The Topeka state journal., 1903-04-29
HIS OWN GHOST.

well" he said. continuing his story
Of his experience in the haunted room,
in the middle of the night I woke
suddenly. The bolts which I had fas-
tened were creaking back again. Then
the catch of the door went with a click,
and heard heavy steps enter the
room. My hand was already on the
switch. and in an instant had the
whole room flooded with the electric
light There was no one to be seen;
the room looked just as it had done
when / switched OF the light on get
ting into bed with this exceptiOn--the
door was standing wide open, and the
bolts which I had pushed to had been
pushed back again. Mind, when I fas-
tened these bolts 1 had previously as
sured myself by a careful examination
one in the room but myself And be-
fore that I had examined the walls OF
the room. with the aid of a practical
builder. L offer no explanation. No
body can. I simply state facts
To the best OF your knowledge and
belief" added the stohd man.
"Of course" said the Curate. Per
haps so distinguished man of science
can help us to a solution" There was
/ a shade of irony in his voice.
We needn't use so big word as
science" said the doctor. Would you
be annoyed If 1 asked you question
/ or twO2"
Ask any question you wish. have
I the measurements of the room here,
and I think can convince you that
Pardon I'm not anxious on that
point. You are assured that your night
( " visitor was immaterial-in fact a
1t is the only possible hypothesis.
think
In spite of the heavy steps entering
/ the roOm?"
~ vie
1 turned on the light. 1t is conceivable
that a spirit might be in some degree
I subject to the conditions Of the material
world"
And that without feet or boots It
/ produced the sound of heavy steps!
Quite so. Most things are conceivable
when one begins to talk about spirits,
There was another point where TINS
spirit was subject TO the conalliohs on
the material world; it could not pass
through a closed and bolted door. It
had to open the door before 1t could
enter.
further evidence that spirits manifest
ing themselves in any way in this ma
te1ial world are subject to certain ma
terial conditions"
saThe spirit was on the outside and
the bolts were on the inside 1t could
not enter until the door was unbolted
/ and opened. Then how did It get
/ through to draw back the bolts?
tion and say that the spirit could pass
/ through the door,"
In that case why did it draw back
the bolts and open the door
The Curate paused a moment Su-
perficially that seems a difficulty. But, "
he added. with a happy inspiration, Il
never denied that there were difficulties.
I did not ask you to point them out, but
to give US a solution of them. If It were
not supernatural power that drew
back the bolts, who was 1t
But that is quite simple. 1t was you
yourself"
ly. this is too preposterous. I made it
clear that 1 was lying in bed, only just
awake when I heard the bolts being
drawn back Do you doubt that state
I do not doubt that you make it in
good faith-to the best of your knoWl-
edge and belief: all the same. It Is
You speak confidently, said the Cur
ate, coldly- Perhaps you will tell us
exactly how the thing happened You
were not there, but don't let that him
der you.
L WON'T said the doctor, good-tem-
peredly. But let me first of all point
out that in sleep and in states ap-
preaching sleep we lose all right con-
ception of time. A lazy man sets an
alarm at o'clock, intending to get up
, at that time. The alarm goes off and
more or less fully-wakes him. He de-
cides that he viii get up in a couple Of
minutes. He seems to himself to have
lust begun to dOze off, and then with a
sudden squirt of energy he jumps out Of
bed The sound OF the alarm is stlil
fresh in his ears. But when he comes
to look a the clock he finds that 1t is
not o'clock, but 8. In a state of sleep
he has misjudged the two minutes, and
finds that they have become two hours
Something similar to that is a not un-
common experience with most men.
Now if l may say so, you are or a
nervous temperament. and you had ta-
ken this investigation very seriously
and earnestly. In SOmnarnDuLStic
state you got out of bed, Unfastened
the bolts and opened the door / on
then returned to bed. When you aWoke
suddenly, the sound of the creakllle
bolts seemed so recent to you tnat you
ASSIGNED that as the cause of your wax
I ing Possibly an hour had elapsed, bll
in sleep one does not judge une aS-
curately OF course you had, and still
., have. no recollection of unfasten1ng the
door. that is what one would expect
You switched on the light, and you
d found things just as you had ieIt tnen
the bolts back and the door opened
+ But the heavy steps-how do you
n explain them2"
You were barely awake. and youi
e mind was in a state of exoectant at
r tention. Many men find 1t dlfhcuit Il
G locate sounds and classify them accu-
rately, even when they are wide awake
and there is no preconceived idea tC
i pervert their judgment. You hearc
3 omething-probably the creaking OF
wicker chair, or the tapping Of the
d blind at an open window-and youl
6 mind converted it into the sound o.
footsteps"
But ! don't walk in my sleep"
You sleep in a room alone2"
Always.
Then you are not in position tC
= speak as to that. I'm sorry if it an
n noys you at all, but there can be nj
reasonable doubt that YOU were youl
own ghost"
a 1T seems to me a very far-setchec
e explanation said the curate sulIziy, a.
- he rose to go
! well, if you prefer to believe thai
It q ghost walked straight through a soliC