Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1908-07-31
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]: AN ADVENTURE ::::
!: OF MYSTERY ~:
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speaking Of mysteries, superna.
iural happenings, and that sort OF
thing" said the Major. pulling very
long face. and not observing that his
.igar had gone out. Il had an expert
snce last night which convinces me
that we stand very close to the un-
Known. and that the vaunted modern
science has no more completed its la
oors than had Hercules when he went
,ut and sized up the Numean lion,
md asked a bystanding farmer IL he
thought the critter would bite"
You had been sampling that
Louisville mans peach-blow cobbler,
'h?" returned the Colonel, suspicious
".
II had not" replied the Major,
stifiy. That 1t was after dinner I
DO not deny-make the most of it,
I had had wine with the meat, as
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, and given Good Cheer a
chance to spread her wings-gloat
over this also IL you will am pre-
pared to defend the statement that
was not intoxicated. What | am
about to relate is plain fact. and to-
morrow l shall lay 1t before the So
,iety for Psychological Research"
"Oh, dear me-" said the Doctor.
soothingly; I'VE didn't know the
thing was so serious. or course you
we're sober. Take your facts out of
cold storage and blaze away with
'eml"
THANK you" returned the Major,
completely Modified. "You will think
It a serious matter when you hear
about it. As said. had dined with
some old college chums. The door
was opened to Conviviality. but rigid
ly barred on Excess. left the table
without assistance. True, an oficious
waiter hoyered near. but when / oh
served the superluous scoundrel, /
spoke to him in 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 THAI we
could feel. Something already told
me that 1t was night OF phenore-
non. but knew that the sense of
touch Is never to be deceived-as,you
shall again see later on in my nfrra-
tive. We accordingly rods away in
the tangible cab. i blush to say 1t
Of friend OF mine, but the plain
TACT is that the Judge was not master
Of himself. He sang. and sang exc
rTably. 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. |
was both shocked and relieved to see
that his butler had deemed it 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 | alighted I noticed
that the street was deserted; the
hour, confess. was late. 1t was
a cold, clear. frosty night. 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 went up the steps,
/ saw distinctly through the glass
door. and down the long corridor
within which leads to the Office of
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 a 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 as
pressed against the rod. but though
] was constantly advancing. re-
mained continually on the outside
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 It's aspect was perfectly nor
NAL, and II seemed but a step before
me. 1t was as II l were pushing
door and corridor ahead of me, or as
II were on a treadmili instead of
the firm tiles. which | distinctly felt
beneath my feet. Gentlemen. am
not without perseverance-cal 1t
stubbornness. If you will. deter
mined to push ON into that hotel or
die at my post. set my jaws firmly
and struck a regular gait Of what |
suspect was about two and a half
miles an hour. Refusing utterly to
recognize that ! was. so to say up
against a power beyond the ken of
man, continued to forge ahead, the
door, the corridor and l know not
what else before me. Gentlemen, for
how many weary hours l thus stood
up and battled with the unknown and
the unknowable | 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 ii
the corridor, before escaped tbs
clutches of the awful mystery and
found myself within. the porter ap
parently grasping my arm. He wal
real. for l heard his CHASTITY, insolenl
laugh, and rebuked him for 1t.
then went to bed. Now. gentlemen
l am no student of the occult; befor,
the hidden l stand bowed figure
But so much know-that this al
happened as have related It. Proof
too Is not wanting. | fonnd NV shoe,