The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-05-30


Professionalism all the way to his room
he was comforted at least with one
distinct gain-the double had vanished.
Yet the strangely acquiescent feeling to-
ward FrecklewOrth, instead of an angrlly
resentful feeling, which he reasoned
should be natural under the provOcation,
caused him t. suspect that he might YET
be under the mans power, just as other
subjects are until they are released. So
that when he was safely in his room,
resisting the impulse to awaken Montague
under a certain feeling probably OF
shame at his experiences. he resolved to
do many things that were natural and
every -day-like. He lit his pipe and lit his
candle on the little handicapped, dain-
tily matted bed-ca binet, therew as nothing
abnormal about these acts. he told himself
alone so as to feel conscious that he was
all there How cooling the clean crisp linen
sheets were. He whistled. it was a sure
enough whistle-he picked up the Figaro
read the Theatre Franchise programme
for Bernhardt the next nlght-eyes all
right everything was natural. These ex-
perments continued for some time
Neville not even being conscious of the
fact that what he dreamed to be calm acts
were but exquisite exhibitions of an alb
normal nervous state. One more expert
ment." he said: Il will blow out the can
die" and he blew with loud blow, and
the candle went out. Cause and effect
all right, all right" he said to himself
with a more comfortable feeling than
ever: Eight there. breath there, COZ on
fire: fire goes out; | am coming around:
| must have been i'll ;Gan my Ereckleworth
theory be true? | feel very calm; the light
went out: yes the light went. cause and
effect''-the nOnsenSIcal Things went
through his mind-but no more nOnsen-
steal perhaps. than other things that
90 through other peoples minds III dark
rooms when they are alone-only they
don't tell them to others. And then it Is
quite possible that Neville would have
fallen into the reactiOnary sleep of eX-
haustion. had it not been for one fact.
As he lay in that state of which most
folks know when the senses are slipping
away from. losing their bite ON
the sands of things seen and heard. leav
ing life with its alluvium of things done
and thought along the gradually sloping
sweep of yesterday. falling so softly to-
ward the low calm of sleep. Neville
started suddenly. and almost quit breath
ing. in order to get perfect silence. His
ear seemed to eaten even the inner wills
pers of things that seemed voiceless to the
normal ear He could hear it plainly. 1t
was Il sound somewhat as of sand-paper
covered with crepe Scraped along on
waXened floor 1t would come then-and
then-and then. He seemed to hold his
breath so long. He did not stir. 1t seemed
near his door now along the hallway.
At the next instant there was a ghoulish
feel upward toward the knob it seemed. 1t
was not necessary. for the door was not
even closed tightly. 1t swung slowly
backward until the inside of it struck
against a chair. Neville's thoughts be-
came Heterogeneous. paradOXical, anti
thetical. like as ones thoughts become
sometimes on grave occasions. All kinds
of trfes came to his mind. Putting his
hand over the marble, he switched a
sulphur seemed to burn so
the rough under ledge Of
the surface. and in the almost blue light,
he could see the crawling figure. Now he
could not be mistaken under the clear
1t was Freckeworth crawl
ing. crayenly it seemed, toward his bed.
Then the trifes came tossing as of
strange impulses to laugh or think of UNI
timely nothings at funerals; he could not
be said to be really thinking. ''Zo0ks!'
he exclaimed to himself POUNDS" came
next in the mental procession. NO. they
won't do, Zeusl no. none of them-my
Godr' he almost shouted that is more
like it, 1t was upon his lips to say,
Monsieur Freckleworth is that your
He was half-sittng in bed with arms
over his knees and candle stick gripped
tightly in his hand toward the edge of
the bed" Will dare leave off Monsieur"
to the beastly creature? Can |? Why can
| not. if | be not under his spell? Then
why not use the imperative mood to him.
As | am a man. | WILL" and with such a
resolve. Neville reused himself to the full
limit of his nature, and springing out of
the bed in one leap upon the floor cried.
Speak. Freckleworth. and felt awed by
what seemed the terrible audacity of the
words. Freckleworth dragged one knee
after another toward him; there was
nothing vicious in his face: it was la
mentful with a pleading look-pleading-
that was the dominant feeling of the face.
The relaxed lines downward on the cheeks
from the lower lids of the eyes toward the
where the pleading emo
tons of the face have their greatest play
in all faces, showed lachrymose, pitiful
quality of pleading without the tears.
But Frecklewortn did not speak his face
only plead: he seemed to be begging for
help of some kind. 1t seemed only Il
for Neville standing with the
candle uplifted to imagine list of theo-
ries which were arranged about in this
wise:
/. Is it really Freckleworth or has he
suggested himself to me through my sub
iective mind, as he may have suggested
Savage and myself? But it must be
Freckleworth. he crawls, and before
blowing out the candle. took thorough
inventory of my ''objectives" and they
were all O. X. That being so. it must be
Freckleworth, and vet | dare not put my
doubts to the test. Ny ''auto-suggestion"
stands off his Suggestion" This hypothe-
sis leaned distinctly toward the pro-
theory.
2. 1t was. out and out. decidedly not
but a hypnotic suggestion
through him. of him.
3. If it he FrecklewOrth in the flesh, he
is suffering from some form of aphasia |
upon an apoplectic. an cpl !
eptic or some other kind Of attack. Could
il be that which was at the bottom of his
on the attack, or the attacks necessitate