Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1912-10-11
BY ?. A. MIrcHEL

AA9Ma IEI NAL NhAN hNN AhANAA w
received a shock. Before It was con
siderod necessary to retire him he
told me a great deal about the cause
OF bis trouble. From talks I had with
him | have put together the Following
narrative;
When IN Naples WetmOre went
often to visit Iompeli. that ancient
ROman city the very site OF which
was lost for nearly 1000 years. An
eruption OF Mount Nesuvius, Ave
miles distant. during the nrst century
OF the Christian era covered It with
ashes. bnt during modern times two
thirds OF its area bBs been moot
cred.
Aud now one may walk about In
its streets. In which ruts worn Ia the
stones are plainly visible. or go into
the houses, in tOlerable condition. ex-
cept their roofs. which have disap-
peared. Furniture. implements. statu-
AIRY and mural paintings have been re-
moved to the museum at Naples, where
they are inspected by hundreds daily.
Wetmore never tired of roaming
about POmpeIl or looking at the differ
ent articles that had been In use when
they we're abandoned by the inhab-
itnnts fleeing for their lives from the
dread volcano. He was naturally a
dreamer and loved to SIT on the frng-
ment Of a wall or a pillar In the ex-
humed city and picture the scenes that
were going on within the range of his
-fgfou haforo tha afuht houon Eailoxv
travellers passed on TO visit other
scenes. their places were taken by 9th
err tourists, yet WetmOre remained.
one afternoon Wetmore strOlled into
one of the most spacious az well as
one OF the best preserved houses In
POmpeii-the house of Cassius. Pass
ing Over "A mosaic pavement In which
were inlaid letters composing the word
Welcome" he paused to look at a
bronze statue Of q dancing fawn in
the center OF the rectangular basin
called the impluvium. In the houses
of PompelL with an opening above and
beneath 1t. the impluVium was sunk
IN the ground TO catch the rain. The
figure danced as lightly as 1t did when
it was made by the heather artist.
From the impluvium Wetmore passed
into the garden in the rear.
II was late when Wetmore entered
the house Of Casslus. Suddenly awak-
enlng from one of his day dreams, be
remembered that 1t was about the
hour that the gates were closed and
started for the exit. But before he
could reach II he heard the gate closed
and locked. He ran 10 It.. hammered
on II and called. Too late. He was
locked 10.
Wetmore never could give me a sat
isfactory account Of u transition that
followed. lie said that when he found
that he must pass the night In the
house of Cassius alone he deplored the
discomfort he would be subjected to,
but felt no other reluctance. There
are no seats in these houses, and Wet
more after lettering till he tired sat
down on a slab. He does not say that
he fell asleep and dreamed or that he
awakened from sleep. He says that IN
a %twinkling while he was feeling a tri
he drowsy Cassius' house passed from
n ruin to a Roman domicils In perfect
condition for use.
SO great was the change, so splendid
60 richly adorned the edlfce, that a
first he could not realize that he was
in what had been the ruin. He wa'
in a hall painted in bright colors. anc
at each end were two Corinthian piIas
tiers. Under the opening Of the root
above was the impluvium. The lighI
was poor since there were only oil
lamps burning.
From the rear came . girl in Roman
costume. She was tripping alonp
lightly, humminE. when she caught
sight OF WetmOre. when sue recoY
cred somewhat from her as%tOnlshmenI
she asked him the very natural CUES
ton:
''who are your"
wetmore says she spoke in Latin. He
was educated in u German university
ard learned TO speak Latin ~tolerably
we'll. but he says that her %pronuncla
tIon was so different from any he had
ever heard that he found II dlficult tC
understand her. As he progressed hC
became more used TO II.
"WhO are your" the girl repeated
land what do you here in that strang'
dress7 Are you u OF those strang'
gods they worship in Greece or Egypt
II am no god" replied Wetmore. q
was locked in here
Locked inr'
Eyes. but nOw-nOw"- He cast biz
Byes about him. dazed.
"Are you mortal" asked the girl. "Ol
half mortal. half god7 Perhaps you
are a fauE"
II am a mortal from
II occurred to WetmOre that II thi'
was PompeH as II had been before th'
volcano burned II and tue girl was Z
Roman OF many centuries ago she
would not understand II be told her b
had come from a land that was no
known 20 her.
Beyond the Pillars Of H~ercules." b
added. there n a land-you would hes
know Il as Atlantis-whlch 10 my home
There are millions Of people there
strange people to you. a IeOple wh'
talk % EACH other from points thou