Norwich bulletin., 1914-09-23
THE MAJORS HAND.

1 sleep as calm as that of a child. I returned to my place and my eyes turned by chance toward the corner where the hand reposed upon g. table.
 The chamber was lighted only by a hanging night lamp The hand seem led to me to move.
 | "Curious effect of the. desire to sleep I said to myself. and smiling | I went up to the table.
 "The hand still moved, or appeared to me to move, the fingers rose and fell, one by one or all together, in different and intelligent way, as though
 unbending themselves after their long lnumbness
 This time I was so surprised that I stood as if nailed to the floor The hand continued to move more and
 more. as though gathering its strength.
 No longer able to control myself,
 raised the crystal globe that covered this strange relic and thus exposed the hand to the air. Immediately it turned round upon it's stump, which Twas covered with lace wrist band and it's other fingers, except the in- dex, signified to me to return to my
 seat. The movement of the' hand was las imperious as that of a military lchief designating point to be cap tured without delay and without ex- lplanation-
 Without believing in it the least in the world. in spite of my eyes, I was Iastounded and, I may as we'll avow it, terrified so much so that I staggered back to my chair and sank down, my Ieyes, so to speak. riveted upon the frightful object which now moved Tits fingers as though in the act of lmagnetizing someone.
 Suddenly the hand rose upon it's middle finger and balanced backward land forward, as though gathering it. tself for a start: then it jumped down las noiselessly as a cat. Once upon 1.-the carpet it bounded lightly along luntil it reached the table beside the bed; with a spring it mounted on top land, seeking among the bottles. un- lcorked one. and poured from it a few ldrops into the cup of herb tea Then, Icreeping up to the sleeper, it pinched
 him in such a way that he woke up, land immediately 1t jumped down to lthe floor. where I no longer followed it
 with my eyes, my attention being
 centered upon the sick man. The ma
 jor said, I am thirsty and while
 was unable to rise from my chair
 where was retained by some diaboli-
 cal force, he seized the cup of herh tea and drank it.
 At this instant I felt released from my Imprisonment. so to speak, and
 rushed to the bedside. but it was toe l. late. The major was dead. I looked lat the bottle from which the hand had poured the liquid, and found that il
 contained a deadly poison. destined fol a preparation to be used externally and which had been left among the , tother bottles
 T was overwhelmed. as you may well suppose, and it was some minutes , before I recovered my senses. As soor
 as I could notified the majors friends ] but before leaving the room I instinc- ] lively threw a glance at the table
 where the hand usually lay. It wa. there under the glass, as it had beer for years and years.
 l Death was ascribed to norma Ieauses. The funeral took place, and few days passed by. I was obliged to go more than once to Muller's hous, } for various reasons. I never failed to observe the hand. which remained in the chamber. unoccupied since tn, majors death. and I noticed with as ; tonishment a remarkable deliquescenc, } in the tissues and muscles that haC for years resisted decay. The bone : alone remained sound and showed more and more. Then came the symp 7 toms of decomposition. 7
 Gentleman," Hans concluded, :. ? think my story supports my thesis l the affirmation of solidarity exist t ing, even after violent separation. be 3 tween the members of body and tn 5 body itself."-Argonaut.