The herald., 1893-05-28
NOT SUPERSHT|OUS BUT
Some "reminiscences of q SpOOk
Like Nature.
A Room in Philadelphia Where Bed
Clothes Fly.
Number Thirteen AS Lucky One to
Bet on-RubicondO Tells of His
Many Adventures on the
Island of Java.

INC TOuloJtd JhDlot huu buo ophOA pi"JSAS
looked up in wonder as the ivory ball
quietly settled into that division OF the
circle.
81 thought so," said a red-faced indi-
viduai with gray side whiskers; "thir-
teen has always been lucky number for
me, although it is 80 much dreaded by
other people. | have sailed from New
York on the 18th of the month, oecu-
pied stRteroom No. 13, had Is people at
my table during the voyage, and won
exactly $13 in bets on the trip across; !;
yet / reached Liverpool in safety, and
here again I risk trifle on No. ID, and
it wins, as you eee." Saying which he
quietly pocketed his coin and walked
out of the room.
In the bar-room Rubicondo was found
and asked II he always used No. IL as
his kismet. and il he believed in its eff
cacy to bring him luck. "Why, bless
your soul' said he, 81 believe in moth
ing. What l said when the marble
dropped into Is merely brought back
to my memery the singular occurrence
OF that voyage over the pond. Supersti-
tion? have none, end | don't believe
in apooks or ghosts or kiamet or luck, or
much OF anything else for that matter.
II can tell you, however, that | once
occupied the queereet room that | ever
slept in in my life, and it was in house
on Wistar street in Philadelphia. What
occurred to me there ] will tell you, but
you won't believe it. Suppose you got
into bed, and just as you were dropping
off into your frat eleep, all at once the
bed-clothes would take wings and fly
over the foot-bosrd of the bed. How
would you like to experience that?
When you lit the gss and found moth
ing, no strings or wires or other jim
cranks, hey?
"Well, that same thing happened TO
me, rot only once, but f ge times in guc-
cession. Sometimes the covers went off
over the sides of the bed, at other times
over the footboard. MOI l, of course,
appreciate the fact that you think was
suffering from mild attack of the ID.
T's., but | wasn't | was spending the
night with an old friend who had rented
tho house for the summer. Hadn't
drank drop, and was as sober as | am
now. Nobody in the dwelling could
sleep in that room on account of the
different attentions they would receive
during the night. Ny friend was an old
collegemate, and he thought that |
could unravel the mystery. l sppre-
ciated his kindness, but struck out for
my hotel shortly after O'Clock in the
morning and walked six miles to get
there. No. am not uperstitious, but
l confess there are some things in this
world which can't be accounted for. |
Il l. - t. -
ness was managed, but man feels kind
of shy when he'a relieved of all his bed
clothes in an instant, even If the dark
hess OF night does cover his embarrasa-
ment. Let's liquidate. Now, young man."
said Rubicundo, and the flush of hia face
met the increaeed CLEAN of his eyee, and
the grey fringe which adorned his chops
seemed to bristle ct the story he was
going to relate. can experience once
happened to mel call 1t an experience
in the leland of Java. had been for
many years in the East Indies, and at
one time thought l would buy
coffee plantation in that island. l
found one to my taste, and which wae
also in the market. 1t had been in the
market for several years for that matter,
and hope it is there yet. AT all events
| concluded to 90 out and inspect it, and
left early one morning from Batavia,
accompanied by my valet, to visit it. We
arrived shortly before duck. The house
WAS divided iu two sections, into each of
which q double door and two windows
opened. We examined the interior, but
decided to camp outside for the night,
until the arrival OF the rest OF my SER
vanta in the morning.
"My valet turned into hammock
and was soon sound asleep. l sat
outside the house in front of
the door, making plans for future
development, and already imsgining
my pockets full OF gold, AS / sat there
in the moonlight noticed the doors to
begin to open until they were spread
fat against the outside wells OF the
building. | thought such an occurrence
decidedly suspicious and went forward
to investigate. They were really wide
open and l knew | had locked them
tightly q ghort time before. L then
went inside the building and waited,
thinking some OF the natives of the
| country were trying to play me trick.
| The doors soon began to close and shortly
| came together with slight bang, leav-
ing me inside in total darkness. | al
once became conscious that there Was
something else ineide that room besides
myself. No, wasn't scared. but rather
uncomfortable, you know, fer l could
neither see, hear nor feel nythipg. Sud
dsnly WAS seized, picked up bodily and
thrown out through the doors on to the
lawn in front. You can imagine how felt
/ gathered myself up as rapidly as pos
sible, and waking my valet we made an
investigation. Nothing could be found
inside the house, although the search
was continued the next day; but you
can gamble on it that didn't stay on
those premises another night. l don't
know what was in that houee, but there
was something, because how could ii
have caught me and thrown me out. AS
l said before, there are some things we
can't account for in this world. What
do you say? Shall we have another
Thanks little red-eye please. Yes,
| Pm not superstitious, but those houaes
in Philadelphia and Java are beyond me-
l leave them for some one more scien.
tiffc than am to investigate. Pm moi
afraid OF common, ordinary thirteen
or ghost, but something which will
lay hands on you, and which you can
feel has hold of you, have no time for
Whatsoever" And Rubicundo jeuntily
strolled out of the bar-room.