The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1901-06-19
A STRANGE CASE.
The Story of an Infatuatiop
For Figure In Tapestry.
*%*~*~N%x~*&N@N~&~N1#H

My uncle, the celebrated English !
alienlst, Dr. Gritllths, was sitting quiet
ly In my study reading from II volume
| of Gautier's short stories, when he sud.
denly jumped from his chair and began
pacing the room.
Wonderful, wonderful" he kept re-
peating TO himself. There Is no ease
like 1t ON record" Then he would re-
fer to the book again ana repeat:
"Wonderful wonderful. that should |
stumble upon the explanation here. 1t |
is the same, exactly the same, hallu- |
cinatlon. And the suggestion that |
had given up hope of finding Is here |
too. Extraordlnaryw
Unconscious OF my presence, my |
uncle went ON In this strain for perhaps |
Ave minutes, and then, noticing that | |
was staring ut him In bewllderment he |
smiled with that mir of satisfaction that |
is seldom seen, except upon the face of
the student or Investigator who has
finally solved some scientific riddle.
"Hugh, my boy" he sald 81 have
stumbled upon complete explanation
of the most mystlfying ease of hallu |
notice. Explanations often come to us
too late, but rarely In such n strange
way"
Completely mystified, took the book
from my uncle's hands and discovered
that he had been reading "Omphale,'
GATHERS weird story of II young man
who became cnamored of n figure In a
piece of tapestry that hung on the wall
OF nn old chateau owned by the CheV-
alien de ID. In the dismal Rue de
Tournelles had not had time 10 re
fresh my memory of the tale when
my uncle almost suatched the book
FROM my hands and began reading
again 10 reassure himself OF the cor
RICHNESS of the Conclusion he had mp
parently formed.
Hercules spinning nj the feet of ON
phale." he began aloud. "Ihe very
same tapestry. Hercules holding n
bedecked spindle In pompadour style
There could not be two of them. His
little finger raised with the mir of n
French marquis taking II pinch of
snuff, his muscular neck covered with
| rii.i~..s. aud wnpn"'.'a csa'vca ws, drnnod
huge pannIers.' Fancy thntl OF course
1t Is the same. And 'Omphalc, half
covered with the Nemenn lions skin;
her slender hand resting on her lovers
knotty club; her true Andaluslan feet,
that would be lost In Clnderela's slip
pers. shod with antique sandals of IA
delicate lilac sprlnkled with pearls; her
head thrown back with mock swag
ger; the delicious pout of her dimpled
mouth; the beauty spot assassin, Gnu
tier calls IT. cunningly placed upon her
cheek. and the Cupids, the lndlspensa-
Bile Cuplds.' Well. well. 1t Is certainly
extraordinary"
Naturally my mystlfication and Won
derment grew as my uncle delivered,
as from II catalogue, the features of
this wonderful tapestry, tortured aft
er the fashion Of Yanloo." the drift of
his speech being 30 strange ns to cause
the llvellest curiosity. ut Is plain as
day." my uncle finally explained.
Pardon me-" said. with some lrrl.
tatlon, but 1t Is not at all plain to me-
The story always struck me ns being n
particularly wild flight of an unruly
Imagination"
"Of course, OF course" my uncle re !
piled. you must think me In need Of |
my own medicine. | Will tell you about |
1t. The tale IL prepOstcrOus. ! was not |
thinking Of that when said 1T WIS |
plain. | was thinking of the case Of n |
young man who WIS placed in my |
charge last summer Poor chap lie |
to. 4 Il. 4. T..tl
him. ana his people took him abroad, |
where he dIed-in Italy, | thlnk-dur |
Ing the winter.
"The man-Wiltse was his name
was suffering from II most peculiar
halluelnation, the nature OF which WIS
discovered by his family when they In
stituted close witch upon him to dis
cover, II possible, the cause OF his
strange behavior and demeanOr To be
brief, he had fallen In love with that
piece OF tapestry Identical with that
described In this tale of Gnutler's. And
not only this, but he imagined TINT his
alteration was reciprocated to some cX-
tent by the woven figure. with whom
he would tenderly converse when hc
did not know he was being watched.
Mr. Wiltse Informed me that he had
purchased the tapestry several years
before, having been attracted by the
absurd treatment the subject had re-
celyed at the hands OF the artist III
splred OF Nanloo. The piece seemed
grotesque to our vision. hut II was not
without merit and, gazing steadily nj It !
for any length Of time. had n stranSr
effect even upon so pr0salc person as
myself. have fanced more than once
that | saw an undulating movement In
the lines OF Omphale's beautiful necl,
and that the delicate glow of her cheek
changed TO n deeper or paler shade.
You may laugh at me II you like. but
no one looking at the tapestry could
shake off the impression that the figure
of WOODEN and silken shreds was aHi
mate. Her langulshing glance followed
one about the room, growing Intense as
one gazed ut her eyes
Naturally | tried the experiment of
separating my patient from the in0u-
ence OF the tapestry, but this, as fear
ed only had the effect Of changing his
habitual melancholy into violent pas
slou tIhl WIS Huch ihoIt uilllcuit W
deal with than mclanchCiia. We then
tried hanging the tapestry In much
used room. where some member Of the
family was likely 10 be ut all times
There young Wlltse would sit before 1t
Ia silence. with an implorIng express \
sion on his face. Finally he became so E
callous In regard TO his strange lufat-