Deckermann. Nothing would induce me,
after what went through last night, to be-
come your tenant"
'And yet you don't believe in the super
naturalF
II did not" l replied 81 should have
said no to anybody who might have put the
question 10 me yesterday in all good faith.
To-day | should decline TO answer it; l don't
know what to believe
The old man puckered up his brows and
regarded me thoughtfully.
well, it is your own look out" he said.
81 suppose l was mistaken in my man. 1t
would have been better for both of us if your
nerves had been stronger. | told you last
night | had been too candid with you.
should have hit upon some other eXpedient,
but | was over scrupulous. 1t is my own
fault and must pay the penalty of it in my
disappointment. am sorry for your wife;
you must explain matters to her in your own
way. Between you and me there need be no
more said about it. You will find your room
here ready for the night, and the longer you
can stay the better"
He shook me warmly by the hand as b.
spoke.
"Believe me-" I began, 81 shall never for
"Not word about it, he said, "as you
value my friendship. The time may come
whom | shall myself reopen the subject,
though l think not-I think not Until then
let it, beg Of you, drop"
am afraid I took to my work that day a
very divided attention. l lid not regret my
candor, though there were moments-when
was discussing my mutton chop, for ex-
ample, in my own special snug corner, not
unaccompanied by good tankard of stout
In which felt more courageous, if not more
skeptical Granted the existence of ghostly
visitant, might one not in time become &C
customed to it! What positive harm could
anything of the kind do one! But across
even these faint efforts at reasoning came
the vision of the wife and children scared
into sickness or something worse and l felt
that, in any case, had acted for the best.
| found my host even moro cheerful and
lOQuacious than was his won't that evening.
He ordered the old Dutchman, who com.
bined with other duties those of butler, to
bring up some champagne and tossed it
of, while he Hospitality pressed it upon
me, with a freedom which surprised me- 1t
was this, | imagined, which led him to talk,
in Dragging and bOastful tone not habitual
TO him, of the wealth which had rewarded
the labor OF his earlier years, and of sundry
past achievements Of industry and applica-
ton of which he had never before made mem
ton. The more he drank the faster he
talked, and l was not surprised when his
self laudation took another and more Of
fensive form, and be began to enlarge upon
his own strength of mind and purpose as
opposed TO the weakness and mental def cheney