Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-12

Somewhat to my surprise, and consider
ably to my amusement st. Servan rose from
his seat and stood by the table, stiff and
straight as a scaffold pole.
These. Monsieur, are subjects on which one
does not jest.
DO you, then, believe in ghosts9' knew
| he was q superstitious man-witness his
fidelity to the superstition OF right divine
but this was the first inkling had had oi
sBelievel-In ghostsi In what, then, do
YOU believe? I, Monsieur, am q religious
man.
DO you believe, then, that ghost is
present with us now-the ghost, for instance,
OF NJ. Funichon?'
St. Servan paused. Then he crossed him.
self-actually crossed himself before my
eyes. When be spoke, there was q peculiar
dryness in his tone.
With your permission, Monsieur, 1 will
retire to bed.'
There was an exasperating thing to sayl
There must be a large number OF men in the
world who would give-well, q good round
sum, to light even on the trail of ghost.
And here were we in the actual
presence OF something-let us say ap-
parently curious, at any rate, and here
was st. Servan calmly talking about
retiring to bed, without making the slight
est attempt to examine the thing! 1t was
enough to make the members of the Psychi-
cal Research Society turn in their graves.
The mere suggestion fired my blood.
1 do beg. St. Servan, that you at least
will finish the game 1 saw he hesitated,
so drove the nail well home. is it possi-
BILE that you, brave man, having given
proofs of courage upon countless fields, can
turn tail at what is doubtless an hallucina-
tion alter alp
IS it that Monsieur doubts my courage
knew the tone-if was not careful I
should have an affair upon my hands.
Come, st. Servan, sit down and finish the
game
Another momentary pause. He sat down,
and-it would not be correct to write that
we finished the game, but we made another
effort to go on. NV pipe had gone out.
l refilIed and lighted it.
You know, st. Servan, it is really nom
sense to talk about ghosts
1t is a subject on which never talk
If something does compel us to make
moves which we do not intend, it is some
thing which is capable of natural explana-
tion.'
Perhaps Monsieur will explain it, them
4 will! Before I've finished! II you
only won't turn tail and go to bedl think
it very possible, too, that the influence,
whatever it is, has gone-it is quite on the
cards that cur imagination has played us
some subtle trick. 1t is your move, but be-
fore you do anything just tell me what move
you mean to make
L will move'-he hesitated-T will move
queens pawn
He put out his hand, and, with what
seemed to me hysterical suddenness, he
moved kings rocks pawn two squares.
so! Our friend is still here, then! I
suppose you did not change your mInd?'
There was very peculiar look about st.
Servants eyes.
4 did not change my mlnd.'
I noticed, too, that his lips were uneom-
monty compressed.
1T is my move now. I will move queens
pawn. We are not done yet. When I put
out my hand you grasp my wrist-and we
shall see what we shall see.'
Shall come round to you?'
No, stretch out across the table-nowr
stretched out my hand; that instant he
stretched out his, but spontaneous though
the action seemed 10 be, another, an unseen
hand, had fastened on my wrist. He OBJ
served it too.
There appears to be another hand between
yours and mine
L know there is
Before 1 had the words well
out my hand had been wrenched
aside, my fingers unclosed, and then closed,
then unclosed again, and 1 had moved
kings rocks pawn two squares. StServan
and l sat staring at each other-for my part
1 felt little bewildered.
This is very curious! Very curious in
deed! But before we say anything about
it we will try another little experiment, if
you don't mind. will come over to you.
/ went over to him. Let me grasp your
wrist with both nv hands I grasped it,
as firmly as 1 could, as it lay upon his knee. |
Now try to move queens pawn
He began to raise his hand, holding on |
to his wrist with all nv strength. Hardly |
had he raised it to the level of the table |
when two unseen hands. grasping mine, tore |
them away as though my strength were of |
no account. L saw him give sort of shud- |
der-he had moved queens bishops pawn |
two squares.
This is devil OF ghostr 1 said.
St. Servan said nothing. But he crossed |
himself, not once, but half dozen times.
There is still one little experiment that I |
wish to make
ST. Servan shook his head.
Not II he said.
'Ah, but, nv friend, this is an experiment |
which can make without your aid. SIM
ply want to know if there is nothing
tangible about our unseen visitor except his |
hands. 1t is my move 1 returned to my |
side OF the table. 1 again addressed myself, |
as it were, to an unseen auditor. NY good |
ghost, my good NJ. Funichon-if it is you
you are at liberty to do as you desire with
my hand
1 held it out 1t instantly was grasped.
With my left hand made several passes in
the air up and down, behind and before, in
every direction so far as I could. 1t met
with no resistance. There seemed to be
nothing tangible but those fingers which
yrasped my wrist-and I had moved |
queens bishops pawn two squares.
st. Servan rose from his seat.
1T is enough. Indeed it 10 too much.
This ribaldry must cease. 1t had been bet
Ter had Monsieur permitted me to retire to
bed
Then you are sure it is ehost-the.
ghost OF NJ. Funichon, we'll say
This time Monsieur must permit me to
wish him a good nights rest
He bestowed on me, as his manner was, q
stiff inclination of the head, which would
have led stranger to suppose that we had
met each other for the first time ten minutes
ago. instead of being the acquaintances of
Y good years. He moved across the room.
st Servan, one moment before you 60!
You are surely not going to leave a man
alone at the post of peril?
1t were better that Monsieur should |
come too
Half second, and will. I have only
one remark to make, and that is to the
ghost
1 rose from my seat. st. Servan made a
toward the door, then
changed his mind and remained quite still.
III there is any other person with us in
The room. may ask that person to let us
hear his voice. or hers? Just to speak one
word
Not sound.
1T Is nnssihla-I nm mt nnn;ntoI zri,L |