Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1901-07-23
A STRANGE CASE.
) The Story of an Infatuation
For Figure In Tapestry.
p*~#~*%*~~%#%#AM@ #H%x&%%%x

I
Ny uncle, the celebrated English
alienist, DIR. Griffiths, was sitting quiet
ly in my study reading from a 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 case
like it on record" Then he would re-
fer to the book again and repeat
Wonderful, wonderful, that should
stumble upon the explanation here. II
is the same. exactly the same, hallu
cination. And the suggestion that
had given up hope of finding is here
too. Extraordinary
Unconscious of my presence, my
uncle went on in this strain for perhaps
five minutes, and then. noticing that
was staring at him in bewilderment, he
smiled with that air 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" be said, II have
stumbled upon a complete explanation
of the most mystifylng case of hallu
cination that has ever come under my
notice. Explanations often come TO us
too late, but rarely in such a strange
way"
Completely mystified. took the book
from my unclc's hands and discovered
that he had been reading "Omphale'
Gautier's weird story of Il young mar
who became enamored of figure in q
piece of tapestry that hung on the wal
of an old chateau owned by the Chey
alier de ID. in the dismal Rue dc
Tournelles. | bad not had time to re
fresh my memory of the tale wheE
my uncle almost snatohed the booi
from my hands and began reading
again to rcassure himself Of the cor
reetness of the conclusion he he'd ap
parently formed.
Hercules spinning at the feet Of ON
phale,' he began aloud. "The very
same tapestry. Hercules holding n
bedecked spindle in pompadour style
There could not be two of them. His
little finger raised with the air of a
French marquis taking a pinch OF
snuff. his muscular neck covered with
ribbons and women's gewgaws; draped
in gorge-de-pgeon petticoat With
huge panniers.' Fancy thatl OF course
it is the same. And 'Omphale, half
covered with the Nemean lions skin
her slender hand resting ON her lovers
knotty club: her true ADdalusian feet
that would be lost in Cinderella's slip
pers. shod with antique sandals Of q
delicate lilac sprnkled with pearls; hei
head thrown back with mock swag
ger; the delicious pout of her dimpled
mouth; the beauty spot assassin, eau
tier calls ~ cunningly placed upon her
cheek. and the Cupids, the indispensa-
bic Cupids' Well, well, it is certainly
extraordinary"
Naturally my mystifcation and won
derment grew as my uncle delivered
as from a catalogue, the features Of
this wonderful tapestry, tortured aft
err the fashion Of Vanloo," the drift Of
his speech being so strange as 10 cause
day" my uncle finally explained.
Pardon me-" | said. with some irri-
tation. ''but it Is not at all plain to me.
The story always struck me as being n
particularly wild fight OF an unruly
Imagination"
'.Of course. cf course" my uncle re-
Piled. "You must think me in need OF
my own medicine ! VIII tell you about
i. The tale Is Isreposterous. | was not
thinking of thai when said it was
plain. was thinking Of the case Of a
young maD who was placed In my
charge las, sammer. I'oor chap. He
is dead uow. | could DO nothing for
him. aud bis people took him abroad,
where he dieL-in Italy. ! think-dur-
ing the winter.
"The man Wiltse was his name
was suffering from a most peculiar
hallucination. the nature Of which was
discovered by his family when they in
stituted close watch upon him to dis
cover, if possible, tie caese of bis
strange behavior and demeaEor. To he
brief, be had fallen in love with that
piece of tapestry Identical with that
described ia this tale of Gautier's. And
not only this. but be imagined that bis
alteration was reciprocated TO some ex
tent by the woven figure. with whom
he would tenderly converse when he
hid not know he was being watched.
MIR. WiItse informed me that he bad
purchased the tapestry several years
before, having been attracted by tht
absurd treatment the subject had re
ce;yed at the hands of the artist in
spired of yanloo. The piece seemed
| grotesque to our vision. but it was moi
without merit and. gazing steadily al i
for any length Of time, had a strange
effect even upon so prosaic person a.
myself. have fancied more than oncs
that saw an undulating movement il
the lines OF Omphaie's beautiful necl
and that the delicate glow of her cheek
changed to a deeper or paler shade
You may laugh at me If you Ike, bu
no one looking at the tapestry could
shake off the impression that the figure
| of wooden and silken shreds was ami
mate. Her Ianguishing glance followed