Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-06-19
A STRANGE CASE.

A STRANGE CASE.
The transitory mental alteration of
Sidney Davidson, remarkable enough in
itself, is still more remarkable if Wade's
explanation is to be credited 1t sets one
dreaming Of the oldest possibilities of
intercommunication in the future, of
spending an intercalary five minutes on
the other side of the world or being
watched in our most secret operations by
unsuspected eyes. 1t happened that I
was the immediate witness of David
sons SEIZURE and so it falls naturally to
me to put the story upon paper.
When say that was the immediate
witness of his seizure, mean that l
was the first on the scene The thing
happened at the Technical college in
Cover street. He was alone in the lar
ger laboratory when the thing happened.
I was in the smaller room, where the
balances are, writing up some notes.
The thunderstorm had completely upset
my work, of course. 1t was just after
one of the louder peals that thought l
heard some glass smash in the other
room. I stopped writing and turned
round to listen. For moment 1 heard
nothing; the hail was playing the dev
IFS tattoo on the corrugated zinc of the
roof. Then came another sound a smash
no doubt of it this time. Something
heavy had been knocked off the bench.
I jumped up at once and went and
hn into fl,n1 h 1a7,
oratory.
was surprised to hear queer sort of
laugh and saw Davidson standing I'M
steadily in the middle of the room, with
a dazed look on his face My first i'm
preston was that he was drunk. He
did not notice me. He was clawing
out at something invisible a yard in
front Of his face He put out his hand
slowly, rather hesitatingly, and then
clutched nothing. "What' come to it?"
he said He held up his hands to his
face, fingers spread out 'tGreat Scott -
he said. The thing happened three Or
four years ago, when every one swore by
that parsonage. Then he began raising
his feet clumsily, as though he had eX-
pected to find them glued to the floor.
''Davidsonp' cried I. 'What's the
matter with you?" He turned round in
my direction and looked about for me.
He looked over me and at me and ON
either side of me without the slightest
sign of seeing me. "Waves, " he said,
land remarkably neat schooner. I'd
swear that was Bellows voice. Hullo!"
he shouted suddenly at the top of his
voice.
l thought he was up to some foolery.
Then l saw Uttered about his feet the
shattered remains of the best of our
electrometers whats up, man?' said
you've smashed the electrometerP
"Bellows again p said he. Friends
left, if my hands are gone. Something
about electrometers. Which way are
you, Bellows?" He suddenly came stag
gering toward me- 1.-The id stuff
cuts like butter" he said. He walked
straight into the bench and reeoiled.
"None SO buttery thatP he said, and
stood swaying
| felt scared. Davidson, said I,
"what on earth's come over you?"
He looked round him in every direc-
ton II could swear that was Bellows.
Why don't you show yourself like a
man, Bellows?"
1t occurred to me that he must be sud-
denly struck blind. I walked round the
table and laid my hand upon his arm. I
never saw a man more startled in my
life. He jumped away from me and
came round into an attitude of self de-
fense, his face fairly distorted with ter
ror. "Good GodP' he cried. "What
was that?''
'It's bellows Confound it, David
sonp'
He jumped when 1 answered him and
stared-how can express it?-right
through me- He began talking, not to
me, but to himself "Here in broad
daylight on clear beach. Not place
to hide in " He looked about him wild
ly. "Herel I'm off," He suddenly
turned and ran headlong into the big
electro magnet-so violently that, as we
found afterward, he bruised his shoul-
der and jawbone cruelty. At that he
stepped back pace, and cried out with
almost whimper, ''What in heavens
name has come over me?" He stood,
blanched with terror and trembling vio-
lently, with his right arm clutching his
left, where that had collided with the
magnet.
By that time was fairly scared and
excited Davidson, " said l, "don' t be
afraid -
He was startled at my voice, but not
SO excessively as before. repeated my
words in as clear and firm tone as I
could assume "Bellows, - he said, sis
that your
Can you see it's me?'
He laughed II can't even see it's
myself Where the devil are we?''
Here, said |, Sin the laboratory :"
1.-The laboratory r he answered in a
puzzled tCne, aid put his hand to his
forehead. Il was i'll the laboratory-till
that fash came, but I'm hanged if I'm
there now What ship is that?'
'There S no ship, said do be
sensible old chan
"No shipi" he repe5ad, and seemed
to forget my denial forthwith 81 sup
pose," said he slowly. ''were both
dead. But the rummy part is I feel just
as though still had body. Don't get
used to it all at once, suppose. The old
shop was struck by lightning, suppose.
Jolly quick thing, Bellows-eh?"
"Don't talk nonsense. You're very
much alive. You are in the laboratory
blundering about. You've just smashed
a new electrometer. don't envy yor
when Boyce arrives. F"
He started away from me toward the
diagrams of cryohydrates. 81 must b|
deaf" said he. They've fred gun
for there goes the puff Of smoke, and
never heard sound t"
put my hand on his arm again, ant
this time he was less alarmed. "W'
seem to have a sort of invisible bodies, ;
said he. "By Jovel There's boat com
ing round the headlandl It's very mucl