The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-05-12

insanity you would repudiate the bar
gainp"
Unorna shrugged her shoulders i'm
patiently and dill not answer. Keyork
relinquished the fencing.
'.Keyork, do you believe that the
souls Of the dead can come back to
usP she finally asked.
Keyork Arabian was silent for a
few seconds.
II know nothing about it," he an
swered.
''But what do you thinkP"
Nothing. Either it is possible or
it is not, and until the one proposition
OF the other is proved l suspend my
judgment. Have you seen a ghostg"
Il do not know. | have seen some
thing" she stopped, as though the
r~ecOllections we're unpleasant.
Then" said Keyork, the probable
ity is that you saw a living person.
Shall l sum up the question of ghosts
Tor youP"
II wish you would, in some way
that I can understand
1--WE are, then, in precisely the
same position with regard to the be-
lief in ghosts, which we occupy tow
ard such questions as the abolition OF
death. The argument in both cases
is inductive and ali but conclusive.
We do not know of any case, in the
200 generations of men, more or less,
with whose history we r in
some degree acquainted, of any in
dividual who has escaped death. We
conclude that all men must die. Sim
ilarly we do not know certainly--not
from real. irrefutable evidence, at
least-that the soul of any man or
oma dead has ever returned visibly
to earth. We conclude, therefore,
that none " will. There is a differ
ence in the two cases which throws a
slight balance of probability on the
side Of the ghost. Many persons have
asserted that they have seer ghosts,
though none have ever asserted that
men do not die. For my own part, I
have had a very wide, practical and
intimate acquaintance with dead peo-
ple-sometimes in very queer places
but l have never seen anything even
family suggestive of a ghost. There
fore, my dear lady, | advise you to
take it for granted that you have seer
a living person"
Il never shivered with cold nor felt
my hair rise upon my head at the light
OF any living thing" said Unorna,
dreamily, and still shading her eyes
with her hand.
"You are quite sure that it was not
really d woman2"
Would awoman-and of all women
that one-have come and gon with
out a word?"
"Not unless she is a very singularly
reticeut person." answered Keyork,
with a laugh. "But you need not go
SO far as the ghost theory for an ex-
PLANTATION. You were hypnotized, my
dear friend, and he made you see her.
That is as simple as anything need
be-"
''But that is impossible-because
-" Unorna stopped and changed
color.
because you had hypnotized him
already suggested Keyork, g~ravely.
The thing is not possible Unorna
repeated, looking away from him.
II believe it to be the only natural
explanation. You had made him
sleep. You tried to force his mind TO
something contrary to its firmest be-
liefs. | have cen you do it. He is
a strong subject. His mind rebelled,
yielded, then made a final and des-
perate effort and then collapsed. That
effort was so terrible that it moment
arily forced your will back upon it.
self, and impressed his vision on your
sight. There are no ghosts, my dear
colleague. There are only souls and
bodies. If the soul can be defined as
anything it can be defined as pure
being in the mode of individuality,
but quite removed from the mode of
matter"
"You are a most comforting person,
Keyork," said Unorna, with a faint
smile. Il only wish I could believe
everything you tell me-"
"You must believe me or renounce
all claim to intelligence" answered
eHO opi AIoh S1llIOldS Hull Llo Cud1E
and sitting upon the table at her ell
bow. His short, sturdy legs swung
at a considerable height above the
floor, and he planted his hands firmly
upon the boards on each side of him.
The attitude was that Of an idle boy.
and was so oddly out of keeping with
his age and expression that Unorna
almost laughed as she looked at him.
Sat all events" he continued, '.you
do not doubt my absolute sincerity.
You come to me for an explanation.
| give you the only sensible one that
exists, and the only one that can have
a sedative effect upon your excite
ment. OF course, if you have any
special object in believing in ghosts
if it affords you any great and lasting
pleasure to associate, in imagination,
with specters, wraiths and airly ma
licious shadows will not cross your
fancy"
perhaps you are right
"Will you allow me to say some