The San Francisco call., 1895-10-13

drowsy afternoon, when the atmosphere
of New Orleans had a special quality
which / alone seemed to feel and which
filled me with peculiar soft throbbing of
an infinite sweetness that ever had a de-
sire to repose on this couch; and those
days were of rare occurrence. In my ripper
years | have given careful scientific atten-
tion to this atmospheric phenomenon and
to its effect on my own temperament and
that of a few other persons whom | have
discovered, but [ have not space here, even
should you desire that take it, for setting
out the remarkable discoveries which l
have made. AS / understand your re-
quest, you want only simple, straight
forward account OF the tragedy in which
Rupert figured SO strangely.*
Ihad again stretched myself on the couch
under the favorable conditions which !
have described. and soon thereafter, fall
ing into state which for convenience we
may call a doze, I suddenly found my
self with Rupert on the ship, which by
this time was rounding the Florida Keys.
At the moment when I appeared before
him he was writing to me, but as we rap
idly exchanged all the news we had, his
writing, through which I glanced, was of
no use, and he laughingly destroyed it be-
fore my eyes. Upon awaking 1 did like
wise with mine. There was not the least
doubt in my mind that l had seen and
conversed with him. The strangest part
of that episode was that it surprised
neither one of US to be together on the
ship, so natural, simple and easy did it
seem. This experience was repeated once
or twice before the snip touched at Charles
ton. spoke to my mother of its first oc-
currence She looked somewhat fright
ened and regarded me closely awhile, and
then sternly forbade my ever thinking or
speaking of it again. 1 obeyed her so far
as could, but it was not in my power-at
least, so 1 then supposed-to refrain from
visiting my friend when the conditions
favored. 1 may say here that he never
came to see me. will explain this some
time if you so desire.
1 must pass on now to the climax oi
these strange occurrences. AS you are
aware, the knowledge of electricity pre-
vailing then was far short of that with
which science is now armed; but ever
with all our delving into its mysteries and
our skill in its handling l have demon
strated its possession of quality of which
scientists have not dreamt-though, fol
that matter, it does not come under tn,
province of science, az it belongs to fielt
, apart from and above that in which scien
. fists exercise their functions.
One day, when, having reclined on th
couch chatting with Rupert in Charleston
while he was busily engaged in adjusting
powerful battery which he had contrived
8 slight mistake on his part sent killing
g current through his body. Instantly h.
+ fell to the floor, livid and senseless. wa
t conscious of violent shock of anguish t,
9 see him thus destroyed, and 1 awoke from
my doze on the couch trem bling violently
cold in all my members and bathed with
e clammy perspiration. Unable to contro
myself cried aloud in my anguish anc
my mother ran to my assistance. Forget
t ting her injunction l exclaimed:
!. Rupert is dead! 1 have just seen hin
/ killed at Charleston"
My mother fell upon her knees at tn
: Entrefort afterward furnished me with docr
I ments explaining the extraordinary things
. which he alludes in this narrative, but this is n
I place for their use.-W. G. NJ.