The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-01-14
WHO WAS
SHE?
by r. A. Mitchell


contrast between It's quiet and the III
there was In 1t during the day.
had recently begun the practice o.
medicine. and. having been called ~
ut midnight 10 visit patient not fal
from my house. had chosen TO wall
rather than get out vehicle, re
turned through Just such street as
I have described. and. walking along
on the sidewalk, was impressed with
the solemnity OF the rows OF dark
houses with their slumbetng inhab'
itants. II seemed to me like n Gene
terry for beings whose consciousness
was suspended every night during the
same hours. So silent was II that my
footballs sounded loud enough TO wake
the sleepers.
Suddenly. while passing the portal OF
n church. from above came the clang
of a clock striking the hour. So loud
was ii. so out of keeping with the pre-
vaillng stiffness. that my heart seemed
braced myself against the next stroke.
But II did not come. wished IL would,
for there again was the silence. and
silence Is not natural TO human be-
ing. We require sound and motion.
These are the two conditions without
either of which we suffer
My route lay through an open square
used as park. In its center was
fountain. and about the fountain were
benches. The fountain was still. and
the seats were unoccupied. Something
In this condition Of city In suspended
Consciousness so attracted me that
was minded to give myself up for
few minutes to its influence. | sat
down on one of the benches and lost
myself in fancy. On the four sides OF
the quadrangle were dwellings and not
light to be seen In any dwelling.
All within were sunk In oblivion. Sure
~ death could be no more of nothing
ness than this brief period of slumber.
i was the only live being within the
square.
Whether the god Of sleep. annoyed
at one rebellious subject among so
many who were obedient. touched me |
that ! should fall under his sway or
some other of the many gods
who preside over our transit through
life thought proper to hypnotic me l
do not know. That / grew drowsy |
well remember. l am sure | nodded.
myself after a nod, looked
about me, and there sitting on the
other end Of the bench was young
girl. There We're city lamps burning.
md | could see her features quite
plainly. She was very pretty, but pale.
Her hair was not coiled upon her head,
)ut hung loose on her shoulders-not
scattered. but in separate locks. Her
lress was that of the lower middle
lass.
Somehow 1t did not seem to me that {
he conditions | have described were J
'roken by the girls presence. / did
lot feel that there We're two persons ..
where there had been one. Yet there !
at the girl looking out on the trees in
he park or the buildings beyond just =
$ | did. 1t occurred to me that she ;
must have COME there during brief
nterval when | had lost consciousness
through sleep.
But how strange that she should be
here at all. A young girl sitting in a
ark in the center of city between l
nd o'clock at night when every one {
lse was In bed and asleep. 1t occurred
} me TO speak to her. but so uncanny !
yas the circumstance of our being
lere alone together that | dreaded to
o so. | dreaded lest she should fail !
, break the spell by replying to me. :
4 that case | should feel that / was
ting by supernatural being, and h
lie very thought caused a shudder. 7
While | was trying to make up my I
ind to speak TO the girl noticed r.
else about her that excited . y
new wonder. This was that she re- }
'mbled me. The discovery increased &
e feeling that she was not real. but N
shade. Once or twice in my life I
i've dreamed that | saw myself In d
iplicate and have always awakened 10
it'll horrible feeling aud a rapid ii
'ating of the heart. But this time | ~
as not dreaming. / was sure of that. III
had been drowsy. ! had nodded. but f.
w | was thoroughly awake. y
was interested. My companion did 81
t seem TO me as sister, but as | sy
yself would have been had | been or
rn girl. judged that she was my II Il
e. Her hair and eyes were exactly de
e same color as mine. Her features &c
ire all mine except that they were -
minnie while mine were masculine I
had had twin sister | should
We believed this girl to be she. Final
made up my mind to speak to her. 4
Isn't Ii rather late
got no further. At the first break.
; Of the silence she was gone.
Wondering. arose and went home.
II the medical college where grad n
ted was professor who was deep n
dent and thinker. having some n
ange theories In what some persons O
! the supernatural To him went n
told my strange experience and 81
led him for an explanation. He was
oh interested in 1t. hut gave no opin-
regarding 1t mt the time. Later he
4 for me and said:
There are evidences on the human
~ that we were once bisexual b
e thought much OF your vision. but fo
offer no explanation except through sc
CIV. Nav not what you saw have r.