The Portland daily press., 1892-12-07

Il y
ssYes,'' assented the first speaker dubi-
ously; "but suppose there should ever
be an investigation. If they got me
under oath my conscience would not let
me deny the consideration, nor could
you-without perjury"
sob, dear, yes. The easiest thing in
the world. See, here is an odd bean; an
African bean. am tired Of carrying it
in my pocket. I shall abandon it on
this seat when go away. Of course l
will not know what becomes of it. Yet
there are curiosity seekers who would
give a good deal to get hold of that par
ticular sort of bean for their cabinets. /
wouldn't at all wonder if some one
would give two thousand dollars for
that bean in Albany tomorrow night"
The man with prudential scruples
looked puzzled for moment. Then
light of comprehension dawned upon
his face and deepened gradually to a
shrewd grin. 81 feel certain / shall have
an attack of the grip" he said.
The two smiled together and went
away to their respective berths, the man
with the bean carelessly throwing it on
the seat as he passed out. In few Sec
onds one returned for a glass of water
at the cooler before retiring, and casu-
ally clutched and pocketed the bean;
then the other also returned for drink,
looked at the seat from which the bean
was gone and grinned complacently.
| continued my ramble through the
train, but found nothing more to inter-
est me, and the discomforts of the excep-
tionally unpleasant trip were even accen-
tuated to my consciousness through their
presentation to my mind as knowledge,
and not as mere deductions from pos
sibly illusory sensory impressions, dis
tinction my readers familiar with the
phenomena of astralization will per-
fectly comprehend.
But" said to myself, "why should
I 1oiter about these crawling cars, where
every one who can do so is trying to for
get his wretchedness in sleep, when
might, with the swiftness of thought,
transport myself anywhere else chose?
Why not go on to New York and see
Marians"
For the first time the idea occurred to
me that there might be some special
danger in astralization on a moving
train something might happen to my
body while | was away. fitted back
and looked at it. Of course it was just
as I had left it. Dubitation about it
weakened the self confidence which. as
everybody knows, is SO essential to any
one moving safely, as a visitor, upon
the astral plane, and was not at all
surprised to see about me instantly
number of malicious sprites, and even
few malignant s'elementals," eager to
take advantage of my deteriorated
strength. But the sight of them nerved
my resolution-or at least so fancied
at the time, though now know the eff
feet was simply stimulation of my an
tagonism, not rehabilitation of my
moral force. Hesitating no longer, I
transferred myself to New York, to Ma
rian's parlor, where did not doubt
finding her, as the hour was not yet
late. may incidentally remark that
an engagement of marriage existed be-
tween Marian and myself, a fact which
did not prepare me to anticipate the
scene which presented itself to my as
tonished gaze.
It would have seemed quite natural to
me to have found her contemplating my
portrait, perhaps reading my last letter
and wishing for my safe and speedy re-
turn to her side. But that was not at
all what I saw. She sat by the piano,
as if she had just been playing. Instead
of my counterfeit presentment claiming
her attention, it was absorbed by a gen
tleman, a stranger to me, who bent over
her, murmuring affectionate phrases in
her ear. Soon he took his leave, and in
doing so actually had the audacity to
kiss her. And she, saying ssGood night"
returned the salute.
In all my astral experiences have
never so much missed my good, solid,
material right leg and foot as when
saw that fellow going leisurely down
her stoop to the pavement. Of course l
did not haunt about Marian any more.
I was done with her. Disguised and
'tmad all the way through I went
around to my club, forgetting for the
moment that could not take soothing
glass Of wine; but that fact was soon
enough borne in upon me. could do
nothing but look at the other fellows
and listen to them, and it is just plain
truth and not slang when I say they
made me tired. Nothing diverted my
painful reflections, for l had been very
fond of Marian, and that discovery hurt
me more than can adequately tell.
Tt is strange that a man suffering
from a grief caused by one woman
should almost always seek consolation in
the presence of some other woman, but
such is the fact. Having been SO deeply
wounded by the girl loved, instructive
lysought one whose tender love and per-
feet faith while life lasted could never
question, the one whose dear face was
the first my infancy knew. How the
placid charm Of the familiar scene
touched my heart as I moved slowly
down through the orchard to the old
homestead!
Mother slept, but as stood by her
bedside kindly smile suffused her aged