The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-02-27
WHO WAS
SHE?
BY F. A. mitchell

when all are in bed. Perhaps 1t - the
contrast between its quiet and the life
there was In 1t during the day.
| had recently begun the practice OF
medicine, and. having been called up
at midnight to visit patient not far
from my house. had chosen to walk
rather than get out vehicle. l re-
turned through just such a street as
I have described, and, walking along
on the sidewalk, was impressed with
the solemnity of the rows Of dark
houses with their slumbering inhab-
itants 1t seemed to me like GENE
terry for beings whose consciousness
was suspended every night during the
same hours. So silent was 1t that my
footballs sounded loud enough to wake
tae sleepers.
Suddenly. while passing the portal OF
q church. from above came the clang
of a clock striking the hour. So loud
was il. so out of keeping with the pre-
vailng stiffness. that my heart seemed
to stand still for moment; then
braced myself against the Lext stroke.
But It did not come ! wished 1t 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.
Ny 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
I'm 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. | 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.
ly death could be no more of nothing
ness than this brief period of slumber.
| was the only live being within the
square.
Whether the god of sleep, annoyed
at one rebelious subject among so
many who were obedient, touched me
that | 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 | grew drowsy |
well remember | ala sure | nodded.
Catching myself after a nod, looked
about me. and there sitting on the
other end of the bench was young
girl There were city lamps burning,
and could see her features quite
plainly. She was very pretty, but pale.
Her hair was not colled 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 | have described were
broken by the girls presence | did
not feel that there We're two persons
where there had been one Yet there
sat the girl looking out on the trees in
the park or the buildings beyond just
as | did. 1t occurred to me that she
must have come there during brief
interval when l had lost consciousness
through sleep.
But how strange that she should be
there at all. A young girl sitting in a
park i'm the center of Il city between l
and o'clock at night when every ono
else was in bed and asleep 1t occurred
to me to speak to her, but so uncanny
was the circumstance of our being
there alone together that dreaded to
do so. | dreaded lest she should fail
to break the spell by replying to me.
In that case should feel that l was
sitting by supernatural being, and
the very thought caused a shudder.
While / was trying to make up my
mind to speak to the girl | noticed
something else about her that excited
new wonder. This was that she re-
sembled me- The discovery increased
the feeling that she was not real. but
shade once or twice in my life
have dreamed that | saw myself In
duplicate and have always awakened
with horrible feeling and rapid
beating of the heart But this time
was not dreaming ! was sure of that.
! had been drowsy | had nodded, but
now | was thoroughly awake
| was Interested My companion did
not seem to me as n sister, but as
myself would have been had been
born n girl. judged that she was my
age Her hair and eyes were exactly
the same color as mine. Her features
were all mine except that they were
feminine while mine were masculine
If ! had had a twin sister should
have believed this girl to be she. Final
ly | made up my mind to speak to her
isn't it rather late
got no further. At the first break
ing of the Silence she was gone.
Wondering. | arose and went home.
At the medical college where ] grad
uated was professor who was deep
student and thinker. having some
strange theories IN what some persons
call the supernatural To him l went
and told my strange experience and
asked him for an explanation. He was
much interested in 1t. but gave no opin-
ion regarding 1t ut the time. Later he
sent for me and said:
There are evidences on the human
body that we were once bisexual.
have thought much OF your vision, but
can offer no explanation except through
fancy. May not what you saw have
some connection with double femi-
nine self, which the condition induced
by your surroundings, enabled you to
| discern?"