Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-08-22

enOs last night which conVinces me
that we stand very close to the un.
known, and that the Wanted modern
science hes no more completed itS Ia.
borb than bad Hercules when he went
ont and slE0d up the Numean lion,
and asked q Outstanding farmer II he
thought the CrittsF would bite"
"You had been sampling that
Louisville mans peaoh-blow Oobbler,
chit" returned the Colonel. suspicious.
".
II had NOT" replied tho Major,
stifRy. THAT II was after dinner ]
do moi, dOpy--mAke the most Of I'll
bad had wine with the meat, al
becomes a gentleman In my position
do your worst with this fact alsol
had accomplished my dinner in com.
pany with two or three old college
friends, and we had revived past
memories, aud given Good Cheer q
chance to spread her wings-gloat
over this also II you wills am pre-
pared to defend the statement that
was not intoxicated. What / am
about to relate is plain fact, and to.
morrow shall lay 1t before the So.
ciety for Psychological Research"
"Oh, dear me-" said the Doctor,
Boothingly; I'VE didn't know tina
thing was 80 serious. OF course you
we've sober. Take your facts QUE OF
cold storage and blaze away with
'emI"
Thank you" returned the Major,
completely mollifed. you will think
It a serious matter when you hear
about 1t. As / said, l had ,dined with
some old college chums. The door
was opened to Conviviality, but rigid.
ly barred on Excess. l left the table
without assistance. True, an oficloua
waiter lowered near. but when ] OBJ
served the superfluous scoundrel, ]
spoke to him in a rolling voice, and
bid him begone about his business,
II he had any. Judge Doty and !
passed out on the sidewalk. Two
cabs drove up. We were at first
puzzled which to take, but at my
suggestion we took the one that we
could feel Something already told
me that 1t was a night of phenome-
non, but | knew that the sense OF
touch is never to be deceived--as you
shall again see later on in my nara
tive. We accordingly rode away in
the tangible cab. blush to say it
Of a friend of mine, but the plain
fact is that the Judge was not master
of himself. He sang, and sang exc
crably. He looped his feet up in the
arm-rests. He also called for some
unnamed lost love of his youth in
fearful tone.
But we arrived safely at the
Judges house, and set him down. ]
was both shocked and relieved to see
that his butler had deemed 1t neces-
sary to await his master In the vesti-
bule. AS you know, live at the
Empress of India, the large uptown
family hotel. There are several en-.
frances; the cabman drove me to one
at the side. AS allghted l noticed
that the street was deserted; the
hour, l confess, was late. 1t was
cold, clear. frosty night. dis
missed the cab and turned ITO enter
the hostelry. Now, gentlemen, the
matter for the attention of the So.
ciety for Psychological Research be-
gins here. AS went up the steps,
/ saw distinctly through the glass
door, and down the long corridor
within which leads to the office off
at the left. The corridor was also
deserted. placed my hand upon the
brass rod across the middle of the
door, and started to push my way
in. The door yielded in perfect
natural manner. and saw nothing
out of the ordinary. pushed on,
but to my utter surprise l did not
gain the corridor. The door con-
tinued to swing back before me- az
pressed against the rod, but though
was constantly advancing, ! re.
NAMED continually on the outside
very peri at the gate Of Paradise.
] soon observed that the corridor waa
appearing and disappearing in q
most extraordinary manner, but when
in sight its aspect was perfectly nor,
NAL, and II seemed but a step before
me. II was as II / were pushing
door and corridor ahead of me, or al
II were on a treadmill instead oil
the firm tiles, which / distinctly fell
beneath my feet Gentlemen, / an
not without perseverance-cal \
stubbornness, If you will. / deter
mined to push on into that hotel Of
die at my post. l set my Jaws firmly
and struck a regular gait Of what |
suspect was about two and a hall
miles an hour. Refusing utterly Il
recognize that 1 was, so to say, nj
against a power beyond the ken o
man, / continued to forge ahead, thu
door, the corridor and / know no
what else before me-. Gentlemen, f0i
how many weary hours l thus stool
up and battled with the unknown ant
the unknowable I have no idea. Tht
much do know, however, the dark
ness OF night had given place to thu
early gray of morning, and a portel
had come to extinguish the lights IL
the corridor, before / escaped thl
clutches of the awful mystery anl
found myself within, the porter ap
parently grasping my arm. He wa
real, for l heard his CHASTITY, insolenI
laugh, and rebuked him for It.
then went to bed. Now, gentlemen
am no student of the occult; beforI
the hidden stand bowed figure
But so much / know-that this al
happened as have related 1t. Proof
too, is not wanting; found my shoe
in the morning with the, soles quit
worn through, though ! had bough
them new before going to the din
ner. l hope the Society for Psyche
logical Research can do something
with my experience"
Come. come" said the Doctor
softly; throw away that cold olga
and have fresh one. Don't go an,
take up the valuable time of the Psy
| choloQiea1 Qociatv with voifr afnrv