The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-27
THE HALLUClNATlON OF
DE TREVILLE.
BY T. NJ. f.

III III NtIGGs
BY T. NJ. F,
Not having seen my friend DeTre-
Vile for some days, l decided to walk
around to his room and see what he
was doing. Not that it was anything
strange l had not seen him: for our
inclinations followed entirely different
lines; but while both of us were at
terding lectures at a certain college
we had many things in common, and
often spent hours at time discussing
our theories. .DeTreville, as rule, had
very little to say. Once started he
was a fluent conversationalist, as is
generally the case with quiet, thinking
people, and being rather vague and
mystical in his theories he would adj
vance ideas which were impossible for
me to confute. Consequently, he gen.
orally got the best of me in an argu-
lnent. Anyway, having suited the ac-.
tiCn to the thought, / found myself a.
his rooms and giving my coat to the
janitor, who also acted as his valet,
l opened the door and walked in I'M
announced.
L found DeTreville in his old easy
chair, with his feet propped up on the
table, half burned cigar between his
fingers and a bottle of whisky before
him. This rather surprised me, for /
Lad never known him to keep liquor
in his room, although 1 had seen him
take social glass. Apparently he had
not heard me coming through the hall
so, with a preliminary cough, l said,
Hello, bet. How are you fxed?"
AS he swung around in answer to
my salutation l could not help but
notice the unusual paleness OF his
face, and his eyes, though always
bright, seemed to burn in his head and
We're deep set beneath his eye brows.
Not waiting for him to speak 1 said,
What is the matter, old man, are you
sick?"
"Oh, no." said he, IT am all right;
get cigar out of the box, take chair
and let US have a chat"
Then noticing my questioning glance
at the bottle on the table he said,
quickly, "No. no, it is not that. 1 was
Just feeling out of sorts and thought
needed a nerve stimulant; but real
ly. as you see, 1 haven't opened the
bottle"
Reading too much, then" said I.
1T looks very evident judging from
the number of books scattered
around
Il guess that is about the size of
it," he replied, "for l have been try
irg to get some light on a difficult
subject"
We'll what is it?" 1 asked per
haps l can help you some; but If you
have waded through all these books,
and still in the dark, l am afraid
cannot be of much assistance
Strengthening up in his chair, and
lighting his cigar, he said, well, II
is this way; when l was down at the
club the other night, someone down
there told story about man who
had skeleton in his room, and one
morning the man was found dead,
with finger marks on his throat, and
one arm of the skeleton laying by the
bed"
"Oh, bosh!" 1 exclaimed. 'If you
are going to drag some old skeleton
from its closet, let us talk of some
thing else"
'All right" said he. IF you do not
care to hear it, we WILL
He looked so serious / was sure
something interesting was to follow,
so I insisted and he continued.
well, when he was through telling
his story, some one around the table
spoke of having read somewhere of the
reimbodiment of soul matter, and he
suggested that. probably, this was a
case of where the spirit had returned
to the body, for the purpose of re-
venge, or something to that effect. 1t
was getting late and passing out by
the kaar we all stopped for a cigar,
and then l came home. After read
ing awhile l felt tired, and went to
bed but somehow l seemed to be ner-
vous, and L could not get that mans
story out of my head. After tossing
about for quite awhile | heard the
clock in the hall strike three, and l
determined to dismiss the thing from
my mind and go to sleep. / must have
been successful in that, for the next
thing l knew 1 felt as if someone was
choking me, and / could feel - hand
on my throat. Making a great eff
fort l sprang out of bed, and threw
up the sash to get a breath of fresh
air, for it seemed to me / would suffo-
cate"
"Ha, ha," 1 laughed, before he had
time to resume stay away from the
club, keep earlier hours, and you won't
have the nightmare for that is all
il was" l said.
Eyes, that is what 1 thought it was
at first" he said slowly. ut destroy
ed that nights rest any way" he
went on, but the next night the same
thing occurred again, and 1t was only
after hard struggle that | was able
to throw, or overcome, this feeling,
thing, or whatever it was. l was not
asleep more than half an hour, ana
then last night -" here he sat
up more straight and. as he lighted
his cigar again, / could see that his
hand trembled. Last night, fearing
the same thing again, yet feeling
ashamed to say anything about it, l
told Tompkins, the janitor, that l was
feeling very unwell, and that i would
be glad If he would sleep up here on
my couch. That being about as COM
Portable as his bed in the basement,
he cheerfully did so. Being thoroughly
tired and sleepy / retired early; but
before doing so / securely fastened
the windows, and locked the door be-
tween my bedroom and this, where
Tompkins slept for. l assure you.
was getting morbid on the subject AS
say, / retired early. and went to
sleep almost as soon as / touched the
bed. | awoke after some time, and
congra tulated myself upon Nrtting a
good nights rest. / turned over and
Immediately went to 1eep again. I
don't know how long >ept this time,
but the next thing I was conscious OF
was that something was sitting
astride my breast and my breath was