Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-06-19

poems as heats La Belle Dame sans i
Merci" (the beautiful woman without I
mercy or Heine's water fay, not be- !
cause We believe either the woman
or the fairy to have existed, but be-
cause of the sensations aroused by the
weird pictures drawn.
Nevertheless there is a class of peo-
pie among us who are not disposed to
break down the barriers between the
natural or the supernatural. And have
We not societies for psychical research.
composed Of earnest and many of
them extremely intelligent persons,
who make it their business to gather
information about supernatural ap-
pearances?
Personally I am neither convinced
nor unconvinced as to the feasibility
Of such investigations, though 1 have
had an experience calculated to throw
me on the affirmative side. That ex-
perience I will give just as it occurred
or. rather, as it communicated itself
through my senses, leaving each read
er to make for himself or herself an
explanation to fit the case.
During the spring / worked hard in
order to get ahead with my Office
duties that l might enjoy q vacation
during the summer. Nevertheless
when I left home about the list of
July 1 never felt better in my life. l
mention this because the state of ones
health is an important factor in COM
ing to an explanation of such happen
| ings as the one that came to me. 1t is
well known fact that persons suffer-
/ ing from bodily ills are more apt to
, see ghosts than persons in good health.
! The scene of my outing was on the
coast of New Hampshire. I stayed
at a hotel where there were n great
many young ladies and but few young
men. / thought at first that l would
be in clover, but since l knew no one
to introduce me I was obliged to see
them going about in each others COM
pany, ignoring me- completely.
/ was told afterward that there was
scarcely any of them but would have
been glad to meet marriageable man,
and l considered myself fair speci-
men of a bachelor. Why 1 should
have been so completely ostracized 1
don't know. 1 am of opinion that it
was the spirit of clique so strong in
these girls that it overpowered their
natural disposition to mate.
After. trying in vain to break
through the shell that kept me away
from them 1 undertook to amuse my
self in other ways. I was fond of
boating and spent a part Of my time
on the water. / took long walks. l
did not battle, for the water was too
cold.
a few miles up the shore from my
hotel was n cliff hundred feet high.
A path led around its edge, fenced by
rail over which one could look down.
Immediately below was fat rock
surface against which the waves roll
ed, then DETECTED, pushed off in an
other direction, surged in through a
cleft. then out again. All day long
this process continued, and as watch
ed it l could not but wonder why,
And why was l there looking down
upon It? All was query, no answer.
Nevertheless the place was fascinat
ing TO me, and went there often. One
evening, when at twilight the great
globe of the moon was rising out OF
the water, l thought l would like to
go TO the cliff and see 1t as it would
appear under the different light. The
young ladies of the hotel were walk
ing In couples and platoons, with theil
arms around each others waist, bacl
and forth on the piazza, and as they
saw me start off, evidently for moon
light walk, I thought l could detect
, wistfulness in the faces of some who
saw me depart. If any or them would
have liked to be my companion she
was obliged to restrain her desire, fol
she had not been introduced, and ever
If she had 1 did not belong TO the SCI
of her associates and she would have
been shocked at herself to become In
innate with any other.
The distance to the cliff was abou
! three miles, and when had traverset
1t l approached the rail cautiously, pu
, a hand on it, then stood looking over
The moon was exactly in position t.
; cast its rays into the recess in the
rocks below. Slowly a wave, resem
, bling for all the world a leviathaI
of the sea, would sluggishly lumber in
roll against the rock. seem astonishet
at having been stopped, swim over t.
q perpendicular surface on the otheI
side, glance and move on into the cleft
But what is that red spot on the wa
ter beside the rock? Is it an afghan,
; shawl or some other wrap that ha
fallen from the cliff, or has it beer
washed in from some boat out on tn
, ocean? So intent on 1t was | that
, leaned over as far as ! dare to get {
better view Of ii. When a wave pass
, Ing the place where it fioated was Fl
shadow the red spot was not visible
then when the moon struck full upol
1t 1t was like blood
! was suddenly conscious Of the pres
ence Of some one beside me. Why
q know not, for heard no sound. not
y footstep nor even person breathing
' drew back and turned my head
? There. leaning upon the rail IN TIL
same position as 1. was young girl.
, 1t occurred to me that she must b
npa n n marry ffinT mar c0rna--prornTfr