The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-04

| well, what's wrong, Hibhert?" said my
| husband, who was much amused that his
| friend should pretend to treat the matter
| seriously .Is this sketch from spirit
land. Gertie. Rather good looking fell
low, Should say,"
| Mr. HILBERT was studying me with in
tense interest.
What am going TO say will strike you
as absurd and absolutely incredible" he
said at last. But the sketch you have
made is of man whose sad history is well
enough known to me, out whom you could
never, | should imagine, have seen"
Never have seen. When have drawn
sketch of LiInr' exclaimed.
suppose | give you theory of mine
about the connection between the mysteri-
Gus young man and the extraordinary re-
fusal of Miss Bertram to act again at the
Thespian tbeater. You know, | think,
that am deeply interested in psychical
researches and have firm belief that we
stand on the threshold of great discoveries
with regard 10 the connection between the
spirit world and our own"
My husband nodded with assumed grav-
ity. | listened with breathless interest.
Some years back, when Miss Lottie Der
tram was promoted from one of the lesser
music halls to the Thespian, lot of young
fellows quite lost their heads over her"
And one or two middle aged bachelors
too, if remem Der rightly" put in my hus-
band, soto voce.
Mr.. HILBERT ignored the remark and went
on: Her most complete conquest was
young man named-but no, | viii not tell
you his name. at any rate the girl simply
held him, body and soul. There was some
thing positively appalling in the influence
she had over him. | never saw anything
Ike it. Night after night he sat in that
box"
What box?" I exclaimed.
'EThe box you pointed out to me- have
often thought that if any place might be
haunted, that box should be. Night after
night l have seen him there always with
that intense, eager gaze which You have
caught so wonderfully, Mrs Nicholl-his
whole being absorbed by the beautiful, IA
diant creature on the stage He got intro
duced to her somehow, lavished hundreds
on her, was the slave of every within. She
was vampire, who preyed upon him and
sucked away from him character, self re-
spect, will-destroyed him body and soul.
When he could no longer afford to give
ACA bhC opICilllu pESoC1IS SHc lOOhcu IOE DIS
a right, she threw him over. In the hope
of winning her back, the reckless fool
forged bills for large amount and gave
her the money.
when detection seemed imminent he
blew out his brains. The whole affair was
hushed up by his people, fortunately-I
mean the forgery and the connection with
Miss Bertranl. I happened to be placed in
a position that made the facts known to
me, and now that you are in possession of
them l will give you my theory. 1t is my
firm belief" he went on, lowering his
voice. and speaking most impressively,
that the appearance so strangely revealed
to you was also visible to Miss Bertran,
and that that magnificent climax at the
close of the death scene was not acting at
all, but simply uncomfortable horror at
the manifestation of the form of her lover
appearing in the old spot, looking at her
with the cid absorbed gaze.
And firmly believe that the reason
Miss Bertranl SO positively refuses to set
foot in the Thespian again, is that she
dares not face the possibility Of a second
manifestation"
Whether this explanation is satisfac-
tory one or no, leave it to the Psychical
society and to Mr.. Frederic Myers to deter
mine.-London Theatre.