The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-12-07

II.
Some mysterious power held him
charmed.
Suddenly released my hold Of
the mans hands, and in an instant
tho illusion vanished. was dunn
founded. Again seized his hands
and held them, one in each of my
own. Gradually, as dream grows
into lie, was conscious of innumer-
able things passing swiftly before
me, unintelligible and with a sense
OF infinite woe.
BY the workings of the mans face
J. was sure that, by some morbid
sympathy, the mirage was visible
Ill both, Tor perceived that might,
by the mere lifting Of his hands.
coilJuro the scene or disperse it By
releasing them It struck me like
torciblc recollection of De Quin-
ccy $ opium dreams, especially that
last related terrible vision.
experienced Il sickcning nausea
and was forced to again relax my
hold. The empty train was still
travelling alongside us, thus form
ing Il magic mirror where furtive
lights played l crossed to tho other
window nf tho carriage and looked
out All was blackness, impenetra-
bly, dark. l camo back and onco
more seized the man $ hands.
Some terrible drama, L felt CON
scious, was about TO be enacted.
Whence came this strange present.
ment2 saw Il face distinctly mir
rored on the dark pane. Yet not
one face alone. Others there were,
familiar a.id recognizable. glanced
instantly at the face of the stranger.
The face, that terrible first face,
was his own. Then, whether sleep
ing or waking, i'll act or in fancy or
whether IL that mystic intcrspaco
between the real and the unreal, it
faded through tho gloom and be-
came suddenly transported to q
room filled on all sides with books.
understood it to be library. A
man sat reading alone, with lamp
beside him.
So sudden had been the removal
that l know not when or how it
came. The man at the table rose as
he entered and bcckoncd him to q
seat opposite. Ho mado some mute
request, which I neither heard nor
comprehended. l knew only that
tho man was obdurate. NIeel1ly he
urged his petition, and still he ap-
peared to refuse him. There was
anger nboth their faces. In min
ute tho stranger raised his hand and
dealt the other blow across tho ta-
bic. Ho struck him to the floor. The
blood streulned from his face, yet
once more he gained his feet and
stood confronting him. Tho blood
ragged i'll his own veins. and he struck
out with all the fcrcc OF q great
strength. This time the man did not
rise, and he stopped to look into his
face.
struggled to break away from
the aiclening nightmare OF blood,
but was powerless. looked again,
now only upon tho face Of tho van
quished, and it was not the same. I
know that it was tho face of the
man beside me which I now beheld
Pale and distorted it looked, the eyes
bursting from their sockets and the
lips foaming in the final throes.
About his neck was rope, tighten
ed SO that ho could not breathe. I
knew all this and more Tho sensa-
tion grew upon me. He choked, he
gasped. The lights went out.
No; it was I that choked. The
blood surgesl through my brain like
an Atlantic current Ten thousand
whirlpools burst wildly around me,
bearing me. down, down to unutter-
able depths, while the weight of
fathomless oceans lay upon me.
Cries and lamentations rose upon
every hand utter, heartending cries
from the uttermost abysses. Weird
faces Knocked at me and called me
nane at which strong men grow
palo and the legions of he:1. tremblc.
Darkling lay, oppressed and ut
terly confounded, it seemed, for long
ages Of immeasurable time. At
length light broke in, the tumult
subsidized, the voices became gradual
iy less. Suddenly the phantasma
faded from the darkened pane, Civ
ing place to a fierce, lurid light, and,
with a start, I broke away as the
train snorted into the great termi-
nus.
1 The train came to q stop. I rose
and looked at the opposite seat. the
man had already alighted, for the
carriage door stood open. Not a
word had passed. I made only dim
conjecture Of things. sat with my
eyes upon the place he had occupied.
I know that what had seen he had
seen also. I knew that a hideous
secret had suddenly passed into my
keeping. I started UP. Did he know
this2