The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1899-12-30
A NOTIFYING ExpERIEycR
Young Girl While mt q House ffarty
Commits n Theft While She
Is Asleep.

1t gives one weird feeling to be told
of words said and acts committed when
one is unconscious of external consli-
tions. 1t is for this reason that walking
or talking in ones sleep is so terrify-
ing. A young woman who for years
was in the habit of walking in her sleep
said that she felt as if she were pos
sessed of some uncanny power which
without her volition might at any time
cause her to do something dreadful.
unfortunately 1 have passion for
fine stones" she said, land that, COM
bined with my somnambulism, brought
me once into a most uncomfortable po-
sition. was invited to go with house
party to large country place on the
Hudson. Knowing my infirmity, l had
never heretofore dared to accept such
invitations, but as i had not had any
recurrence of my trouble for over u
year l hoped 1 was rid of it forever,
and, urged by my family, l finally ac-
cepted. For the first two nights
probably remained quietly in my room,
but on the third a strange thing hap
pened. At dinner that evening Miss
b., girl from San Francisco, wore n
peculiar jewel. 1t was a large pearl
hanging from an equally large ruby,
which was suspended from diamond,
which in its turn quivered from an en-
erald brooch. l admired the effect OF
the stones resting on the white lace O..
her gown and she unfastened the pin
and handed me the valuable ornament
to look at. 1t was really pleasure to
me to hold the beautiful gems and re-
member telling her as returned then:
to her that it was actually physical
pleasure to handle them.
THE next morning l walked feeling
that something had happened and i'm
mediately became possessed with the
idea that l had walked in my sleep, al
though 1 saw no evidence that l had
done SO. l felt most uncomfortable,
however, and my feeling of vague ap-
prehension was not lessened when
went downstairs and found that during
her jewel, which she had carelessly left
sticking in the pin cushion.
''As it happened no one had come
down except Miss b. and our hostess,
and the latter seemed curiously indis-
posed to make a disturbance by an
nouncing the loss publicly and begged
us not to mention the fact to the rest
of the guests. This Miss b. readily
promised, as she realized what dis
agreeable finale it would be to the par
ty, but she insisted upon sending at
once for detective and she quilted the
room to wire her husband, who was in
town.
''While Miss b. was telling of her loss
had the most curious feeling of being
in some way connected with the affair,
and as soon as we were alone / told her
of my somnambulism and strange i'm
preston. Whereupon she in her turn
told how in the middle of the night
she had been startled by noise like the
shutting of her door, and, being of o
nervous disposition, she had sprung
from her bed, opened il and looked into
the dimly lighted hall and was aston
ished to see that my door, which was OPP
posite, was open.
when she missed her pin in the
morning she concluded not to speak
OF the incident, as she really attached
no Importance to the coincidence, but
now we both regarded the occurrence
as significant and together we hastily
returned to my room. There, careless
ly laid on chair near my bed, was the
missing jewel, which had escaped my
notice while l was dressing. The dis
covery was great shock to me-so
great one that it probably effected
my recovery, for / have never, to my
knowledge, walked in my sleep since"
IN. Y. Tribune.