The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-08-05

IuLo
thing," said the Major. pulling a very
long face, and not observing that his
cigar had gone out, II had an expert
ence last night which convinces me
. that we stand very close to the I'M
known, and that the Wanted modern
science has no more completed its la
bors than had Hercules when he went
out and sized up the Numean lion,
and asked a Outstanding farmer IL he
Z thought the critter would bite.
You had been sampling that
Louisville mans peach-blow cobbler,
eh::" returned the Colonel, suspicious
ly.
81 had not" replied the Major,
stifay. That it was after dinner I
do not deny-make the most OF 1t!
I had had wine with the meat, as
becomes a gentleman in my position
do your worst with this fact also!
I had accomplished my dinner in COM
pany with two or three old college
friends, and we had revived past
memories, and given Good Cheer a
chance to spread her wings-gloat
over this also if you will! I am pre-
pared to defend the statement that
I was not intoxicated. What I am
about to relate is plain fact, and to-
morrow 1 shall lay it before the So
ciety for Psychological Research
"Oh, dear me-" said the Doctor,
soothingly; 1--WE didn't know the
thing was so serious. Of course you
were sober. Take your facts out OF
cold storage and blaze away with
'em!"
Thank you," returned the Major,
completely Modified. you will think
it a serious matter when you hear
about it. AS I 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 oficious
waiter lowered near but when l OBJ
served the s%uperfuous %scoundrel, 1
spoke to him in a rolling voice, and
bid him begone about his business.
if he had any. Judge Doty and l
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 it was a night of phenome-
non, but I knew that the sense Of
touch is never to be deceived-as you
shall again see later on in my MARIA
tive. We accordingly rode away in
the tangible cab. I blush to say it
of a friend Of mine, but the plain
TACT 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 a
fearful tone.
But we arrived safely at the
Judges house, and set him down. 1
was both shocked and relieved to see
chat his butler had deemed it neces-
sary to await his master in the vesti-
bule. AS you know, I 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 l alighted I noticed
that the street was deserted; the
hour, l. confess, was late. 1t was
q cold, clear, frosty night. I dis
missed the cab and turned to enter
the hostelry. Now, gentlemen. the
matter for the attention of the So
ciety for Psychological Research be-
gins here. AS I went up the. steps,
l 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. I placed my hand upon the
brass rod across the middle of the
door, and started to push my way
in. The door yielded in a perfect
natural manner, and I saw nothing
out Of the ordinary. I pushed on.
but to my utter surprise I did not
gain the corridor. The door cor
tinued to swing back before me as
I pressed against the rod, but though
i was SOiolohIiy lfallSllSy ~
manned continually on the outside
a very peri at the gate Of Paradise.
I soon observed that the corridor was
appearing and disappearing in a
most extraordinary manner, but when
In sight its aspect was perfectly nor
NAL, and it seemed but a step before
me. 1t was as if. 1 were pushing
door and corridor ahead of me, or as
if I were on a treadmill instead of
the firm tiles, which I distinctly felt
beneath my feet. Gentlemen, I am
not without perseverance-call it
stubbornness, if you will. I deter
mined to push on into that hotel or
die at my post. I set my jaws firmly
and struck a regular gait of what I
suspect was about two and a half
miles an hour. Refusing utterly to
recognize that I was, so to say, up
against a power beyond the ken Of
man, I continued to forge ahead, the
door, the corridor and I know not
what else before me. Gentlemen, for
how many weary hours I thus stood
UP a-i battled with the unknown anc
the ~unknowable I have no idea. This
much ! do know. however, the dark
ness of night had given place to the
early gray of morning, and a porter
had come to extinguish the lights in
the corridor, before I escaped the
clutches of the awful mystery and
found myself within, the porter ap-
~parently grasping my arm. He was
D. T hood ~, ,b,,41,, -.o1.-k