Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1901 — THE STOLEN BODY. [ARTICLE]

THE STOLEN BODY.

By H. G. WELLS,

[Copyright, Ijjpg, by H.' G. Weils. 1 [CONTINUED.] So inhuman w-ere these faces,- so , malignant their staring eyes and shad- , owy, clawing gestures, that it did not i occur to Mr. Bessel to attempt inter- - course with these drifting creatures. | Idiot phantoms, they seemed, children of vain desire, beings unborn and for- ' bidden the boon of being, whose only expressions and gestures told of the envy and craving for life that was their one link with existence. It says much for his resolution that amid the swarming cloud of these noiseless spirits of evil he could still think of Mr. Vincent. He made a violent effort of will and found himself, he knew- not how-, stooping toward Staple inn, saw Vincent sitting attentive and alert in his armchair by the fire. And clustering also about him, as they cluster ever about all that lives and breathes, w-as another multitude of these vain, voiceless shadow-s, longing, desiring, seeking some loophole into life. For a space Mr. Bessel sought ineffectually to attract his friend’s attention. He tried to get in front of his eyes, to move the objects in his room, to touch him, but Mr. Vincent remained unmoved, ignorant of the being that was so close to his own. The strange something that Mr. Bessel has 4 compared to a sheet of glass separated them impermeably. And at last Mr. Bessel did a desperate thing. I have told how’ that in some strange w-ay he could see not only the outside of a man. as w-e see him, but w-ithin. He extended his shadowy hand and thrust his vague black fingers, as it seemed, through the heedless brain. Then suddenly Mr. Vincent started like a man w-ho recalls his attention from wandering thoughts, and it seemed to. Mr. Bessel that a little, dark red body situated in the middle of Mr. Vincent’s brain swelled and glowed as he did so. Since that experience he has been shown anatomical figures of the brain, and, he knows now- that this is that useless structure, as doctors call it, the pineal, eye, for, strange a.-, it may seem to many, we have deep in our brains, where it cannot possibly see any earthly light, an eye. At the time this, with the rest of the internal anatomy of the brain, was quite new to him. At the sight of its changed appearance, however, he thrust forth his and. rather fearful still of the consequences, touched this little spot. And instantly Mr. Vincent started, and Mr. Bessel knew- that he was seen. And at that instant it came to Mr. Beisel that evil had happened to his body, and, behold, a great wind blew through all that world of shadows and tore him away! So strong was this persuasion that he thought uo more of Mr. Vincent, but turned about fortn-w-ith, and all the countless faces drove back with him like leaves before a gale. But he returned too late. In an instant he saw- tire body that he had left inert and collapsed, lying indeed like the body of a man just dead, had arisen—had artsen by virtue of some strength and will beyond bis own. It stood, with staring eyes, stretching its limbs in dubious fashion. For a moment he w atched it in w-ild dismay, and then he stooped toward it, but the plane of glass had closed against him again, and he was foiled. He beat himself passionately against this, an,d all about him, the spirits of evil grinned and pointed and mocked. He gave way to furious anger. He compares himself to a bird that has fluttered into a room and is beating at the window pane that holds it back from freedom.

And, behold, the little body that had once been his was dancing with delight! He saw it shouting, though he could not hear its shouts. He saw the violence of its movements grow. He watched it fling his cherished furniture about in the mad delight of existence, rend his books apart, smash bottles, drink heedlessly from the jagged fragments, leap and smite in a passionate acceptance of living. He watched these actions in paralyzed astonishment. Then once more he hurled himself against the impassable.barrier and then, with all that crew of mocking ghosts about him, hurried back in dire confusion to Vincent to tell him of the outrage that had come upon him. But the brain of Vincent was now closed against apparitions, and the disembodied Mr. Bessel pursued him in vain as he hurried out into Holborn to call a cab. Foiled and terror strick-

efl, Air. Bessel swept back agala to find his desecrated body whooping in a glorious frenzy down the Burlington arcade. And now the attentive reader begins to understand Mr. Bessel’s interpretation of the first part of this strange story. The being whose frantic rush through London had inflicted so much injury and disaster had indeed Mr. Bessel’s body, but it was not Mr. Bessel. It was an evil spirit out of that strange world beyond existence into which Mr. Bessel had so rashly ventured. For 20 hours it held possession of him, and for all tho’se 20 hours the dispossessed spirit body of Mr. Bessel was going to and fro in that unheard of middle world of shadows, seeking help in vain. He spent many hours beating at the minds of Mr. Vincent and of his friend, Mr. Hart. Each, as w-e kuow, he roused by his efforts. But the language that might convey his situation to these helpers across the gulf he did not know.. His feeble fingers groped vainly and pow-erlessly in their brains. Once indeed, as we have already told, he was able to turn Mr. Vincent aside from his path, so that he encountered the stolen body in its career, but he could not make him understand the thing that had happened. He was unable to draw any help from that encounter. All through these hours the persuasion w-as oVerw-helmlng in Mr. Bessel’s mind that presently the body would be killed by its furious tenant and he w-ould have to remain in this shadow- land forever more, so that those long hours were a growing agony of fear. And ever as he hurried to and fro in his ineffectual excitement innumerable spirits of that w-orld about him mobbed him and confused his mind, and ever an envious applauding multitude poured after their successful fellow as he w-ent upon his glorious career. , [TO BE CONTINUED.] j