The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-10-29
PURSUED BY A PHANTOM.

makes you smile with lncredullty, 1T is
no more than I expect. I am used to
resting under the imputation OF being
either romanticist or mailman.
July T, 1878. The date is indelibly
branded into my brain. 1t was a
chill, windy evening-a remarkable
night for midsummer. Before leaving
the house I had donned my overcoat
and it was buttoned up to my chin.
The street [ was traversing was ordl-
narily much frequented one, but the
chilliness OF the night and the buster
ing wind had driven pedestrians with
in doors, and the sidewalks were al
most deserted.
I was walking rapidly, thinking in
tently OF the next days business en-
gagements, but still with every faculty
thoroughly awake, when my right
hand, involuntarily gesticulating,
came in contact with some object be-
side me.
Hooked up quickly, thinking I had
accidentally struck some passing
straggler.
There was no one near-not a single
living soul was within a hundred
yards OF where I stood.
Istopped, startled. The thing was
incomprehensible Had Unconscious
ly struck my hand against the fence?
No; impossible. was standing close
to the curb, and the fence was nearly
dozen feet away. Had the wind
caught the skirt OF my coat and blown
it forcbly against my hand? Even
that was untenable. Every button
was fastened, and tn coat fitted so
snugly as to preclude the possibility
OF it being blown aside. It was evil
IDENTIFY, concluded, q case OF exag-
gerated imagination, startling, and
uncOmmOnly acute and realistic, but
imagination lor all that.
Presumed my walk. A moment la
ter was conscious OF a strange pres
sence beside me; OF other footsteps be-
side my own; OF something that lived
and breathed at my side, but which
was totally invisible. :,
I stopped, and It. paused. Icould
feel it's breath in my face-cold, grave
like, terrifying. strained my eyes. I
looked here, there, everywhere
rubbed my eyes wildly and looked
again-but, no! there was nothing
;here-no human beng near mel
Was alone-alone except for that in
visible Thing that seemed breathing
it's unseen life beside me. sgsssf
With a frightened cry turned and
started back. 1 had taken only a,
single step when I violently collided
with the invisible Thing; my hands,
instinctively endeavor1ng to thrust 1t
away, felt what seemed to be the flesh
of a. human being-not warm and life
like, and yet sentient with life and
feeling. n5.
With frantic effort l pushed the
form aside and fled toward home-my
heart beating with uncomfortable ter
ror-while close behind me, it's breath
on my neck, it's footsteps ringing
sharp accompaniment to. mine, came
that awful Something that no human
eye could see, but which my touch
and hearing told me was always there.
reached the steps inserted the key
in the lock and turned it. With a.
strength that seemed herculean, Il
thrust my invisible pursuer aside and
springing inside the vestibule, slammed
the door behind me. Then I sank
helpless on the floor. I do not know
how long remained there. It may
have been minutes or houre. MY
watch had stopped. My first thought
was OF my invisible pursuer Had l
shut it out, or was 1t still with me.
1 reached out in the dark, but felt
nothing mere alarming than the fres.
coed walls and the doors of the vesti-
bule. Benumbed and exhausted I
dragged myself up to my room, threw
myself on the bed without disrobing,
and sank into q heavy, unrestful
slumber. 49,
can not adequately describe the
effect OF the night of terror upon my
mind and life. From being q man Of
iron nerves, I became nervous and
sensitive to the point Of actual cow
ardice. was afraid to walk to the
open air at night alone. I started at
every shadow-every football had a
terror for me until could see it's
owner. When [ reached home, after
being abroad ait night, | unlocked the
door, sprang within, and hurriedly
closed it, as though theinvisible Thing
was still following upon my footsteps
Toward the close of September an
old school chum, who had been at an
Eastern college making a physician Of
himself, and who was about o>estab-
lish his practice in New York, came
home for brief rest, and for q week
or more, beside being my guest, shared
my bed, SO that, withoutinterruption
we might fight our schoolboy BATTLES
over again.
One evening he had gone out alone,
and, as he had not returned when I
81 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 fatigued
In q few minutes was sound asleep
About three o'clock awoke with q
natural instinct, reached over to see
whether my chum, Jack, had come in.
Il Ny fingers touched 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-
y Il ~ inro c1oo1, :,