Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-12-23

WHEN I AwoKE WAS IN MY OLD ROOM.
had puzzled mankind for ages, l could
be the greatest benefactOr the world
had ever known, and with all this con-
seriousness of power / felt the steady
ing influence Of twenty other minds
holding me back from wild specula-
lions, carefully considering and sitting
my plans and theories, throwing out
everything impractical and visionary
and giving thorough consideration only
to the most worthy. 1t was enormous
power, but power under perfect con-
troll, to which it almost seemed moth
ing was impossible.
was all on fire with enthusiasm and
consented unwillingly to the nights
rest on which the doctor insisted be-
fore beginning the great work of my
life.
But in the silence of the night. after
the electric communication had been
severed, the case assumed a different
aspect More and more realized that
this tremendous power i'll which | had
so exulted was not permanently under
my own control. 1t was doubtful If
even the inventor could always control
it. Certainly some, perhaps many, OF
the individuals in the combination were
not only mental, but moral, degener-
ates Even supposing that the doctor
could retain control during his life, he
was far advanced in years, and who
could be his successor? Instead Of con-
ferring the greatest benefits on man
kind, what could prevent the machine
from being used for the vilest pur-
poses, dragging down instead of build
ing up the human race to the enrich
ment of some willy scoundrel and the
great delight of the worst maniacs in
the combination?
Sometimes the case assumed grim
ly humorous aspect. | thought OF the
student who called up devil to bring
him water and was drowned in the eff
fort to stop him. thought of the men,
tai struggles of the man who might
some time sue the machine for libel
and his vain efforts to fix the RESPONSE
bility on any one. ] even pictured the
beWilderment of st. Peter when a Spir-
it whose responsibility was divided in
to twenty-one parts should apply to
him for admission, and the possibility
of each spirit having to answer for the
sins of the other twenty was not pleas
ant to think of.
But | need not deny that what infiu,
enced me most strongly was the
thought of the bright eyed girl in my
native village and the future we had
| planned together, now lost to us for
ever. More and more the conviction
was forced upon me that the doctor
had robbed me of my life's happiness
perhaps Of my hopes of heaven. and as
sleep at length Overcame me my last
thought was one of bitter resentment.
When awoke l was in my old room
in college, no one, not even myself
knowing how I came there. Whether
the doctor had become alarmed at the
excitement caused among my friends
by my disappearance, whether he de-
cided that my capacity was far below
his requirements or whether he kindly
relented and gave me back my individ
ual existence | shall never know, fol
he died soon after. and his secret dice
with him. But there in my pocket. as
had placed them. still rested the evi
dences Of the machine that thought
the poem. the love letter, the Grafton
and the story, all far more nearly per
feet than any ordinary mind could pro
duce and all in that exquisite hand
writing.
1t seems like only hypnotic dream
and yet-there are the documents.