The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-04-11
WHO WAS
St4E2
By F. A. Mitchell

There has always been to me some
when all are in bed. Perhaps it is the
contrast between Its quiet and the life
there was in it during the day.
l had recently begun the practice of
medicine, and, having been called up
at midnight to visit a patient not far
from my house, had chosen to walk
rather than get out a vehicle. l re-
turned through just such a street as
l have described, and, walking along
on the sidewalk, was impressed with
the solemnity Of the rows of dark
houses with their slumbertng inhab-
itants. 1t seemed to me like a ceme-
terry for beings whose consciousness
was suspended every night during the
same hours. So silent was it that my
footballs sounded loud enough to wake
the sleepers.
Suddenly, while passing the portal Of
a church, from above came the clang
Of a clock striking the hour. So loud
was it, so out Of keeping with the pre-
vailing stiffness. that my heart seemed
to stand still for a moment; then l
braced myself against the next stroke.
But it did not come. I wished it would,
for there again was the silence, and
silence is not natural to a human be-
ing. We require sound and motion.
These are the two conditions without
either Of which we suffer.
Ny route lay through an open square
used as a park. In its center was a
fountain. and about the fountain were
benches. The fountain was still, and
the, seats, were uneccupied.r Something
in this condition Of a city in suspended
consciousness so attracted me that l
was minded to give myself up for a
few minutes to its influence. l sat
| down OH one of the benches and lost
myself in fancy. On the four sides OF
the quadrangle were dwellings and not
q light to be cen in my dwelling.
! All within we're sunk in oblivion. Sure
ly death could be no more of nothing
ness than this brief period Of slumber.
l was the only live being within the
| square.
Whether the god of sleep, annoyed
at one rebellious subject among so
many who we're obedient, touched me
that I should fall under his sway or
whether some other Of the many gods
who preside over our transit through
life thought proper to hypnotic me l
do not know. That I grew drowsy l
we'll remember. l am sure l nodded.
Catching myself after a nod. l looked
about me, and there sitting on the
other end Of the bench vas a young
girl. There were city lamps burning.
and I could see her features quite
plainly. She was very pretty. but pale.
Her hair was not coiled upon her head,
but hung loose on her shoulders-not
scattered, but in separate locks. Her
dress was that Of the lower middle
class.
Somehow it did not seem to me that
the conditions l have described were
broken by the girls presence. l did
not feel that there were two persons
where there had been M Yet there
sat the girl looking out on the trees in
the park or the buildings beyond just
as I did. It occurred to me that she
must have come there during a brief
interval when I had lost consciousness
through sleep.
But how strange that she should be
there at all! A young girl sitting in a
park in the center Of a city between !
and 2 o'clock at night when every m
else was in bed and asleep! 1t occurred
to me to speak to her, but SO uncanny
was the circumstance Of oursf being
there alone together that ! dreaded to.
do so. I dreaded lest she should fail
to break the spell by replying to me.
In that case I should feel that I was
sitting by a supernatural beings and
| the very thought caused a shudder.
While I was trying to make up my
mind to speak to the girl I noticed
t.something else about her that excited
a new wonder. This was that she re-
sembled me. The discovery increased
the feeling that she was not real. but
a shade. Once or twice in my life /
have dreamed that I saw myself in
duplicate and have always awakened
with a horrible feeling and a rapid
beating Of the heart. But this time l
was not dreaming. I was sure Of that.
l had been drowsy. I had nodded. but
now Twas thoroughly awake.
/ was interested. MY companion did
not seem to me iaps a. sister, but al l
myself would have been had ! been
born a girl. I judged that she was my
age. Her hair and eyes were exactly
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