Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-09-16

THE ILLUMINATED ROOM.
by Pierre Mile.

In a Paris family where | often visit
a very strange event happened az dinner
the other evening.
Ncxt 10 me sat a gentleman whom |
had never met before, and locking nj the
card AT his plate | saw the name Boris
Tchcrnotf. His appearance was that Of
"A typical northerncr. very fair hair. pale
bloc ewes and a weak month.
After listening in silence to the gen.
.cral conversation for quite some time
he n last turned to me:
II often read what You write. You
do not deny The existence Il the super
natural. | don't know If yon believe in
il Yourself. but nj least Won 10 not deny
that il exists. and for this reason I havc
long wanted 10 meet you and tell you
something that happened o ne.
~S0me time ago | decided 10 accept an
invitation 10 visit one ~ my friends who
Ii scS IN Southern Russia IN the province
Of kherSon. and whom I had not seen
fer several wears. His estate. Rather.
incoka. i one Of The most charming spots
I have ever seen.
For years | had not visited my ma
tire country. for | am one Of those Rus
slams who are constantly travelling all
over the globe. I sent my friend Il tclc-
gram accepting his invitation and III
Nsrnna | received the nswer Come.
whenever you like
Il plainly remember nv reception ut
the chateau. which WINS fun ~ guests
IL was most picturrsqucly situated in
the midst Of a magnificent park with OLD
fashioned clipped hedges and stin avcm-
mes. III radiating from the chateau.
whose tall tower might TX seen FOR miles
around.
There were twenty-five guests there.
among them several very pretty ladies.
and these were waited npon bv \ small
army ~ servants. % practically every
bedroom in the house was occupiesl.
When | arrived the company was
dancing or sitting ~ the gaming tables
PLAYING for high stakes. - ALWAYS III
Russia. NV friend received ne most
cordially and introduced me to his moth
cr. In spite Of this hearty reception |
noticed. however. II certain rG.tieSSneSs
and uncaSineSS which was evidently
caused by my arrival. rs ii I were not
quite welcome. After = while ! discov-
cred the reason there was not \ vacant
bed III The house.
"Rut WHY not lct rs sleep IN the old
house," | suggested. Old Nine. Korin.
Ski objected very strongly. hut a. in
sisted N was finally arranged that Il
should sleep IN the old house which was
then quite Eninhahited. II was an old
chateau built in the middle of the eight
'ccnth century. In the French STYLE then
i'rcioininating MI over Europe
The immense big rooms on the ground
floor were bare If, furniture. and when
my two servants rarrying immense silver
chandeliers lel me into nv bedroom
realized that I WAS the only person who
was 10 sleep IN the old building that
night.
The two servants hurrielly placed The
chandeliers On the table aud left the
room. while my cwn servant. Ivan. who
who had been drinking rather heavily.
after helping me 10 nndrrsS. laid down "a
sleep. fully dressed. Ia the corridor out
side my door. II was not bccanSc 7 was
afraid that he slept thercg bur Just be-
Il Is the custom everywhere in Rus.
sin.
II read for a while and then put out
the light. hut I had hardly laid my head
o y the pillow when I felt "A strange zen.
Sation which Won perhaps know. and
which Nou have. for instance. when YOU
up suddenly or when v0u have
drunk a cup Of strong coffee Immediately
before going 10 bed. Your heart heats
violently. A. II YOU had Just escaped
from u great danger or had passed
through some violent emotion.
But | had not been suddenly awak-
aned. for ! had not slept NJ III. and I
bad had ~ coffee. Nv ewes. staring into
the darkness. felt a. III \ were mo- look
ing into m ordinary large dark room.
but that something mysterious and in
was present. which | should have
bvn able ~ define had l p0S~rS~cd n
sixth sense.
II liz a candle. but n / naturally ex-
everything looked Just ~ before.
the big four poster bel. the heavy ebony
wardrobe and the solid ebony ami moth
cr-of pearl liable On which thc servants
had placed the candlestick.