The Lamar register., 1891-11-21
PURSUED BY A PHANTOM.

makes you smile with incredulity, it is
no more than expect. am used to
resting under the imputntion of being
either a romanticist or a mailman.
July Z. 1873. The date is indeliblv
branded into my brain. 1t was a
chill, windy evening-a remarkable
night for midsummer. Before leaving
the house had donned my overcoat
and 1t was buttoncd up TO my chin.
The street | was trayersing was ordi-
narily much frequented one. but the
chilliness of the night and the bluster-
ing wind had driven pedestrians with
in doors, and the sidewalks were al.
most deserted.
lwns walking rapidly, thinking in
tently of the next days business en-
sagements, but still with every faculty
thoroughly awake, when my right
hand, inyoluntarily gesticulating,
came in contact with some object be-
side me.
looked up quickly, thinking had
accidentally struck some passing
strag-ler.
There Was no one near-not a single
living soul WAS within a hundred
yards OF where stood.
stopped. startled The thing was
iueomprchensible Had Unconscious
~ struck my hand agninst the fenceg
No. impossible. | was standing close
to the curb. and the fence was nearly
n dozen feet away. Had the wind
caught the skirt ot my coat and blown
It iorcihly against my hhnd7 Even
that was uutenRble. Every button
was fastened, and tn coat fitted so
snugly as 70 preclude the possibility
Of It being blown aside. I, was cvi.
IDENTIFY, / coucludcd, case OF sKng-
rerated Imagination. startling. and
uncommonlY acute and realistic, but
Imagination ior all that.
1 resumed my walk. \ moment la
ter | was conscious OF a strange pres
ssnce beside me; ol other footsteps be-
side my own: OF something that lived
and hreathed ~ my side, but which
was totally invisible.
stopped, and II paused. | could
feel It's breath in my iaee-cold, grave
like. terrifying strained my eyes.
looked hero, there, every where
rubbed my eyes wildly and looked
asain-buJ, no there was nothing
thsre-po human being near mel
was alon.-aloue except for that in
visible Thing that seemed breathing
it, unseen life beside me.
With frightened cry turned and
started back. I had taken only a
single step when violently collided
with the invisible Thing; my hands,
iustinctiycly eadeayorng to thrust II
away, felt what seemed 10 be the flesh
OF a human bcinc-not warm and life.
like, and yet sontient With life aud
feeling.
With frantie effort | pushed the
form aside and hcd toward home-my
heart beating with uncontro!iRble ter
ror-Nhile close behind me, Its breath
on my neck, its footsteps ringing q
sharp accompaniment TO mine, came
thst awful Something that no human
eve could see, but which my touch
and hearing told me was always there.
Irrached the steps inserted the key
in the lock and turned Il. With a
strength that seemed herculenu, |
thrust my invisible pursucr aside and
springins inside the vestibule, slammed
the door behind me, Then sank
helpisss on the floor- | do not know
how long / remained there. II may
have been minutes or hour My
watch had stopped. NJ FIRST thought
was OF my invisible pursuer. Had i
shut II out, or was II still with me.
/ reached out in the dark, but felt
nothing mere alarming than the Tres
coed walls and the doors OF the vestl-
hule. Benumbed and exhausted l
dragged myself up to my room. threw
myself on the bed without disrobing.
and sank into heavy, unresttul
slumber.
can no. adequately describe the
effect OF the night OF terror upon my
mind and life. From being a man OF
iron nerves, I became nervous and
sensitive TO the point OF actual COW
ariice. was afraid to walk TO the
open air at night alone. | started at
every shadow-every football had
terror for me until could see its
owner. When | reached home, after
being abroad at night, | unlocked the
door, sprang within, and hurriediy
closed it, as though theinvislble Ihins
was still following upon my footsteps.
Toward the close OF September an
old school cbum, who had been at an
Eastern college making n physician OF
himself, and who was about TO estao-
lish his practice in New York, came
home for a brief rest, aud for n week
or more, beside being my guest, shared
INV bed, so that, without interruption
we might fight our schoolboy battles
over again.
one evening he had gone out alone,
and. ms he had not returned when
was ready to retire, i locked the
door, resolving to get up and let him
in on his arrival. The day had been
a long one and was greatly fatieued.
In a few minutes | was sound asleep.
About three o'clock awoke with
natural instinct, reached over to see
whether my chum, Jack, had come IN.
Nv fingers touched a soft, yielding
body, and could distinctly feel the
regular rise and fall OF the chest as the
form beside me slept.
Dear old Jack" ! thought, and re-
lapsed into sleep again.
4 series of sharp knocks at the door
startled me out of ftful dream, and
Is,orany nm to see the sunshine pour