The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-07-19

~ was near midnight. lherc nau
been whist Tarty at the fine old city
rtsidcnc. Of TIE Marquis dc Ia Tour
Samuel: four tables, but all ave two
Of the guests had taken their leave of
their aged host These We're an army
officer and Il civiI-servicc man. both in
innate friends. and the marc uis pro-
tested against their leaving 50 a~ly.
DRAW your chairs up in front Of the
fire." said he. If have some delicious
Camembert, and | will order a bottle
o. that rare old AmOftil&dO TO be
opened There is something strange
ly, mystcriOusly Ease mating about the
hour Of midnight to me, and. to he hon
est with you, ! don t dare To be- left
alone at that hour. I'm afraid"
afraid, marluis:" laughed the
army officer. Il can't believe it. You
-dO1't know the meaning OF the word.
hOu mistak4 the nature Of the sen,a-
tiOn. A strong and healthy man is
never afraid in the face Of danger.
lie may be agitatcd, excited, solicit
Gus; but fear, ban. that's quite an
Othc" thing.
You may sneer all you choose" re-
piled the inaroui, in his genial way,
"but tell you I'm afraid"
The army officer drew ore o" two
deep puifs at h s eli gar and then broke
tho solemn silence which had settled
upon the group by saying:
Let me explain my-clf. Fear Is one
Of the most frightful of thing. hid
. ,lis sensation AS if the very soul were
undergoing decomposition. 1t is q ter
rible spasln of the brain. of the heart,
the very recollection of While n gives
one agOnizing shuddcrs. But none Of
.hi, is impossible to the brave man.
neither at tho moment OF attack nor
when facing inevitable death. nor. in
fact. in the face of any known peril:
but grant yOu. dear marquis. that it
might occur under extraordinary cir
,c,,slstanccs. under certain mysterious
influences. when the risk is vague and
undesirable. Genuine fear must he. |
apprehcn, something like u sudden
realization OF the fantastic terror, SUI
fered by the common people in he
dark ages. a man who believes in
ghosts. who firmly believes that he is
gazing upon Il midnight visi'ant from
another world. must experience to its
Null extent the frightful sensation of
fear"
And |. my friend" exclaimed the
marquis, Il once experienced the
SriShtful sensation t, such IL degree
that the firm earth seemed to melt be-
nca1n my feet to Il single fOothOld. and
my very soul to go IT, pieces and to
leave me to tnpplc over into the abyss
al eternal night.
All, II ghost story, my dear mar
9ui5, said the civilian. laughingly.
"ic-. Il ghost story. my friend"
cent n.;cd the mar lui>. and yet at
he. / I'm no coward. | vc taken many
risk in my day, run many chances of
my life fought ducls and lecn left for
dead Ivy a-sas-in,. | was once con-
dcmncd to he hanged As an in,urgent
in South America and on another Oc-
c:ssiOn was thrown overheard on the
China coast. Each and every time
gave myself up fOr lost. bat | didn't
shrink. / faced death like man.
Aud yet. my friends, there was no
sensation of fear in amy such expert
ence, not Il tinge of it: but, ah. it was
quito different in the case which | am
shout to relate to you. There. it is
striking midnight, and would you
s.,iicvc it. | never hear clock
striking that hour that there
doesn't flash through my mind a
remembrance of that night, al
Though i. was more than f,rty years
49," TO my dying day shall never
quite free myscl: from the shock. And
yet that terrible sen alton lasted only
n few brief minutes: but SO intcn Z was
tho fear suffered that have never
been able to rid nv soul Of its effect.
Any sudden sound in the dead of night.
any white figure dimiy seen in the
dark, makes me start. TO be perfectly
non st with you. I'm afraid Of the
dark. When Il man has passed his
sevCnty-iifth mile tone he an afford IT,
De frank. 1t is permissible for Il man
Of that age to turn rae in the lace OF
come fantastic peril. bat let the danger
F,e real and tangible ami | will meet it
Just IS calmly as ever. 70 such Il de-
gree did this adventure disturb the Sc
lrcnity OF my existence. SO profound. SO
nnys erious was the influence which it
h;s! upon m. that from that day to
this l have neve" spoken OF II to Il liv-
ing oul. stored away the secret in
those depths of memory in which we
aide painful secrets. OF secrets involv.
Ing shame and dishonor. together with
all the unsreakabc weak es Is o. cur
existence.
It. wa, in ISL. in the month of July.
and my regiment was stationed AT
Rou NJ One day. while out for walk
in the quay. | met Il man whose face
was familiar to me. and Yet could not
exactly place him. !nstinctivcly
came to Il halt. and a. | did SO he
stepped forward and took me by the
hand. 1t was Saint-Gery. school
friend whom | had not seen for ten
years. As DO, he had been extreme.
" plain-looking: as Il man he was re
,M,Sivc. With the Svuatty figure OF Il
cut down Hercules. Il neck ot.cNtraor
binary thickness and Il face Redeemed
with scrotu Gus faint, Saint-Gery was
not 4 man for your soul to 80 out unto
Although we were of the same age. he
nov looked ten years my senior. His
hair was prem atureiv gray and his
whole manner denoted Il mental unrest
bordering almost upon insanity. saint
Gerry was the last of his r.ce. | sud
.sicniy remembered that. and also the
fact that he owned an estate Il few
miles out from Rouen. In Il rambling
and half violent manner he informec
mo that he had quilted his chatear
only few days before our meeting
and that it was his firm resolve never