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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..dcbc454 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69307 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69307) diff --git a/old/69307-0.txt b/old/69307-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index aa15698..0000000 --- a/old/69307-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,10161 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of Tibby, by Rosetta Luce Gilchrist - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: Tibby - A novel dealing with psychic forces and telepathy - -Author: Rosetta Luce Gilchrist - -Release Date: November 6, 2022 [eBook #69307] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading - Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from - images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TIBBY *** - - - - - - TIBBY - - -[Illustration] - - - - - TIBBY - _A Novel Dealing with Psychic Forces and Telepathy_ - - - BY - ROSETTA LUCE GILCHRIST - - Author of “_Apples of Sodom_,” etc. - -“The practical effect of a belief is the best test of its -soundness.”—_Froude._ - - NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON - THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY - 1904 - - - - - Copyright, 1904 - By - ROSETTA LUCE GILCHRIST - - - - - To my daughter - Jessamine, who - discovered and - introduced Tibby to the - Author - - - - - CONTENTS - - - Chapter. Page. - - I. The Fair Unknown, 9 - - II. Tibby’s Eyes, 18 - - III. The New Acquaintance, 27 - - IV. Through Clairvoyant Vision, 33 - - V. The Letter, 44 - - VI. An Old-Fashioned Journey, 48 - - VII. In the New Home, 64 - - VIII. Mother and Child, 74 - - IX. A New Development, 81 - - X. The Ghosts of the Cabinet, 86 - - XI. The Fire, 96 - - XII. A New Medium, 104 - - XIII. A Domestic Jar, 114 - - XIV. Before the Public, 122 - - XV. Welcome Guests, 126 - - XVI. An Old Acquaintance, 136 - - XVII. An Old-Time Seance Amidst Old-Time Scenes and Old-Time - Folks, 151 - - XVIII. Major Walden, 172 - - XIX. Led into Error, 180 - - XX. Spirits of the Air, 193 - - XXI. The Reaper, 202 - - XXII. New Arrivals, 209 - - XXIII. The Counterplot, 223 - - XXIV. The Trail of the Serpent, 232 - - XXV. Tibby Conquers, 241 - - XXVI. Esther’s Disappearance, 255 - - XXVII. A Legal Document is Received, 260 - - XXVIII. Horace Wylie’s Philosophy, 271 - - XXIX. Drifting, 277 - - XXX. The Coming of the Storm, 287 - - XXXI. Caught in a Blizzard, 301 - - XXXII. A Surprise, 314 - - XXXIII. Conclusion, 327 - - - - - TIBBY - - - - - CHAPTER I - THE FAIR UNKNOWN - - -The great bell of the cathedral chimed musically the hour of six, its -vibrant tones mingling with the muffled din and clangor of smaller -bells, steam whistles, town clocks and street-car jingle, making itself -heard above the roar and rattle of travel over the stone-paved streets -of the Forest City. - -Away at the north the blue lake rolled, its waters dotted by the many -white-clothed vessels and smoke-trailing steamships. The whole was made -bright by a lowering, unveiled sun, which ere long must sink to rest in -its waves. At the south a heavy cloud of smoke and vapor rested above -the river flats, hiding the blackened roofs of the shops and -manufactories, only broken by the scarlet tongues of fire that -occasionally shot upward from seething furnaces and tall chimneys. - -The rattle upon the pavement grew louder, and the confusion of sounds -greater, as the crowds of workmen thronged the streets, homeward-bound, -after the hard day of labor. - -At an upper window of La Grande Hotel a lady, screened by the hanging -folds of the curtain drapery, looked out upon the multitude of -pedestrians hurrying along the sidewalk below. The close-fitting gown of -soft, light material revealed a plump, stylish little figure, most -attractive in its fashionable perfection. Against the dark wood of the -window-casing rested a white, rounded wrist, and delicate, dimpled hand, -upon the fingers of which glittering stones caught the rich sunlight and -showered it in rainbow splendor upon the opposite wall. - -The fluffy rings of fair hair that rested above her forehead seemed -appropriate adornment to the bright, girlish face and careless, smiling -eyes, that showed so certainly her exemption from sorrow and care. - -The perfection and harmony of her costume showed also that she belonged -to that class that “Toil not, neither do they spin,” but are the -beautiful exponents of the art of modiste and hairdresser. - -Across the room, resting indolently in an easy chair, a gentleman -studied the third edition of the _Daily Leader_, apparently oblivious of -the presence of the fair lady at the window. He, too, had the well-fed, -well-groomed look of the man with full purse and few anxieties, together -with an air of unmistakable elegance and worldly wisdom. - -In age he appeared five and thirty. His face was smooth shaven, except -for the long, drooping mustache which shaded the corners of his -firm-lipped mouth. His dark hair, inclined to curl, was closely cropped. -His brown eyes were marvelously clear and penetrating, his forehead -broad and particularly full above the temples. His heavy, massive build, -with the squarely cut and rather prominent chin gave him an awesome -individuality, which was counteracted by the exceeding graciousness, -gentleness, and courtesy of his manner. - -He was well known in business circles, a man keen, shrewd, and full of -worldly cunning, but as honest and upright as the majority of his -compeers who make or lose fortunes in a day at the mart of speculation. - -At present he was connected with a steel industry, and greatly -interested in the fluctuations of the ore and coal market, the strikes -at the mines, and the attitude of the United States Congress with -reference to tariff rates. He was yet studying the columns before him, -and balancing in his mind the advisability of recalling salesmen from -certain localities, when the lady interrupted his thought. - -“Horace, have you ever noticed that pretty, sad-looking woman, dressed -in black, who goes by here so frequently, leading a little child?” - -“Pretty, sad woman, dressed in black—small child. A definite -description, truly. How many in this delightful city will answer to the -same, think you? Pretty—in a city noted for handsome women; sad—few are -happy; dressed in black—the fashionable street dress at present; and -small child—not a scarce article, I believe. Really, Nellie, you must be -more specific.” And Mr. Wylie laid his paper carefully over the arm of -his chair and smiled provokingly at his wife. - -“Oh, you are too bad! This lady has such a sweet face, she is really -conspicuous, and she always comes down Leader Avenue at about this hour -and turns down Herald Street, going into one of those blocks across the -way. I feel quite sure she gets sewing to do, for she usually carries a -good-sized parcel with her. She is very interesting.” - -“Why, my dear, I am surprised at your enthusiasm. You really seem to -have been cultivating a habit of observation.” Mr. Wylie leaned his head -against the back of his chair and looked at his wife through half-closed -eyes, while with his large, shapely hand he softly stroked his smooth -chin. - -“A woman with a parcel and a mystery,” he continued. “I am not sure but -you would shine as a female detective, Nellie. Shall I send in your name -at the next meeting of the police board?” - -Mrs. Wylie looked at her husband with a petulant pout of her pretty -lips. “You are really unkind to ridicule me when I want to be very -serious. Truly, I believe this _is_ a woman with a mystery and history. -She has attracted me wonderfully, as she would you could you see her. I -wish I knew of some way to learn more about her.” - -“And so you have been sitting here watching for the unknown, when I -supposed you were studying costumes, or mentally rhapsodizing upon the -architectural beauties of the stone walls opposite. I am afraid, Nellie, -you are getting lonely. The Misses Eldridge have not called lately, or -that dear, delightful Mrs. Lee, about whom you were raving a month ago, -has gone away. I must look into this. When my wife is forced to seek -amusement and objects of interest in the faces of the passers-by upon -the streets—” - -“Oh, how fortunate! There she comes now! You shall see for yourself,” -interrupted Mrs. Wylie, eagerly leaning forward and scanning the street -before her. “She will be opposite here before long.” - -Mr. Wylie arose languidly, and slightly shaking his body to adjust his -clothing, moved gracefully across the room to his wife’s side, where, -glancing over her shoulder, he sought the described woman. Among the -throng of hurrying pedestrians crossing the street a few rods away they -saw a lady, dressed in plain and unassuming black, slowly accommodating -her footsteps to the pace of the little toddler at her side, who trudged -along with the half-tottering, uncertain gait of infants of her age. So -slowly was she obliged to walk that the spectators at the window had -ample opportunity for close inspection. - -The woman was of medium height, slender and pliant, with a fine poise of -the head and grace of sloping shoulders. Her face was pale, too pale for -perfect health, Elinor Wylie thought, and her features were clear-cut -and expressive. But the beauty of her face was in her eyes. As she came -opposite the hotel she seemed accidentally to glance upward. -Involuntarily Mr. and Mrs. Wylie drew back from the window, then looked -at each other and laughed. - -“Is she not lovely?” questioned Mrs. Wylie triumphantly. - -“She has rather fine features,” returned the gentleman, absently -twirling the curtain about his fingers. “I fancy I have seen her before -somewhere, but I cannot now remember where.” He wrinkled his brow -thoughtfully. “I do not associate that face in my memory, however, with -black robes or the character of sewing woman in Forest City.” - -“I knew you would be interested if you could but see her; and now how -can I learn more of her? I might seek her in a business way to get her -to sew for me or something of that kind,” said the little woman, looking -inquiringly at her husband. - -He laughed, a soft-modulated laugh, that well harmonized with his -languid movements and studied grace. - -“I am afraid you are premature in arriving at conclusions. You are not -yet sure that she is a sewing woman. I think I begin to understand your -mission on earth. You should be at the head of an organized benevolent -society. You are such an adept at fishing out cases upon which to waste -your sympathy.” - -“Please do not laugh, Horace. It is very seldom I become interested in -anything of the kind and you should encourage me,” she said. - -And truly it was a rare thing for careless, thoughtless Elinor Wylie to -take interest in anything outside the fashionable circle which she -denominated “our set.” Her life had been too carefully ordered for her -to have much appreciation of the wretchedness beyond her gates. - -“And so you think I should allow you the luxury of an entirely new -sensation,” said Mr. Wylie, with his habitual drawl. “All right. Be as -benevolent as you choose, only be careful,” he continued, rising and -beginning to draw on his gloves. - -Mrs. Wylie looked at him inquiringly. - -“I am going to keep an appointment with Colonel Fenton. By the way, -Nellie, did I tell you, Doctor Lyman, the noted seer and spiritist, is -coming next week to give a series of lectures in Garrett’s Hall? I think -we’ll have to attend, will we not?” - -“Dr. Lyman? Oh, yes; Mrs. Wallace was telling me about him. Do you care -to hear _him_?” asked Mrs. Wylie doubtfully. - -“Most assuredly, and so must you. People say he is remarkably -interesting; and besides, it will never do to lose so good an -opportunity to learn of the invisible world toward which we are fast -hastening; eh, Nelly?” - -“But, Horace—” Little Mrs. Wylie hesitated and raised her blue eyes to -his questioningly. - -“Well, my dear, I am the personification of devout attention; what will -you have?” - -“I wonder—do you really believe he knows any more about the other world -than any one else?” - -“Undoubtedly; a great deal more.” Mr. Wylie assumed a serio-comic air. - -“I don’t see why; but I mean, do you really believe he is right? Do you -believe _they_ are right who believe in spirit manifestation and all -that sort of thing?” - -“Do I believe in them who do believe? My dear girl, you are asking -unanswerable questions. I believe in an infinite number of things or I -believe in nothing. It is to find out just what I believe that I propose -to attend Dr. Lyman’s lectures. I have listened to the preaching of -orthodoxy from childhood; now, I will absorb a little heterodoxy and see -if it is any more clear to the human comprehension. But I must be going. -Is not that the fair lady again?” - -“Yes, and see, she has another and different-sized parcel. Poor thing, I -wonder if it is hard work?” - -“I think I’ll go down on the street and get a nearer view of the fair -unknown. It seems to me I have seen that face some time before this. It -is probably a chance resemblance to some one I have known, that haunts -me. Good-by.” And kissing his hand to his wife, Mr. Wylie left the room. - -“Talk of woman’s curiosity,” laughed Elinor to herself. “It does not -compare with that of the sterner sex.” And she watched her husband cross -Herald Street and walk down the avenue with more than his usual -celerity. Then she touched a tiny bell, which was answered by a young -girl from the adjoining room. - -“You may bring Robbie to me, Tibby. Mr. Wylie has gone away and I am at -leisure to amuse him.” - -The young nurse departed, to return with a mischievous little lad of -four years, beautiful in his night robes of linen and lace, and the -mother-love, which even the society life could not destroy, shone in -Mrs. Wylie’s eyes as she clasped him in her arms. - -“You may leave us now, Tibby. I will call you when Robbie has done with -his play.” - -The smiling, dimple-cheeked maid withdrew, and the mother gave herself -up to the enjoyment of a frolic with the wide-awake child. When, an hour -later, she summoned the maid to put the cherub in his bed, she met with -opposition. Robbie had not wearied of his mother, and refused to go. - -“But it is bed-time, Robbie, and the sand-man will come to put sand in -your eyes,” remonstrated Mrs. Wylie. - -“Don’t tare, ain’t doin’ to bed,” asserted the wilful child. - -“But you must go, dear; mother desires it.” - -“Ain’t doin’ to,” persisted Robbie, with the perversity of a spoiled -child. - -The mother looked helplessly at Tibby, who came forward smiling, while -her eyes sought those of the little rebel. - -“Come,” she said sweetly, and to Mrs. Wylie’s surprise the boy put his -hand into the inviting one of the nurse and suffered himself to be led -from the room. - -“What remarkable eyes that girl has,” soliloquized Mrs. Wylie as the -door closed behind them. “I have been more fortunate than I dared hope -in securing her services.” - - - - - CHAPTER II - TIBBY’S EYES - - -As for Tibby’s eyes, no one had been able to decide upon the exact color -of them. On warm, sunshiny afternoons, when Tibby yawned in a swinging -hammock on the back veranda and the pupils were small and contracted, -they appeared of a cerulean hue, warm and languorous. On cloudy days, -when the sky was dark and lowering, Tibby’s eyes were gray and -forbidding. But when a tempest of rage shook her pliant figure her eyes -sparkled black as coal from the mines. Her brothers called them cat’s -eyes, not only because the name Tibby was a contraction of the more -severe Tabitha of her christening, but from the ever-varying, changing -light which shone in their restless depths, which now dilated until the -least rim of color was visible, now contracted like those of a purring -kitten. - -Tibby had not to depend upon the beauty of her opalescent eyes for -recognition, for nature had dealt most generously with her, giving her -regular features, and so mixing and intermingling the types of brunette -and blonde in her physique that no one could determine in which class to -catalogue her. The delicious glint of the sun in her brown hair, the -rich waves of carmine that tinged and receded from her cheeks, the -arched black brows which defined themselves so conspicuously against the -shining whiteness of her forehead were contradictions when compared, but -formed a _tout ensemble_ most charming. - -It appeared, too, that Tibby’s nature was as contradictory. Wayward and -wilful as she was at times, at others she appeared of angelic sweetness, -and the soft, innocent depths of those slumberous blue eyes captivated -the hearts of all who met her, and made them swear no evil could exist -in her. - -And now while Tibby, like her feline namesake, purrs most delusively in -the midst of her aesthetic surroundings, and her pink-tinted fingers -effectually conceal any hidden claws, her mind reviews a scene but three -weeks behind the present. - -She sees an old-fashioned, wood-colored farm-house with broad lawn, in -which are bright beds of dear old-fashioned flowers, marigolds and -petunias, bachelor buttons and scarlet poppies; and she sees herself in -calico gown and big sunbonnet standing under the old elm, in listening -attitude, while a shrill, chirruping note sounds in her ear. - -“Hello, Tib, what’s up?” shouts a boyish voice, and a stout-limbed, -bare-footed lad bounds down the path toward her. - -“Hush!” she says. “Ah, you have frightened it away! It was singing in -the old elm and I hoped to find it. It’s a tree-toad, isn’t it? Did you -ever see one, Tom?” - -“Hundreds of ’em,” replies the boy contemptuously. - -“What do they look like, Tom? Are they green?” - -“They’re mostly the color of the thing they’re on, I reckon,” says the -oracle. “Sometimes they’re like the bark of the trees or fence, and then -again they’re sort of green if they’re on the grass.” - -“Humph! You don’t expect me to believe such a fish story as that, do -you?” replies Tibby scornfully, drawing up her straight, slim figure -with dignity. “As if any mortal thing could change its color! As well -might the leopard change his spots,” she continues as her mind reverts -to the Scripture lesson of the preceding Sabbath. - -“That’s all you know about it! They’re thicker ’n spatter down in the -lane, an’ I guess I know what I’m telling you! Why, Tibby, they’re like -your eyes. A minute ago they were blue, now they’re yeller. Mother says -your eyes make her fidgety, they’re so changeable.” And Tom laughed -gleefully. - -“Did she, Tom; when?” - -“Yisterday. I heard her tell pop. And say, Tibby, if you don’t go down -cellar and do that churnin’, she’ll make it hot for you. She says you -allus slip off on churnin’ days.” - -“It’s already done, Mr. Tom. I did it before I came out here. But -mother’ll think I haven’t, and won’t she have a conniption fit?” - -Again the twain laugh. - -“Say, Tom, wouldn’t you like to go away somewheres, where folks are -different—into the city, or somewhere? It’s deadly dull here, an’ then -mother’s so cross—” - -“I dunno, pop’s all right if _she_ didn’t put him up to pitch into us.” -Tom gives his trousers a jerk, and digs his bare toes into the grass. -“An’ she tells him you’re wilful and headstrong as fury.” - -Tibby tosses her red-brown curls and purses up her small mouth -expressively, then she remembers her quest. - -“Just find this toad for me, Tom, and I’ll thank you ever so much, -that’s a good boy,” she purrs as she approaches the tree more closely. -“I want to see one for myself. Here, I’ll boost you up into the tree. I -think it’s out on that limb.” - -And the good-natured Tom, declining her proffered aid, climbs the tree -with an agility born of long practice, while the girl feels her eyes -dilate with expectancy, and then he captures the singer and brings it to -her for inspection. Good Tom! Tibby feels these same eyes filling as she -looks upon this picture. The toad is a dull gray, and looks incapable of -producing these strident sounds. What a queer, homely thing it is. Ugh! - -“Put it back upon the limb, Tom. I’m afraid to touch it,” she says with -a shiver, and Tom laughs contemptuously. - -“You know about as much about toads as Bess does,” he says; “we saw some -toad-stools, last night, growing in the moss down on the bank and she -said, ‘O, ain’t they pretty, Tom? And to think the _toads made_ ’em, -too.’ Ha, ha, ha! she thought the toads made ’em.” - -Tibby feels a little lump rise in her throat as she remembers this, and -as she turns away her head she sees, as she saw then, a glittering -carriage, drawn by a handsome span of bays, come swiftly down the big -hill on the east, and watches it with fascinated glance as it spins -across the level of the flats and up into the covered, wooden bridge. It -comes forth from the nearer end of the structure, and then something -happens, for almost before the house the horses come to a halt and the -driver springs out. Something has broken. Tibby knows that it must have -been caused by that steep pitch off the end of the bridge, which should -have been repaired, or filled in, long ago. - -“There,” she says to Tom, “if Path-master Morton had attended to that -place, this wouldn’t have happened.” - -“That comes from putting in politicians that don’t know beans from -broomsticks,” says Tom oracularly. “A man that don’t keep his own place -in repair can’t be expected to look after the public ones.” - -The driver examines the carriage closely, and then comes into the yard -and asks for hammer, nails, and other repairing material. Tom runs for -the supplies, while Tibby watches a small lady, accompanied by a -yellow-haired boy with long curls and kilts, step daintily from the -broken carriage and enter the yard. The lady smiles upon Tibby and asks -if she may sit down to wait under the shade of the patriarchal old tree; -and Tibby replies to her questioning, while she sits before her and -tells her of her brothers and sisters, and her heart swells with pride -at the lady’s praise of her home and surroundings. Her eyes follow those -of the lady to the old-fashioned, weather-brown farm-house, with its -low-browed gables and spreading lean-tos, built apparently without -regard to economy of ground space; then to the left, where upon a little -lower ground the great red-roofed barns and spacious corn-cribs stand, -and again to the nodding, smiling flowers dotting the lawn. - -Yes, it was beautiful, the old home, with all its homely comforts, but -Tibby had longed to try her wings in flight to seek other fields of -enchantment. - -By and by the little boy becomes restless and begs his mother to go and -ride, fidgets and whimpers. Tibby wishes to amuse him, and looks at him -longingly, until he comes and puts his small hands in her brown ones, -and she tells him of the little singing toad in the tree-top, and of the -twittering squirrels who make the elm their home, until his brown eyes -grow heavy and he falls asleep in her arms. Then Tibby sits and feasts -her eyes on the strange lady’s costume, a poem of harmony in color and -fit,—though Tibby does not name it thus,—and feels the contrast between -this lady’s attire and her own, marvels at the glittering jewels on her -white fingers, and alas, in the girl’s heart, a dormant wild desire -springs into active growth. She longs to go with this city-bred woman -and have dainty boots and beautiful gowns. - -Does the cry which she feels within herself reach the heart of the lady? -Surely, surely her lips have not spoken, but the stranger lady, as if -understanding her thought, says: - -“What a nice way you have with children, my dear. I should like to have -a girl like you to live with me and help me to look after Robert. You -have done wonders with him. He is usually averse to strangers. How would -you like to go home with me?” - -“I should like it very much indeed,” she replies, with conviction. - -“You have no mother, I believe you said,” the lady continues. - -“Yes, a stepmother. The children are my half-brothers, except Tom and -Bess. Our mother died when I was a little girl.” - -“And what are you now?” asks the lady, smiling. - -“Quite as large as you, I think,” Tibby says, with no intentional -disrespect. - -“That is true, but I suspect you are not quite so old.” And then the -child tells her she is fourteen and does not have to go to school any -more; and then—ah, Tibby heaves a sigh as she remembers the fluttering -of her heart while Mrs. Wylie was talking with her husband, standing by -the broken vehicle, and how she kept saying to herself, “I want to go! -Take me! Take me!” - -She smiles as she remembers Mr. Wylie’s good-natured banter and his -questions as to her trustworthiness and honesty. - -“As if my word would be of any worth if I were not honest,” she thinks. -And then Mr. Wylie talks to her father, and—here she is, surrounded by -all the luxury she coveted, with the tumult and noise of the great city -beneath her window. - -Tibby rises from her chair and stretches her arms high above her head -with a cat-like yawn, then walks with padding footsteps up and down the -thick-carpeted room, and back and forth before the long mirror, smiling -at the trim, well-dressed figure reflected therein. And the face in the -mirror smiles back at her, till the dimples deepen in the blooming -cheeks and the red-curved lips open to reveal the gleaming rows of teeth -behind them. - -“Tibby, Tibby,” the girl whispers to the reflection, “your feet have -been shod in French slippers and set in pleasant places. You have pretty -gowns and dainty ribbons. If you are only a nurse-girl, you have much to -be thankful for. You can learn to be a lady, and you must be very, very -good, so these advantages shall not be taken away from you. It will be -your own fault, your own fault, Tibby Waring, if you ever go back -to—to—” She hesitates, and stopping before the mirror she looks long and -searchingly into its crystal depths. - -The little Swiss clock on the mantel chimes musically. It is nine -o’clock. But Tibby’s eyes are half-closed, and she sees beyond her own -reflection the plain family room at the farm-house, with its bright -rag-carpet on the floor and its chintz-covered chairs. She sees her -gray-haired father dozing in his chair tilted back against the wall, -with his hands clasped before him. She sees Tom sleeping, stretched out -upon the old, green-covered lounge. She sees little Bess and Ted in -their night-gowns scampering up the closed-in stairway to their beds. -Ah, she is not there to give them their good-night kiss when they have -repeated their “Now I lay me down to sleep.” She sees her father rise, -yawning, and step heavily across the room to the old wooden clock in its -niche in the wall, and she can even hear the creaking of the iron -weights as he winds the clock for the night. She sees her own little bed -with its high posts and white valances. She closes her eyes tightly to -shut out the vision and the tears that stand ready to fall. Then she -hears her father call, “Come, Tom, you sleepy lubber! Get you up and off -to bed!” She knows how Tom will stagger to his feet and rub his leaden -eyelids, and start in the wrong direction. Dear lad! It is harder to -think of him than all the rest. But she has had her wish. She is in the -great city, and they—Tom, Bess, father—are there at home where the old -life will go on day by day, and she in this new life must be brave -and—grateful. - - - - - CHAPTER III - THE NEW ACQUAINTANCE - - -“I have succeeded in becoming acquainted with the lady in black,” -remarked Elinor Wylie, a few days subsequent to the date of the -beginning of this story, as, with her husband, she came slowly up from -the dining-room and entered their private apartment. “Did I tell you?” - -“No, I think not. Do you find her as interesting as fancy painted her?” -drawled Mr. Wylie languidly. - -“Yes, more so. At least, I find her very refined and cultured. She has -surely been in better circumstances.” - -“Ah, the pity of it, in this world of ours!” replied Mr. Wylie, throwing -himself into a luxurious armchair and shaking his head expressively. “It -is the story common to the lives of too many Americans. One day we’re -dining at Delmonico’s, the next, starving in a hovel. Ah, seductive, -evanescent, elusive Fortune, why do we trifle with you? To me the pathos -of life is epitomized in the words, ‘She has seen better days.’” - -“I have engaged her to sew for me.” - -“Indeed!” Mr. Wylie’s eyebrows were elevated quizzingly. “What has -become of Madame Somers?” - -“I found out by asking Mrs. Wallace,” continued Mrs. Wylie, following -her own train of thought, and ignoring his question, “that the block on -Herald Street had an establishment for making and selling ready-made -clothing, so that I felt sure she did sewing, and I followed her home -one day and saw her enter a stairway leading up over Mrs. Dray’s -hairdressing rooms. I accordingly asked Mrs. Dray if she could tell me -where I might find a woman to do plain sewing or embroidery, and she -spoke at once of a worthy woman in the block who wanted to get work, and -directed me to her rooms. She is on the third floor, in wretched little -quarters, but she has pretty things about her. She met me kindly, and -when I made known my business, seemed glad to get work. I’m thankful -that I went, for, if you will believe me, Horace, she had been making -buttonholes for Darkson at a quarter of a cent apiece, supporting -herself and child upon that.” - -“Such things are painful to hear of,” said Mr. Wylie, shaking his head -again. “I trust you will pay her better.” - -“Of course. And, Horace, she has been making cotton blouses and overalls -for workmen for eighty-five cents a dozen. Think of it.” - -“I suppose you learned her name and history?” he interrogated. - -“Yes—no—” hesitated Mrs. Wylie. “I learned her name was, or at least she -told me to call her Mrs. Lucien, and the child’s name is Dolores. Odd, -isn’t it? She nicknames her Dolly. Such a sweet little creature, too. I -wonder if that is Mrs. Lucien’s real name?” she continued musingly as -she toyed with a tassel of the upholstering. - -Mr. Wylie sank into the depths of his chair and studied the opposite -wall intently for several moments. - -“I wish,” he said, “I could think of whom it is she reminds me. I -believe if I could see her gowned in white silk and diamonds I should -remember.” - -“What an idea,” laughed his wife. “I should like to see her so dressed, -I confess. She should have more color in that pale face and less sadness -in those dark eyes, then she would shine in such a brilliant setting. -Yes, I am sure she has a history.” - -“Which you did not learn?” - -“Which I did not learn.” - -Again Mr. Wylie sat wrapped in thought, stroking his massive chin -softly. - -“Do you remember, Nell, all who composed our party two years ago in the -Adirondacks? Or was it _three_ years?” - -“More nearly four, I think. Why, there was Judge Matthews and wife; the -Misses Eldridge—just think, Fannie is married; Mrs. Harmon and her -brother; Tiny Lewis, Dr. Bessemer, and Cousin Harry and -Lottie,—and—no—let me see! That was all that there were at Paul Smith’s, -I believe, except the time that we went to Au Sable Chasm we met -Major—oh—what was his name, that Major Somebody and his wife, that -Cousin Harry was so taken with at the fancy ball? Don’t you remember -her, Horace? They went to Childwold with us, too.” - -Mr. Wylie started. - -“Ah, I remember! He went West. He did have a lovely wife. I wonder if -she is the one I am reminded of.” - -“And then there were the Pemberton girls who went to Saranac with us, -and old Professor Sawyer with his bugs and beetles, hunting specimens. -What a perfectly lovely time we had that summer.” - -“Yes,” dreamily. “We’d better be planning a trip for next season. This -fad of staying in the city because it’s cooler won’t last, I fancy. I’ve -been thinking of Ocean Beach,” tentatively. - -“And I of Bar Harbor; but it doesn’t matter. We’ve been most -everywhere,” Mrs. Wylie said with a little sigh. “I don’t know but what -I have enjoyed Forest City as much as I should any other place. It has -been delightfully cool here on the lake.” - -“Yes, but I suspect that my little Nell has a hankering for the moon, -just the same. I reckon we’d better go to the seashore for a little -while next month, just to break the monotony of life. And if you go, -you’ll want to take Tibby with you, I suppose.” - -“Most assuredly. She’s a perfect treasure. I couldn’t get along without -her.” - -“I see you are becoming much attached to her.” - -“Indeed I am. I never had a maid before so deft and pleasing.” - -“I’m afraid she’s too pretty for her position.” - -“O, no; not _too_ pretty. Children like a pretty companion. Robbie never -obeyed Mrs. Harbeck as he does Tibby. But she has remarkable eyes. For -some reason she has taken a great dislike to that young man with the -eye-glasses, on the third floor. It’s amusing to see the look with which -she regards him. Yesterday Tibby was waiting at the head of the stairs -for Robbie and that man came along and stared at her rather insolently -through his glasses. You should have seen Tibby. Her eyes began to -dilate like those of a tigress at bay, and she returned his stare. The -fellow started down, but for some reason stumbled and made a very -ungraceful descent to the bottom of the staircase. It really seemed as -if Tibby made him fall. You can imagine her delight at his mishap.” - -“That is the way of womankind,” said Mr. Wylie, smiling. “They laugh at -our downfalls, unless we drag them down with us, which we’re apt to do. -Tibby is no exception; but seriously, do not pet her too much, or she -may forget what is due to her position in life. She must not appear -impertinent.” - -“I’m sure she behaves well. Tibby is not ill-bred. Her parents were -quite superior people, if they did live on a farm. Tibby boasts that her -mother was a Devereaux, grand-niece to an earl,” said Mrs. Wylie, -laughing. - -“The little minx! She has pride enough, no doubt, and who cannot boast -of ancestors in America! She certainly is a bright girl, and has a -remarkably pretty face. She cannot fail to attract attention, especially -as you treat her like a younger sister, rather than like a servant. It -is really unfortunate for her that she is so unlike the ordinary maid.” - -“I have thought of all this, Horace, and I mean to make more of her than -simply a servant. In time she will grow to be my trusted friend and -companion, I am sure. Why may she not? She is well-born; better than -many in our best society.” - -“You dear little philanthropic soul, you’d better adopt her at once. But -don’t pick up too many pretty girls to waste sympathy upon or _I_ shall -be neglected, I fear. Besides, I have often noticed how illy such -kindness is repaid. You might have cause to regret it.” Mr. Wylie picked -up the evening paper and was soon absorbed in its columns. - - - - - CHAPTER IV - THROUGH CLAIRVOYANT VISION - - -And now, as the exhibitor of a panorama might say, it becomes necessary -to introduce our readers or audience to new scenes and stranger people. -But these strangers being near and dear to the heart of the writer, if -not yet to the reader, become in their lives so intermingled and -interwoven in the lives and histories of the persons first introduced -that we can no longer allow them to remain behind the scenes. - -We must also go back in time several years to a period when the prairies -of the West were in some portions less thickly populated than at -present, and the mushroom growth of the towns was still a marvel to the -slower growing East. To a time, also, when the so-called modern -spiritualism was of a newer growth and when esoteric philosophy, -occultism, and the many other _isms_ dealing with the life beyond the -grave were less talked of. - -The place, a small town in western Iowa, and a country farm-house, -nestles down in one of the horse-shoe coves formed by the bluffs above -the eastern border of the Missouri River. - -There are no neighboring dwellings in sight, though but a few rods away -are other houses situated also in coves in the bluffs, forming quite a -large community, living near but out of sight of each other. - -Large herds of horses and cattle are seen grazing upon the unfenced -pasture land, and a small schoolhouse standing out like a beacon from a -ridge of highland is the only building visible, except the barns and -corn-cribs belonging to the farms. - -The house itself is low and long, with several additions or lean-tos, -but has an air of comfort and hospitality, looking out as it does upon -the many acres of rolling plateau, where far away is seen the dark line -of the country road winding about the base of the bluffs or climbing -steeply up the sides of them. A long lane branches from the main road -and leads up to the house, and affords a view of any coming visitor for -some distance away, and lines of cowpaths thread the steep hills at the -back of the dwelling. - -Thus sequestered and hill-environed lived Squire Bartram with his wife -and two sons, enjoying the peace and plenty of the average well-to-do -farmer, with none of the business care and excitements which a life in -town might bring. - -Squire Bartram was one of those who had the good fortune to have been -born in that most coveted birth-place, Massachusetts, and perhaps, -better than all, he first opened his eyes upon the renowned and -beautiful Berkshire Hills. In early childhood he had been taught the -religion and creed of those Puritan fathers who founded the first homes -there, and had been brought up to a most strict observance of all moral -and evangelical law. His life had been frugally and honestly spent upon -a farm up to the time when, listening to the preaching of the early -apostles of Mormonism, he felt himself called to a priesthood among the -Saints. - -Later, when he had endured martyrdom and privations for the sake of this -belief, he found himself face to face with the till-then concealed -doctrine of plural marriage. From this his Puritan instincts revolted -and he quitted the church with many others who located near Council -Bluffs. But, cast out from a church he had loved, his faith shattered, -his illusions destroyed, he was ready to turn to any creed or _ism_ -which came his way. - -As he learned more of the newly taught creed of modern spiritism, he -began to give it credence, the more so as he believed he could -understand, from such a standpoint, the life of the prophet Joseph -Smith. Was not Smith a spirit-medium and were not the trances and -visions which he claimed to have had similar or identical with those -mediumistic exhibitions which he now witnessed? Might not the prophet -himself have been deceived and the revelation which he supposed to have -come from God been but the communication of a false and dangerous -spirit? In this way, only, could he find an apology for the prophet, -whom he had loved and believed in as little less than a god. - -Squire Bartram’s sons had grown up stalwart, brainy lads, ambitious and -capable. Nathan, the elder, who had lately brought to his father’s home -a bright little sixteen-year-old wife, with black eyes, shining ringlets -and bird-like movements, had prepared a home on the Nebraskan prairies, -to which he was soon to take his bride. He had preempted a homestead, -bought another one hundred and sixty acres, and thus secured a nice farm -on the plain some distance north of the Platte River. He had, after the -manner of the pioneers of the country, built himself an adobe house, and -was now ready to begin life in earnest. - -His wife, Lissa, whose sister lived in that locality, was possessed of -the delighted eagerness of a child to see and occupy the new home and -was almost impatient of the delay which Nathan insisted upon, namely, -the visit of a few weeks at his father’s house. - - -The sun had already been hidden from view by the huge bluff behind the -house, though it was still broad daylight at the homestead, and good -Mrs. Bartram had dallied in her supper work to talk with Nathan’s wife, -when the Squire put his head in at the door to announce that Professor -Russell, the noted seer, medium, and clairvoyant, would honor them with -a visit and give them proof of his supernatural powers. - -“For the land’s sake,” exclaimed Mrs. Bartram, “why didn’t you tell us -before! Here I hain’t got my work done up yet. How long before he’ll be -here, I wonder?” - -“O, not for a half hour or so; he stopped down to Job Atkins to help -find them that colt that was lost,” replied the Squire. - -“And how can he help them, unless he’s the one that took it? Them that -hides can find, I take it,” continued the good lady, with a sniff. “I -haven’t much use for these folks that knows _too_ much and whose ways -are dark.” - -“Wait until after you see the Professor, before you judge,” said the -Squire. - -“And so we are to be entertained to-night by one who is in league with -the powers of darkness,” said Donald, a young man of eighteen years, as -he entered the family room and seated himself by the side of his new -sister-in-law. “Lissa, don’t you tremble at the thought of the evil -wraiths that are to fill this room?” - -“I fear more the evil spirit that shall animate your Professor, Donald,” -replied Melissa, who in her Eastern home had imbibed a deep prejudice -against the so-called spiritualists. - -“His spirit? Mne, let me see. I believe a big Injun, Stuck-in-the-mud, -or some such high-sounding name, is his especial _Control_; but he is -not confined to one familiar. His demons are many.” - -“How absurd,” laughed Lissa. - -“You won’t say so after to-night. I’ll wager the best pony on the ranch -you’ll be a firm convert before the evening is over. Maybe I’ll add a -side-saddle, too. Eh, Lissa?” - -“I’m afraid I can’t gratify you by accepting any such foolishness as -that, even for the sake of the saddle, or permit you to wager upon a -certainty of losing.” - -“Did I ever tell you how the Professor found his wife?” Donald asked. - -“No, but I suppose you’ll tell me through some celestial matrimonial -agency,” she replied. - -“Sure! His wife was a strongly developed medium living in London, -England. One day, while in a trance, the Professor, here in the United -States, was made cognizant of the existence of this lady by spirit -agency, and instructed to write to her, which he did. It seems she had -received a communication concerning him at about the same time and in -the same manner, with the same instructions, which she also followed. -The two letters reached their destinations simultaneously, and each -person, with the other’s letter in hand, could summon the writer’s -materialized spirit before him. In this way they communicated with each -other at will, and finally the lady embarked for this country at his -request. He was kept daily informed as to her whereabouts, and when she -arrived at New York he was there to meet her, and they were married -speedily, only one letter from each having passed between them, and yet -each was well acquainted with the past history of the other.” - -“Impossible! You must be very credulous, Donald, to believe such a story -as that.” - -“Quite convenient, wasn’t it? If the black powers would deal as kindly -with me I should not long remain a bachelor. This knowing to a certainty -all about the lady of one’s choice would remove the fear of flying into -the dangers we know not of. One could be certain then if she did up her -hair on curl-papers.” And Donald glanced significantly at Lissa’s -shining ringlets. - -“Surely, you don’t pretend to believe such a preposterous story, -Donald,” she said, laughing. - -“We have the Professor and his wife to testify to it, neither one ever -known to l—prevaricate; and in the mouths of two witnesses the truth -shall be affirmed,” misquoted Donald. “At any rate one story is good -until another is told.” - -“They must be a pair of charlatans, and I don’t think I care to make -their acquaintance.” - -“I suspect you begin to fear them. There is no telling what they may -discover,” Donald said with mock gravity. “But here comes the -redoubtable hero himself. All hail, ye Prince of Darkness, hail!” he -continued in a sepulchral voice, as a step was heard outside the door. - -A moment later the Professor entered the apartment. Melissa had time, -while he greeted the head of the family, to note that he was a -medium-sized, wiry-looking man, of about forty, with very long red hair -hanging to his shoulders, and bristling whiskers of the same color. His -lower jaw was prominent and his ears were flattened very close to his -head. But his most remarkable feature was a pair of keen gray eyes, -which gleamed restlessly from under rather overhanging brows. - -When presented to Lissa he fixed his eyes upon her in a way that caused -her to suppress a shudder, and regarded her steadily for a moment, then, -still holding her by the hand, which she would gladly have withdrawn, he -said: - -“You look like your mother, Mrs. Bartram, except that she has blue eyes. -She has a scar on her left wrist, made in a peculiar manner.” - -Lissa blushed painfully, and followed his eyes to her own wrist as she -drew away her hand. She knew the history of the scar alluded to, though -she believed it unknown to any one outside her own immediate family. She -felt the inquiring eyes of her husband’s relatives upon her, and sat -down ill at ease. - -Presently the company were seated about a table in the center of the -room, and the clairvoyant announced himself in readiness to afford proof -of his wonderful powers. - -Accordingly, two or three lines cut from a letter from a sister of the -bride were placed in his hand, so rolled that no words written there -could give any clue to the writer. - -Professor Russell gazed passively at the rolled scrap for a time, then -the muscles of his face began to twitch slightly, his eyes became vacant -and partly closed; there was a convulsive movement of his shoulders, a -long-drawn sigh, and he began to speak. - -“I can see a wilder scene than this, a country as far as the eye can -reach, a vast table-land, dotted here and there with adobe houses and -their contiguous cotton-wood groves of one or two years’ growth. One of -these houses stands facing south, and in the doorway I can see a woman. -She is looking anxiously westward, shading her face with her hand. She -has on a dress of some dark material, partly covered with a kitchen -apron. She has dark hair and—ah, now she has removed her hand; she looks -like a lady in this room, except that she is taller, and her hair, a -shade lighter, is worn in braids instead of curls. Her gray eyes have an -anxious look in them. A number of ponies are corralled near the house. -What is she looking at?” - -The Professor spoke slowly, as if studying the scene of his clairvoyant -vision. Nathan and Lissa exchanged glances, while Donald rolled up his -eyes with a concealed affectation of awe. Squire Bartram appeared -interested, and glanced toward Lissa inquiringly, while his wife, good -soul, gazed sternly and forbiddingly at the Professor as though she -believed him in league with his Satanic majesty, and the ghosts of her -Puritan forefathers were warning her against him. - -Meanwhile the face of the man was working strangely. - -“The house has disappeared from my vision,” he cried, “and I can see a -still wilder country, through which runs a placid, shining river. A -large party of Indians are cantering across the prairie, mounted on -round, sleek-looking mustangs. With them is a white man, young and -handsome, with light, flowing hair, and fearless blue eyes. He is -dressed in hunting costume, with wide-brimmed hat, and he rides a white -pony with an army saddle and large stirrups. There is a coil of rope at -his saddle bow and a couple of pistols and a hatchet in his belt. He -carries also a rifle. - -“The ground over which they are traveling is torn and trampled as if an -army had lately traversed it, and—ah, yes, I see, away in the west, a -herd of buffalo looking like a great black cloud against the sky, and -showing distinctly against the red of the setting sun behind it. But, -look, they have turned their course toward the south and are running -their horses at full speed! They turn in their saddles and look -northward. I see! There is another party coming from that direction.” - -The Professor looked fixedly a moment and continued: - -“They are Indians, also; a larger band, and hideously painted. The -others are spurring their horses toward the river to escape this hostile -band, who have seen them, and like the wind are rushing down upon them. -Their horses are more fleet, they are gaining upon them—they lift their -rifles and shoot! Good! Their shots do not reach them. The white man -rises in his stirrups and returns the fire. The Indians of his party -follow his example. Their rifles have longer range and their shots tell. -Several saddles of the pursuing party are empty.” - -The man spoke eagerly now. His restless gray eyes kindled, and his face -glowed with animation. His story had produced a like effect upon his -listeners, all of whom showed more or less excitement. - -Lissa was pale, her large, dark eyes fixed intently upon the speaker, -while her small hands gripped each other tightly in her lap. Squire -Bartram peered over his spectacles and rubbed one palm upon the other, a -habit he had when deeply moved. Donald looked from one to another -quizzingly, but said nothing. - -“The fleeing party have reached the river and taken refuge behind the -protecting bank—yes, their shots speak now. One, two, three of the -painted devils reel from their ponies. More fall! Half of them are down! -On come the rest, swinging their hatchets! They are at the bank! They -fight hand to hand with their tomahawks. Great Scott! There he is -struck, he is down!—the white man is hurt!—he topples over and falls -backward down the bank!—he sinks into the river and disappears!” - -A shriek from Lissa interrupted the further description of the scene. -Nathan sprang to her side, and in the confusion that followed the -Professor seemed to lose sight of his vision, nor could he be persuaded -to again enter the clairvoyant state. - -Poor Lissa was greatly excited. The man had so accurately described her -brother-in-law, then living in Nebraska, and knowing as she did that he -was in command of a party of Pawnee scouts she could not free herself -from the idea that the scene depicted was a true one, notwithstanding -her former scepticism. - - - - - CHAPTER V - THE LETTER - - -“What would you give me for a letter from Nebraska,” said Donald a few -days after the Professor’s visit, as he flung himself from his horse and -sat down on the steps of the veranda where Lissa sat, with her lap full -of flowers which she had been gathering. - -“O Donald, give it to me quick! I can’t wait a minute,” she cried, -espying the gleam of white sticking from the pocket of his coat. - -“But tell me first, before you read it, whether you have any faith in -Professor Russell’s vision,” he said, teasing. - -“Yes, no; I don’t know. I can tell better after I have read Alice’s -letter.” - -“Of course, but that will not demonstrate your faith. However, I’ll be -good and let you have it.” And Donald placed the coveted missive in her -hand. - -With the remembrance of the vision before her, Lissa’s fingers trembled -as she tore open the envelope. The letter would confirm or refute the -truth of the Professor’s clairvoyance. And although she would not admit -for a moment even to herself that she believed in any _spirit_ agency, -she understood so little of clairvoyancy as to believe it connected with -supernatural phenomena. - -As she read the letter, her expressive eyes dilated with wonder and awe. - -“What is it?” asked Nathan, noticing her agitation. - -She placed the written pages in his hand. - -“Read that, Nathan, and tell me what to think, what to believe. Read it -aloud that all may hear and judge.” - -Nathan took the letter and read as follows: - - - “‘Cramer Cabin, Prairieland, - “‘August 28, 18—. - - “‘My Darling Little Sister: - -“‘Don’t you wish you were here with me this summer evening? Outside, the -white stillness of the great prairie woos one to meditation and letter -writing. Now you will expect something poetical and fine, will you not? -Well, the inspiration is here, but alas, I am one of those “Who cannot -sing, but die with all their music in them.” My muse deserted me in my -infancy. Besides I have been having unexpected duties. - -“‘Mark is at home laid up with a couple of wounds, not serious ones, I -am happy to say, but such as to give me an opportunity to coddle and pet -him for a time. I am not sure I am _sorry_ he received them, but don’t -whisper this to him. - -“‘How did he get them, did you ask? Well, he was away on a hunting -expedition with a band of his Pawnees, when they were surprised by some -Sioux. Mark got a flesh wound in his shoulder from a tomahawk blow, and -a bullet grazed him in the left side. Close call, wasn’t it? The -skirmish was on the bank of the Niobrara, where Mark’s party had fled -for shelter, and he managed to get under water until a clump of -hazel-brush enabled him to climb out and hide. He was too exhausted from -the loss of blood to fight any longer. However, his men drove off the -Sioux and found him and brought him home. Mark says I have represented -him in a cowardly position. I hope not. He was in a dead faint when the -men found him. Anyway, I don’t see any bravery in standing up to have -your scalp taken off by a savage, do you? But men are so very sensitive -upon those points. - -“‘I can hardly wait for your arrival. Mark says I act like a crazy woman -whenever I speak of it. O Lissa, Lissa, Lissa! We’re out of the world -here, but I am sure you will enjoy it. I hug myself with delight -whenever I think of seeing you so soon.’” - - -Nathan paused in his reading. - -“It is wonderful,” he said. “Professor Russell must have seen the entire -skirmish.” - -“Yes,” responded Lissa, “unless he may have heard of it in some way. -Alice does not say upon what day Mark was hurt.” - -“Ah, you are yet a doubting Thomas,” Nathan said, smiling fondly upon -the winsome upturned face of his girl-wife. - -“No, only looking for a peg to hang a doubt upon. Nathan, I am very -anxious to get to our new home.” - -“My dear, we shall be there in a fortnight. I must wait until the wagon -is finished, you know. I hope, little one, you will not be disappointed -when you see what a _poor_ home it is,” he continued, shaking his head -doubtfully. - -“I shall not be. Read the rest of Alice’s letter.” - - -Nathan continued his reading: - - -“‘Just think, sister, of having no social barriers or stiff -conventionalities to hamper one. No fussing to prepare elaborate -toilets, no two-minute fashionable calls to make, no questioning as to -what one shall wear. I am happy and well-dressed for any occasion in my -pink gingham. It is a pretty gingham, and made up prettily, I assure -you, as I made it myself. Then, we are all so well acquainted with one -another, and call each other by the first names, and run about to each -other’s houses whenever we please and stay as long as we please, and -talk about our chickens and ponies, and—and—O Lissa, dear, you cannot -realize what a free, wild life this is. And the air is so pure and -invigorating.’” - - -“And there’s plenty of it,” interpolated Donald. - -“Yes, too much, sometimes,” said Nathan. - -“Now don’t, Nate! Don’t say a word to discourage me. If I were going to -Kansas I should be afraid of cyclones, but I am sure we shall have none -in Nebraska.” - -“And if we should, you know we have the _dug-out_,” Nathan replied. - -“I’d really advise you, Lissa, to arrange to sleep all the time in the -_dug-out_. It would be so uncomfortable to wake up some morning and find -yourself occupying some one else’s farm or tree-top,” said Donald. - -Lissa smiled indulgently, but made no reply, and Nathan continued -reading the letter. - - - - - CHAPTER VI - AN OLD-FASHIONED JOURNEY - - -“Put on your big sun hat and dust wrap,” Nathan had said, “we are to -drive through a wild region much of the way and shall have plenty of -dust and sun, besides you need have little fear of meeting acquaintances -on our long path over the prairie.” - -And Lissa had packed in big trunks, that were to be sent ahead of them -by express, all the pretty dresses and hats which were so becoming to -her, and reserved only the most serviceable costume for that season of -the year. This she covered with an ample linen wrap, and tied a leghorn -flat over her shining curls. - -They were to go in a wagon, and, contrary to the usual emigrant fashion, -an uncovered one. Nathan wanted a light spring-wagon to use upon his -farm, and Lissa insisted that she could see the country and enjoy the -ride after the fleet little mustangs better in that particular wagon -than in any other possible conveyance. - -They started upon a beautiful September morning, one of those days which -seem to blend the perfection of summer loveliness with the delightful, -hazy charm of early autumn. - -“All you need now is a brass band and a banner,” Donald said, as Nathan -drove up to the door with the scrubby little ponies attached to the -brightly painted wagon, “and you could take a bridal tour in first-class -style. - -“And, Lissa, if you should meet any Indians by the way be sure you shake -hands with them, and say ‘How,’ which is the Indian for ‘How d’you do.’ -It means, you know, that you are ready for decapitation if it so pleases -them and only question their _manner_ of procedure. They might be -offended if you omitted this little ceremony, and become unpleasant; -and, Lissa, if any of them shall ask you for a lock of your hair don’t -hesitate to cut off a curl and give it to them with the sweetest smile -you can muster, for they might take a notion to take the whole of them -just to hang in their belts for ornaments, and—But I don’t mean to -frighten you, ’pon my soul I don’t!” he continued, noting the suspicion -of tears in Lissa’s bright eyes and the tremor in her voice as she -turned to bid good-by to Squire Bartram and the irrepressible, -fun-loving brother whom she had taken into her affection. - -“The wild home to which you are going will have one star of the first -magnitude to brighten it before many days, but I reckon it will be -rather dark in this quarter of the heavens to-night,” he said, looking -graver than she had ever before seen him. - -“O Don, how can that be, when _you_ are to remain?” Lissa replied, -smiling through her tears. - -“I am a planet and only shine by reflected light,” he replied; “not that -I shall cast any reflection upon what has gone before,” he added in his -old manner. “But don’t be surprised if you should see a stray comet out -on the prairies before many moons-there’s no telling when one may be -liable to strike you.” - -“The sooner the better,” she responded brightly, and with a few more -words of final adieu they drove away. - -They had several miles of drive to the ferry which should transport them -across the Missouri River, or the “Big Muddy” as the Indians named its -roily waters. - -“It well deserves its name,” observed Lissa. - -“Yes,” responded Nathan, “and this river keeps its color and current -separate unto itself for many miles after emptying into the clear -Mississippi.” - -“I should say the Mississippi refused to be polluted by it and tried to -quarantine against it,” Lissa returned. - -They noted the pretty villages along the shore, which had looked so near -to them from the bluffs, before they crossed to the Nebraska side and -found themselves in the flourishing city of Omaha. There was little to -distinguish it from other cities in the East, except the regularity of -its streets and the newer style of architecture which uniformly met -their gaze. An hour later they were out upon the broad, balsam-scented -prairie. - -The wind-swept grasses nodded to them invitingly and the unrebuked sun -shone down smilingly upon the unmarred handiwork of Nature. - -Lissa was enraptured. This was the unfettered life of which she had -dreamed. Her buoyant spirit was exhilarated by the fresh, flower-scented -air and the glory of the landscape. - -“O Nathan, I shall never want to go East again!” she cried as they -approached the Platte River and viewed the magnificent stretch of land -for several miles up the valley, so level, so perfect, with the shining -thread of the river like a prescient nerve carrying health and vigor to -the adjacent territory. And far at the north and south the soft gray -hills arose, joining the clear blue of the sky above as if earth, -enamoured with the beauty of heaven, had arisen to meet the sky’s -embrace. - -They had been riding many hours, when Nathan said: “Look yonder, Lissa, -in our way. If I am not greatly mistaken, your desire to see a wild -Indian is about to be gratified.” - -Lissa beamed with excitement. A wild Indian! Should she be afraid? - -“How can you tell at such a distance? I can see nothing but a dark -object, and cannot determine if it be man or beast,” she said. - -“You have not trained your eye to long distances. I can see that it is a -pony and that it has a rider, and the swift, steady gallop, together -with the position of the rider, suggests an Indian; besides, we are in a -locality where we are more likely to meet the ‘noble redman’ coming -alone upon the prairie than his white brother.” - -Lissa watched the approach of the stranger with a shade of uneasiness. -The thought of meeting a savage aboriginal, who to her mind was -connected with all sorts of deeds of fiendish cruelty, caused a -fluttering of the heart which Nathan’s assurances could not wholly -allay. - -“How,” was Nathan’s salutation to the man as he drew near; and “how” was -the guttural response of the Indian as he came to an abrupt halt by the -side of the wagon, sitting in statuesque uprightness upon his pony. Not -a muscle of his face moved. His countenance was as stolid and blank as -if cut in stone, and during the time Nathan conversed with him in the -Pawnee dialect he neither smiled nor expressed any feeling or thought in -his face. - -Lissa studied this native specimen with much interest while Nathan -detained him. He was clad in gala costume and was going down to attend -an Indian festival at Omaha, he said. His head was bound with a woolen -scarf of red and black, knotted behind with falling ends. Beneath this -his long, straight, black hair fell to his shoulders. Several long -feathers were stuck in this zone, and a plaited lock of hair hung over -it from the crown of his head. His brown face was smeared with little -lines of red paint, seemingly ingrained in his skin, and his ears had -long slits in them, which were literally filled with ear-rings of -different kinds, sticking out in bunchy confusion. A large red blanket -covered his shoulders and one arm. The other was free and cinctured with -numerous bracelets, while his hand grasped the rope which bound the -lower jaw of his pony. He wore deer-skin leggins, fringed and ornamented -profusely, and beaded moccasins. - -Around his neck were strings of wampum and other beads, and he carried -the primitive bow and arrows. - -“I am glad you saw him,” said Nathan, “for it may be a long time before -you will have opportunity of seeing another Indian so magnificently -dressed. Their every-day costume is much less elaborate. Besides, this -fellow is rich. Those wampum beads around his neck are money and current -coin with them. You noticed it was a long string, wound several times -about his neck. He also had on wampum bracelets. That braided necklace, -made of what looked like dried grass, is a charm, and a valuable -possession. It is made from a rare grass or weed which is found only a -spear in a place, and is very fragrant. He carried the bow and arrows, -instead of gun, to take part in the festival.” - -“Did you ever see him before?” - -“O, yes. His name is We-wan-shee. He is one of Mark’s scouts. He tells -me they have been having trouble with the Indians stealing from the -post. Squint-eye and Handle-the-bow have been thieving, and the chief -has given them up to the Government for punishment.” - -“What did they steal,” asked Lissa. - -“Horses. They make little account of anything else. They have not been -many years subject to the United States Government, and are quite -primitive in their habits and manners, you will find. I’ll take you down -to the reservation as soon as we are settled. You will enjoy them -immensely.” - -“I suppose there is no danger in going among them,” she ventured. - -“O, no,” and Nathan laughed. “I believe you are trembling now. You are -not afraid of that one Indian, I hope.” - -“Yes,” Lissa said meekly, “I believe I was. It is lonely on this immense -prairie, with no sign of habitation anywhere, and—he looked ferocious.” - -Again Nathan laughed. - -“You’ll get used to them when you have them for neighbors.” - -In the middle of the afternoon they stopped upon the banks of the river -and baited their horses, and rested while partaking of their luncheon -which they had brought with them. They had passed through many small -towns on their way, towns of mushroom growth, and at one of them they -had bought their dinner. - -“We are upon the old overland route,” Nathan said. “Over this road many -emigrants have toiled along, suffering and dying, many of them at the -hands of the Indians. Do you see that ridge of earth which seems to have -been artificially thrown up there? That was undoubtedly a sort of -breastwork hastily made by a party of emigrants who were assaulted at -this place.” - -Lissa shuddered. “Can it be possible I am really in this wild land of -which I have read. I wonder if any were killed here, and if the ground -has been soaked with their blood. How strange it all seems! I can -imagine so much since seeing that Indian. He does not look much like -those I have seen at Niagara, selling bead-work.” - -“Not much; and you will receive another impression should you ever see a -band out on a war expedition against a hostile band, fully decorated -with warpaint and feathers. They really look formidable then.” - -Lissa shivered again. - -“We have made good time to-day. How far do you think we have driven?” -Nathan asked as, toward evening, they approached the suburbs of a small -town. - -“I am sure I have no idea. The ponies have trotted steadily all day. -These mustangs are good travelers, if they are small.” - -“They have endurance. I have been out on a hunt with the Indians when we -have kept in the saddle for a hundred miles at a time, the ponies loping -or running most of the way.” - -“But how could you stand it to ride so far?” - -“O, I can sleep in the saddle if necessary. One never knows what he can -do until he is put to the test. But I think we have come about -forty-five miles to-day. Yonder is the town. They are just lighting it. -How pleasant it looks, doesn’t it, this evidence of life after so many -miles of uninhabited wilds.” - -“The ride has been perfectly delightful,” said Lissa. “I never better -enjoyed a day in my life.” - -They drew rein at a freshly painted building, bearing a sign “Badger -House.” The landlady was evidently a Yankee, for she began a series of -questions to Lissa. Where did they hail from? Where were they going? Had -she ever been West before? - -To Lissa’s responses she vouchsafed a consolatory remark: “Well, I’m -kind of sorry for you. There is nothin’ but work out here. Ye don’t look -as if ye’d seen much hardships. Ye’ll git awful homesick, I reckon. What -with the poor crops and the hot winds, and the grasshoppers, there ain’t -much to look for’d to.” After which she left the room to see to their -supper. - -The next morning they started early, that they might get well on their -way before the intense heat of mid-day. They had been traveling for some -time, when Lissa suddenly started and grasped Nathan’s arm. - -“Stop, stop!” she cried; “I’ve been here before. I know just what is -before us! Ah, how can it be—and yet, yet, I’ve seen it all before. Just -beyond that large tree the ground descends to a river. There is a marshy -strip of ground at the left, and a log lying diagonally, thus.” Lissa -indicated the position by crossing her hands. She was excited and eager. -“What does it all mean? Am I, too, clairvoyant?” - -“We will see,” he said, chirruping to his horses. They soon came to the -height overlooking the river flats. Before them lay the scene Lissa had -described. The tears started in her eyes. - -“O Nathan, have I ever lived in another form than this? I certainly -could never have been here before. I cannot understand it.” - -“Not unless you have been here in a dream.” At the word, Lissa started. - -“Ah, I know now. I remember! It is a dream! It is written down in my -journal. I wrote it when I first began to keep a journal, many years -ago. The dream made such an impression upon me, I wrote it down, and a -description of the scene. I have frequently read it over since.” - -“What happened here, do you remember?” - -“No, I could not remember at the time, but I awoke with great fright, -trying to cry out, with the feeling that I had been passing through some -terrible experience, with this scene clearly imprinted upon my -consciousness.” - -“It is a very strange coincidence, Lissa, but this is the place where a -white man was flayed alive a number of years ago by the Indians.” - -“Ah, I remember reading of it, and how horrible it was.” - -“The man brought the punishment upon himself. He wantonly shot an Indian -woman. It was a terrible method of torture, however. He was flayed -before the eyes of his friends, and afterwards burned, I am told.” - -“Oh, dreadful, dreadful!” - -“The remainder of the party were allowed to go, I believe, after being -made to witness his suffering and death. I used to know the man when I -lived in Illinois,” Nathan added. “Remember, it is not so many years -ago. We are to go among the same tribe of Indians. Probably those who -committed the outrage are still living.” - -“Don’t let us speak of it. It horrifies me. I will look up the date of -my dream in my journal, when we get home, and see if it corresponds with -the date of the tragedy. If it should prove to be the same, I should -believe that I saw the crime in my sleep. Ugh!” - -“We will stop to rest under this tree,” said Nathan. “This is the first -large tree we have seen for some distance.” - -Later in the day they halted at a ranch, and bought some delicious -water-melons of a smiling and inquisitive Dutch farmer, who grew them. -After mid-day they stopped by the side of a lovely, quiet river, and -enjoyed their luncheon, taken in this primitive fashion. - -“I wonder if I was ever so hungry before,” said Lissa. “These peaches -are delicious, and surely melons were never so sweet and appetizing. The -biscuits are ambrosia and this lemonade is nectar. It was a good idea to -bring this ice, for the river water must be very warm to drink.” - -The lunch ended, Lissa went down to the water and bathed her face and -hands in its limpid depths. Suddenly she found the skirt of her gown -covered with persistent burrs, which stuck to her fingers as she tried -to remove them, and pricked and irritated her hands intolerably. - -Nathan laughed heartily at her discomfiture. - -“Why, those are only sand-burrs, dear. I wonder if you have never before -made their acquaintance? We have no patent upon them, and you may find -them in many parts of the country, East and West. We don’t lay entire -claim to them here.” - -“I should hope not,” said Lissa ruefully; “at least, we might dispense -with them, if they would permit us to, which is doubtful.” - -Lissa tried again to free herself from the noxious weed. With Nathan’s -help she at last succeeded, and they resumed their journey. - - -The sun was painting the western horizon a glorious crimson when they -entered the last town on their route. - -“Now, Lissa, we have twenty miles farther to travel before reaching -home. We have already come over forty miles to-day. Shall we stop in -this town and wait until morning?” - -“O, no, no, no, not for anything. Alice will be looking for us and I am -so anxious to see her and our home. Do let us go on, or will it be too -great a drive for our horses?” - -“They can endure it better than you, but I don’t think Alice will expect -you before to-morrow night. People usually take four days to drive -through. However, if you wish we will not stop.” - -It was pleasant driving in the cool of the evening and the ponies sped -along rapidly, apparently little wearied by the many miles behind. They -had gone but a part of the distance, however, when the sound of a -galloping horse over the soft turfed ground struck upon the ear. Soon it -was beside them and a cheery voice saluted them. - -“Hello, Nathan, is that you?” - -“Why, Mark, how d’you do?” - -Nathan grasped the hand of the handsome, yellow-haired fellow who came -along beside the wagon. - -“This is our brother, Mark Cramer, Lissa.” - -“And this is the little sister I have known so well, but never seen,” -said Mark. “You are very welcome to this western borderland, I assure -you. Alice is wild with happy anticipation of your coming.” - -Lissa’s sister had come West and married the year before, and this was -Lissa’s first meeting with her brother-in-law. - -“I heard in C—— that you were seen to drive through, so I hurried on to -catch you. My horse is fleet, but I have run him all the way. You drive -fast.” - -“I think our desire to reach home has been communicated to the horses. -They have needed no urging,” Nathan replied. - -“I wish you would change places with me,” Lissa said. “I am tired of -riding in a wagon, and a horseback ride would rest me.” - -Mark hesitated. “My horse has never been ridden by a woman, or in fact -only once or twice by anybody, and is but illy broken. I took him from a -herd of wild bronchos from the plains. They were brought here a few days -ago. I fear he isn’t altogether safe; besides, the saddle—” - -“Lissa is an expert horsewoman,” said Nathan, interrupting him. “If he -is not really vicious, I think she can manage him. As to the saddle, she -is used to that kind. Turn the off stirrup to this side, and it will be -all right.” - -All being soon arranged for her, Lissa stepped from the wagon to the -horse’s back, and experienced a delightful sensation of rest and -exhilaration at the idea of a canter in the dewy, evening air over this -wild, strange country. She started on ahead. Her horse sprang into a -lope, increased his speed to a run, and she was soon skimming over the -road at a pace unparalleled in her experience. She became alarmed and -sought to check him, but was unable to do so. The spirited, half-wild -thing had taken the bit in his teeth, and heeded not her utmost strength -upon the bridle rein. She heard the wagon coming behind her, and knew -they were running their horses at their highest speed to try to keep her -in sight, but the mustangs, jaded as they were, were no match for the -swift-winged Pegasus beneath her. On, and on, and on he sped, faster, -faster, and faster, until the gentle breeze became a strong wind, taking -her breath. How long would she be able to hold out, she wondered. At the -rate they were going it would not be long before they would reach home. -Home—what a meaning that word had for her. But suppose the pony took a -wrong road; this road was marked only by the borders of high grass on -both sides. There might be branches leading no one knew where. - -She had passed beyond the sound of the wagon now. On, on, on the swift -creature flew, no pause, no break in his mad flight. They must have -covered five miles at least, she determined. Her breath was coming in -frightened gasps, and her hands were trembling. She felt that she could -not keep her seat much longer. Suddenly the horse stumbled slightly and -slackened his gait. Lissa nearly fell, but by a desperate effort -recovered herself. She was holding tightly to the saddle horn. Again the -horse stumbled—there must be holes in the ground. Slump, slump, slump. -What was the matter? The broncho was going much slower now, and Lissa -spoke soothingly to him, and drew up on the rein. He submitted to her, -and subsided into an easy canter. At last, as the soil seemed to -frequently give way under his feet, he came down to a walk and permitted -her to keep him slowly at that gait, until she heard the welcome sound -of the wagon behind her, when she halted and waited until they came up. - -“What a fright you have given us!” cried Nathan, a quiver of relief in -his voice. “We feared you had been carried off bodily to the plains or -thrown down by the way-side. Why did you ride so fast?” - -“For the reason that I was obliged to. Whirlwind—I have named him—paid -no more attention to my commands for him to moderate his speed than if I -had been a gad-fly. He fairly flew with me until he stumbled, back here. -He seemed to lose courage or confidence then, and went slower.” - -“I wonder you did not fall,” said Mark. “I was afraid of prairie-dog -town. These little fellows undermine the ground until it is hardly safe -to ride over.” - -“And we, then, have been over a prairie-dog settlement?” questioned -Lissa. - -“Yes, there is a large one here extending a mile on either side of the -road. If you had come through here in daylight you would have seen them -coming out of their little houses, and heard them bark.” - -“I think I did hear one. Have they a little piping voice?” - -“Yes, very likely you did hear them. You will often pass here and have -plenty of chance to study them,” said Nathan. - -“Do they do any harm?” - -“No, except to undermine the ground and make it treacherous to -travelers.” - -The remainder of their journey was uneventful, and before midnight the -two sisters were united, and talking so animatedly that the night bid -fair to be sleepless. - -“Come, Alice,” Mark said at last, “Lissa must be very tired and you are -to have weeks and months together now to tell everything to one another. -You don’t want to make her ill at the beginning.” - -“No, I do not. But it does seem glorious to have some one to talk to.” - -“As if we were not of any use in that line?” - -Alice made a pretty grimace. - -“You are away so much. And then it—it is different.” - -But Alice kissed her sister, and left her to spend the remainder of the -balmy night in her new home. - - - - - CHAPTER VII - IN THE NEW HOME - - -The next morning when Lissa awoke the sun was shining brightly in -through one of the small windows of her adobe house and she had leisure -to look about her, and to survey this new, and to her, novel style of -architecture. - -The house was built of sod and mud, the roof being formed of poles of -cotton-wood covered with sod, and brightly green with the upspringing -grass. The inside of the house was lined by a strong paper, firmly -stretched and fastened at the corners, and presented a smooth and -cleanly looking wall. Through the windows Lissa could see the vast -prairies level gray, dotted with small houses, similar in construction -to this one to which her husband had brought her. - -There were but two large rooms in the house, and one bed-room. No second -story, as the roof was low. A large cupboard stood in one corner of the -kitchen and another in the bed-room. - -“That shall be my dressing-case,” said Lissa to herself; “in this other -I will put up some hooks and a curtain, for a wardrobe.” - -Just back of the house was a symmetrical little grove of cotton-wood -trees of perhaps three or four years’ growth. Some ponies corralled -near, together with herds of cattle grazing at a distance, gave life to -the scene; the sunlit grass sparkled and waved invitingly, and the halo -of the early morning enveloped all, presenting a landscape of pleasing -attractiveness. - -All this Lissa noted with the eye of an artist as, while dressing, she -peered from the door and window, wondering what had become of Nathan, -for he had risen while she slept. - -She was interrupted in her musing by the arrival of Alice, who came in, -bright and cloud-dispelling, bearing a basket which she placed on the -table, while she laughed at the wonder in Lissa’s large eyes. - -“I’ve come to take you over to breakfast with me,” she said. “Ah, I see -you haven’t even thought of breakfast yet. What a lazy girl! We get up -early here in the West. The sun doesn’t have to climb any mountains or -tall tree-tops before he reaches us. Why, how bewildered you look! I’ve -been to the post this morning, pony and I. Nate sent by me to get a few -things which are in the basket.” - -“You don’t mean to say you carried that big basket on the back of that -diminutive pony?” Lissa exclaimed. - -“To be sure I did, and another one like it. But come now, we’ll walk -over. It will give you an appetite for breakfast.” - -When Lissa had once more returned to her own home, which, humble as it -was, had an irresistible attraction for her, she found plenty of -employment in unpacking and arranging the contents of the large trunks -which had been brought out from C—— the previous day. Although at first -it seemed impossible to find places for so many things, there was -pleasure in devising ways and means. Lissa found that the trunks could -be utilized as packing-cases and window-seats, the dry-goods boxes -converted into cupboards and wardrobes, and before many hours, with -Nathan’s assistance, she had succeeded in arranging everything to her -satisfaction. - -As they were seated at their little table for an early tea, Lissa -suddenly gave a faint scream and overturned a cup of the scalding fluid -which she was handing to her husband, soiling the snowy whiteness of the -table-cloth. - -“Why, Lissa, what is the matter?” cried Nathan, in alarm; but following -the direction of her eyes, he saw the face of an Indian flattened -against the pane of glass of their small window, and his alarm changed -to mirth. - -The redman, seeing he was noticed, presented himself at the door, and -drawing in his chest, and assuming a most woe-be-gone expression, said -“te-cawpox,” accompanying his words by a gesture indicating that he -desired something to eat. - -“He says he is hungry,” said Nathan. “What can we give him?” - -Lissa lifted the plate of warm biscuits from the table, but Nathan -interposed. - -“He’ll take them all without any compunction if you offer them,” he -said, and selecting a couple, he handed them to the Indian, who dropped -them into a dirty-looking sack he carried, then spoke again in his harsh -guttural words, which Nathan interpreted as a request for water-melon. - -“He knows I have them growing out here and has probably helped himself -as fast as they have ripened, in my absence. Now he will beg the -remainder. Well, I must give him one, I suppose.” And going to the -little garden at the side of the house he plucked one from the vines and -gave it to the Indian, who returned a grunt of satisfaction and -departed. - -Then Nathan related anecdotes of their savage neighbors until Lissa, her -fright over, laughed merrily. - -“I am afraid I shall be constrained to keep the curtains down in your -absence if there is any danger of being frequently startled by such -apparitions,” she said, with a shake of her curly head. - -“You’ll mind nothing about it in a short time. I must take you out to -the reservation, and show you the noble redman in his home. But, come to -the door, I have a present for you. I see Mark has driven over the -ponies.” - -They stepped into the open doorway, and as Nathan whistled a call, a -beautiful white pony started up from the group grazing near, and came -cantering toward them. - -“I have had this horse in training for a long time, and she is as docile -and gentle as a kitten. Puss,” he said, stroking the pony’s smooth neck, -“this is your new mistress. No one shall ever drive or ride you from -this day, but this little lady.” - -Lissa flushed with pleasure and put out her hand to caress the pretty -creature, which seemed to understand, and acknowledged her acquaintance -by dropping its head and rubbing its pink nose in her palm. - -“Come, jump on her back. She requires no bridle, but will move in any -direction you may indicate by the motion of your hand.” - -Lissa permitted Nathan to seat her, and at the word the gentle little -creature lifted her ears and stared across the prairie at an easy lope, -most delightful to the rider. Lissa was charmed. - -“How delightful! How intelligent! How easy!” she cried, as the pony, -obeying the wave of her hand, turned back toward the house. “As easy as -a rocking-chair. How I shall enjoy going about with her.” - -“She is perfectly safe, and never scares at anything except farming -implements. She usually prefers to make a detour whenever she sees a -drag or plow. We tried to hitch her to a mower when we first brought her -here, but she utterly refused to be coerced into service and tried to -get away by vaulting into the air, lying down in the harness, and -performing other gymnastic feats. In fact, she behaved in such an -utterly demoralized manner, even kicking and biting, that we concluded -we would not subject her to such a trial again.” - -“The poor thing! She felt it to be a degradation and would not submit to -it. I do not blame her.” And Lissa caressed her pityingly. - -A few days subsequent to this Nathan announced his intention of going to -the trading post and Indian village, inviting Lissa to accompany him. - -Accordingly, one bright morning they mounted their horses, and after a -refreshing canter of several miles came in sight of the reservation. - -They overtook on the way a number of Indians, bestriding scrubby little -mustangs, which they managed with rope reins tied to the under jaws of -the ponies. At the post Nathan was greeted by a shout of “Ho, ho, ho, -Cheiks-ta-ka-la-sha!” which Nathan interpreted as a greeting to the -“white-man-chief” from the approaching brave. - -The lazy aboriginal then begged the privilege of sharing Nathan’s pony. -He was weary and would ride. But Nathan declined to grant the request, -telling him the pony was not strong enough to carry double. - -Several other Indians welcomed him in the same manner, each one asking -about the _chuppet_ who accompanied him. - -Soon they were at the village, a collection of Indian huts covering -quite an area of ground, built of sod or mud and most of them circular -in form, with but two openings, one at the top for the escape of smoke, -and a low passageway through which one must stoop to enter. - -At this season of the year the huts were but little occupied, being -infested with fleas, and small tents, made of poles covered by blankets -or bison skin, afforded more inviting shelter from sun and rain. - -Little nude children ran about here and there, or ducked in the waters -of the river, like so many young goslings. Stalwart Indian-braves -sauntered to and fro lazily about the wigwams or squatted on the ground -under cover of their tents. The Indian industries seemed to be confined -to the women, who were laboriously employed roasting corn in holes in -the ground or scraping and rubbing the bison skins which had been -recently brought in from the plains; for the braves were just home from -their summer hunt, and preparations were going forward for their great -green-corn festival. - -In vain our Eastern woman looked for the beautiful Indian maiden of -poesy and song. She concluded no poet could find inspiration to write of -these dirty humans, with unpleasant faces and tangled locks. - -Presently they rode to the tent of the chief of the tribe, who invited -them to dismount and enter. - -As Lissa followed Nathan into the small tent she confessed to an -instinctive desire to flee in the opposite direction, for as she sat -down upon the cushion her host placed for her, six Indian warriors -entered and squatted down in a circle around her husband and herself. A -timid look at Nathan, however, met assurance, and she tried to banish -fear, but the thought of the white man flayed on the banks of the river -would force itself upon her, and she found herself looking at their -hands with a feeling of horror, which with an effort she sought to keep -from appearing in her face. - -Two women were laboring assiduously at a large bison skin at the door of -the tent, scraping, pounding, and rubbing it, until it was white as a -piece of cotton, but paying little attention to her, save now and then a -stolen glance up from their work. - -Then Lissa was attracted to the movements of the chief, who took a -long-handled, red-clay pipe and filled it from several bone cups, filled -apparently with a variety of herbs, then lighted it, and after taking -two or three whiffs passed it to the Indian at his right, and thus it -was handed around the circle. The herbs gave out a pungent odor as they -burned, which to Lissa was sickening, and she was thankful that she was -passed by and only Nathan invited to smoke with them their _calumet_. - -The chief then took another of the odd-looking cups, and filling it with -a kind of chowdered, dried meat gave it to Lissa. - -She was embarrassed, for she dared not refuse it, yet shuddered at the -thought of tasting it. Nathan answered her imploring looks by laughing -and explaining to the donor that the white squaw was from the land of -the rising sun and had not learned to appreciate such a treat. The -chief, too, smiled, a little contemptuously Lissa thought, at her -ignorance of this dainty, and called to one of the squaws to bring her -corn. - -Lissa was glad to accept the shining ear of maize, roasted within its -husk to an appetizing brown, and she ate it with a relish, much to the -satisfaction of the Indians and the woman who brought it. - -In the mean time, Nathan, his eyes twinkling with amusement, was -carrying on an animated conversation with one of the Indians in their -dialect, and gesticulating toward Lissa, as if she might be furnishing -the topic of discussion. She felt relieved when her husband arose and -proposed their departure. - -When they were again in their saddles and careening over the -flower-strewn sward Nathan explained that the Indian was attempting to -bargain for the “white chuppet,” offering for her his three squaws, two -ponies, a wagon, some wampum—in fact, all of his possessions. - -“And you were really bartering me before my face, and I ignorant of it?” -said Lissa. “Well, I like that!” - -“Yes, and the fellow was terribly in earnest too. He thought you would -make a good wife to hoe his corn and work for him,” laughed Nathan. - -“Oh, the horrid creature! How my ideal of the ‘noble redman’ has fallen -since coming here.” And she quoted: - - “Black and glossy were her ringlets, - As the tresses of the sea; - Gloomy as the starless midnight, - Pretty star-eyed Estollee.” - -“O Nate, where are they, those beautiful children of the forest, whom -Longfellow and other poets dreamed of? The squaws are positively ugly -with their tangled hair, narrow eyes, high cheek bones, nakedness and -dirt. The men are not bad. They are at least straight and symmetrical,” -she added. - -“The women are bowed down and deformed by hard labor and heavy burdens,” -Nathan replied. “Be thankful for what civilization has done for women.” - -“Oh, it is dreadful! Those great lazy fellows lying about and doing -nothing. ‘Noble redmen’ indeed! Ignoble, rather.” - -“Well, the Quakers are at work among them. We may expect an improvement -in the next generation, if not in this. But here we are at the post. -Come, we will go in and look about.” - -In addition to the stores and trinkets of Indian manufacture for sale, -Lissa was interested in the girls of the Quaker school, who, though -dressed in the calico dresses of civilized America, were yet far from -the ideal maiden she thought. They were shy, hiding their faces if she -looked at or attempted to speak to them. And these were the real -American girls, the product of the soil. - -“Lissa,” said Nathan, when they were again in their saddles, “Major -Andrews, who has charge of the government stores here, offers me a -position as bookkeeper in his office this fall and winter, and I think I -had perhaps better take it, as I can do little on the farm until spring. -What do you think?” - -Lissa’s heart sank at the thought of his being away from home, but she -answered bravely: “By all means accept it if it will be for the best. It -will keep us through the long winter, and we can start fairly upon the -farm when the spring comes.” - -So it was arranged, and in the years that followed, when crops were -blighted from the drought or hot winds, and other accidents impoverished -them, Nathan could earn a livelihood at the office desk, and fared -better than his neighbors. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII - MOTHER AND CHILD - - -“Come, darling, dinner is ready,” and Mrs. Lucien held out her arms to -the tiny sprite who was busily engaged in pinning a scrap of torn lace -about a broken-nosed doll, her face a study in its eager intentness of -purpose. - -“O mamma, has we somefin’ nice?” she exclaimed as her eyes fell on the -small table bearing the articles of food. “Why tan’t we have oranges -every day?” - -“My dear, mamma has not had money to buy them, but a good lady has given -mamma work to do, which brings money. Is not baby glad? Maybe we may -have good things to eat every meal, for Dolly, now.” Mrs. Lucien kissed -the child’s little face passionately, then turned away her own, lest the -tears should be seen that trembled in her lashes. - -It was a mean little room, as Mrs. Wylie had said, only lighted by one -narrow window, but the taste of its simple furnishing accorded with the -faces of mother and child. Mrs. Lucien’s was one of those rare faces -seen only occasionally among the masses, purely oval, with soft outlines -and exquisite delicacy of expression. The eyes seemed to index the soul -in their spirituality and clearness. It seemed impossible to think of -guile or hypocrisy finding lodgment in the heart of a woman with such a -face. The tinge of melancholy resting upon it only added to its -attractiveness. - -The child was the counterpart of the mother, even to the soulful eyes -and mobile lips. It was evident, as Mrs. Wylie had observed, that Mrs. -Lucien had seen better days. There was an unmistakable air of culture -and refinement in her manner, a dignity and grace of carriage that could -come only with one to the manner born. She appeared to be a stranger in -Forest City and was markedly uncommunicative as to her past life and -history in her intercourse with the few who sought further acquaintance -with her. - -Mrs. St. John, on the second floor, had been attracted by her face, and -tried, through the child, to know more of her, but succeeded illy. The -child was as reserved as the mother, or had been kept in ignorance of -its history. One thing she noticed, it never spoke of its father, and -Mrs. St. John discreetly withdrew, and refrained from further -investigation. - -“There must be something wrong when people are so much afraid to let you -know anything of them,” she reflected. She could not afford to risk her -own reputation by becoming associated with her. - -Mrs. Wylie, too secure in worldly caste to be deterred by such -considerations, had a new interest, and would leave no means untried to -learn more of her protege. - -She found she had an endless amount of sewing to be done, and made many -calls with reference to it, as well as necessitating much going to and -from her own rooms by Mrs. Lucien. And in all of those interviews the -little woman chatted away as blithely as though her caller were an -intimate friend instead of a stranger sewing woman, this being -characteristic of Elinor Wylie, and the outgrowth of her kindness of -heart, which neither fashion nor society, conventionality nor -worldliness could repress. - -Mr. Wylie joked her daily upon her enthusiasm, which increased with -acquaintance. - -“She is entirely lovable, Horace, and entirely refined and cultured. I -have not her superior in my whole circle of acquaintances,” she -reiterated one night, when he had chidden her for spending so much of -her time with Mrs. Lucien. “If she were not so proud I should have -gotten her out of that dark little jail of a room before now, but I dare -not openly offer her charity. But, Horace, I have made a discovery. She -was formerly from New York, and she came here to be among strangers. I -suspect—” - -“Well, what do you suspect?” said her husband, as she hesitated in her -speech. - -“Why—I half suspect she has run away from her husband,” admitted Mrs. -Wylie reluctantly, hastening to add, “I am quite sure she had a good -reason and that no blame can attach to her, whatever the cause.” - -Mr. Wylie shook his head. - -“Do not let your enthusiasm blind your eyes, Elinor. I give you credit -for being pretty keen-sighted usually, but a woman with such a history -may not be a desirable associate for my wife.” - -“Horace!” the blue eyes were raised reproachfully to his face. “Even if -my suspicions are correct,—and they are only suspicions,—we may suppose -a case where she might be entirely blameless, and oh, so much more to be -pitied, because of these very circumstances which may cast a shadow over -her fair name! Surely she needs my friendship so much the more.” - -“You precious little philanthrope!” said her husband fondly. “It is -difficult to answer you, but suppose there are plenty of associates for -Mrs. Horace Wylie whose characters are above suspicion and need no -vindication. And yet,” he continued gravely, “the woman’s face is -vindication for her. Do as you think best. Shall we invite her to attend -the lecture with us to-morrow night?” - -“Yes, if you will. She so seldom goes anywhere, and I am sure she needs -recreation. I could wish it was something besides Dr. Lyman’s lectures, -however. I am always glad to get home from one of them, and I dream of -ghosts and goblins when I sleep afterwards.” - -There was a compassionate look on Mr. Wylie’s face as he turned toward -his wife. - -“I am surprised, Nell, that you cannot appreciate what I enjoy so much. -Surely, Dr. Lyman is a very interesting speaker.” - -“A good talker, yes, but I do not like his subject,” and the little lady -drew herself farther upon the sofa and pursed up her lips defiantly. - -“And yet the subject is one that may materially affect us?” - -“I do not believe it can _materially_ affect us; if it does spiritually, -why, it may. We shall find out after we leave this world, probably, all -about it. What is the use of believing that the spirits of our friends -can communicate with us. I don’t want them to. It’s horrid, the whole of -it.” - -“I do not see anything particularly horrid about it. If I should die and -live again in the spiritland and should come back and reveal myself to -your material sight and talk with you as I do now, would you consider it -particularly horrid? That is,” he continued with his pleasant drawl, -“supposing I come in immaculate broadcloth, shining boots, etc., and -present you with a check for a few thousands to squander in bon-bons.” - -“Oh, do stop talking so dreadfully! I will not think about it.” - -“Then you will not want me to come back?” he queried provokingly. -“Especially if you are wedded to your second, and well provided for?” - -“Yes—no—I do not know. I think I should be dreadfully afraid of you if -you did.” - -“Aren’t you a little afraid of me now? Come, confess. Aren’t you?” - -Mrs. Wylie made a grimace. - -“No, I hope not, but I am afraid of Dr. Lyman.” - -“And why do you fear him?” said her husband, laughing as he bent over -and twirled one of her bright curls over his finger. “What do you fear -in him?” - -“I am afraid he will mesmerize me and make me think as he does. There -you have my reason for disliking him, and to go to the Lyceum,” said -Elinor, flushing slightly. - -Again her husband laughed. - -“Ah, that is it. Do you think there would be any harm in that?” - -“Why, I think it would be dreadful to be hypnotized; to have any one -control your will and make you think and do things you would not do -otherwise.” - -“I have an idea,” cried Mr. Wylie; “let me try it on you. Come, look me -right in the eyes, relax all your muscles and think of nothing but me.” -Mr. Wylie fixed his mischievous dark eyes upon his wife. - -She closed her own eyes tightly, and turned her face away. - -“Never! It would make me forever your slave. I have not much will of my -own now, and you would take that away from me. No, thank you!” - -“As if a woman ever lived who did not have her own sweet will and way. -But, Nellie, you may call upon Mrs. Lucien to-night, and ask her to -accompany us. I shall be curious to know her opinion of the Doctor and -his hobby.” - -“Mne! How kind you are! Man’s curiosity again! Well! I’ll go just to -gratify you, but she may not be willing to go to such a place even in -your company.” - -Mr. Wylie smiled indulgently, but made no reply. - -“Horace, I can almost believe Tibby exercises some such influence over -Robbie. It is really remarkable, the ease with which she can subdue him, -and put him to sleep at any time she desires. Mrs. Harbeck used to fuss -for hours.” - -“Tibby exercises a power woman has, since the world began—the power of -her beauty. Tibby is such a pretty girl, and Robbie is susceptible to -it. I remember when I was a youngster, the pretty teachers always had -the least trouble with me. Children have aesthetic instincts, and Robbie -recognizes the influence, if he does not yet understand it. Dame Harbeck -was a good old soul, but she did lack winsomeness. Eh, Nellie?” - -Mrs. Wylie laughed. - -“I wonder if that does make a difference.” - -“Certainly, and is it not a moral duty to cultivate beauty in the race?” - - - - - CHAPTER IX - A NEW DEVELOPMENT - - -True to her promise, Mrs. Wylie called the following afternoon at the -small room she had learned to designate as Number Nineteen, and invited -Mrs. Lucien to accompany herself and Mr. Wylie to the Lyceum. - -Mrs. Lucien’s pale face flushed slightly, and an eager, pleased look -came for a moment into her eyes, then she shook her head. - -“You are very kind, Mrs. Wylie, but you forget—that I never go out.” - -“I know you _should_ go. You are growing as pale as a calla, shut up -here so closely. You owe it to yourself and little Dolores here, to go -whenever you can. Besides, I have quite set my heart upon having you -with us, and I am supposed to always have my own way,” she added -playfully. “I want some one along who can enjoy a good lecture, if I -cannot, and Mr. Wylie thinks Dr. Lyman a very fine speaker. I am sure -you will reconsider your answer and go with us.” - -“But, your husband—I am afraid—” - -“Will be delighted. In fact, he first proposed your going,” said the -other, feeling that Mrs. Lucien was yielding. “You shall bring little -Dolores to our rooms and Tibby will look after her with Robert. She’ll -be sure to enjoy it, for Tibby is a rare entertainer. Robert is quite -happy with her.” - -“Dolly never makes any one any trouble,” replied Mrs. Lucien, smiling -fondly upon her child. “It is true I have taken considerable interest in -Dr. Lyman’s lectures as reported in the papers, and in his subject. I -have myself witnessed phenomena in the so-called spirit manifestations -which I could not account for by any knowledge of my own, scientific or -otherwise. If it is not spirits, then what is it?” - -Mrs. Wylie shook her head. - -“I confess I am very incredulous,” she said, smiling. “I think sometimes -with old Mr. Hucklebone, that it is the work of the Evil One, and feel -like avoiding it; but my husband is interested in the subject, and I go -to these lectures to please him. I cannot say that I enjoy them, -however.” - -“Can you not believe the soul is immortal? And if so, why may not one -come back to this earth and linger near those one has loved? Shall -spirits be limited by time and space? These are finite things. Does not -the spirit belong to the infinite?” Mrs. Lucien’s voice was low, sweet, -and persuasive. - -“I do not deny that it may be so, because I see nothing to entirely -disprove such a possibility; but I cannot see what good it can do us or -any one else to seek intercourse with those who have passed to the other -world. There has been a boundary line and a veil of death placed between -Time and Eternity, mortals and immortals, and it better remain. What I -cannot countenance is that people give up their religion to take up -spiritism. Why the testimony of the spirit of mortal man (admitting that -it may testify) should weigh more than the great Spirit of the Universe, -in whom even the wild Indian believes and whom we designate our Creator, -is to me a strange thing. It is making a religion of spiritism that I -object to.” - -Mrs. Wylie spoke with unusual seriousness and her friend did not -immediately respond. - -“I do not think _I_ believe in making a religion of it either,” she said -after a moment of silence; “but there is so much one does not -understand, and if by actual converse with those who have gone before -and tested the mysteries of the unknown we may learn without doubt of -the life in store for us, it is a satisfaction, to say the least.” - -“But _can_ we know without doubt? Do we know with what we are -conversing? I confess I have seen so much charlatanry I cannot be sure -of anything.” - -“Have you not had experiences in your life, dear Mrs. Wylie, which have -demonstrated to you a psychic power beyond explanation, save by this -theory of spirit force?” - -“Possibly; though I only think of one instance now which might be of -this class,” said Mrs. Wylie reflectively. - -“And may I ask if you will tell me that?” questioned Mrs. Lucien -eagerly. - -“It happened several years ago. I took a sudden determination to visit -my parents, and started immediately, without notifying them of my -coming. Arriving at the station I found my father waiting for me, he -having been impressed with the fact of my coming, in some unaccountable -way; my thought of the early day having been communicated to him by a -sort of mental telegraphy, I imagine.” - -“Ah, yes, there are so many instances of that kind. I have had many -myself. I wonder, sometimes, if I am naturally superstitious. There have -been many peculiar examples of second sight or clairvoyance in our -family. It has been traditional for generations, and proven by -accumulated evidence, that no great calamity can befall any member of us -without forewarning, not alone to the victim, but to the others of the -household. The warning always comes in the same way.” - -“And that is—?” Mrs. Wylie questioned. - -“By a footstep at the door,” continued Mrs. Lucien. “Before any death or -evil to any one of the house we are startled by hearing a footstep come -to the door, step heavily once or twice and then vanish from sound and -sight. If the door is opened no one is visible to mortal eyes. Sometimes -it comes more than once the same evening, and we know the evil is near -at hand.” Mrs. Lucien spoke in a low, soft voice, of indescribable -sadness, as she continued: “It has come to me several times, once before -a trouble worse than death. Ah, and the footsteps were heavy and loud. I -can hear and feel them yet, treading on my very heart. Then they came -again before my darlings died, and I knew there was no hope, no hope -that God would hear my prayer and spare them to me, though they were all -I had. Truly, I can say there is no justice in the heavens. But forgive -me, dear friend, I did not mean to so far forget myself,” she added, -turning her white face toward the little woman, whose eyes were filled -with tears of sympathy. - -“And you have had other children, and lost them? How sorry I am for -you,” cried Mrs. Wylie impulsively. - -“Yes, three; but I do not think of them as lost, only gone before. They -come to me at night and I feel the touch of the tiny hands upon my -forehead—only Freddie, he never comes to me. But I see you are -surprised. As I said before, I have seen much of spiritism, enough to -make me credulous. It is a blessed thought to me that my darlings may be -near me, and that possibly when I am myself more spiritual I may reach -out my hands and grasp their little ones and enjoy more fully their -loved presence. I am glad I may go to hear Dr. Lyman. He may make plain -to me those things I desire to know, may teach me how to make such -things possible.” - -Mrs. Wylie knew not how to respond to her. There was so much about this -theory to which she was opposed. She was disappointed in her friend, and -yet she could not condemn her. She took her leave shortly, wishing Dr. -Lyman at the antipodes. - - - - - CHAPTER X - THE GHOSTS OF THE CABINET - - -“My dear, I have come to invite you to a real materialistic seance,” -said Mrs. Wylie, a few weeks later, as she called at the door of Mrs. -Lucien’s improved lodgings. - -Mrs. Lucien’s eye brightened, and she clasped her hands with childish -naivete. - -“Really?” - -“Yes, really! Mr. Wylie has an especial invitation and tickets given -him, so we shall not feel that we are intruding. He bade me come at once -and tell you, as he knew how much you desired to witness such an -exhibition.” - -“How kind you are, dear Mrs. Wylie. I cannot express how grateful I am -to you for such an opportunity,” said Mrs. Lucien warmly. - -“It is arranged, then; we will call for you at half-past seven this -evening.” And Mrs. Wylie tripped away, feeling that she had at least -given pleasure by the invitation, little as she herself desired to -attend the seance. The lectures of Dr. Lyman, which she had attended to -please her husband, had rather prejudiced her against than converted to -his teaching, and she could not appreciate the interest which her -friends seemed to take in them. As for this seance, she would go that -Mrs. Lucien might have the desired privilege of attending, but her -conscience disapproved of it. - -At the appointed time the trio took a carriage to Scoville Street as -directed, and stopped before a small story-and-a-half house, with an “L” -upon one side, and a broken paling in front. - -“I am bound to investigate everything thoroughly,” said Mrs. Wylie, in a -whisper, as they went toward the house. - -“Certainly, that is your privilege, my dear. I am sure the spirits will -have no objections,” said Mr. Wylie. - -They were met at the door by a grave-looking man, who asked for their -credentials, and when Mr. Wylie had presented his card of invitation -they were ushered into a small square room furnished only by a centre -table holding a lamp, a little old-fashioned carpet lounge standing in -one corner, upon which two or three persons were seated conversing in -subdued tones, and a tall base-burner stove offering warmth to a small -group of people gathered about it. - -No one spoke to the members of our party, who, while warming themselves -by the fire, gazed into an empty room adjoining. This room had only the -light of a single lamp fastened near the ceiling in one corner and -covered and shaded by a Japanese umbrella. A string depended from this -lamp to the cabinet in the opposite corner of the room. An antique, -black hair-cloth tete was near the cabinet, and a carved mahogany stand -stood between the only two windows in the room. The remaining space of -the apartment was taken up by chairs for the invited spectators. - -All these separate details Mrs. Wylie observed and noted. Then she -turned to the man who admitted them. - -“Am I permitted to examine this room?” she asked smilingly. - -“Certainly, madam, we court the most careful investigation in this -matter. Examine thoroughly everything in this room,” and in a solemn -manner he conducted them forward to the cabinet and lifted the curtains -of plain black cloth which hung before it. Rolling these, he threw them -over the top of the pole, that she might enter the cabinet and explore -the interior. - -Mrs. Wylie felt of the wall, which was covered with a faded paper; -tapped it to see if there were closets in the partition, pressed it to -learn if it was movable, examined for cracks or evidence of secret -panels, but could discover nothing. She even examined the carpet and saw -that the tacks holding it to the floor were rusted as if not recently -lifted or changed. She looked under and behind the tete, but could -discover no possible place of concealment in the room. - -“Are you satisfied, my curious Pandora?” said Mr. Wylie, who had been -watching her with a faint, indulgent smile upon his lips. - -“Yes, I find only plain, bare walls, and no visible outlet, save by the -one door through which we entered.” - -“Good! Perhaps your scepticism will vanish after to-night.” - -Mrs. Wylie shook her head and peered again at the ceiling and dependent -lamp. She was prepared for trickery, even if she could not fathom it. - -“Still unconvinced? Oh, most doubting of Thomases!” said Mr. Wylie, with -a gesture of despair. - -“Only cautious and conservative,” whispered Mrs. Lucien. - -“Conservatism, what crimes of doubt and unbelief are committed in thy -name!” responded the other. - -By this time people were beginning to file into the room, until the -chairs were filled. - -Our friends sat down near the door, where the hard-coal fire cast a dim -light into the room, and directly opposite the cabinet. No other light -was left in the room after the entrance of the medium. - -This person, who was tall and large-framed, and who weighed apparently -about two hundred and fifty pounds, walked over to the tete and sat -down. - -“I will sit here for a time, and perhaps we may have a manifestation -before I am under control,” she said. “Will anybody please sing.” - -The spectators began to sing religious hymns, and almost immediately, to -Mrs. Wylie’s astonishment, the curtains parted by invisible power and a -little figure of light, with indistinguishable features, stepped forth. - -“Good-evening, everybody. How do you do?” came from it in a thin, piping -voice. - -Some of those present, who had evidently seen the apparition before, -addressed it as Starlight, and the vision vanished. - -The medium then arose and stepped into the cabinet. No sooner had she -done so than three or four men’s voices were heard speaking together. -One, a Jack Tar, with nautical phrases; another, the guttural voice of -the American Indian, a third that of an educated citizen. - -Some in the audience seemed to recognize and greet the voices. - -After a period of quiet and another hymn the curtains again parted and a -slender woman appeared. No one approached her as she stood before them -and delivered a short oration, the theme of which was “Universal -Progress,” the diction and thought in no wise remarkable. - -She withdrew to give place to another figure, which called a name in a -soft, plaintive voice. - -“Oh, it is my wife!” cried a man in the audience, and he went forward, -and grasping the materialized spirit by the arm, he led her forward -about the room, while she shook hands with other friends who seemed to -recognize her. - -Mrs. Wylie shook in an agony of apprehension. - -“Don’t, don’t let her come near me!” she gasped, while her heart beat to -suffocation. She looked at the white, eager face of Mrs. Lucien, and the -not less interested face of her husband. She clutched him by the arm, -while she grew hot and cold by turns. But the figure turned away before -reaching her, and stepped back into the cabinet. Then several others -came out and were recognized, kissed, and spoken to by friends. - -At length came the figure of a man, who spoke in a faint voice. - -The usher came to the lady sitting next to Mrs. Wylie upon the left. - -“It is for you,” he said. - -The lady arose, went across the room to the cabinet, clasped the figure -in her arms, calling him her dear brother, and when he disappeared came -back to her seat, sobbing and crying bitterly. - -Mrs. Wylie wrung her hands in the pause of darkness and silence which -followed. - -“Oh! Mrs. Lucien, Mrs. Lucien, the next will be for you,” she whispered. -As if to confirm her words a figure of light advanced, so clear, so -luminous, so fair that a suppressed murmur arose from the spectators. It -seemed to float through the air and hover suspended before the cabinet. -Mrs. Lucien had arisen and moved forward with outstretched arms. - -“Mamma, mamma!” a bird-like voice repeated, and fluttering like a bird -in the air the tiny hands brushed the white face of the entranced woman. -Then by its side a second figure appeared, larger but less distinct. For -a moment they hovered flutteringly before her, then disappeared, and the -usher led the now nearly fainting Mrs. Lucien to her seat. - -Another figure appeared, a man. A woman behind Mrs. Wylie arose and went -forward. - -“O Jim!” she cried. - -“I have been so sorry,” a feeble, moaning voice replied, “that I did not -do more for you when in the flesh. I had no opportunity, before I passed -over, to tell you what was in my heart. I realize now that I blighted -your life by selfishly yielding to my appetite. I would undo it all if I -could, but it is too late.” With a groan he disappeared. - -Then a little boy ran out from the cabinet and cried: - -“I want my mash!” - -“Oh, that is little Eddie!” exclaimed a girl from the audience, and she -ran forward to clasp the little figure in her arms. - -At last came a figure of beauty and light, with extended, fluttering -hands and eager face. “This is for you,” said the usher, coming toward -Mrs. Wylie, who felt bound to her chair and unable to move. - -As the man approached her she felt as though her heart ceased to beat, -but she passively suffered him to lead her to the cabinet. - -“Sister, sister,” whispered the little sprite, and its tiny hands sought -to take hers. She felt the soft, cool touch of its hand upon her own, -then drew back with uncontrollable fear. - -“She wants to kiss you,” said the man, but Mrs. Wylie was too terrified -to permit it. Then the figure, so transparent and ethereal, vanished in -the cabinet and again all was darkness. - -When Mrs. Wylie was again seated there was a sound as of rushing wind, -and two little Indian girls came running out of the cabinet. One ran -back. The other called her out again. - -“This is little Moonlight. Come on!” said number one. - -“Good-evening, everybody!” said number two timidly. - -Number one laughed and danced about, while number two ran back into the -cabinet. - -“Dance for us, Starlight,” said a gentleman who seemed to recognize her -as a well-known favorite. - -“Mne! No music,” she said. - -The gentleman began to whistle. - -“No, no good,” cried Starlight. - -Mrs. Wylie could never after account for the influence which prompted -her to lean forward and clap her hands to the time of a waltz, while she -hummed a gay air. - -“Mne! That’s good!” cried Starlight, and her little feet kept time with -the grace of a ballet-dancer. - -“Good-night, good-night, good-night!” she cried, and danced back behind -the curtains of the cabinet, and all was still. - -The audience arose and began to go out of the room, and Mrs. Wylie, with -a dazed, unnatural sensation, turned to her friend. “Am I asleep or -dreaming?” she asked. - -“I feel like asking the same question,” said Mrs. Lucien. “What a -wonderful experience this has been.” - -When they were seated in the carriage, and proceeding homeward, Mr. -Wylie turned to his wife. - -“Well, Nellie,” he said, “what do you think of it?” - -“I think,” responded Mrs. Wylie slowly, “that I was hypnotized.” - -“Hypnotized!” exclaimed Mr. Wylie and Mrs. Lucien in unison. - -“Yes, hypnotized. I began to grow cold and feel so strangely as soon as -that medium sat down there. I think she sat outside long enough to -mesmerize us all. You remember she had them sing to distract our -thoughts.” - -“I must say, Elinor, when you try to be idiotic you succeed a little -better than any one I ever knew before you.” Mr. Wylie looked his -annoyance. - -“But, Horace, if I was not under some influence, why did I sing and clap -my hands for that spirit to dance? Do you think I would have done such -an absurd and unheard of thing of my own volition?” - -“There’s no telling what you might or might not do, Elinor. I confess -you surprise even me very frequently.” - -Mrs. Wylie sighed. It seemed difficult to combat the now apparently -fixed belief of her husband in spirit manifestation. - -“Did you hear the music that seemed to be playing in the air above our -heads from the moment the medium entered the room?” inquired Mrs. -Lucien. - -“No, I did not notice it; did you, Horace?” - -Mr. Wylie shook his head. - -“How strange! I heard the sound of many instruments blending in a -wonderful harmony,” murmured Mrs. Lucien. - -“A further proof that we were hypnotized,” replied Mrs. Wylie. “You, -Mrs. Lucien, were the most susceptible and first brought under control?” - -Mr. Wylie looked disgusted. - -“A proof, Elinor, that you were too frightened to know what was -transpiring about you. I am not surprised that Mrs. Lucien should -perceive harmonies beyond the hearing of our ears, or of less -sensitively organized ones. We were curious, antagonistic, unbelieving. -We were determined not to hear and therefore were deaf to the melodies -which entranced her.” - -“Entranced?” - -“Yes, I think we were all entranced, and made to see or hear anything,” -replied Mrs. Wylie. - - - - - CHAPTER XI - THE FIRE - - “Again has come the Springtime, with the Crocus’s golden bloom, - With the sound of the fresh-turned earth-mould and the violet’s - perfume.” - —Samuel Longfellow. - - -It is the spring of Lissa’s second year in her Nebraska home. Nathan, -through with his winter duties at the post, has become farmer again, and -the prairie, yet gray with the tall wild grass of the previous year, is -black-dotted with patches of newly plowed land, while the upspringing -verdure gives the landscape a gray-green tint of great beauty. - -Lissa has grown to love this Western home, and as we see her now, -tripping about the floor of her humble cabin, there is a maturer look in -her bright face and pliant figure, and though she is paler in cheek and -lip, her smile speaks the joy in her heart. Her neat calico gown is -supplemented by a white cambric apron, and as she critically glances -about her she is a picture of womanly contentment. She is obliged to -make up in swiftness now the time demanded from her work to care for the -little seraph who kicks, squirms, and even cries in her waking hours if -she is not given immediate and undivided attention. Their house has -grown with their family, and a nice little lean-to has been built, -giving an extra room, and Lissa seems to have forgotten to wish for the -spacious walls or wide balconies of her former home. She has as good as -her neighbors, and luxuries are only comparative, after all. It must be -confessed, Lissa is not a little vain of the handsome silver, few pieces -of cut-glass, and dainty napery which were among her wedding gifts, and -which she can now display on occasions to the admiration and envy of her -less fortunate neighbors. Only Alice, of all her neighborhood, can -outshine her in this, but Mark is an army officer, and quite the great -man of the place, and she cannot feel envious of one of the family. - -It is nearly dinner time and baby must be put aside while Lissa prepares -the table. A motherly solicitude shines in her dark eyes as she places -the little autocrat in her crib (a large wicker clothes-basket), puts in -her clutching, uncertain grasp the rubber ring, and turns toward her -work. - - “There, there, baby Lucy, lie still with your toys, - For papa is coming and does not like noise,” - -she sings, in her clear treble. - - “Hush, hush, there’s a deary, or mamma ’ll be weary; - There, there, but a minute, you’ll have to be in it, - Till mamma makes dinner, then baby’s the winner.” - -Thus sings and rhymes the girl-mother, and the cloth is laid in a short -space of time, and few moments later the dignified, manly figure of -Nathan enters. - -“How smoky it is getting outside,” Lissa says as she catches a glimpse -of the atmosphere through the open doorway. - -“Yes, the fires must be making considerable headway across the river. -The smoke is much denser than it was this morning when I began plowing.” - -“You think it is all across the river? No danger of its getting over -here?” Lissa questions, a note of anxiety in her voice. - -“O, no; the river ’ll protect us. I should think Linkwell and Jordan, -over there, would need to start back fires, though.” - -“We’ve been fortunate, this spring, not to have any started on this -side,” Lissa says. - -“Yes, with as much tall, dry grass as there is about. We don’t generally -have any fear of fires at this time of year. It’s the fall when they -rage worst. The spring burning is unusual,” continues Nathan in his -measured speech. “But I suppose some one thought he’d burn off his piece -of ground before plowing, and was careless about it, as we were once -upon a time. His plowed strip may have been too narrow, or the wind too -high.” - -“Oh, one cannot be too careful!” Lissa says with feeling. “I think what -a close call we had when you let me fire the ten-acre lot by the canon, -and all because the sod was not quite overturned on that rocky place at -one corner.” - -“Yes, but I reckon it was a good thing to happen. You wouldn’t have -known how to fight a fire if we had not had that experience. Now if one -should start up you would know what to do.” - -“Yes,” she says reflectively. - -The meal ended, Nathan goes again to his work, which is now upon the -upper end of the farm, nearly two miles from the house, and Lissa, when -the dinner-work is over, sits down to rock her baby to sleep. - -The smoke has become quite dense by this time, and as she looks out -across the river she sees leaping spires of orange-colored flames amidst -the lifting, rolling clouds of smoke. - -“Ah, baby Lucy, we are fortunate not to be over there,” she says, and -clasps the little one more closely while she croons a lullaby. - -Suddenly she is attracted by the strange actions of the family cat, -which has been stretched out upon a rug across the room. Puss darts -across the floor to the window, and placing her forepaws upon the -window-seat, looks out. Then with a look of terror she runs to Lissa, -and crouching at her feet begins to mew piteously. - -“What is it, Menkin?” asks Lissa, putting down her hand to stroke the -creature’s back. The cat darts again to the window, and Lissa, following -her, sees that which blanches her face and lips to chalky whiteness. - -The fire has crossed the river! The wind has carried the burning cinders -even to the nearer bank, and now, only three-quarters of a mile away, -she can see the curling smoke, and tongues of red fire lapping the dry -grass. - -Frantic with alarm, her thoughts work rapidly. She drops her baby into -the basket and rushes out to the well, which, with its buckets, stands -near the house. - -Heavens! How long it seems ere, working desperately, hand over hand upon -the rope, she can bring the filled bucket to the top of the curb. Then -with a pail of water and a gunny-sack she flies across the fields to -meet the oncoming fire. With supernatural strength, evolved from her -terror, with the wet sacking she beats back the ravening flames madly, -frantically, and with all the force of over-strained muscles and -fear-nerved energy she fights the merciless element, until at last, -blinded by smoke, and scorched and blackened, she turns toward the -house, and flies with all the strength left her, her only hope now to -get her baby and run with it to the only haven of safety, the black soil -of the plowed land. - -Snatching her child from its pillow and folding it in her smoke-begrimed -arms she dashes again through the doorway and runs on and on over the -soft earth, until, with many yards of the moist, upturned sod about her, -she pauses and turns her eyes backward toward her humble yet beloved -home. - -With fascinated gaze she watches the flames creep nearer and nearer, now -only like red snakes in the grass, then as the tall weeds catch, like -sheets of scarlet, wound and twisted in smoke-clouds. - -The fire has parted at the place where her frenzied efforts have been -most effective, and one part is sweeping down the side of the road -opposite the house, the other around the barn-yard toward the stables. -She can see the horses corralled beyond the barn, and anticipating their -fate she hides her face in her child’s clothing and sobs. - -She is startled by hearing the sound of galloping horses and looks out -to see a drove of frightened animals come madly down the road ahead of -the flames. Will their instincts guide them toward a place of safety? A -burning stack across the road is adding to the blinding smoke, and she -can see through smarting eyes but a short distance around her. - -“O God! spare the poor creatures tied there and helpless,” she prays. -“Oh, why didn’t I think to loose them?” - -She crouches down over her child and gives away to her grief. Suddenly -she hears steps near her, and glancing up, the pink nose of Puss, her -pony, is thrust into her hand. - -“O you dear creature, how did you get away?” she falters. Then as she -perceives the dragging rope, yet fastened to the up-pulled stake, she -knows what Puss in her fright has been able to accomplish. - -“We all have superhuman strength given us in our time of need,” she -murmurs. She strains her eyes for a glimpse of the burning house, but -the smoke is so painful she is fain to hide her face, while her faithful -horse rubs its head against her as if to assure her of sympathy. - -“Lissa!” cries an anxious voice near her. - -“O Nate! Oh, our poor horses and our home! What shall we do?” - -“I am thankful _you_ are safe, Lissa. I feared you might not remember to -come here soon enough. Keep your eyes covered and crouch down close to -the ground. This smoke from that burning stack is overpowering.” - -“And our burning house and barns! O Nate,” wails Lissa, “those poor, -poor horses!” She bows her head again, and for some moments neither -speak. - -“Lissa, Lissa, look up!” cries Nathan suddenly, his voice thrilling with -a note of exultation. “Our home is safe! Do you hear? Safe!” - -Lissa raises her eyes. The smoke has lifted, and to their surprise and -joy they see revealed to them the buildings standing, unharmed. The -fire, although raging across the road, has let the barrier of only a few -feet, the width of one wagon-track, turn its course, and now, passing -on, has left only a blackened, smoking trail behind it. - -It has passed back of the stables, turned by the yards, and left them -and the horses untouched. - -“It is a miracle, Lissa!” says Nathan devoutly, his slow speech giving -force to his words. “As soon as the turf cools we can go -home,—home—think of it!” - -But Lissa is weeping hysterically. - -“What, crying when the danger is over? This is not the time to cry. What -is it for, little girl?” - -“O Nate, Nate—Nate! I—can’t help it! I—I’m—so happy! I—I’m so glad!” she -sobs. - -“There, there, give me the baby. Your nerves are all unstrung, that is -certain, and small wonder at it. But what’s this? What’s the matter with -your hands? Why, child, they are all blistered and burned. What have you -been doing?” - -“I—I fought the fire,” falters Lissa. - -“My poor child!” - -“I beat it back just as long as I could,” she pants. - -“And divided it, and saved our home! I understand all now,” Nathan -answers in broken tones. - -“No, it was the yards, I think. It was a miracle. I only beat it out up -to the road.” - -“And kept it on that side. But these poor hands must be looked after. -Aren’t they paining you?” - -“I—I haven’t thought of them,” replies Lissa. “How could I when these -poor animals and—and our house were in such danger.” - - - - - CHAPTER XII - A NEW MEDIUM - - -“My dear Mrs. Lucien—why, what is the matter?” - -Mrs. Wylie ran hurriedly to her friend’s side, but stopped, frightened -at the unseeing, vacant stare which met her. During the fortnight -intervening since the seance she had met her friend daily, but never had -seen her as now. - -Mrs. Lucien sat by a small sewing-table, her hands resting upon it, her -eyes gazing vacantly into space. Her expression was uncanny in its -fixity, and her hands moved restlessly over the smooth surface before -her. Her aspect was that of one whose outer senses were locked and all -thought and sight turned inward. - -The little Dolores, who had opened the door to Mrs. Wylie, resumed her -position by her mother, her hands resting in her mother’s lap, her -troubled eyes searching her mother’s face. - -Mrs. Wylie, unable to win any response or recognition, stood silent and -frightened, watching the entranced woman. Then her eyes fell upon the -swiftly moving fingers. What was she doing? Surely she was forming -letters—writing. Was it possible? She seemed to see her own name spelled -from the ends of those fingers. Mrs. Wylie had seen such things before -from professed mediums. Suddenly a thought came to her. She detached the -little gold pencil from her watch guard and laid in with her -shopping-tablet on the table before the woman. In a moment Mrs. Lucien -seized the pencil and was writing rapidly, her eyes still fixed and -unseeing. - -When she at last relinquished the tablet Mrs. Wylie took it up, and read -in letters scrawling and unlike the chirography of her friend, the -following: - - - “My dear friend: - -“Why do you hesitate on the dark borders of prejudice and ignorance? Why -not come into the full light of the truth? Our hands would gladly lead -you if you would take them. There is much to believe that is truth; -there is much to reject that is untruth. You accept much untruth. But -you shall soon know all. - - “E. M. B.” - - -What did this meaningless missive prove? That Mrs. Lucien was other than -she seemed? Mrs. Wylie could think of no one having those initials. Ah, -yes. She did have a friend, long ago, by the name of Emma Boyleson. She -could not remember her middle name, or if she had one. It might have -been “M.” But she was dead, died a long while ago, when only a little -more than a child. And why, if it came from her,—Mrs. Wylie’s instincts -denied the possibility,—why should she write such stuff as this? Simply -to mystify her? Could she be mistaken in Mrs. Lucien? Could it be -possible that she was one of those dreaded charlatans? But if so, how -could she have known anything about Emma Boyleson? She had never -mentioned her, so far as she could remember, even to Mr. Wylie. - -She would arouse Mrs. Lucien and sift this affair thoroughly. - -“Mrs. Lucien! Mrs. Lucien!” she said imperatively. - -She was gratified to see a change pass over the woman’s face. Mrs. -Lucien started, shivered, pressed her hands to her forehead. - -“What is the matter, Mrs. Lucien,” again demanded Mrs. Wylie, bending -over her. - -The dazed woman brushed her eyes and looked about her. - -“Have I been asleep?” she asked plaintively. - -“Yes, and writing me a letter in your dreams,” chirruped her visitor -gaily. “Now you may arouse yourself and interpret it for me.” - -Mrs. Lucien shook her head, while the look of awe deepened in her face. - -“Ah, can it be possible,” she murmured, “that Dr. Lyman told me the -truth, and that I am really a medium? How strange it seems, and yet he -promised me it should be.” - -“You a medium?” Mrs. Wylie shrank from her hostess involuntarily. - -“Yes, Dr. Lyman told me I was mediumistic, and that if I would sit down -at just the same time every evening, and allow myself to become entirely -passive I would soon be made the instrument to take and convey the words -of the invisible to the visible. I did not think, however, to obtain -this so soon.” - -“O Mrs. Lucien, how could you lend yourself to such experiments? You -would not deceive me, would you? Tell me truly, did you know what you -were doing when you wrote that message to me?” - -“No more than I know what I do in my sleep. I have a feeling that I have -had dreams, but I cannot recall them.” - -“Did this ever happen before?” - -“I have had this feeling and a partial remembrance of dreams, but I do -not know what I have ever written.” - -“Do you think Dr. Lyman had anything to do with this?” - -“No, only so far as he has assisted in developing me.” - -“What do you mean by that?” - -“I think he exercised some—mesmeric power or influence over me, while in -attendance at his lectures.” - -“You horrify me! And would you continue to go and hear him, when you -knew this?” - -“Why, yes. I hoped he might develop me into a medium. Why should I not?” -Mrs. Lucien’s innocent, dark eyes looked up inquiringly. - -“I think it is dreadful—dreadful! I would not be under his influence for -anything.” - -“But it is not his influence. It is—Oh! I cannot tell you. It is a power -from beyond. Why should I fear to speak to those I love?” - -“I cannot bear to think of it,” Mrs. Wylie said, shivering. “We do not -know to whom we are talking. We have no proof of their identity, and -know not if the power be good or evil.” - -“What, not when we see, as we did a short time ago, the faces of those -we have known and loved here on earth?” - -Mrs. Wylie shook her head. - -“A delusion of the senses!” she said positively. - -Mrs. Lucien gazed pityingly upon her. - -“I am sure, dear Mrs. Wylie, that when we see a photograph taken of a -spirit face we can not doubt its genuineness. Cameras do not lie.” - -“Don’t they? I am not sure. I have heard that people have tried to get -pictures of materialized spirits, and failed. The camera plate reveals -_nothing_, proving the delusions. Did you ever see an authentic -spirit-photograph?” - -“My father did, and I have often heard him tell the story, although he -does not profess to believe in spiritism. He is a member of the Masonic -fraternity, and while in the West, a number of years ago, one of his -brother knights sickened and died. The family had no good portrait of -the man, and my father, who was superintending the funeral arrangements, -obtained permission to get some one to take a picture of the corpse. - -“There was a young lady photographer a few doors away and she was called -in. She told them she was out of negative plates (they were in a country -town where supplies were not readily obtainable) but that any glass -would do. Accordingly she found a pane of window glass, and cut it to -the required dimensions and prepared it otherwise for the holder. My -father propped the man upon pillows as well as he could, and the artist -focused upon him with care. Removing the plate she took it to a dark -closet, previously prepared, to apply the developing solution, and then -brought it forth to show to my father. He looked at it, and exclaimed in -surprise, for instead of the dead man alone, there were three figures -upon the negative, a very good portrait of the corpse, and on either -side a man and a woman, their faces growing more distinct as they -looked. The artist was as much surprised as my father, and could not -account for the phenomenon. At last they called in a friend of the -family, who at once recognized and pronounced the portraits to be those -of a deceased brother and sister of the dead man. The widow corroborated -their statements, recognizing them and calling them by their names. My -father ordered the artist to take another picture, as he wanted to keep -this, and she did so, obtaining one of the dead man alone. I have not -only my father’s word for this, but that of others who were present at -the time and acquainted with the facts. Certainly, dear Mrs. Wylie, that -could have come only from actual materialized spirits before the -camera.” - -“Unless the images were already stamped upon the plate by some natural -process before the picture was taken. The glass might have been some old -cast-off negative from a studio; or I have read of breath pictures -stamped upon window-panes by natural, if not well-understood, forces. -There might have been a mirror behind the dead man, which reflected your -father and the artist as the picture was being taken. Of course it is -very mysterious, but might have a simple explanation if we could find -it. The orientals believe they have astral bodies which they can project -at will. I am willing, I think, to believe in _anything_, rather than -spirits; for, my dear friend, even if we grant that the spirits of our -dear departed are near us, and acting as guardian-angels to us, do you -think it would be necessary for them to resort to so much that is -unpleasant and almost ludicrous in order to make us aware of their -presence? And even if they are able to make themselves visible to the -eye of the camera, is it well for us to try to communicate with them and -to seek to discover that which God has hidden from us?” - -“My dear, we are told to seek for the _truth_. And why, then, is it not -well? Surely, if the presence of my children was dear to me on earth, it -is dear to me now.” - -“Yes, if you were in heaven with them; but I cannot believe such -doubtful converse as this, gotten through mediumistic agency, can be -well for any one.” - -“I can see no possible harm in it,” returned Mrs. Lucien, with an air of -conviction. “Even Christ materialized after his crucifixion.” - -“But He didn’t have a cabinet and a medium to assist Him,” replied Mrs. -Wylie, with some asperity. “There is really so much that is despicable -and demoralizing connected with the history of this belief that I -confess I have little patience with the followers of it.” - -“My dear, wrong has been done in all sects and societies. Any new belief -is apt to draw to itself many who are no honor to it.” - -“But think of all this buffoonery of materialization in a cabinet, and -table-rappings, and tying with cords, and so forth. I cannot believe in -it. Hermann can surpass it by his magic.” - -“Did not Moses and Elijah materialize?” - -“Not in a cabinet. Besides, the days of miracles are passed.” - -“I cannot think so,” said Mrs. Lucien, clasping her hands and looking -upward with a rapturous glance. - -“Well,” said Mrs. Wylie, rising, “I am sorry you are so much interested -in the subject. I have never seen anything but sorrow come of it.” - -“Is there not sorrow everywhere, Mrs. Wylie? This day is, I think, -symbolical of life, or of many lives.” She threw open a window, and the -two stepped out upon a small balcony above the street. - -A heavy calm was over and about all nature. The whistle of the oncoming -train, the rattle of the car over the pavement was louder and more -discordant than on brighter, sunnier days. Even the voices of the people -on the street grew distinct and harsh, as the air, damp with the -approaching storm, bore their words with clearness to the twain above -them. - -Little gusts of wind caught up the dust from the trampled pavement, and -whisked it over, in tyrannous derision, and a dusky, yellow hue shone -upon the faces of humanity. The swinging signs before the shop creaked -and groaned ominously, and the flag upon the tall pole in the park shook -out its folds, then wound them about the halyards and hung limp and -spiritless. - -The faint muttering of a cloud skirting the horizon was at times heard, -when the sound of busy humanity was for a moment hushed. - -Mrs. Lucien stood, leaning over the railing of the veranda, her pale -cheek resting in the soft upturned palm of her hand, and her eyes fixed -on the moving panorama before her. - -“I feel as though listening to the voice of God coming from yonder -storm-cloud,” she said. “How responsive is all nature to the ominous -warning there. Even the trees seem to be holding their breaths and -waiting for the presence to pass by. Notice how different is the quiver -of the leaflets now from their usual merry, rollicking dance in the wind -and sunshine at other times.” - -“I suppose the atmosphere is more dense and heavy,” said Mrs. Wylie, -determined not to be betrayed into sentimentality. - -“I like to think they understand the portent of the thunder and are -afraid,” replied the other. “They are saying their prayers now, and -asking that they may survive the blows and buffeting of the coming -tempest. Hear the sparrows chirp to call their families together. To me -there is no time so grand, so inspiring as this.” - -“But if you were in the West, where cyclones are common, what would you -feel?” asked the practical Mrs. Wylie. - -“Fear, terror, and trembling like the leaves, no doubt,” replied Mrs. -Lucien. “The anger and fury expressed in a tornado must be dreadful. I -shudder at the thought of it. But after the wind comes a still small -voice. Ah, how can people who live and breathe the beneficent air of -heaven, who witness the wonderful phenomena of nature, say or believe -there is no grand, marvelous unity controlling it all? Truly, it _is_ -the fool who sayeth in his heart, there is no God. - -“We can feel His wonderful love and care in the beautiful earth and -flowers about us, can perceive His righteous law in the retributive -justice of all nature, and His might and omnipotence in the -thunder-storm and cyclone. Ah, it is a wonderful thing to live, to know -that in a little while we shall have crossed to the other side, beyond -time and eternity. And then we may see and know the Law-giver, this -Almighty One, who carries worlds in his hands, yet deigns to note a -sparrow’s fall.” - -“Yes,” assented Mrs. Wylie, “it is a wonderful thing to live.” But she -sighed. She could not forget the scene that presented itself to her eyes -earlier in the morning, and she bade her friend good-by abstractedly, -and passed out into the hurrying world upon the street, her mind heavy -and oppressed. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII - A DOMESTIC JAR - - -Mrs. Wylie went back to her home in a very dissatisfied frame of mind. -She mentally scourged herself for having been instrumental in bringing -Mrs. Lucien under Dr. Lyman’s influence. The whole subject was -distasteful to her and she resolved to keep away from Mrs. Lucien as -much as possible in the future. She could not rest, however, until she -had unburdened herself to her husband. - -“Horace, I am very sorry we ever met Mrs. Lucien,” she said that evening -as they sat in the quiet of their parlor at the hotel. - -“Regret meeting Mrs. Lucien?” Mr. Wylie raised his eyebrows quizzically. -“And why, may I ask? Am I to infer that you do me the honor to be—” - -“No, no, of course not. But—I feel that we have done her harm—an -incalculable amount of harm.” - -“We do her harm? Will you be so kind as to explain your anomalous words? -I am not accustomed to think of myself as a dangerous character, either -specially or as regards the body-politic,” he replied, frowning. - -“I mean that, by our aid, she went to hear Dr. Lyman, and I am afraid -his pernicious theories will ruin her,” faltered Mrs. Wylie, as she -detected her husband’s disapproval. - -“My dear, I would have you choose your adjectives more carefully. -Pernicious is an offensive word to use in connection with a subject of -which you know so little. Oblige me by deferring your judgment until you -are better acquainted with the subject. Your blind prejudice is making -you censorious.” Mr. Wylie employed his most lofty tone and manner. - -“I never want to know more of the subject, and I shall always regret -that I ever went or took Mrs. Lucien to hear that man!” Mrs. Wylie’s -blue eyes filled with tears. - -“Why, see here, Puss, you seem more out of humor than usual. What has -happened to Mrs. Lucien?” - -“Matter enough! She is entirely carried away with that—that Dr. Lyman’s -creed,” she stammered. - -“Perhaps you wouldn’t mind telling me where she has gone,” he suggested -with serio-comic gravity. - -Mrs. Wylie smiled through her tears. - -“O, she is here yet, at least in body, but her mind is up in the clouds -roving around after familiar spirits. She was in some kind of a trance -when I went there to-day, and wrote me a letter purporting to come from -some mystical source.” - -“Ah?” Mr. Wylie became interested. - -“It didn’t amount to anything. The whole thing was dreadful.” - -“Why dreadful? Did you keep the letter?” - -“Yes, here it is upon my shopping-tablet.” She detached the ivory -ornament and handed it to him. He studied it carefully, then said: - -“And she was unconscious when she wrote this, you say?” - -“Yes, apparently.” - -“Strange, strange. It is as I thought. Mrs. Lucien will develop into a -writing medium. It is such ethereal natures as hers that are chosen.” - -“But, Horace, I cannot endure the thought of such a thing.” - -“And why not, pray?” Again his eyebrows were exasperatingly elevated. - -“Because there is no good in it. Because it will ruin her, body and -soul. Whoever goes into that belief does so at his peril. He either -becomes insane or helplessly demoralized before many months or years.” - -“Where have you learned so much, Mrs. Wylie? It appears to me I have -never seen you so much excited over anything before. Who has been -talking to you?” - -“I heard Mr. Smalley’s address at church last Sunday evening, which you -would not go to hear. He said it was a most pernicious and dangerous -theory to follow. That it led to—” - -“O, I know. It is the wholesale condemnation of heterodoxy by orthodoxy. -It is believe what I believe or be damned. All else is of the Devil. It -has been the habit of most people since the world began to denounce as -heresy, or ridicule as madness, things too high for their sight or too -deep for their comprehension. But the day has gone by for this sort of -thing. It is merely a confession of ignorance, now-a-days, to assert a -total disbelief in psychic and supernatural phenomena.” - -“But, Horace, there is much fraud and trickery connected with it. Think -of that exposé last winter of that Mrs. Brunner.” - -“O, that is liable to happen in any creed or theology. There are always -some who make pretensions from merely selfish motives.” - -“But, Horace, this is no theology. That is what I think so dreadful -about it. If people would only not make a religion of it and accept the -utterance of the so-called spirits for their guide in spiritual maters.” - -“It seems to me spirits should be good guides in spiritual matters,” -said Mr. Wylie, smiling. - -“Horace, Mr. Smalley said that, as a rule, false religions always led to -sexual immorality; that we would find the history of spiritism -associated with divorces and worse. Husbands separating from their -wives, wives from their husbands, minds becoming unbalanced, business -neglected, and a general lowering of the whole social fabric, mentally -and morally. You know, Horace, many spiritists are free-lovers.” - -“I am surprised that my wife has permitted herself to listen to such -utterances. Hereafter, I prefer you do not go to hear Rev. Mr. Smalley. -I will take you with me.” - -“And I will _not_ go with you to any more of those horrid seances!” said -Mrs. Wylie. - -“Very well. I shall not compel you to do so. But this childish anger and -lack of self-control is very distasteful to me. I hope I may not have a -repetition of it.” Mr. Wylie arose and left the room, while his wife -threw herself upon a sofa and shed tears of anger and grief over this -experience of marital infelicity. - -A small wedge may divide in halves a tree, but when divided no power on -earth can unite them as closely as before; and little cracks in the soil -of home life may form a place for germ deposits in which dissensions, -strife, and all manner of unpleasantness are bred. - -Mrs. Wylie would not have confessed to her dearest friends that her life -the succeeding winter was less happy than before, but it was true she -felt a growing estrangement between herself and husband. - -He was, possibly, as kind and indulgent as ever, treating her as a fond -parent might treat a wayward child, but she missed the old-time -confidences and evening talks. - -Probably there had never been that true unity of soul with soul that -should constitute the real marriage, but Elinor Wylie’s husband had -always seemed so proud of her, and fond, that until this winter she had -felt no lack in his affection. But, alas, so small a thing will turn and -divide a shallow stream, and when turned, how far apart the separate -branches may run. And the ideal marriage of true unity of thought and -purpose is so rarely consummated. Hence the world of divided lives. - -Mrs. Wylie felt that they were drifting away from each other, and every -wife knows what that may be. To feel the division growing wider and -wider, deeper and more impassable, and be impotent to stop it. - -The little coolnesses and differences which are at first made up with -kisses of cementing power grow more frequent and bitter. The endearing -word is less frequently given. By and by the good-by kiss is forgotten -when he leaves her, the salute of greeting omitted when he returns, and -each heart grows harder and harder, bitterer and bitterer, until at last -he thinks of her but to censure and condemn, she of him but to dislike -and fear. And finally, as Byron writes, “Hating one another, wishing one -another dead, they live respectably as man and wife.” - -Only the first act of this drama of life had as yet come to Mrs. Wylie, -but the little imp of unrest had crept into her breast, and the quiet -happiness of other days was no more. Horace Wylie spent less time at -home than formerly, and when there buried himself in books and papers, -and thus the little woman was left much to herself to seek pleasure and -excitement where she could. - -The one thing which caused Mrs. Wylie more heart-ache than any other was -her husband’s growing interest and adherence to the creed of Dr. Lyman. -Although that subject was tabooed between them, she knew he regularly -attended seances during the winter and no longer even asked her to -accompany him. - -Mrs. Wylie was grievously disappointed in Mrs. Lucien and went less -frequently to see her, for she knew her friend had been led into giving -public seances, and as a writing medium and psychometrist was being much -talked of in the city and sought after by a certain set, many of whom -Mrs. Wylie felt she would not care to acknowledge as acquaintances, -although they belonged to a psychical society or club of which Mr. Wylie -was a member. This club had made much of Mrs. Lucien and brought her -before the public. - -Hence, Mrs. Wylie, being left to her own resources, went more in -society, was gayer, more extravagant and fashionable than ever, and -little Robert was left more and more to the care of the remarkable -Tibby. - -Tibby grew and waxed beautiful, and became more and more a fact and -factor in Mr. Wylie’s household. She was no longer only nurse to the -child, but companion and friend to Mrs. Wylie. It was Tibby’s fingers -that brushed away the headache brought on by social dissipation. It was -Tibby’s sympathy and advice that soothed away the little vexations that -sometimes distressed her mistress. Mrs. Wylie would as soon have thought -of giving up little Robert as this Tibby who had grown into her heart -and love. Even Mr. Wylie was not insensible to the charm of her -presence. He began to treat her more as a daughter of the house and -indulge her in any whim or fanciful taste she might entertain. - -Truly, Tibby was in a fair way to become spoiled, according to his -earlier theories; but Mr. Wylie seemed to have forgotten those early -fears, and now helped in the spoiling. - -And thus, when Mr. Wylie’s business required his removal to the Pacific -slope, Tibby went with this family of her adoption, secure in her -present and future needs. - -And there, among strangers and strange scenes she was known as the -adopted daughter of the wealthy Mr. Wylie. Teachers were procured for -her, and a broader culture and further accomplishments were added to the -native graces of our little country girl. - -Tom and Bess became pleasant memories of that past which now seemed to -Tibby so far away, and though she laughed and shed tears occasionally -over their misspelled and somewhat illegible letters, she no longer -pined for the companions of her childhood. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV - BEFORE THE PUBLIC - - -The large hall of the Lennox is filled with a curious and heterogeneous -assemblage of men and women. The majority of those present are believers -in spiritism, and ready and more than willing to credit all the -phenomena witnessed to spirit agency. A few are there who came in the -honest endeavor to learn the truth and to discover if there is something -in the mystic realms beyond the sight which may be made clear to their -comprehension. There are others, however, who came with malice -aforethought, desiring to thwart and expose the trickery which they -believe is practised by the medium. - -Before all this multitude she whom we have called Mrs. Lucien appears to -give an exhibition of psychometric reading and slate-writing. - -She has changed slightly since we saw her. She is even thinner and more -ethereal looking than she was then. Her eyes have a pained, timid look -in them, as if the life she is leading is fraught with haunting ghosts -and mocking spectres, with tortured nerves and sleepless nights. Mrs. -Lucien has had much to cause her extreme dejection and pain. - -These exhibitions which she gives are for the most part but as dreams to -her. She has little realization of what she says or does in the trance -state into which she passes. But it has happened once or twice that she -has been unable to become fully passive and entranced. Then she has been -obliged to simulate such a condition or wholly disappoint her audience -and make an utter failure of her work. It is the fear of this deception, -to which she may be compelled to resort at any time, which frightens her -and fills her with self-loathing. - -She has that fear upon her now as she comes forward and sits down before -the audience, her pale face waxen in the gaslight. - -If she should fail! She sits very still, seeking to hold her thoughts in -abeyance, that she may woo that sweet forgetfulness and waking dream -which reveals to her the mysteries of the invisible. - -It is coming. - -Her hands grow cold and sink weightily upon her lap. She feels the -mystic power enveloping her, creeping down, over and around her. The -lights grow dimmer and dimmer. Her eyelids are freighted with leaden -compresses. - -Soon eyes and ears are closed to all external sights and sounds. Strange -melodies, fitful and harmonious, sound within, and strange lights, like -electric sparks, flash across and illumine the recesses of her brain. - -She feels as if mind and body had become separate and apart. Thoughts -new and uncalled for come to overwhelm her. Then voices from out of the -distance are heard. Words, words come in numbers, half-consciously to -her lips, but she hears them as afar off. She sees with closed eyes, and -in this inner vision message after message written out before her. - -Words written upon a scrap of paper and crushed in her hand stand out in -bright distinctness before her mental vision. Words in languages other -than those she speaks are known to her. She forgets them as soon as -uttered. No—hark! “Tell Harry his mother is waiting for him.” - -Did her lips utter those words? She cannot tell. Words, words, -words—where do they come from? She is under control. No power or -volition of her own consciousness moves her. Songs, sweet songs, she -hears. Does she sing them? Is she out of mortal life or in it? - -It is over! - -The world in which she has been living floats away like evanescent smoke -in ether-filled space. She awakens to the unfriendly glare of the -foot-lights, the restless, garish crowd, the unfeeling world again. - -Ugh! She shudders. If she could never more waken. Whence comes this -pain, this actual pain which racks her? - -Even that is over at last, and she can arise and escape from it all. How -gladly she would shut herself up in her own little room with Dolores -again. But it must not be. The five dollars a night for these -exhibitions must be earned and laid by for Dolores. - -She puts on her wraps and enters her carriage to be whirled away to the -hotel, her temporary abiding place. What are her thoughts and -reflections upon this lonely, homeward ride! - -“O God, O God!” she is saying; “show me some other way! Am I wrong, -wicked to do this? Where does it come from, this power? From Thee or -from the shades of darkness? If I only knew! If I only knew! Why did it -ever come to me? Why should my life be so differently ordered from that -of other and happier women? Can it be I am the same who was once safe -and sheltered in the comforts of home? Safe? Did not the serpent enter -my Eden—even there? - -“O God! why did it come? Can this life be real? If I could but waken and -find it all a dream.” - - - - - CHAPTER XV - WELCOME GUESTS - - -We will pass over the first few years of Lissa’s pioneer life, only -mentioning one or two experiences which, though common to that section -of the country, brought terror and anxiety to the heart of our little -bright-eyed woman. Again they experienced the sweeping of a prairie fire -near them, when Nathan came expecting to find their home in ashes, and -another hour when a blizzard drove them terrorstricken to their dug-out, -where, during the long night, they listened to the shrieking and -pounding of the elements, expecting every moment to have the roof torn -from the house. - -There had been seasons of famine and distress, too, when neighbors had -been obliged to turn to each other for aid, and the higher and diviner -attributes of mankind had shone forth as gold from the crucible, and -others, alas! had been proven so encased in the rock of selfishness that -when Famine’s gaunt wolf howled about they thought only of themselves -and their own safety, and consoled their consciences by quoting, -“Charity begins at home.” - -But these trials had drawn the little community more closely together, -and the habit of calling each other by the first name became general, -showing the unity of feeling among them. - -Nathan, owing to his winter employment, escaped the privations common to -many, and Mark, also, had not to depend upon the mutability of the -seasons for a livelihood. - -Lissa had grown fully in the enjoyment of her home; and in the company -of her bright-eyed little daughter, who pattered about the house, adding -to her joy as well as care, she realized the ideal life of a mother. -What is it to her that away in the East the luxuries of life are -magnified, and things unessential to her are there necessities? - -She has enough to eat, enough to wear, so far as comfort demands; and -the fashion periodical which is sent to her each month keeps her in -touch with the outside world. She can fashion the simple fabrics which -serve to replenish her wardrobe after the latest modes. She reads the -daily papers, sent to her in bundles six or eight at a time, and is -familiar with the doings of metropolitans. If the time shall ever come -when she shall need to go back to city life she will be ready. - -Look at her now as she steps to the door in anticipation of Nathan’s -home-coming. Her shining ringlets hang about her fair face in the way -her husband loves best to see them; her arched, short upper lip -describes the Cupid’s bow over the full under one, and her large, -luminous black eyes, gleaming with slumbering fires, look out upon the -smooth, sunlit expanse before her. She is a beautiful and charming -picture of a happy and contented wife. - -A half hour later Nathan entered and greeted the little woman tenderly, -while he noted with the eye of love the pallor of the upturned face. - -“I am afraid the care of baby and all is getting to be too much for you -again,” he said. “I must get Neoka back from the post to help you. I -think she will prove more tractable, now the Quakers have had her in -charge so long. I want you to get out more. You are getting to look too -much like a cellar plant. Besides, we have visitors coming and I want -you to have time to enjoy them.” - -Lissa’s eyes dilated eagerly. - -“O Nate, it can’t be—Who is it? It _can’t be_—_mamma_?” - -“Yes, dear, and Donald.” - -“Mamma and Donald? But how did they come together? Where are they? O -Nate, I don’t understand!” And Lissa pressed her hand to her heart. - -“There, there, dear. Don’t get excited. I’m afraid I’ve told you too -suddenly. Your mother stopped with Alice to have me come on and let you -know. They’ll be here after a little while. Donald is out tethering the -ponies, and waiting, for the same reason.” - -“O Nate, now I’m entirely happy!” And Lissa caught up the child and -laughed and cried while she kissed it ecstatically. - -“Hello, sis! Aren’t you embracing the wrong one? You might save a little -for the rest of us.” Lissa looked up to see Donald’s laughing face -framed in the doorway. She extended both hands to him. “O Don, I’m so -happy, I don’t know whether to laugh or cry!” she gasped, her tears -mingling with her smiles. - -“Well, Lissa, I don’t actually know which is the more becoming to -you—perhaps both. I always did like April weather. You are fully as -dazzling as a rainbow now. It was rather bad for us to come and surprise -you, that’s a fact; but I knew you wouldn’t mind me, and Nathan tells me -you didn’t receive your mother’s letter.” - -“No, and I’m glad I didn’t. I could never have waited for her to get -here; no, _never_! I should have started alone across the prairies, -horseback, to meet her. But how changed you are, Don. You look so much -taller and bigger, and—my!—so much older!” - -“Ah, it’s the added wisdom of my college years,” replied Donald with -assumed gravity. “That’s what ages a fellow. It’s the Greek and Latin -that you see sticking out all over me that has changed me.” - -Lissa looked up into the smiling eyes of this big brother and wondered -if it was those four years of hard study that had so chiseled and -thinned the boyish face of her remembrance. - -“I suspect that mustache is responsible for some of the change,” she -said aloud. - -“So? Shall I shave it off? It’s an outgrowth of _calculus_.” - -“No, you’re all right as you are. I’m not sure but you’re improved.” - -“O, that morsel of flattery is sweet, at last, and I’ve been fishing for -it so long,” said Donald, with an expansive sigh. “I rather expected you -to say at once, ‘how much handsomer you’ve grown!’” - -“I am very glad I did not say it,” said Lissa, with a grimace. “But I -see mamma coming. Excuse me, Donald, I must run to meet her!” and Lissa, -with all the abandon of a school-girl, ran down the path to meet the -stately mother, whose tears were ready to mingle with those of her -beloved child. And when, a few moments later, Lissa came in clinging -fondly to the maternal arm, the crimson flush of excited pleasure in her -cheeks, the intervening years seemed to have been stricken out and one -saw but the girl of sixteen who so trustingly gave her future into -Nathan’s care and bade good-by to Donald in his Iowa home. - -But there is little Lucy to be shown to grandma, and kissed and -commented upon, and the tea is cold, and the cakes in danger of being -spoiled before Lissa is recalled to her duties as hostess. - -“Ah, Donald, dear, I shall let you all starve, I am sure, before I can -bring myself down to such mundane affairs as bread and butter again. How -delightful this is. I didn’t know I was homesick before, but now I think -I must have been. But how did you happen to be with mother, Don?” she -babbled. - -“Our meeting was ‘purely accidental,’ as the fiction writers say. I saw -her at the station and heard her inquiring for a carriage to bring her -out here, and so I made bold to introduce myself. Of course she saw at a -glance the honesty in my face, and knew I was a confidence man—” - -“Oh, oh!” cried Lissa. - -“And I told her I was a poor navigator bound for the same harbor and we -set sail together,” Donald concluded. - -Mrs. Clyne nodded. “That is true, notwithstanding Mr. Bartram’s rather -mixed metaphor,” she said, smiling. - -“Ah, how strangely it happened, and fortunately. And now you will spend -the winter with us; and you, too, I hope, Donald.” - -“I have to take charge of a surveying party for a few weeks. After that -I may be back to spend some time here.” - -“Ah, yes, I remember you are a civil engineer. You will enjoy the -hunting in the winter on the buffalo grounds.” - -“Not hunting buffalo, I hope. At the rate they are being slaughtered -they will soon be extinct,” said Nathan. - -“Never fear, Nathan, I’ve little taste that way. It’s too noble an -animal,” replied Donald. - -“Come, now, I have made new tea, and we will have supper. It’s _supper_ -here, mother, instead of _dinner_, and I know you are all ravenously -hungry after your long ride of twenty-five miles from the station.” - -“It seems to me an extremely long distance to be from a railway,” said -Mrs. Clyne, after they were seated around the table, where Lissa’s -silver shone resplendent. “How did you happen to come so far from one -when you bought?” - -Nathan smiled. - -“I took up the land first, believing at the time the line would run -nearer, and it is only a question of time when it will do so.” - -“I suppose this is a great farming country.” - -“We have much to contend with here,” said Nathan. “The ground is rich, -but has little depth. We are liable to have a wind-storm that will carry -the land from one farm to another.” - -“Free transportation and exchange of farms,” said Donald. - -“Yes; again, we have a fine crop of grain or corn nearly in ear, when -there will come a hot wind and sear the leaves like a fire. We are never -quite sure, or able to prognosticate here for the future, whether we -will have corn, beans, and potatoes to eat, beans and potatoes, or -whether it will be beans alone.” - -“And you sometimes have real fires,” said Mrs. Clyne. “I have worried -about them ever since the one you wrote me about, which Lissa fought. -How did you do it, dear?” - -“Really, I don’t know. I was so frightened that I didn’t have time to -think. The grass was not so high on this side of the river or I don’t -know what might have happened.” - -“Lissa aided in turning the fire. I doubt if it would have spared us -otherwise,” said Nathan. - -“I shall always believe it a real miracle that time,” said Lissa. “It -was only a day or two before that that Nathan had brought the calves -around to crop the grass before the house. Had it not been for that, it -surely would have burned. And who inspired him to bring them just when -he did?” - -“I think you all learned something that time,” said Alice. “You have -since followed Mark’s example and kept the grass cut around the house. -But there’s always danger in the fall, when the weeds are high in the -outlying fields.” - -“When Mr. Elmer’s house was burned it was nearly as terrifying. Nathan -was thirty-five miles from home, and men came across the fields and -lighted back fires for me. The wind was driving the flames up from the -south and burning corn-fields and houses by the way,” Lissa said. - -“How dreadful! You sometimes have it very cold here also,” said Mrs. -Clyne. - -“Yes, but we are used to that, and our houses are warm. Don’t worry -about that, mother.” - -“Certainly not, I can stand it if you can, I am sure. But how are you -off socially? Have you pleasant neighbors?” - -“Yes, indeed, and neighbors are neighbors, here. We call each other by -the first name,—that is, most of us do,—and we are not above borrowing -from one another when necessary.” - -“I should think not,” laughed Alice. “We have often loaned our dresses -and shoes.” - -“And that isn’t all.” And then the twain looked at each other and -laughed again. - -“I don’t see how you ever became accustomed to it, girls. You were -brought up to such a different life,” Mrs. Clyne remarked. - -“O, it’s easy, just as easy as learning to skate,” responded Lissa, not -finding at hand any more suitable comparison. “It comes to one naturally -in a little time.” - -Mrs. Clyne shook her head. “I’m afraid it wouldn’t come to me. I’m too -old.” - -“O, now mother, don’t think that. You’ll really enjoy it. And we have -some really nice people here. The McClearys, for instance; and the -Davitts and the Youngs and the Garretts. Then we _know_ every one for -miles away, and intimately.” - -“Yes,” said Alice, “we know all the private affairs of each other. If -Mrs. Garrett gets a new dress all the neighbors know of it, and if I -have company to tea, or make plum butter, it is known from here to C——” - -“Ah, it’s all beyond me,” Mrs. Clyne sighed. - -“And when we visit one another we take our work along and stay to tea,” -giggled Lissa, “whether we are invited or not.” - -“And just think, mother, I have been in a carriage but once or twice -since we came here. I always go horseback,” added Alice. “And -Donald,—I’m sure you’ll allow me to follow our custom out here and call -you so, as you are one of the family,—the young folks go ‘sparking’ out -here, and—” - -“And sit in the corner and hold each other’s hands,” put in Nathan. - -“Whew, that sounds interesting. I’m booked for at least one winter here. -Are the girls pretty?” - -“Most assuredly, and there are heaps of them, as we say here. There are -more girls than boys, for some reason. Really I don’t know of more than -half a dozen marriageable young _men_ in this section.” - -“I suppose with so much land in sight they preempt a portion and marry -to live upon, and secure it,” said Donald. “But who are the girls?” - -“Well, there are the Pemberton twins, who look so exactly alike you -could never tell which was which,” continued Alice. - -“That sounds interesting! Two fair ones must be better than one. Shall I -put a mem. in my note-book concerning them?” - -“It will not be necessary. You will see them soon enough, and will -rarely see one without the other. They are quite the rage, and have -cropped yellow curls, and milky blue eyes.” - -Donald lifted his eyebrows quizzically. - -“Lissa is such a fine word photographist, one can see their very image,” -he said. - -“Come, Don, leave the women to their gossip and come with me,” said -Nathan. “I want a history of the old home since you were here.” And the -two men sauntered out into the night and the wonderful silence of the -moonlit prairie. - - - - - CHAPTER XVI - AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE - - -Among the visitors at Lissa’s home was one whom she at first received -with scant hospitality, if not actual discourtesy. This was Professor -Russell. - -How he had chanced to come to their neighborhood she never knew. He had -accompanied her husband home from the post one evening, and the dismay -she felt at the sight of him had not been easily disguised. - -Why he should have sought them was a question that often returned to her -as the months brought frequent visits from him, sometimes prolonged into -weeks of sojourn in the neighborhood. Sometimes for months nothing would -be seen of him, then suddenly he would appear like a dangerous comet, -bringing a feeling of uneasiness to Lissa, wherefore she could not have -told. - -When inquired of as to his wanderings and uncertain appearances, he -always said he had been in the East, but added no further account of -himself. - -Lissa at first distrusted and disliked him instinctively. His bland, -insinuating manner was thrown away upon her, she told herself. - -And yet she feared him too much to refuse him admittance to her home. -Since that night when, at the house of Squire Bartram, he had so -accurately described her brother-in-law’s encounter with the Sioux she -had not doubted his power of divination or clairvoyance, or whatever the -faculty might be termed. But it was an uncanny, unpleasant power, and -she felt a shudder of superstitious terror whenever he approached her. - -She would have been glad of any justifiable pretext to keep him from -visiting them, and was happy when the weeks would roll by without his -appearing among them. - -This feeling, however, gradually wore away in some measure as she became -more accustomed to his presence, and as her sister, and later her -mother, became interested in his theories, she began to tolerate with -more patience his teaching of spiritism. - -He held frequent seances in the neighborhood, and many of the families -about her had become more or less interested in the doctrines, few of -them openly opposing them and their teacher, except her handsome -brother-in-law, Mark Cramer. He was outspoken in his condemnation of -both the man and his _ism_. - -One mild November afternoon, when the sisters and mother were together -at Lissa’s home, the name of a sister who had died in infancy was -mentioned. - -“If,” said Alice, “there is any truth in Professor Russell’s -communications, I would like to have him bring me word from Elsie. No -one here, not even Mark, knows of her having existed, as we so rarely -mention her.” - -Lissa assented, and observed that it was the anniversary of her death, -the thirteenth of November. - -Before they had finished their conversation upon the topic they were -startled by a rap at the outer door and Lissa opened it to see the -ubiquitous Professor himself, who, after shaking hands with the sisters -and Mrs. Clyne, seated himself, and without asking for either Nathan or -Mark, observed suavely: - -“As both of your husbands are to be at home to-day, I called to see if -we might not invite in some of the neighbors and hold a seance this -evening.” - -“But Nathan is absent,” said Lissa, “and will not be home until -Saturday.” - -“And Mark is out upon the plains, forty miles from here,” added Alice. - -The Professor smiled indulgently. - -“They are both coming home and will be here before evening,” he said -with an air of assurance. - -The three women exchanged glances. Was this but talk, or did he have the -power of unveiling the future as well as the past? Or did he -clairvoyantly see Nathan and Mark directing their course thither-ward? - -“You speak with conviction, Professor,” Lissa at length replied. “Have -you received intelligence from the absent ones which is not known to -us?” - -“That which I see, ye cannot now perceive,” the man said sententiously. -“Yet the time is coming when you as well shall have the power to lift -the veil which hides the dreaded unknown and learn the mysteries which -are only revealed to those who are willing to seek in the right manner -and submit themselves to the spirit influences which surround them. You -can never know, Mrs. Clyne, the peace you will experience when you have -ceased to resist and rebel against the gentle influences which seek only -to promote your happiness and well-being. There is one angelic form now -hovering about you and anxiously striving to win recognition from those -so near and dear to her when on earth.” - -“Can you tell her name,” questioned Lissa, as the man, with his eye -fixed upon the opposite wall, paused and seemed wrapped in thought. - -“It is a woman, young and beautiful. She must be a near relative. Her -name is E-l-s-i-e—Elsie.” - -Alice looked at her mother with awe-shaded eyes. Whence did this man’s -knowledge come? It was certainly remarkable. He could not have known -Elsie. - -Further speculation or conversation was arrested by the sound of a -horse’s feet outside the door, and in a moment the handsome, smiling -face of Mark Cramer appeared. His curling, yellow hair hung in womanish -profusion to his powerful shoulders, over which a large soft hat rested -becomingly. His hunting costume of gray, with belt and pistols, spoke of -his wild, free life; and his clear blue eyes, florid complexion, and -Herculean frame made a magnificent picture of manly strength and -perfection, as for a brief time he stood framed in the open doorway -against the back-ground of the setting sun. - -A moment later, and Alice, with a little cry of welcome, sprang to greet -him. The Professor aroused himself from his semi-trance, and Mrs. Clyne -and Lissa were extending their hands and expressing surprise at his -coming. - -“How did you chance to come home so much earlier than you expected?” -Alice asked radiantly, when the greetings were over and they were -seated. “We did not look for you for a fortnight.” - -“We lost one of our men, Wish-has-ta, and as he was to marry Enona, -daughter of the chief, when he returned, we thought it our first duty to -look him up, and so started back to see what had become of him.” - -“And did you find him?” - -“Well, yes, in town. He had become separated from us by buffalo. The mad -little mustang he rode kept along with the herd, in spite of him, for -several miles, or until at last he came to a ravine and managed to fall -into it. He narrowly escaped being trampled to death as the herd went -over him, but he got out with only a few injuries. He lost his pony, -however, and instead of following us, made his way back to camp. He left -word at C—— that he was safe, as he knew we’d be looking for him.” - -“And did you see Nathan,” asked Lissa. - -“Yes, he’ll be home to-night too. I came into C—— early and called at -his place of business. That’s a fine place Nathan has, with the Major. -Good pay and light duties. Much better than his position at the post.” - -“Yes, only it keeps him away from home more. And so you will both be -here to-night after all. Professor Russell, you have in this case proven -a true prophet.” - -“I trust I am in every case,” he replied, with an expressive gesture of -the hand. “I do not rely upon lying spirits for my information.” - -“Well,” said Lissa, not perceiving Mark’s frown of disapproval, “if we -have a seance here to-night we must get word to our neighbors.” - -“I will myself go and call Mrs. McCleary and good Auntie Dearborn,” said -Russell, “and will get word to the Jenkinsons and Sol Garrett, if you -wish.” - -“Be sure and have Esther McCleary present,” said Mrs. Clyne. “I am -greatly interested in that girl.” - -“Certainly; no meeting would be complete without her,” responded -Russell, bowing himself from the room. - -“Esther will not come if she can avoid it,” said Alice after the -Professor had gone. “She feels deeply mortified because of the -exhibition she was forced to make of herself at Mr. Jenkinson’s. She -herself has no faith in spiritism, even though her mother is so absorbed -in it.” - -“Poor girl, I pity her,” Lissa said. “It is a shame the way her mother -misuses her. Letting her have all the care of that large family, while -she sits in her easy chair and holds communion with spirits, as she -claims.” - -“Was she always like that,” asked Mrs. Clyne. “I confess she impresses -me as being just a little out,” tapping her forehead significantly. - -“She was quite an invalid when she first came here,” replied Lissa, “and -of course the burden of household care fell upon Esther, and since Mrs. -McCleary has been in better health she does not seem inclined to -shoulder responsibility of any kind, and Esther is cook, housekeeper, -and nurse to those children, as entirely as though she were the only -woman about the house. She is a delicate girl, too, and must break down -soon if she is not relieved of some of her burdens, I’m afraid.” - -“Mrs. McCleary was all right until she became a convert to this accursed -spiritism,” said Mark. “I have known her for years. She used to live -near my old home in Iowa, and was a good, capable woman; but she seems -now to have no interest in anything that does not come from the other -world. If Esther should die and become a spirit she might become an -object of her interest and solicitude. I am utterly disgusted with -Russell and all of his nonsense about spirit manifestations, and -revelations, and the like. In my opinion, all the spirit he communes -with is the spirit of evil, his Satanic majesty. I can’t have a bit of -faith in the fellow, and I believe Nathan feels as I do about it.” - -“O, come now,” said Alice, “you are too bad, Mark. Professor Russell -certainly believes in his creed himself, and is honest in his -convictions, whether they be right or wrong.” - -“I even doubt that,” replied Mark. - -“He foretold your coming here to-day. What do you think of that?” asked -Alice triumphantly. - -“I think he probably saw Wish-has-ta, who told him we would certainly -come back for him, or possibly he may have seen me in C—— after my -arrival. I stopped there several hours. Depend upon it, he learned it -from no disembodied spirit.” - -“And more than that, Mark, he told us about our sister Elsie, and I am -sure he could not have heard about her,” Alice continued. - -“Unless he may have heard you talking about her, with mother or Lissa, -lately.” - -Lissa flushed. - -“How suspicious you are, Mark. I am sure he might have learned these -things through spirit agency, as well as many others which can be -explained in no other way.” - -“How do you know, Alice, that they can be explained in no other way?” - -“But have not all tribes and races believed in spiritualism since the -beginning of the world,” said Mrs. Clyne. - -“In a kind of spiritualism, perhaps; so have they believed in many other -_isms_, but that does not prove them true,” replied Mark. “The heathen -searchers after God have found Him in the water, in the fire, in the -sun, and in the creatures of His making, and have worshiped the spirit -of the universe as manifested in material things; but these so-called -spiritists put aside the Creator and make a religion of a belief in -spirits of mortals, like themselves.” - -“But do you not think this should strengthen one’s faith in the soul’s -immortality? Are we not spirits living in material bodies? And when the -material body dies, if our spirits are immortal, why should not they -seek to manifest themselves to their friends on earth? I am sure if you -would read Davis’s works you would have less scepticism,” said Alice -with some warmth. - -“Alice, have you been reading them?” Mark spoke quickly and almost -harshly. The color deepened in Alice’s face. - -“Certainly I have, and many others. What harm can come of learning all -one can? I am sure we should not condemn any creed until we investigate -it.” - -Mark frowned. “Where did you get all these books?” - -“Professor Russell has brought them to us, and mother, Lissa and I have -read them at his request, and I assure you we have been much interested -in them.” - -“All of them, as well as Swedenborg, teach sound morality and oppose -evil.” - -“Your Bible teaches you that, Alice; and as I understand it, it does -_not_ teach you that the spirit of mortal man comes back on earth to -perform the absurd feats of overturning tables, rapping and tapping upon -furniture, making it dance around the room, and like antics. It seems to -me, if I were a spirit, I would prefer to be engaged in some more -dignified occupation.” - -“I hope, Mark,” said Mrs. Clyne, “you won’t let prejudice make you -unjust. There is certainly much about this matter which we cannot -understand, and is it not our duty to learn all we can?” - -“Mother, there _is_ much about this that I don’t understand, neither do -I understand how the juggler or the East Indian magician performs his -marvelous feats, nor can I see that it is necessary for us to know.” - -“But if the knowing would be valuable to us? If we should learn from -it?” - -“I have great faith in my mother’s Bible. I believe that teaches all the -religion it is wisdom for us to understand. I prefer the teachings of -Christ and his disciples to any disembodied spirit, good or bad,—the -Professor admits that evil as well as good spirits commune with -mortals,—and I never have seen any really good results from a belief in -spiritism. ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ I find that in many -instances its believers become its victims, and either end their days in -a mad-house or permit themselves to drift into free-love doctrines or -some other demoralizing fad, until they become unprincipled and lose the -respect of their fellow-men. This much I have learned from observation, -and I have yet to see one person whom this belief has made better, -nobler, or more useful to society. Nor, in my opinion, improved in what -pertains to good morality and good citizenship.” - -Alice looked abashed, but Lissa said: - -“I am afraid you will not relish spending your first evening here at a -spirit-seance. I am sorry that the Professor happened to come at this -time.” - -“I prefer to be here if Alice is to be present at such a meeting; in -fact, I strongly object to her attending one in my absence,” Mark said. -“I will say in all sincerity, I wish she and you had never seen this -Russell or heard of his abominable _ism_. I am sorry that you have been -fed on such literature as he has been sending you, and I regret more, -that you have given enough credence to it to tolerate his society or his -absurd seances. He is, in my opinion, a gross humbug.” - -“But that is only your _opinion_, Mark,” suggested Alice. - -“I don’t believe there is any mystery about this that cannot be -explained by one of three hypotheses: first, animal magnetism or -hypnotism; second, jugglery or sleight of hand in the medium; third, -thought transference, mind-reading and telepathy, or perhaps I should -say the force, not yet well understood, that makes these things -possible. These, aided by the excited and overwrought imagination of the -witnesses, can produce any phenomena adduced. There are men with strong -wills, sufficient to control entirely those with whom they come in -contact, and make them do, think, feel or believe whatever they suggest. -We have frequently seen these exhibitions from traveling mesmerists, who -make no pretense to spiritism, nor attribute their power to spirit -agency. I believe the Davenport brothers perform their feats in the same -manner. It seems to me that our mind, like our body, is dual, and that -one part of it can come entirely under the control of another person if -we are sufficiently interested in anything to be off our guard. How -differs this spiritism from the Babylonian necromancy? Undoubtedly there -is a force which, if understood by man, would enable him to put himself -in a hypnotic state at will, and when in that state to see -clairvoyantly, hear clair-audiently, and communicate with other minds or -intelligences in the same condition. Hence the remarkable clairvoyant -dreams, visions, etc., which come under peculiar stresses of excitement. -There is a queer thing about this force which may manifest itself in -another way. I remember that when I was at college we boys used to try -this experiment. We would place one of our number in a chair and two of -us would lift him high from the floor—while he held tightly to the -chair—by merely placing the little fingers of one hand under the bend of -his knees and the forefingers of the other hand under his elbows. We -would use no force, seemingly, in lifting him, and he would appear but a -featherweight, but we would all hold our breath at the same instant and -_think_ of lifting him. We lifted men weighing two hundred pounds in -this way. Ordinarily the muscles of those fingers would not sustain such -a weight. What then was the force which aided us? Mind-reading is a -proven fact, as is hypnotism. Subjects in the hands of a hypnotist will -imagine themselves Napoleon, Washington, or any individual suggested, -and assume the character and carriage of such individuals, talking, -reasoning, and affirming in harmony with the character assumed. - -“Why then should we attribute everything of this kind seen at a spirit -seance to spirits?” - -“Professor Russell is clairvoyant,” said Lissa. - -“But clairvoyancy, or psychic force, is not spiritism, and those mediums -are either self-deceived or deceive their audiences by their -legerdemain. I can understand that in some instances they might be -self-deceived, as a hypnotic subject, by suggestion. It seems this -second intelligence of ours will reason from a false starting point as -well as from a correct one, and, given a false suggestion—” - -“But, Mark,” again interrupted Alice, “you are only giving your opinion -and we all have a right to our own individual opinions, and we think and -reason for ourselves.” - -Mark sighed. “Yes, only do not let that Professor think and reason for -you. Read your Bible, and pray God that you may not be deceived.” Then, -passing his hand caressingly over her fair hair he continued lightly, -“Don’t you think we have had enough of this for the present?” - -“Yes; only—Mark, I want to say one thing. The Bible contains many -passages which confirm the truth of spiritism. Don’t you remember the -fingers of a man’s hand that wrote upon the wall at Belshazzar’s feast?” - -“Ah, some more of Russell’s thinking for you. That is the worst of it. -Almost anything may be proven by the Bible in the hands of a skilful and -unscrupulous manipulator, who quotes solitary texts without reference to -the subject which precedes or follows them. Professor Russell has -doubtless called your attention to many such ‘proofs.’ Beware of the -blind leaders of the blind, Alice. I do not object to the spiritualism -of the Bible, which comes from God; but I do make a distinction between -that and the modern spiritism, which consists of buffoonery and worse. -This demon worship, or worship of spirits who like to assume the form -and speech of an Indian child, or ignorant buffoon, is ridiculous. Let -me see, what was it Mrs. Jenkins said her mother appeared in?” - -“In the form of a morning-glory,” said Lissa, laughing. “But I didn’t -know before, Mark, that you were such a theologian.” - -Mark smiled. - -“I went to Sunday-school when I was a boy, and I had a praying mother -and father. Besides, I used to hear the Bible read each day when I was -at home, and one does not forget his early lessons.” - -“Well, come to tea now. I think your ride and talk must have given you -an appetite.” - -“It does not require a canter over the prairies nor a dissertation on -spiritism to give me that when you are the cook,” he replied gallantly, -and the party gathered about the table. - -Later, when Lissa and her mother were busy in the other room, Alice -approached her husband. - -“Did I understand you to say that you did not wish me to see Professor -Russell when you are away?” - -“I may not have said as much, but I should much prefer you do not.” - -Alice’s cheeks reddened and she lifted her chin angrily. - -“Yes,” repeated Mark, noticing her rising color, “I mean what I say. -Russell must keep away from my house in my absence.” - -“And I say—” began Alice, but paused as the door opened and Nathan -entered, accompanied by the light-hearted, fun-loving Donald. - -“O Don, we just needed you. Every one is so sepulchral here to-night,” -cried Lissa. Then she continued in a half-whisper to Mark: “Even -Professor Russell has no power over Donald. He did not foretell _his_ -coming.” - -“Mne! I suspect he would have been willing to have excused his absence,” -remarked Mrs. Clyne. - -“You do look a little solemncholy, that’s a fact,” Donald said. - -“Don’t we? And all because we are going to have a spirit seance -to-night.” - -Nathan started. - -“How does this happen,” he asked. “I thought that Russell had left the -neighborhood.” - -“He has returned. It’s the old story of the bad penny,” replied Lissa. - -“Isn’t it the still older story of the serpent in the garden?” suggested -Donald. - -“Yes, I think you’ve hit it, Don,” said Mark. “The cloven hoof is in -evidence and he leaves a trail of brimstone behind him.” - -“That must have been what made this room look so blue when we came in. -His excellency must have been here, I take it. Are there not yet blue -flames playing in the corners?” - -“If not there will be, doubtless, before the evening is over. But I must -make haste or you two hungry men will not get any supper. Come, sit down -and eat before it is cold.” - -“I, for one, need no second bidding,” said Donald. - - - - - CHAPTER XVII - AN OLD-TIME SEANCE AMIDST OLD-TIME SCENES AND OLD-TIME FOLKS - - -When the tea things had been carried away and stowed with the washed and -shining dishes in the cupboard at one side of the room, the floor swept, -and the apartments made tidy, Lissa ushered into it, as first to arrive, -Mr. Jenkinson and Mrs. Jenkinson and their mother, Mrs. Price. - -They were English people, and firm converts to spiritism, Mrs. Price -being so absorbed in it as to appear of unbalanced mind. Mrs. Jenkinson -had a delicate constitution and a nervous temperament, which made her -easily excited and wrought upon. Already she figured as a medium. - -They were soon joined by Solomon Garrett, a stoutly built farmer of the -neighborhood, who had, several years before this, come from Scotland -with a party of Mormon emigrants. When met by the plural-marriage -doctrine he had renounced his faith and refused to continue his journey -to Salt Lake City. Subsequently he had located on the Nebraska plain. -His conversion to this new creed of spiritism had been recent and -half-hearted. - -With him were the Pemberton twins, two pale, fair-haired young ladies, -who looked so exactly alike as to appear one and the same person. No one -except their mother could identify them, and it was said that in their -childhood she was liable to whip Clementina for the sins of Seraphina. - -The young ladies themselves seemed to enjoy the confusion they caused, -and dressed always in twin gowns, imitating closely each other’s -speeches and gestures. It has been asserted on the best of authority, -their own words and their mother’s, that if one was ill the other one -was likewise affected. And since they had become spiritists they claimed -to have been visited by the same visions and communications. - -Following the Pemberton twins came the McCleary family, whom I shall -more fully describe. - -Those present were the father, mother, son, George and daughter Esther. - -Mr. McCleary was a small, quiet, pale, sleek, red-eyed, inoffensive -little man, usually known as Mrs. McCleary’s husband. He seemed to feel -it his bounden duty to affirm all his wife’s statements, and when asked -a question had a way of casting an imploring glance at her,—as if -begging her to answer for him, which she usually did,—but who, so far as -known, was a kind, indulgent father to his children, and an honest and -industrious neighbor. When not otherwise engaged, Mr. McCleary might be -found amusing himself with a planchette. With it he talked, reasoned, -and speculated upon the problem of life. Sometimes he whispered to the -partner of his bosom certain wonderful secrets which he believed the -planchette had imparted to him. And—they were secrets no longer. - -Mrs. McCleary was a short, well-preserved woman of the “fat, fair and -forty” type. She had remarkable black eyes, blue-black, waving hair, and -very white, plump hands, with which she continually gesticulated to -accompany the unceasing flow of words from her tongue. Her speech -retained enough of the Irish brogue to make it pleasant to the ear. - -Mrs. McCleary imagined herself an invalid, though no one, not even -herself, could determine the nature of the malady with which she was -afflicted. It seemed to be rather a delicacy of constitution than any -pronounced illness. Some of her neighbors were uncharitable enough to -remark that if Mrs. McCleary were to receive some shock that would rouse -her from the helpless state she fancied herself to be in she would be as -well and strong as any one. - -George McCleary, an undergraduate from an Eastern college, was in no way -remarkable, but Esther was the hundredth woman, whose influence was felt -throughout the little community. - -She was but a slight, delicately built girl of eighteen years, yet what -a marvel of diligence and endurance. - -In the McCleary family there were six children younger than herself, and -upon Esther devolved almost the entire care and responsibility of the -household, a responsibility which she accepted uncomplainingly and -discharged faithfully. - -Esther was pretty and more than pretty. She was interesting. There was -in her face a sweetness and brightness of expression that charmed all -who met her, and won their affection. Then, too, she was one of those to -whom all turn for instruction and advice. She knew how to do things. -From the fashioning of a gown to the most intricate fancywork, as well -as the rarer concoctions in the culinary department, Esther was the most -competent authority in the neighborhood. - -Nor did her usefulness end here. In the sick room she was unequaled. “A -most uncommon handy person to have around,” one of the good fathers in -the community had said, and perhaps that best expressed her -qualifications. God bless the “handy” person. - -What if Esther’s features were slightly irregular and her figure too -slight for beauty. No one thought of that after the first half hour of -her acquaintance. - -Donald felt his gaze returning repeatedly to that pale, cream-tinted -face, as seated that night near his sister-in-law he listened to the -chatter of the women. - -Mrs. McCleary sank into an easy chair, panting and short-breathed from -the exertion of removing her wraps, and turning to Lissa began to talk -volubly. - -“How very noice ye look, dear! Your hair curls so beautifully. When -Esther was a little girl Oi used to do up her hair on curl-papers for -her, but now she must do it for herself. It is really too much for me. -Alice, Oi see yer not intoirely free from thet cough yet. Ye should -nivver let it run. It moight run ye into consumption. Oi’ve known many a -case to turn out so, hev ye not Miss Lissa? Ye must attind to it. Oi do -wish ye’d thry some of moi Indian cough surrup. Oi hev a commoonication -from a great Indian docther, advoising it. Mrs. Cloyne, did Oi tell ye -how Georrge was cured of the faver?” - -All this she uttered without pausing for reply. - -Donald glanced at Esther at the mention of curl-papers, but not a tinge -of color dyed the paleness of her cheeks. She was evidently accustomed -to her mother’s revelations. George, however, looked a trifle annoyed at -the mention of his name. - -Mrs. Clyne took advantage of the woman’s brief halt for breath to say -that she had never heard the story. - -“Well, ye see, Georrge, was very ill, so ill we’d given him oop ter die, -an’ Oi was cryin’ an’ prayin’ the great docther ter do sumthing fer him, -whin if ye’ll belave me, the boy reached oop his hand, an’ in a moment -we saw some leetle black specks lyin’ in it, lookin’ fer all the world -like Ayer’s pills. He held thim so we all saw thim an’ thin he put thim -in his mouth, an’ in the shortest toime he was aslape, an’ frim that -very hour he was better.” - -“What do you think it was?” asked Mrs. Clyne. - -“Why, bless your sowl, what could it be but medicine put in his hand by -some watchful spirit? Ye needn’t smoile, Mr. Mark Cramer, nor you, Mr. -Bartram; there were a plenty present who’ll swear to what Oi tell ye. -Ain’t it so, Mr. McCleary?” - -“Yis, yis,” the little man mumbled; “it is as she says.” - -They were interrupted by the arrival of Professor Russell, who came -bustling in with Auntie Dearborn, a sprightly, handsome old lady, who -was carrying a huge basket upon her arm, which appeared filled with -manuscripts. - -She was most becomingly dressed in black silk, with fine white lace at -wrist and throat, and her pink-tinted face, white hair, mild blue eye -beaming with kindliness, and lips wreathed in smiles, made a beautiful -picture. She had arrived at a sweet old age. Every one liked her, -despite her eccentricities, which some pronounced a mild form of -insanity. Alas, the borderland between sanity and insanity is scarcely -defined, and if good Auntie Dearborn was insane she has many companions -who would scorn such accusations. Who among us does not like to believe -we have an inspired pen? - -Auntie was thoroughly imbued with the idea that the spirits of the -departed poets used her hand as the medium for presenting their verses -to the public, and she kept a constant and ever-accumulating supply of -her “poetry” on hand to read whenever she could find audience. - -After shaking hands with Lissa and kissing her most affectionately, the -old lady said in a stage whisper: - -“You see, my dear, I have brought along some o’ my poetry, for I know’d -you would want to hear it, because I’ve really been inspired by the -great Byron himself this week. It is most remarkable.” - -Lissa smiled kindly. - -“Thank you, Auntie. I shall be glad to hear it, I am sure, and so, -perhaps, will others here. You will stay with me to-night of course?” - -“Well, now really, dearie—it would be very pleasant and you’re drefful -kind to ask me, but you see there’s Natty, poor dog, shut up in his -kennel, who’ll howl all night if I don’t come back, and the chickens -will have to be fed in the morning—” - -Here she was interrupted by the announcement of the Professor that if -they were ready the company would form themselves into a circle about -the room, as he saw several spirit forms impatient to communicate with -their friends. - -In compliance with his request they were soon seated, except Esther, -who, unobserved by all except Donald, slipped quietly out of the room. - -Joining hands, the members of the circle sat expectant, their eyes -closed. - -We are describing an old-time seance, reader, and may be forgiven the -minuteness of detail, for even with later experiment with psychic forces -it is found there is magic in the mystic circle. - -The silence was broken by Russell, who declared there was a disturbing -element in the circle. Some sceptical person repelled the gentle spirits -who desired to communicate. - -All eyes were turned upon Mark Cramer, who smiled as he arose and left -them. Then Esther McCleary was missed. - -“Where is Esther?” asked Mrs. McCleary plaintively. “Oi declare that -girrl has left the room ag’in. Oi desire her to sit with us.” - -And Mark was sent after the run away. - -“They’re asking for you, Miss Esther,” he said as he saw her shrink into -a dark corner of the adjoining room as he entered it. - -“O dear! Can’t you hide me somewhere? I don’t want to go. I shall have -to dance again. It’s all so terrible, and I don’t believe it’s right, do -you, Mr. Cramer?” - -“No, Esther; but then my opinion should have little weight against so -many. I sat down in the circle thinking I might be able to help you. I -am really sorry for you, if you are unable to withstand the mesmeric -powers of that rascal—for I believe that is all there is of it. Try, if -you are obliged to sit with them, to keep control of your own _will_. -Put all your soul in opposition to him and don’t forget yourself for a -moment. Can’t you?” - -“I’ll try; oh, I’ll try, but I’m afraid ’twill be no use! Ah, they’re -calling me again, and I must go. Come into the room and help me if you -can.” - -Mark reentered, seating himself in one corner of the room outside the -circle. The Professor made room for Esther beside himself, but she -declined his civility, and passed around to the side of her mother, not -noticing, until too late to retreat, that she had placed herself next to -Donald Bartram. She flushed slightly as she gave him her hand, -humiliated that she should be placed in such a position. - -Again silence prevailed for the space of several minutes. Donald glanced -through half-closed eyes about the circle, noting the placid content of -Auntie Dearborn, the grim determination of Solomon Garrett, the -complacent expectancy of Mrs. McCleary, the awed, half-frightened look -of Lissa, the sly, furtive glance which each Pemberton twin cast -frequently at her sister, and he felt a hysterical inclination to laugh. -The thought must have been communicated to his companion upon the right, -for he felt her fingers tremble in his. He rolled his eyes up to hers -with an affected air of terror. Then a ripple of merriment burst from -Esther’s lips, in which he joined. The Pemberton twins giggled in -unison, while all started and opened their eyes. - -Russell frowned and demanded quiet, fixing his gray eyes upon Esther. -Mrs. McCleary rebuked her daughter, but explained that Esther was -“hystericky,” and biting her lips to subdue the nervous inclination to -laugh, Esther closed her eyes and quiet was restored. Donald, thrilled -by her trembling fingers, dared not again look toward her, and presently -he saw Mrs. Jenkinson, his neighbor on the left, begin to jerk -spasmodically. Her eyelids quivered, she sighed a few times, then -drawing her hands from those who clasped them she began rubbing them -briskly together, then slapped them energetically for a moment, while -every eye was fixed upon her. She was under “control.” - -Suddenly she began to speak in a high, shrill voice. - -“My friends, I have a message for you to-night,” and continuing without -hesitancy she delivered a somewhat tedious harangue to the listening -believers, who sat awed and open-eyed, as if her words were really from -the world beyond. All present knew Mrs. Jenkinson to be illiterate and -only able to use provincialism in conversation. They marvelled at the -correct English which fell from her lips, even though the thought -expressed was of little value. - -Her “inspired” speech ended, Mrs. Jenkinson sank into a chair, dropped -her face in her hands and remained quiet. - -A few moments later Mrs. McCleary began to manifest similar signs of -influence, and sang in a sweet, plaintive voice the old hymn, “Oh, sing -to me of heaven, when I am called to die! Sing songs of holy ecstasy to -waft me to the sky,” etc. - -Mark remembered that Mrs. McCleary was not a singer in her natural -state, and again was forced to marvel at this exhibition of power which -he had no faith to believe emanated from the source prescribed by -Russell. - -Donald, too, was becoming interested, and forgot the humorous side of -the spectacle. When his eyes again sought Esther’s, to his surprise he -found them fixed and vacant, her face unusually pale and rigid. He -noticed, too, that the small, brown hand he held felt cold and -unnatural. Glancing from her to Russell he saw the man looking fixedly -at her. Then the Professor arose, and passing to Esther’s side moved his -hands several times before her face, though without touching her. He -then took a handkerchief from one of the gentlemen and bound it tightly -over her eyes, closely shutting out every ray of light. - -“I think, my friends,” he said, as he placed several chairs in the -unoccupied space of the room, “we shall prove that, though Esther cannot -see with mortal vision, there are spirit forms about her who will direct -her course and thus demonstrate their presence.” - -All sat in hushed expectancy until Esther, rising from her chair, glided -like a phantom to the middle of the floor, and humming a soft, slow -waltz, she floated about the room, avoiding the chairs and other -articles in her way without losing step or breaking time in the least. - -It was wonderful. Mark would have been staggered in his scepticism had -he not seen the same performance once enacted by a subject in the hands -of a noted mesmerist. - -“This is only further proof of the scheming falseness of that villain -Russell,” he reflected. “It shall not be my fault if he is not banished -from my house from this day forth. If he would only attribute his power -to the right source I could endure him, but spirits—bah!” - -For ten minutes the girl waltzed without interruption, then, as if led -by unseen hands, she passed from the room and threw herself, apparently -exhausted, upon a small lounge in the adjoining apartment. - -“She has been dancing with a stronger partner than herself and got tired -out,” said Russell coarsely. “We’ll let her rest a while.” - -When the company was again seated in the circle Mark slipped out and -removed the handkerchief from the eyes of the prostrate girl. Her face -was chalky in its pallor, and there was scarcely a perceptible evidence -of respiration. - -“My God! How like death this is,” muttered Mark as he bent over her. “If -she were my daughter she should never come into the presence of that man -again. Then he strove to waken her. - -“Esther, Esther,” he said, shaking her gently by the arm. “Awake!” But -not a muscle of the rigid face relaxed. He lifted her hands and slightly -punctured the smooth flesh with a pin. She did not wince nor show that -she felt it. Again and again he sought to arouse her. Mark was beginning -to fear that the sleep was one which would find its awakening in another -world, when Russell entered the room. - -“You can see the result of your spirit-waltz, Professor,” he said. - -Russell placed his hand upon the girl’s brow. - -“Ah, yes, she has been taking a fine nap after it. But she is waking up -now. Come, Esther, ain’t it about time for you to come out to see us -again? I’m afraid you’re a sleepy-head. Come, you’re awake now!” and -laughing coarsely, Professor Russell returned to the company. - -Esther, to Mark’s delight, arose to a sitting posture, passed her hands -several times over her eyes as if striving to collect her thoughts, and -seeing only Mark present, asked plaintively: - -“What is it, Mr. Cramer? Where am I? What has happened?” She looked -about the room in a bewildered way. Then, as the sound of voices from -the adjoining apartment fell upon her ear she turned, and burying her -face upon the lounge burst into hysterical weeping. - -Mark sprang to her side. - -“Don’t Esther, child! Don’t cry! What is the matter?” - -“O Mr. Cramer, have I been dancing again? Has that horrible, horrible -man made me a waltzing puppet for the people to laugh at? It is too -dreadful! What shall I do? What shall I do?” - -“I am sure there was nothing ridiculous or laughable in your dancing, -for it was really artistic; but truly, Esther, are you entirely -unconscious when you perform that feat?” - -“Indeed I am. I could not believe them when they told me about it the -first time I danced that way. This time it seemed when I awoke as if I -had been dreaming of dancing or of hearing dance-music. _He_ makes me do -it, that horrible man! I am sure the spirits have nothing to do with -it.” - -“Your hands are placed some of the time as though dancing with a -partner.” - -“Are they? I can’t help it. I remember nothing since Mr. Bartram made me -laugh in the circle,—oh, he was witness to my disgraceful -exhibition!—until I seemed to hear the Professor’s voice, and looking up -I saw you there.” - -“You say you seem to have heard dance-music in a dream?” - -“Yes, I have a feeling as though I had been floating up in the air and -hearing music. A sort of dim remembrance of a dream. Oh, if mamma would -never compel me to see him again! I shall leave home and go where he -shall never find me if that man continues to come to our house. He is so -detestable! I hate him!” And the girl shuddered and again covered her -face with her hands. - -“I have told mamma so, but she will not listen to me. She is wholly -wrapped up in the belief of spirits, and in Russell.” - -“Your dislike is very strong to be based only upon this power he has of -making you dance hypnotically,” Mark said. “Are you just to him?” - -“I have reasons enough for my dislike of him,” Esther replied, -compressing her lips. “And what am I to do if my own mother will not -listen to me? Think of being subject to the power of such a man. I -believe him thoroughly unprincipled, and—” - -“The villain! If he dares!” Mark ground his teeth. - -Here Lissa put her head in at the door. - -“Come, Mark,” she whispered, “Professor Russell is writing messages.” - -Mark stepped quietly into the sitting-room just as the Professor, who -sat at a small table scrawling with a pencil a profusion of characters -on a sheet of writing-paper, finished it and paused, while the paper was -passed from hand to hand for examination. - -At first nothing could be made of it. Finally some one discovered it was -addressed to Lissa. Another read it Alice, and still another Anna. - -By this time the Professor had aroused himself, and read with little -difficulty: - - -“Lissa, my dear sister: How long I have desired to speak with you and -let you know I am near you. The only added happiness I could wish for in -this life is recognition of my friends on earth. If you will let me -converse with you, and Alice, and mother, I will improve every -opportunity. I can see you, so cast away all doubt and fear, and help me -to communicate with you. Believe, - - ELSIE.” - - -Lissa found she could trace the words as read, now that she knew what -they were. - -The Professor produced two slates, between which he placed a small -pencil, and immediately all in the room heard distinctively the sound of -the scratching of the pencil as it apparently wrote upon the slate. - -When the slates were brought forth from beneath the table and opened -there was a long communication upon one of them for Mrs. McCleary, -purporting to have come from her mother, and Mrs. McCleary declared it -was in her own handwriting. She could “recognize it anywhere,” she said. - -Whereupon Sol Garrett took part in the conversation. - -“I’ve been a thinkin’ sence I sot here a good deal about this here -writin’ business. An’ it seems to me mighty curis how my old mother came -to write me a message when she never in her hull life writ me a word, -nor never learnt how. Even her will was signed with her cross-mark. I -reckon she must ‘a ben learnin’ pretty fast sence she died.” - -Donald’s eyes twinkled merrily as he glanced at Russell’s face, which -really showed embarrassment for a moment. - -“We cannot tell, Mr. Garrett, what her opportunities may have been in -the other world. We may know hereafter much that is hidden from us now,” -he said after a little preliminary cough to clear his throat. - -“Well, how is it that Injun control o’ yourn hain’t learned to read an’ -write, if their chances are so good over there? He allus complains -’cause he can’t read.” - -“Perhaps because he is of another language and nation,” replied Russell, -evidently annoyed at the persistence of his interlocutor. - -“Wall, ye see my mother was a Scotch woman, and didn’t talk as we do, -an’ I can’t see how she come to use such perty English in that letter.” - -“Perhaps,” interposed Russell hastily, “there was some mistake about it -and the letter was intended for some one else.” - -“It was directed to me,” persisted the farmer, “an’ I don’t know another -feller round these parts that answers to the name of Solomon Garrett.” - -“Well, we will not discuss this matter now,” said Russell, anxious to -turn the subject of conversation. “Mother Dearborn is going to read us a -poem, Mrs. Bartram tells me. We will listen to that now, and continue -this subject at another time.” - -Auntie Dearborn, thus appealed to, fumbled in her big basket, and after -opening several papers selected one, which she smilingly announced was -“inspired by Lord Byron himself.” Then in a musical voice she read: - - “Friends of earth, to you I hasten - With a message from on high. - Sorrows seek you but to chasten; - Bear all bravely, I am nigh. - When the stars shine, I am by. - When you whisper, know I hear you. - When you call, to you I fly. - When the night falls, I am near you. - - “In the night-winds, hear me calling, - When your eyelids close in sleep, - While the evening dew is falling, - Still my watchful care I keep. - For in life, dear one, I met you, - Met you but to see and love. - Now I never can forget you, - Though I roam in space above. - - “O my darling, are you weary - Of the fruits the world can give? - Are your days and night-times dreary - In the lonely life you live? - Then, oh, think that you can fly, love, - To my waiting, loving arms, - For ’tis no hard thing to die, love, - When the world has lost its charms. - - “Still you will not know I’m speaking, - Though your blindness gives me pain; - Must I be forever seeking - For your notice, all in vain? - See, I softly press your pillow, - Softly touch your dewy lips, - Brush your bosom’s heaving billow, - Clasp your dainty finger tips. - - “Once when midnight shadows thickened, - In your dreams I saw _you_ start, - While your breath came warm and quickened - By the fluttering of your heart. - Then no more I need to try you, - For you felt my heart was thine, - Felt my hovering presence nigh you— - Then it was your soul met mine.” - -When Auntie had finished reading this production, which all present -declared truly Byronic, Professor Russell bade them each write upon a -piece of paper the name of some departed friend and the spirits would -respond to their questions through his “control.” - -The slips were written, folded as directed, and thrown into a hat, while -the Professor again went into a trance state, and taking one of the -slips in his fingers—his eyes having been previously bandaged—he awaited -communication from the other world. - -“I can see a name, ‘Henry Arthur,’” he read slowly. “He is present. I -see him distinctly. He is of medium height and wears a uniform.” - -“It is my brother,” said Mrs. Jenkinson. “He was in Her Majesty’s -service in England. Are ye well, Henry, and happy?” she asked. - -“I am well, and much happier than I ever was upon earth,” came from the -Professor’s lips in a thin, nasal tone. “You have the right principle, -Helen. No one can be sick. There is no sickness, if we only deny the -belief in such a thing. Stick to your faith and you are all right.” - -The Professor selected a second paper. - -“I see the name Maria,” he said. “Maria, are you there? Will you answer -if a friend wishes to speak with you?” - -“Has she—has she blonde hair?” asked Donald, with some hesitation. - -“Yes, and blue eyes,” answered Russell. “She is very delicate and pale, -and is holding out her hands to you.” - -“Ah, yes; she wants me to take her, probably. Sorry I can’t. Ask her if -she is all right and likes the other world as well as this.” - -The answer came in a husky falsetto: - -“Yes, better.” - -“Do you forgive me for all my ill conduct toward you?” - -“Yes, I have nothing to regret. I remember only the delight of our -acquaintance and your many kindnesses.” - -“You are sure you forgive me for the last blow I dealt you?” - -“Yes, I know it was not your heart that spoke, in that, but the force of -circumstances.” - -“You forgive all my neglect and—cruelty?” - -“O yes, if there was anything to forgive.” - -“Are you surrounded by friends?” - -“Yes, there are many we both have known.” - -“Ah, Tommy and Jack, and the rest, I suppose. Are you where I may see -you if at any time I should pass in my checks?” - -“O yes; certainly.” - -“Well, good-by.” - -“Good-by.” - -“I feel greatly relieved after this revelation,” Donald said, “as it -settles two doubts in my mind which have always troubled me. First, as -to whether it is a crime to slay innocent creatures whose only fault, -perhaps, is a proclivity to take what is not theirs; and second, as to -whether there is more than one heaven and whether we shall meet our -victims in the other world. I killed Maria because she would steal -chickens, a natural propensity for which I should not have blamed her, -probably. She was my favorite cat, and my conscience has never been -quite easy since, but now that I know that she is all right and safe I -feel relieved.” - -A peal of laughter from Mark was echoed by a loud guffaw from Solomon -Garrett and several others in the room. - -“Mr. Bartram, I consider such levity out of place,” said Russell -angrily. “It seems that you are the same incorrigible Don that you were -when I knew you in Iowa. Age doesn’t seem to have improved you.” - -“But if Maria’s spirit was not there how could you have seen her?” asked -Donald innocently. - -“There are many spirits who bear the name of Maria while upon earth,” -Russell replied with dignity. - -“But the one whose name I wrote is the one who should have appeared; and -I repeat, I am glad to know she is all right.” - -“How you can jest on this subject is more than I can understand,” -replied the other, as he began to make preparations for departure. - -The Pemberton twins giggled and said in unison, “How funny.” - -At this juncture Auntie Dearborn began to chuckle. She appeared to try -to control her desire to laugh, and put her handkerchief to her mouth, -while her face grew red. But the more she tried to stifle the laughter, -the more it overcame her. Finally her merriment became almost -convulsive, and Auntie shrieked in a frenzy of mirth. And in the midst -of the laughter, for the effect was contagious, Professor Russell took -his leave. - -This hysteria of the old lady was not an uncommon phenomenon, and -excited little comment among the guests, though most of them joined -heartily in the outburst, and departed to their homes freed from the -superstitious awe which had held them earlier in the evening. - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII - MAJOR WALDEN - - -The fire was burning with active energy in the tall stove, and the dish -of water sitting upon it, “to keep the room healthy,” was sending forth -steam clouds, as Nathan and Lissa, after closing the door behind the -last departing guest, returned to their family room. - -Donald had walked home with Esther McCleary, and Mrs. Clyne had retired -for the night, leaving them alone. - -“It is an ugly night,” Nathan said, shivering and lifting his shoulders, -as he stood with his hands held behind him and his back to the stove. - -“Yes, and I’m afraid I’m going to have neuralgia in my face again,” said -Lissa, pressing her cheek closer to the glowing heat of the fire. - -“That’s too bad. I should think that wisdom-tooth would have done -troubling you some time. Ain’t it through yet?” - -“No; I pity teething children, if they have the pain I have.” - -“Better get good and warm before you go to bed. The house seems -unusually cool to-night.” - -“It’s having the doors open so much. But, Nathan, what is the matter? -You have been uncommonly grave and silent all the evening. I hope you -have had no trouble at the office?” - -“_I_ have had no trouble,—only,—well, something happened which was quite -unlooked for by me, anyway. Major Walden is in trouble, I think, though -I do not understand the nature of it.” - -Lissa looked interested, and her eyes searched his face questioningly. - -Nathan drew up a chair and sat down. - -“We were both in the office looking over some notes and papers in the -desk this morning when the mail was brought in. There were two or three -letters and some newspapers, which latter he tossed over to me to -examine. While thus engaged I was startled by a strange sound from the -Major, and looking up I at first thought he was in a fit. His face was -pale and distorted, and he shook like a man with the ague. He clenched -an open letter in his hand, which I thought must be answerable for his -condition. I sprang to him and unbuttoned his collar, as he appeared to -be choking, and he seemed to be relieved, though it was some time before -he could control himself, or articulate. When he did, it was to hiss the -words ‘scoundrel, villain, devil!’ with insane fury. I did not know how -to act, or what to say to him, and so after shutting and fastening the -door, that no one might intrude on us,—an act which he seemed to -approve,—I stepped into a little private office opening from the room -and busied myself with the ledger accounts, while I waited for him to -grow calmer. - -“It was fully an hour, I think, before he called me, and then I was -surprised at the change in him. He looked ten years older, and his face -had the pinched look of one recovering from an illness. His hands shook -and he seemed entirely unnerved. ‘Nathan,’ he said, ‘I have received a -severe shock, and it has proven almost too much for me. But there are -reasons why I wouldn’t want my family to know anything about it, and I -shall have to ask you to say nothing here of what you have heard or -witnessed. I will explain it all when I feel able to do so. At present I -think the best thing for me to do is to take a little change of air, and -I believe I’ll run down to Omaha for a day or two. I reckon I’m really -sick enough to warrant a day off,’ he said, trying to smile. - -“‘Just call at noon and say to Mrs. Walden that I’ve gone to Omaha on -business. Had to hurry off to catch a train, or some such clap-trap, or -say—I’ll write a note to that effect. You see, I fancy she’d better not -see me now.’ - -“I told him his countenance would betray him, for he really looked ill, -and he had much better not go home if he wanted to conceal the fact, and -so he went off to the station and left me to fix up matters as best I -could. I am more puzzled about the matter, as I am familiar with all his -business affairs and investments, and know everything is ship-shape and -flourishing. However, as he promised to explain everything when he -returns, I need not speculate upon it now I suppose. - -“There is another matter I wanted to speak of,” continued Nathan, “and -that is in regard to this man Russell. I don’t know what to think of -him. Mark is terribly opposed to him and his coming to their home, and -if we encourage Alice’s meeting him here—” - -“I think Mark has no right to let unreasoning prejudice rule him the way -he does,” interrupted Lissa. “He knows nothing against him, and yet he -is ready to accuse him of all the crimes in the decalogue.” - -“I don’t like to think of his power over Esther McCleary, Lissa.” - -“O, as for Esther, I don’t think she need yield to his power if she -prefers not to. She can avoid him.” Lissa spoke sharply. - -“Not when her mother compels her to see him. My child, do you really -believe in spiritism yourself?” - -“Why, Nate, what a question for you to ask! I am sure you are the one -who gave the most credence to it when I first knew you. I didn’t take -any stock in it then.” - -“And now?” - -“And now I think there’s something in it which cannot be accounted for -in any other way, and—I think it is a blessed thought that our friends -are near us after death.” - -“I don’t know whether it is or not. It can’t be pleasant for them to be -witnessing all the pain and suffering which we are perhaps bearing. If -we are promised happiness in the other world it would seem a poor -fulfilment of it to me. I could not be happy if I could look back and -see you suffering for food and not be able to provide it.” - -“I was not thinking so much of their happiness, I confess, Nathan,” -Lissa murmured. “But if I should die, and be happy, wouldn’t you like to -feel that I was near you? Wouldn’t you like to hear from me?” - -“But how could I be sure of it? I think I should prefer you did not have -to worry over me any more. I was really startled by a remark made by -Major Walden the other day. In the course of conversation I chanced to -allude to Professor Russell in some way, and spoke of his being a -spirit-medium. The Major turned on me with more anger and vehemence than -I have ever before seen in him and said, ‘Bartram, in God’s name have -nothing to do with one of those mediums! Shun him as you would a -rattlesnake that crawls in the grass at your feet, for I tell you his -bite is as deadly, and you never know when he may strike. On no account -give him access to your home and family. As you value your present peace -of mind or your domestic happiness, never let him cross your threshold!’ -I was a trifle knocked out, but I told him the medium had been and was a -friend of the family and frequent visitor at my house, and that he -appeared to be a respectable and intelligent man. ‘Yes,’ he replied, -‘the Devil may wear the garb of a saint, but he’s not to be trusted for -all that. I pray you be warned, and shun the fellow in time, as you -would old Clovenhoof himself! I know what I’m talking about.’ I suppose -Walden is prejudiced for some reason, but I can’t help wishing Russell -did not come here.” - -“I’m sure I can’t see what possible harm he can do _here_,” Lissa -replied. - -“But about Alice. She was not looking well to-night, and I am sorry to -have her oppose Mark.” - -“O, of course she feels bad, because Mark has forbidden her to have -Russell at the house when he is not there, and Alice is very set in her -way. It may make trouble between them. I know Mark was angry, for Alice -told me so, and she said he should find she had mind enough to attend to -her own affairs. I expect she’d let him come in spite of Mark.” - -“We will hope not,” said Nathan gravely. “Mark may have wisdom in his -objection to Russell. I wish he did not come _here_.” - -“How absurd you are. _You_ were the one who introduced him to me, who -believed in him and tried to overcome the horror which in infancy I had -imbibed of spiritism. And now, because of Major Walden’s prejudice, and -Mark’s fanaticism, you are ready to turn round and forbid a spiritist -your hospitality.” - -“Well, perhaps I am wrong. I confess I have an unaccountable fear and -distrust of him. I presume Walden’s warning has had something to do with -it. I shouldn’t blame the man for his belief.” - -“But if the belief takes away all fear of death, why should we not -embrace it? If I should die before you, I want you to teach little Lucy -that her mamma is near and watching over her. Don’t you think it might -keep her from wrong-doing if she knew it?” - -“If she knew it? Ah, there’s the thing! If we really knew.” - -“But, haven’t we proof? What human, unassisted, could turn water into -wine as Professor Russell did a few weeks ago?” - -“But haven’t you heard Mark’s exposé of that? That is simple. Mark can -do the same.” - -“Mark Cramer?” - -“Yes; Mark’s university training has served him a good turn in this as -in everything else. You know he is a good chemist, and he can prepare -the glasses so that when water is poured into them a pleasant wine is -produced. He claims the Professor does the same. You will not deny that -Mark speaks the truth. We have known him much longer than Professor -Russell,—or at least much better,—and you know he is the soul of honor.” - -“Oh, how awful it is for Mark to do such a thing!” said Lissa severely. -“I wonder he does not receive some terrible punishment. I am sure he -will if he is not more believing. I pity Alice.” - -Nathan felt like retorting that he pitied Mark, but he forbore. - -“I confess,” he said, “I did feel as if Russell was almost sacrilegious -in assuming to duplicate one of Christ’s miracles, but I can see no harm -in Mark’s exposing the means employed.” - -“One thing, Nathan, I want to speak of now, while I think of it. If I -should die first, I will, if there is such a thing as the spirit -returning to earth—come back to you. Now let us determine upon a test, -and see how I shall come in such a way as to be convincing to you if you -are left behind. We will tell no living soul what it is. Then if one of -us goes and can fulfil the conditions, there can be no doubt in the -other’s mind of its genuineness. If I go first and give you the test, -you will have no doubt my disembodied spirit is near you.” - -Nathan looked thoughtfully at his wife. - -“Your idea is a good one, but God knows I don’t like to think of a time -when it could be tested. Still, it might be a satisfaction to the one -that is left.” - -Then they planned a test that should never again be spoken aloud or -imparted to another person. - -“There would be danger from the mind-reader, even in this,” Nathan said -to himself. “He might surmise the secret and make use of it to deceive. -Ah, how can we know the truth?” - -The next morning the white snow had covered and shut in all the outer -world, and so filled the air that they could only get to the stables by -tying themselves to ropes, and the cold was so intense that many of the -fowls froze upon their perches in the coops. - - - - - CHAPTER XIX - LED INTO ERROR - - -Some time after the occurrences of the last chapter, Nathan received a -note from Major Walden, requesting him to call at his house. - -He went directly, and was ushered into the library, where he found his -friend looking worn and dejected, as if from haunted days and sleepless -nights. - -Major Walden motioned Nathan to a seat, and then paced slowly up and -down the room, as though striving to compose himself before giving to -his friend the promised revelation. - -At length he paused, and seating himself a short distance from his -visitor said gravely: - -“Bartram, I am about to confide to you a chapter from my private history -which perhaps might better never be disclosed, and in doing so I am -subjecting myself to a painful trial and tearing open a wound not yet -healed. And yet I cannot otherwise explain to you the scene which you -witnessed a few days since. My story may serve to show you the venom -that may exist in a species of human reptile. I need not say that I -trust this to you alone. You will understand how great the cause I have -for secrecy when you have heard what I am about to relate to you. - -“Twelve years ago my business often took me up and down the Hudson. Upon -one of those trips I met one who seemed to me the perfection of female -loveliness. Her deep, dark eyes seemed wells of crystal purity and -innocence, and her sweet, fair face haunted my vision for days. - -“I found myself comparing, mentally, every lovely woman I met with the -one face ever before me, and finally began to consider myself a victim -to a case of love at first sight. It is needless to say my trips upon -the Hudson were frequently repeated after this, and at length fate -rewarded me by giving me once more the same lovely fellow-passenger. I -managed to find a mutual acquaintance and so followed up my advantage as -to become, in a few months, an accepted visitor at her father’s house. -She was an only child, the idol of an aged father and mother, who at the -end of the following year made me the happiest of men by giving me their -daughter’s hand in marriage. - -“Everything prospered with me. My wife was all that could be desired; -three lovely children were born to us; my business ventures were -successful, and until five years ago there seemed to be nothing wanting -to make the harmony of our united lives complete. - -“About this time, at the house of a friend, we met a spirit-medium, a -Dr. Teasdale. How he ever obtained admittance there I do not know, but -there he was, and there we were forced to make his acquaintance. He held -a seance, as he called it, and among other things told what my wife had -written and sealed in our presence and which never left her hand. I -discovered afterwards a bit of impression paper concealed beneath the -outer cover of the book he handed her to write upon, which probably -aided the spirits in making their revelation. This so interested my wife -that she attended a number of seances, and finally invited the Doctor to -our house, where he became a frequent visitor. - -“I never liked the fellow. There was a sort of sneaking hypocrisy about -him, it seemed to me, that made me prefer his room to his company. - -“However, as I seldom interfered with my wife’s actions, I said nothing, -thinking she would soon penetrate his shallow mask of deceit and become -disgusted with him, as I had. - -“In one of his trances he wrote and delivered to me a sealed -communication, purporting to be from the spirit world, hinting,—barely -hinting,—among other things, infidelity on the part of my wife. I waited -until the other guests had gone, and then I called the wretch to one -side and told him what I thought of him, and bade him never set foot, -under any pretense, within my doors again. - -“I told my wife I had forbidden the fellow the house because he was -disagreeable to me, and she seemed more pleased than otherwise at what I -had done and said she, too, participated in my growing dislike of him. I -hoped then I had seen the last of him. - -“A short time after this my wife was summoned by telegram to visit her -mother, who was ill, and left home, taking with her the children, my -business being such as to prevent my accompanying her. - -“While she was gone two letters came to the house addressed to her and I -noticed the superscription resembled the chirography of the Doctor. I -wondered what he could have to say to her, but laid the letters aside -unopened, thinking it unnecessary to forward them, and that I would -deliver them to her upon her return and satisfy myself as to their -contents. I own I had some curiosity, as I could not imagine a reason -for correspondence with the villain. One evening, just before her -return, as I was turning over some papers in the writing-desk, a letter -fell out addressed in the same peculiar handwriting. It had been opened, -and this time my curiosity overcame my scruples of honor, and I opened -it and read a most impassioned love-letter to my wife, signed ‘Devotedly -yours, Z. T.,’ which I could only interpret Zenas Teasdale. - -“I hesitated no longer to open and devour the contents of the two -letters which had come to her later, and before I had finished, the -characters traced in ink had burned into my very soul, and my tongue was -parched with a thirst that water could not quench. The words stood -before my gaze like demon eyes. - -“The first letter spoke of the pleasure the writer had received in the -perusal of my wife’s last ‘white-winged message of love’ and quoted from -her letter sentences about the ‘bear that growled around her -hearthstone’ meaning me—and other like extravagant expressions, and -concluded by assuring her of his never-dying affection, and hope of -their ultimate union in spiritland, where no disagreeable tyrant should -ever presume to forbid them the pleasure of each other’s company. - -“The second letter, written three days later, chided her with her long -delay in answering, and informed her that the writer had received a -communication from the invisible world to the effect that the obstacle -in their way was about to be removed, and pictured the delights in store -for them. - -“All night I paced the room and swore and raved alternately. But with -the morning came calmer reflection. Retribution would overtake them, I -concluded, if left to themselves; I would not put my own neck in -jeopardy for the sake of such despisable wretches as they seemed to me. -Besides, a softer feeling, in spite of me, would creep into my heart, -when I thought of the happy past, and I felt I could not take the life -of one who had been dearer than all else to me—who was now the mother of -my innocent children. They would be from this time motherless. I would -not make them also fatherless, but would keep my life blameless and -unblemished for their sweet sakes. The stain of their mother’s fall -would be dark enough. - -“She returned home that day. I shall never forget how sweet and fair she -looked as she tripped from her carriage up the steps and into the room -where I stood like an avenging Nemesis. Her bright hair was blown into -little rings about her forehead, and a smile wreathed her sweet lips, -which expected the kiss of greeting. - -“See,” he said as he took from his desk a miniature and handed it to -Nathan, “was she not beautiful? And that picture was but a poor -representation of her, for art cannot produce on ivory the thousand -pretty changes of expression which constituted one of the chief charms -of her face.” - -Nathan looked attentively at the fair, sweet face of the picture, and -agreed as to its beauty. The Major continued: - -“I met her sternly, and she must have seen in my face something of what -I was about to utter, for the smile left her cheeks and gave place to a -look of terror indescribable. - -“‘Agnes,’ I began, ‘do not dare to face with a smile the husband you -have betrayed, wronged, and made a cuckold of in his own house; -miserable woman, that should ever have lived to become so low and vile a -creature, with so fair a face!’ She gazed at me in fear and horror and I -verily believe she for the time thought me insane. She pressed both -hands to her heart as though to quiet its fluttering,—ah, God! I can see -her yet,—and then gasped, ‘Markham, for Christ’s sake, what do you mean? -What, oh! what has happened?’ - -“I cannot describe accurately the scene which followed. I know I -flaunted the letters in her face, I accused her of her treachery, and -called her to account in the worst possible terms, such a maddened brute -was I, and refused to listen to anything she tried to say in denial or -palliation of her guilt. - -“She fell on her knees before me, and begged and implored me to listen -to her—to believe her. She called on God to witness and attest her -innocence. But I mocked at her, and told her that after such conduct as -hers had been, a falsehood was as nothing; that I would not believe her -if the angel Gabriel came down from heaven to testify in her behalf. I -bade her begone from my sight, that I might not so far forget myself as -to punish her crime with violence. Then she begged, if she must leave -me, that I would let her have the children. Finally, as I remained -obdurate, she prayed only for the one little girl, the youngest, three -years old—the baby, and most helpless one. The boys might stay with me, -but this little one, her baby, she could not give up. She should die -without her baby, and she pleaded as only a mother can plead for this -one boon, the privilege of caring for her own child, which she had -herself brought into this cruel world.” - -Here the Major’s voice faltered, and there was a sympathizing moisture -in Nathan’s eyes as he continued: - -“A shame upon such laws as give any one, even a father, the right to -deprive a mother of her God-given privilege!” - -“Amen!” said Nathan under his breath. - -“Finally I promised her that if at the end of six months I heard no -report of her holding any communication with Teasdale I would let the -little Eva go to her mother; but if I learned of her seeing or having -anything to do with that creature I would never allow the child to even -see her. With that she must be content. I had a sort of fiendish delight -in the thought that through the mother’s love for her child I might keep -her from the arms of her paramour. - -“Finally I left her, saying that I should expect her to take the next -boat back to her father’s and that I would make suitable provision for -her maintenance so long as she remained away from Teasdale; and that I -desired that she should take with her everything belonging to her or -that might help to remind me of her who was once my wife. That was the -last time I ever met her. - -“When I came back in the evening the nurse told me the mistress had gone -away, and the children were in the nursery crying for mamma. - -“Here was a feature of the case I had not, in my anger, counted upon. -What should I do to appease the children? I concluded to transfer my -business to other hands for the time, shut up the house, and take the -children to my parents, thinking that perhaps grandma might be the best -substitute for mother. This, as soon as I could make the necessary -arrangements, I did. - -“That night upon returning to my room I read, written in trembling hand -upon an open page of my note-book, these words, which are burned into my -memory: ‘Markham, my husband,—for God knows no act of mine has made me -other than your wife,—I feel that the time will come when my innocence -will in some way be vindicated. It may never be while I live, but I -cannot believe a just and over-ruling Providence will allow such a foul -wrong to be done and the perpetrator to go unpunished. And some day, in -some way, justice will be done to me or my memory. Then you may, -perhaps, realize the tithe of what I now suffer in the remorse which -will follow you to the grave. Deal gently and tenderly with my babies -who are to be without a mother, and remember, as you would have God deal -justly with you, to keep your promise and allow the little Eva to cheer -her mother’s desolate heart at the end of this terribly long probation. -May Heaven forgive you and open your eyes to the fatal and terrible -mistake you have made, is the prayer of your injured and heart-broken -Agnes.’ - -“Well, we had not been long at their grandmother’s before the children -were taken sick with that terrible ravaging disease, diphtheria, and in -three short days Arthur and Eva, the youngest boy and the baby girl, -were chill and cold in death. I would have sent for their mother, I -think, had more time been given me; but they were taken down so suddenly -and the disease made such rapid progress that ere I was aware of their -danger death had already set its seal upon them, and I could only -telegraph their mother the sad tidings that two of her loved ones were -no more. - -“It was some time before I heard from her, and then came such a letter -as I never read before, and have never dared to read a second time, so -full was it of hopeless agony and pain. I could not sleep for nights -after. The words kept ringing in my ears, together with the plaintive -moans of my little ones, who cried for mamma with their last conscious -moments. I would think, sometimes, that if I lived until the morning I -would take the first train to my wife, and despite her treachery would -forgive and take her once more to my heart and trust; but the morning -light would dissolve alike my visions and my resolutions, and I had to -read but one of Teasdale’s letters to harden my heart to all such -sentiments. Do you wonder that I never doubted the genuineness of those -letters? How could I doubt with the remembrance of their finding ever -before me? - -“After the death of my little ones I went to Chicago, that metropolis of -bustle and activity, hoping a change of scene and business would lift -the pall of gloom that rested upon my spirits. There I became acquainted -with my present wife. At the hotel where I boarded we were thrown into -daily intercourse, and as I became impressed with the strong, quiet -dignity and purity of her life, a warmer sentiment seemed to gradually -thaw my heart, the more so as I perceived she manifested an evident -partiality for me. - -“I found it easy, with the aid of those letters, to procure a divorce -from Agnes, in Chicago, and last fall I married my second wife and came -here, bringing with us the one child left me, whom you have often seen. -I have lived a peaceful and quiet life, and striven so far as possible -to banish from my memory and thoughts the scenes of the past—that -beautiful and nearly tragical past, the happiest days of my life and the -most miserable, until—Well, you were with me in my office when a certain -letter was delivered to me but a short time ago, and you witnessed the -effect upon me and wondered at my agitation. I promised to explain its -cause. You will wonder no longer when I tell you that the letter was -from Teasdale and contained a full confession of his villainy. In it he -avows the perfect innocence of Agnes, and explains just how and why he -secreted the letter in my secretary and wrote the others in her absence, -thus wreaking a terrible vengeance on us both. - -“Admiring my wife, he hoped if he could in some way separate us he might -get her into his power; and when she, with scorn, repelled his slightest -advances toward her, and I with threats drove him from the house, he -became unscrupulous as to his mode of revenge. He bribed one of the -servants to place the letter where I found it, as soon as he learned of -my wife’s absence from home, and then sent the other two letters, -conceived with diabolical cunning that the result would be just what it -has been. And I, blind fool that I was, worked right into his hands, and -acted the damnable part of an Othello, entailing a life of misery and -lifelong regret upon both myself and my innocent Agnes. - -“If I were free I would hasten to her, the bride of my youth, and on -bended knee implore her forgiveness of the most grievous wrong ever -committed by man upon the gentle being who gave her life into his hands, -and whose only fault was having loved and trusted so stupid a fool as I. - -“As it is I cannot right one wrong without committing another. _There_ -lives the wife of my youth, mother of my son and co-partner in the right -to that little grave upon the hillside where sleep the two innocents, -flesh of our flesh. _Here_ is the wife who married me in all trust, who -will soon be mother, also, of my child. Was ever man so unfortunately -placed? Curses upon a system that makes it easy for a man to get a -divorce upon the most trivial pretext. If I had only—but why speak of -what cannot be changed? I can see nothing but days and nights of -sleepless remorse in my pathway, whichever way I turn, whatever happens. -On my life, Bartram, the future is too black a hell to enter into! Were -it not a cowardly act, I believe I would make an end of my wretched -existence.” - -“Have you told her, your present wife, of all this?” Nathan asked. - -“No; I could not tell her all. It seemed unnecessary. She knew when she -married me that I had divorced my first wife for infidelity. Were I to -tell her now of this late discovery she would at once jump at correct -conclusions in the matter and be inconsolably wretched, for I believe -she loves me, unworthy as I am; while I—I must strive against hating any -object that stands in the way of retracing my steps back to those -halcyon days of love and happiness. I tell you, Bartram, the human heart -is a wayward animal and hard to be held in the leash. But forgive me for -giving utterance to thoughts that should never be allowed lodgment in my -brain.” - -“Have you written to your first wife, Agnes?” Nathan inquired, as Major -Walden began gloomily to pace the floor of the library. - -“Yes; I wrote telling her all,—all my misery,—and inclosed the letter -from Teasdale. She shall have that to clear herself there, and she shall -have the satisfaction of knowing that remorse with guilt is harder to -bear than injustice with innocence. I think, after a time, I will tell -Mrs. Walden as much as is necessary, and let little Freddy go to his -mother. I have promised Agnes that, and I have made my will providing -liberally for her, for I feel as if this strain cannot long be borne -without the snapping of some of those strings that are essential to the -harmony of this mysterious something we call life, and the grave or -mad-house will ere long claim a victim.” - -“You have my profound sympathy, Major,” said Nathan; “but you know it is -said, ‘life has no wounds time cannot heal.’” - -“I know, I know; but, alas, I am haunted by a fear that Agnes may not be -living; that she may have been crushed by this terrible blow of my -inflicting! She was so sensitive, so gentle. Oh, I cannot bear the -thought! I want her to know the truth, now.” - -“Do you not think she might know that, even if in the other world?” -Nathan ventured. - -“For God’s sake, don’t say that! It savors too much of that accursed -creed that has been at the bottom of all my trouble,” said Walden with -savage vehemence. “The nauseating flavor of the other world which I have -been obliged to taste from the hands of these spiritists has given me no -appetite for any more of it, I assure you. I’ll think of Hades or -Nirvana, but not of that intermediate place where spirits are supposed -to roam. Ugh! I’ll have none of it!” - - - - - CHAPTER XX - SPIRITS OF THE AIR - - “Are you visited by phantoms or by ghosts at midnight, walking? - See you grim and grisley spectres? Do you never hear them talking? - Talking low, in chilling whispers, of the worn heart’s secret sorrows, - Of the lone heart’s hidden treasures, and the hopes it vainly borrows? - - “When alone, at evening sitting, in the shadows of the twilight, - See them softly by you flitting—or in dimness of the firelight— - Phantoms of your youthful pleasures, mocking at you now, and scoffing, - Whispering as they brush you, lightly, ‘past the hours of mirth and - laughing.’ - - “Spectres of the dear departed, who once smiled upon you, brightly; - Of the fair and faithful hearted, whom you love to dream of, nightly. - Other forms from out the shadows walk and grin with horrid grimness, - Mock you with their ceaseless chatter, as the firelight fades in - dimness. - - “Then, sometimes you feel the coolness of the west wind softly blowing, - Of the cool sweet wind of summer, fresh from where bright waves are - flowing, - And it carries with it zephyrs, whispers of the happy childhood— - Of the joyous days of girlhood, and the fragrance of the wildwood. - - “And you clutch with eager yearning, but to stay them in their fleeting, - Clutch at air and soulless nothing, vain is all your soul’s entreating; - Gone beyond is all the sweetness, carried by the zephyrs lightly, - Borne afar beyond your reaching, by the mocking phantoms, nightly. - - “O the year so slowly drifting, with their freight of human sorrow, - Are they very near their ending? Will they end, too, on the morrow? - Ghosts of years and ghosts of pleasures, cease, oh cease, your midnight - stalking, - Fill no more the heart with anguish, by your tireless, soundless - walking.” - - -Alice Cramer stood by the small window of her home, her fingers -unconsciously thrumming on the pane, while she gazed out into the -shadowing twilight of early spring. - -The road was a dark line in the gray landscape and she watched eagerly -for a figure to arise from it into vision. It was the evening that Mark -should come, and she remembered that she had parted from him almost in -anger. She had expected then to see him soon again, in a few weeks at -the furthest, but the weeks had grown into months. There had been -trouble with the Indians on the frontier and Mark was ordered to report -for active duty and sent away a long distance from home. What a long, -dreary winter it had been, even though her mother had been with her. -Alice sighed as she thought of it. Even the mother had gone back to her -Eastern home now, and she was alone. - -Ah, she was glad, very glad Mark was coming; but there was a shadow of -fear tinging the brightness of her joy. She had disobeyed him. She -compressed her lips as she thought again of the command he had laid upon -her. Why had he been so bitter and prejudiced in regard to Professor -Russell? Mark was usually so tolerant of others’ beliefs and foibles. It -could not be from the cause the Professor had once insinuated. A hot -flush of shame swept over her as she thought of that dreadful -insinuation. Surely, the man had forgotten himself when he hinted that. -She should never dare repeat his words to Mark. He would shoot him, she -feared. Perhaps Mark was right in his dislike for the man, but she could -not refuse to credit his doctrine. Surely, surely she had proof of -unseen visitants surrounding her. She felt their presence. - -And even as she thus thought, a shiver of fear came over her. The air -about her grew chill. In imagination she could see without, in the -gathering darkness, a host of shadowy forms flitting backward and -forward before her, like swarms of tiny insects in the atmosphere. How -they swarmed about her and over her as she grew colder and her breathing -more difficult. Involuntarily she turned her head and glanced backward -over her shoulder. The shadows had deepened in the room. A frightful -figure began to take shape before her excited vision. Her heart beat -loudly and painfully. Her breath came in gasps. A moment, and the shape -began to approach her. She gazed in fascinated terror into the darkness, -not daring to move. Nearer and nearer it came,—ah, God! Alice felt her -limbs sinking beneath her, and dropping to the floor she cowered and -covered her face with her hands. - -Oh, the fright and awfulness of that moment! She felt the forms all -about her, shadowing and overpowering her. She heard them in a swarming, -buzzing confusion of sound. Suddenly, out from it all came another -sound, louder and more distinct, but she was too paralyzed to reason. - -She heard the sound of heavy footsteps outside. Nearer and nearer they -came. The door opened. Some one approached in the half darkness. There -was a rushing and roaring as of many waters in Alice’s brain, and she -crouched lower and lower and uttered a faint shriek of terror. - -“Alice, Alice!” a voice called in her ear. “Alice, where are you? All in -the dark by yourself?” Then, as the visitor nearly stumbled over the -heap upon the floor, he started back involuntarily. “Great Heavens! What -has happened? What is the matter? Alice, can this be you upon the floor? -Why, child, what has happened? Did I startle you by coming sooner than -you expected?” - -Mark Cramer, with anxious countenance, bent over the cowering figure of -his wife. - -Her face was still buried in her hands, her frame shaking, her whole -attitude one of extreme fear. - -Mark’s heart sank with a fear of unknown dangers. This was a strange -welcome after his long absence. - -Alice’s letter had, it is true, prepared him to find her ill, perhaps -only depressed, for he had noted the dejection of spirits in the written -words, but he could account for that; but could this shrinking, cowering -creature be his formerly light-hearted and happy wife? Surely he had -expected nothing like this. - -Nothing less than a serious nerve shock could have caused this -condition. From what source could the shock have come? Could it be, -Alice had brooded in her cabin until she had become insane? These and a -hundred other thoughts rushed through his brain in the space of a moment -as he bent over the abject form of his wife. - -“Alice, dear Alice, have you no welcome for me after all these long -months?” - -Mark tried to raise her, but she shrank back from him, limp and -helpless, yet trembling as with palsy. - -“Alice, do you know me? Have you lost your mind? My God, what a -home-coming is this! You surely are not afraid of _me_, Mark? Speak to -me, Alice.” - -She looked up at him with dazed eyes and tried to speak, but her lips -would not obey her will. - -“Alice, O Alice!” Mark lifted the trembling figure in his arms and held -her tightly. “Alice Cramer, do you not know me? What has happened to put -you in this state?” - -She turned her white face against his shoulder, hiding it. - -Darker thoughts took possession of the man. Was there a reason why his -wife should fear him, her husband? His blood grew hot with anger. Had -that villain, Russell, so poisoned her mind that she feared his return, -or had some person, just previous to his return, frightened and -prostrated her? He glanced into the adjoining room and listened for any -noise to denote an intruder. No, Alice was alone. - -“Alice, speak to me!” he commanded sternly. - -“Mark, Mark,” she murmured. “Oh! has it gone? Can you save me from it?” -And again she shrank fearingly against his arm. - -“There is nothing here, Alice; only I, Mark. What has disturbed you so? -Was any one here before I came? Has any one been trying to frighten -you?” - -Alice raised her head and looked shrinkingly behind her, clinging closer -to her husband as she did so. Then she began to sob, and clutch his -shoulders tightly. - -“Yes—oh—I do not know! I saw it behind me here in the room. It was so -hideous—so dreadful! I saw it over my shoulder there!” - -“I think, my dear, it was only the shadow cast by my horse as it came -down the road.” - -“Oh, no, no, it was there!” - -Mark looked distressed. - -“Alice, I shall not dare leave you alone again while your nerves are in -this state. Do you know that there has been nothing here but spectres of -your excited imagination. Since when have you conjured gruesome -hobgoblins out of the darkness? You never saw such things before, did -you?” - -Alice hid her face in his bosom. - -“Yes, Mark, many times. They are always about me. When I walk they come -up behind me and I hear their padding footsteps following me. They even -pull my hair sometimes at night when I cannot sleep. Oh, I cannot bear -it!” - -Mark frowned, and chewed his mustache reflectively, but he repressed the -words that came to his lips. - -“My dear child, I am home with you now.” - -“Yes, Mark, and I am so—so—glad! But you will go away and then they will -come again.” - -“I wish you might go when I do. You are nearly ill with nervous -prostration. You should see a doctor right away.” - -“O, no, Mark! Not a doctor! I am not sick!” - -“What has caused this trouble, Alice? I do not know unless it is that -miserable hound Russell. Can you not believe me when I tell you this is -all a mere delusion of the senses? You have thought and thought over, -and allowed your mind to dwell upon that wretched _ism_ until it has -nearly shipwrecked you. It was an evil day when that villain darkened -our door.” And Mark ground his teeth in impotent wrath. “But come, let -us have a light and drive away the spirits of darkness.” - -“But, Mark, dear,” said Alice, as she arose and lighted a lamp, “can you -not see that, to me, it is truth? I really see and hear them, and if it -were not for these hideous ones—” - -“They are _all_ hideous—the whole doctrine is hideous, my dear, and only -such as an unbalanced mind can conceive of,” he said hastily. “For my -sake,—for God’s sake,—try and use some reason and judgment in the -matter! You used to feel different from this—you, the little fearless -woman of five years ago. I was so proud of you for your bravery, as -became a soldier’s wife. You were all right until that man came -here—until that serpent came into our Eden. Now you are frightened, and -faint at your own shadow. But forgive me, dear, I didn’t come home to -scold you. I am sure it is because you are not well and your nerves are -to blame for it all. Queer things, these nerves, to play us such pranks. -You are better, are you not?” - -Alice turned her face, still pale and wan, toward him, and said in a -voice yet unsteady: “We will not talk of it any more. It is too -dreadful.” - -“No, we will choose pleasanter themes. I have some news for you. I have -received a letter from my sister Elinor, and she thinks of coming to -make us a visit. She will have a fine rest here after her round of -society life.” - -“But I thought she was in California.” - -“So she is, but will stop and visit us on the way East. I know it will -do you good to have her here. She is always bright and happy.” - -Alice’s lip quivered at the implied reproach, though Mark had no -intention of meaning it as such. - -“But will she be happy here? I am afraid our rude little cabin will -scarcely make her comfortable.” - -“Don’t worry about that, child. Nellie is a good-hearted little woman, -in spite of her wealth and love of society, and she will enjoy the -change, I assure you.” - -“I feel—afraid to see her,” said Alice, the tears quivering in her -lashes. - -“Alice, dear, can it be this lonely, isolated life that is ruining your -health and nerves? Shall I give up my commission and go back East?” - -“Oh, no, Mark! It is pleasant here—only—” And Alice again looked -apprehensively behind her. - -“My poor child, we will go East,—anywhere,—to get you away from these -scenes and influences,” he murmured. - -“But, Mark, do you not think they are everywhere? In the East and West -and North and South? The air is full of them, it seems to me. What used -to seem only thin, pure, fresh air, sweet to breathe, and space vast and -limitless, appears now a thickly populated ether or chaos in which are -countless thousands of spirits floating or coming and going in surging, -whirling, maddening confusion. Oh, you cannot see with my eyes! If you -could you would pity me!” Alice leaned against her husband’s arm and her -tears fell softly. “You wouldn’t scold me if you knew.” - -“Poor child, poor child! I will not scold you nor laugh at you. I will -cure you. I know disordered nerves are as bad as other functional -disorders, or worse, and it is a physician you need, and a big dose of -rest, and you shall have them. You shall not be left alone again, -either. You are not afraid when I am here?” - -“No, you seem to exercise control even over the inhabitants of the air.” - -“I thank God I am able to. Did you know, Alice, Nathan’s little Lucy is -ill?” - -“Little Lucy? Ah, how sorry I am. How did you learn it?” - -“I met Nathan down the road and came home with him.” - -“Mark, dear, how I am neglecting you. I am sure you are tired and -hungry, and here I have been taking your time with my woes, and -forgetting your needs. Supper is all ready, however, except making the -tea.” - -“Ah, that begins to sound like home again. Yes, I am hungry. I am always -hungry when I can come home to my own table and have my good wife’s -cooking.” - -And Alice, intent upon the hospitable entertainment of her husband, -forgot, for the time, the spectres that haunted her. - - - - - CHAPTER XXI - THE REAPER - - -The spring brought trouble deep and lasting to the home of Nathan. Their -child, upon whom Lissa had rested her heart and hopes after the manner -of all mothers since the dawn of creation, sickened and died. - -One day its little, warm lips had been pressed to hers, while its eyes -looked inquiringly into her face with the mysterious intensity of -infancy. The next, the waxen body lay cold and still before her -unknowing and unheeding, and the weighted agony of her heart was beyond -expression. - -Oh, mothers who have had this experience, how I pity you! How my heart -bleeds for you! It is to tear out a vital part of your being, to rend -the very cords of life, to see that precious little casket of clay, so -pure, so fair, borne away. How can you bear it? - -Lissa did not bear her trial bravely, but sank beneath it. For days she -neither ate nor slept. She would sit in the spot where her baby died, -and beg that it should return to her. She would pray that it might -become materialized and appear to her as the children she had at one -time seen come from a cabinet at a seance. That seemed to be her one -thought, to see it, to feel its little warm hands once more. - -Nathan watched her with increasing anxiety, scarce naming, even to -himself, what he feared. At last one morning she startled him by -declaring that the child had come to her in the night. That she had seen -it and touched its hands. - -“It was but a dream, dearest. Little Lucy is safe in Jesus’ arms. Think -of that, Lissa, safe!” - -She turned from him impatiently. - -“I don’t want to think of it. I want her myself. I have the best right -to her. It was cruel to take my baby, my only one. He must let her come -back to me.” - -“But, my dear, that is impossible. Our little one is safe in a better -world, where no harm nor evil can approach her. She is waiting for us -there. Some day you can go to her, Lissa, but she may not come to you.” - -“But I know she can and does. She is there in that corner of the room. -Sit very still, and she will come to you. See her?” - -Nathan, startled in spite of himself, would sit, awed and expectant, -looking in the direction indicated, while his wife, wrapped in eager -absorption, would remain motionless, becoming angry if he disturbed her. - -And thus the weeks passed, bringing no relief. Lissa’s nature seemed -completely changed. She no longer took interest in her household -affairs, but left everything to her domestic, who at best was an -indifferent housekeeper. Nathan came home each week to find neglect and -chaos, where had once been care and order. - -Lissa was petulant and easily irritated, and her dark, sad eyes looked -as if she never slept. She lost in flesh and color and her constant and -ever-recurring theme of conversation was the child she had lost. - -“Ah, how far from comforting is this belief which my poor wife has -embraced! If Lissa would only become reconciled to the fact that the -child cannot come to her again, she would soon recover from her sorrow,” -he said to Mark Cramer, as after an unusually trying hour with her he -walked slowly with his brother-in-law toward the latter’s house. “It is -certainly wrong to try to recall the dead.” - -“I agree with you. God pity those who have no other belief than -spiritism.” - -“Amen!” replied Nathan. “It has been weighed in the balance and found -wanting. Poor Lissa keeps herself and every one around her wretched by -constantly talking of her lost one. I feel at times she is losing her -mind. She seems to care for nothing but what she calls ‘communing with -her child.’ I can see that she is failing in health as well as mind. I -hoped when the first outburst of grief was over she would, like other -mothers, become resigned, but if anything she is becoming more absorbed -in it. I cannot blame her friends for staying away from her. They do not -want to hear the same story continually. If I propose that we go away -for a time she looks alarmed and refuses to leave the house, because of -the nightly visits of her little one. Surely, surely, Mark, it is a -delusion. It cannot be that she _does_ see her?” he questioned. - -“I certainly believe, Nate, that she is self-deceived and that unless -her mind can in some way be diverted and given other food she will die -or become insane. I was surprised to-day to see the change in her, even -in the short time I have been gone.” - -“If she would only take some interest in her household affairs, but she -leaves everything to Neoka, who is poorly fitted for such -responsibility. I might send for her mother—” - -Mark shook his head. “I am afraid her mother gives too much credence to -this wretched fallacy that is making all the trouble,” he said. - -“Well,” groaned Nathan, “I’m to blame for all this! If I had never -brought that man Russell into the neighborhood this need never have -happened.” - -“Possibly not, but you don’t know. The Devil usually has some way of -finding victims. He might have sent along some other of his emissaries. -I suppose he has plenty, even of _this_ kind. But I will think about -this and see if I cannot find some way of deliverance.” - -“Heaven grant you may, and soon!” - -“I’ve often wondered,” said Mark, “why you ever had anything to do with -this belief. I always supposed you too sound a man to be deceived -easily, and yet you have half seemed to accept the doctrine.” - -“I never told you of an experience I had, a number of years ago, while I -was railroading, did I? You know I ran on the road three or four years. -At the time the incident happened I was acting as conductor on a freight -train running between R—— and Council Bluffs. I had a friend, George -Marvin, who was also a railroad man, and we were close chums. He was a -splendid fellow and supported a widowed mother, who idolized him. - -“One day he came down to the station and told me he had had a bad dream -the night before, and felt sure that if he went out upon his run he’d -meet with an accident. I pooh-poohed at him, but he was terribly -depressed and insisted that he’d had a warning and must not go. So -finally we hunted one of the boys to go in his place, and he jumped on a -passing train to ride up to the street-crossing near his home, standing -on the step of the third car from the engine. As the train moved out -between the tracks upon which other cars were standing, George leaned -out too far, was struck by some projection from a freight car, knocked -under the wheels, and killed instantly. - -“It was a terrible thing. I couldn’t sleep for nights after it happened. -And his poor mother—well, she never got over it. It killed her inside of -six weeks. - -“Two or three weeks after George was killed I took a freight train up to -the junction, where I was ordered to side-track and wait for the express -to pass me. I was some behind time, owing to an accident up the road, -when I pulled out onto the switch, and I was slowing up to stop, when -the rear door of the caboose was thrown open with a bang, and if you’ll -believe me, there stood George Marvin, as natural as life. - -“‘Nate,’ he said, ‘go back and close your switch.’ Then he jumped off, -and the door closed. For a moment I forgot but that George was living. I -rubbed my eyes to see if I was awake. I went to the end of the car, and -looked out, but no one was in sight. There were four drovers in the car -playing cards and laughing. While I was looking at them and wondering -what it all meant, the door flew open again and George Marvin once more -appeared. ‘Nate,’ he said, very slowly and expressively, ‘go back and -close your switch.’ I asked the drovers if they saw any one. They said, -‘Yes, a fellow told you to close your switch.’ ‘That man has been dead -two weeks,’ I said. - -“They urged me to go back and see what it meant, and as the train had -stopped, I ran back and found a piece of coal had fallen between the -rails and prevented the switch—which worked automatically—from closing. -I got it out and closed the switch just as the express came in sight. -Otherwise it would have run into us, and another railroad horror would -have been recorded. Now how do you account for that?” - -“Had it not been for the drovers seeing the vision I should think you -might have seen, standing in the rear of the car, that the switch did -not close; but as you were carrying on another train of thought, perhaps -thinking of your friend, you were not conscious of noticing it; and that -the other part of your mind warned you. Your imagination supplied the -vision.” - -“But the drovers?” - -“Well, perhaps it was thought transference. You received the impression -passively, scarcely realizing it. The passive mind might have -transferred it to their minds. I must confess there is much we cannot -understand even in the laws that govern mental telepathy.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXII - NEW ARRIVALS - - -The soft and balsam-scented air of summer fluttered the white curtains -of Alice Cramer’s house as she sat before the open doorway awaiting, -with no little anxiety, the arrival of her fashionable sister-in-law -from San Francisco. - -And when her practised eye saw the carriage, a mere speck against the -sky, coming across the prairie, her heart throbbed with the dread of -meeting and she looked about her mean little apartments with a sense of -embarrassment. What had come over her, that she should have lost the -self-possession and ease of manner inherent in her, and become timid and -awkward as the most illiterate of her neighbors? - -“I have been so long out of the world I am no longer myself,” she -murmured, “and yet—and yet it is not wholly that. I seem to be living in -a state of chronic fear. If only her coming will free me from those -other visitors.” - -With a choking sensation in her throat, and trembling in her limbs, she -arose as the carriage turned from the highway toward the house. She took -in with a glance the blonde-haired, blue-eyed sister, the curled, -elaborately-dressed child, and then her eyes rested upon the most -beautiful face she had ever seen, it seemed to her. A face so commanding -and bright, so impellingly attractive, she gazed at it in joyous wonder. - -Mark lifted them down from the carriage, one by one, and presented them -to her, and the tears started in her eyes as Elinor kissed her fondly, -called her sister Alice, and appeared to overlook the shabby apartments -which had so distressed the housewife a few minutes before. - -The little boy bounded and capered in the joy of freedom as he looked at -the boundless prairie, and Tibby Waring’s eyes glowed with tender -moistness as she feasted upon the beauty of the expanse before her. - -“Oh, Mrs. Wylie, how lovely it is to breathe freely again,” she murmured -as, after removing her wraps with the dust and stain of travel, she -stood, later in the day, outside the cabin door and watched the red sun -touch the prairie’s distant rim. - -“Yes, Tibby, you will be a child again with all these country wilds -about you. You will have chickens, cows, and horses to your heart’s -content. Mark, do you remember how we youngsters used to go out to -grandpa’s?” - -“Indeed I do. I remember how you tried to walk a log across Willow brook -and fell in.” - -“And I remember when grandpa whipped you for taking eggs from under his -sitting hen.” - -“Because a little girl about your size—you haven’t grown much—told me to -do it.” - -“Yes, and I ran and hid in the dry-house and fell asleep there. What a -time they had finding me.” And Elinor laughed at the recollection. - -“’Twas old Tige that found you. We never could understand how he opened -the dry-house door,” responded Mark. - -“Ah, those happy, happy days,” sighed Elinor. “Look yonder, Tibby, what -a lovely group of ponies.” - -“They are coming this way. May I go to meet them, Mr. Cramer?” And -Tibby, with Robbie at her heels, swiftly went across the crisp, dry turf -toward the approaching horses. - -“Is it safe for her, Mark?” asked Elinor, looking anxiously after her -protege. - -“Yes, come on, we will follow them.” - -“How lovely they are, Mr. Cramer. Are they all gentle? May I go near -them?” asked Tibby as the twain approached her. - -“If you are not afraid, select one for your own use,” Mark replied. - -Tibby went nearer and surveyed them for a moment. - -“I like that roan the best, though he looks a trifle wicked,” she said, -pointing to one a little distance from the herd. - -“Ah, that is Tempest. He is a little wild. Better choose again.” - -The horse lifted his ears and struck the ground with his fore-foot -challengingly, as Tibby slowly went toward him. Mark expected to hear -him snort viciously and take to his heels as she neared him, but to his -surprise the horse kept his position. - -Then, as Tibby spoke to him, he backed a little, and again struck the -ground with his foot. - -“Soh! Good fellow, good fellow! Come here!” Tibby paused, and holding -out her hand beckoned the animal toward her. Then they stood looking at -one another steadily. Finally the roan took a few steps forward, -striking the ground, and seeming to question her right to command him. - -“Come here, I tell you!” said Tibby imperiously, again, and to the -surprise of all the horse once more took a few steps nearer her. -Haltingly it walked toward her, nearer, its eyes fixed on the girl and -her outstretched hand. A few more steps and it was within reach, and -Tibby’s hand was upon its nose and she had conquered. - -“Well, I’m astonished at that!” exclaimed Mark. “He’s the Devil’s own, -usually. He must have an eye for beauty, the rascal.” - -Tibby stood and stroked the animal’s nose, whispering to him as she did -so, and feeding him grass which she pulled from the ground. - -“You are not afraid, Tempest. You must always come when I call you. Soh! -Good Tempest; come, sir, come! I’ll show you to the mistress.” And Tibby -turned toward the house, the horse following the hand touching his nose. - -“Why, if that girl ain’t leading Tempest!” Alice exclaimed. “He’s the -wildest colt of the lot. Even Mark hasn’t been able to do much with him, -he’s so vixenish. And without a bridle! How did she manage it?” - -“She can manage almost anything,” laughed Mrs. Wylie. “I sometimes think -she manages all of us. I don’t know how we should get along without -her.” - -“Where did you find her?” - -“In a country place not far from Forest City. I took her for a nurse -girl for Robbie, but as I wrote you, I’ve made a companion and daughter -of her. She is invaluable in any capacity. The only trouble I have is -keeping the young men from running off with her. She attracts a great -deal of attention wherever we are stopping, and woe be it to any young -woman who purposely ignores her. She makes her a wall-flower from that -time on, and draws away every young man who would pay the offending one -any attention.” - -“But how can she do it? Of course she is remarkably handsome, but that -does not always—” - -“The goodness knows! It’s her own secret. Sometimes I think it is her -compelling eyes that bring every one to her upon whom she casts them. -Haven’t you noticed that quality in them?” - -“They are wonderfully bright, and—electrical,” replied Alice. - -“Electrical? Yes, that is the word. Aren’t they? I can sound Tibby’s -praises by day and night. One feels them ever when not looking at her.” - -“Well,” said Mrs. Cramer, “we have very few young men here. None of much -account, except Donald Bartram. He is nice, and entirely eligible, so -you need not fear him. The girl is remarkably attractive.” - -Tibby Waring had indeed become an important element in Mr. Wylie’s -household. Every one liked her, from Robbie, who was restless and uneasy -in her absence, to Grandma Wylie, who, when she made her annual visits, -insisted that Tibby was better than a doctor to relieve her aches and -rheumatic pains. And Mr. and Mrs. Wylie found need of her on all -occasions. - -From the position of servant she had become a daughter of the house. Her -ready wit and imperturbably good humor made her a welcome adjunct in the -parlor, and if some of Mrs. Wylie’s society friends sneered and -complained of her when by themselves for her presumption in forcing an -unknown girl upon them, they were careful not to shadow forth any -dislike in her presence. Latterly, when traveling, Mrs. Wylie had -introduced her as a foster-daughter, and thus Tibby was saved any -affronts. - -Alice Cramer was never weary of watching both Tibby and her -sister-in-law and feasting upon the brightness and freshness of their -apparel, with the many little accessories of fashion which, of late, -were unknown to her. And Mrs. Wylie herself was like a wild bird set at -liberty. She sang and rode with Tibby and Mark over the plains, her -fluffy blonde hair blowing in the wind, and her pink and white -complexion, which no wind could mar, only took on a richer tinge, more -healthful and attractive. But she became alarmed at the peculiarities -which she observed in Alice. - -One day, while galloping over the soft turf, she questioned her brother. - -“Mark, is Alice entirely sane?” - -“Sane, Nellie! What do you mean?” - -“Why, she acts so strangely at times. She sits and looks back over her -shoulder in such a startled way, and early this morning, after you had -gone out, I heard some one cry out in her room and I ran in there to see -what was the matter. She was sitting up in bed and brushing the wall -about her with a broom. Her face was red, her eyes bright, and she kept -saying, ‘Get away with you, you little imps!’ - -“‘Why, Alice,’ I cried, ‘what ails you?’ She dropped her broom and -looked embarrassed when she saw me, and said imploringly, ‘I can’t help -it, Nellie! Don’t blame me, I can see such horrible crawling things on -the walls. There are all manner of creatures, some on two legs and some -on four or more, and they grin and chatter in such a fiendish way I have -to fight them.’ And she began to sob. I told her it was only her -imagination from disordered nerves, and she ought to have a doctor. But -she assured me she was well, physically. One can see, however, from her -thinness and pallor that such is not the case.” - -Mark’s face grew dark and he shut his teeth hard. - -“Nellie, it all comes from the evil machinations of one man who has been -coming here to the house; a spirit-medium, he calls himself, but I -imagine him an agent for Satan. He holds seances, and has given Alice -books to read until she is filled with his theories. She has been alone -too much since mother went home, and has become melancholy and nervous. -I am very glad you are with us. Try to keep her cheerful and her mind -off those things as much as possible. I need help.” - -Mrs. Wylie sighed. - -“Ah, I know what it is, Mark. Horace has been interested in this -subject, and I have seen more of it than I enjoy. Horace’s sister in -Oakland is a believer and gives up her house to seances and meetings of -that sort.” - -“Indeed, I am surprised that so solid a man as Mr. Wylie should give ear -to such nonsense.” - -“But, Mark, you can’t say it is all nonsense. There are very many bright -people who believe in it, though they are perhaps the exceptions; but -there is certainly something supernatural about it.” - -“No, Nellie, I do not think it is supernatural. It is only because we do -not understand Nature’s laws and forces that we thus designate the -phenomena produced. I really believe the time will come when every -phenomenon adduced will be explained from natural hypothesis. Much of it -can be now. I am not sure but all of it can.” - -“I have a friend, Mark, a very sweet young woman, who I am sure would -not stoop to deceit, who can do many wonderful things. She can write -messages from the spirit world, is clairvoyant, and can, if an article -is placed in her hand, describe the owner, his surroundings, etc. I have -recently heard that she has developed as a materializing medium.” - -“But, my dear, she may be ever so honest and be self-deceived. Those -things do not prove the agency of any disembodied spirit. We all have -more or less of the psychometric power, no doubt, which, although we -cannot account for it, is no more wonderful than the electric current -and many other forces of Nature. There certainly seems to be a force -which connects individuals and forms a medium for thought transference. -The Hindoos understand this much better than we do, hence the mysteries -of their conjuring tricks. They must make use of this psychic force of -which we are but dimly conscious. Possibly we may, in the future, learn -to control it as we do now the lightning. But there is no spirit agency -in it.” - -“The most mysterious to me is the slate-writing,” said Mrs. Wylie. “My -friend does that also. I have seen instances where there seemed to be -absolutely no opportunities for fraud.” - -“We may have belief in the power of mind over matter. I have thought -much over this and am willing to admit that the spirit of man may even -act upon matter to produce this slate-writing, but I believe it is the -medium’s spirit rather than any other. If the disembodied spirit is -supposed to do this, why not the spirit or intelligence of the medium -also? All things considered, I prefer to believe the medium responsible. -Of course, in many cases it is probably only a trick or sleight of hand, -in substituting one slate for another; but I think I have seen cases -myself where such explanation could not be given. - -“But this hypnotic force which can make a subject do, believe, assume -personalities and see whatever is suggested to him is a wonderful force -and I know not what its limits are. It may account for the supposed -slate-writing. The Oriental can produce phenomena beyond anything known -here, and yet, as I understand, he does not pretend that his power comes -from the spirits of departed friends. As for mind over matter, the -planchette is certainly governed by the intelligence of the operator or -manipulator.” - -“If,” said Mrs. Wylie, “one mind may influence another, now annihilating -time and space, why may not the mind or spirit of the dead so act after -it is separated from the body?” - -“I do not deny that such a thing is possible. I am not prepared to state -absolutely that such things are impossible, but I have never had any -proof sufficient to convince me that they were at all _probable_, and I -don’t believe that spirits have anything to do with all this table -rapping, etc., which really amounts to nothing. You will find that all -written answers to questions, even in slate-writing, tell only that -which is known to some one in the room. If a question is asked which -demands an unknown answer the so-called spirit either refuses to speak -or the answer is so ambiguous as to admit of several interpretations. -Really I have never seen one such communication that even stated a fact -clearly. They usually deal in generalities.” - -“That is true. I’ve often told Horace that they could get along all -right until some question was asked which the mind-reader could not find -out about, and then they fail. I have heard that only inferior spirits -are capable of producing psychical phenomena.” - -“So we have the Indian children and big medicine-men to instruct us so -much. Strange that people should pin their faith to the utterances of -spirits of those with whom they would not associate were they living -upon earth.” - -“After all, it’s the making a religion of it that I object to,” said -Mrs. Wylie, “and letting these communications, wherever evolved, control -one’s morals and living.” - -“Did you ever know a person made better by giving up his religion and -substituting spiritism?” - -“No, that is it. I have often told Horace that the doctrine tended to -demoralization; but he will not listen to me. Of course there is much -that is wrong in the followers of any religion, but this seems -especially lowering in its tendency, so far as I have observed.” - -“Well, you can see what it has done for my poor Alice. And her sister -Lissa is nearly insane from it. It will unbalance the mind if not the -moral nature.” - -“I suspect you will not be willing to go and hear Mrs. Lucien when she -comes to C—— upon her Western tour. I care nothing for the exhibition in -itself, but am a little anxious to know how she has developed. I have -not seen her since she first began to try her mystic powers, as we went -to the Pacific coast soon afterwards.” - -“O, yes, I am willing to see your friend. I am not so intolerant as -that. She may, as I said, be sincere and self-deceived. Such a condition -might be possible. However, it is quite as likely you are deceived in -her. By the way, you have a remarkable maid—this Tibby. She is extremely -pretty and has wonderful eyes. - -“Ah, you are stricken with a shaft from those eyes. I don’t wonder at -it. Tibby has been with me ever since she was fourteen, and I have heard -that remark over and over again from each one to whom I have introduced -her.” - -“I could believe she practises hypnotism, though perhaps unconsciously.” - -“Ah, I have frequently suggested as much to Horace, but he says it is -her beauty. She certainly can do what she wishes with any one. The young -men at the summer hotels where we stop swarm about her like bees about a -honey jar, but she does not seem to care for them. Sometimes she plays -the most absurd tricks upon them. One evening, when we were at the -Metropolitan, a young man called whom I had especially recommended to -Tibby. I left them in the parlor and stepped out upon the veranda. -Shortly, Miss Tibby followed me, her eyes dancing with mischief. ‘Where -is Mr. Bevington,’ I asked. ‘In the parlor, asleep,’ she said demurely. -I went in, and sure enough, there the fellow sat in an easy chair, sound -asleep, his jaw dropped, and looking anything but picturesque and -charming. Tibby stood by me, looking wickedly at him. - -“‘There, you see how gentlemanly your fine young man is,’ she said. ‘I -must be interesting company. Don’t you pity me? Shall I cover him with a -shawl and let him sleep?’ I shook my head at her. ‘Better waken him.’ - -“‘Mr. Bevington, we’ll excuse you if you would rather sleep at home,’ -she said. I wish you could have witnessed his confusion when he awoke, -as he did immediately upon Tibby’s addressing him. I really pitied the -poor fellow. He muttered, of course, something about late hours, etc., -but I am satisfied Tibby had something to do with his sleeping. She has, -when she chooses, a very soothing influence over one.” - -“So I perceive. I saw an instance of her mesmeric power yesterday. She -wanted to go and ride upon Tempest (by the way, there is a proof of her -strength. Tempest was the worst horse on the ranch) and Robbie insisted -upon her staying with him. She sat down upon the horse-block and looked -at the child until he came to her as if she had been leading him by a -rope. - -“‘I think you may as well sleep while I am gone,’ she said, ‘to keep you -out of mischief.’ To my surprise the little fellow dropped down by the -side of the block and appeared to be asleep in a minute. He slept until -she returned from her ride, when she awakened him, and they both came in -together.” - -“You don’t think there is any harm in it? It will not hurt Robbie?” -asked Mrs. Wylie anxiously. “I have learned to rely upon her so -completely.” - -“Perhaps not, though I have heard that it weakens the will to be -frequently mesmerized. But we’ll hope she does not abuse her power.” - -“Really, Mark, I believe I obey Tibby myself. We have never disagreed -upon anything yet, that I did not yield, I am sure. And when I have a -headache she can sooth it away with her touch.” - -“Tibby has a very positive character. I fancy Donald is interested in -her already.” - -“Donald! Why, I thought they told me he was fond of Esther McCleary.” - -Mark smiled. - -“I do not know—possibly. Meanwhile, have I your permission to talk with -your protege on the subject of mesmeric influences?” - -“Most assuredly, or upon any other subject. But really, Mark, isn’t -there something uncanny about a person possessed of such power?” - -Again Mark smiled. - -“You are possessed of the intolerance of our forefathers. You would not -suffer a witch to live.” - -“Well, it does seem as if such a person had a familiar spirit. We are -commanded to abhor such, and in olden time they were put to death, it is -true.” - -“I do not class hypnotists with spirit-mediums,” Mark replied. “And I -have an idea with regard to Tibby which may be useful. She should be -able to exorcise other evil influences, as did the priests of old. I’d -like to pit her against Russell.” - -“Russell? O, yes, he’s the man to whom you ascribe Alice’s perversion of -mind. Well, I wish she might be able to. I wish she might.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII - THE COUNTERPLOT - - -Mark sought a convenient opportunity to interview Tibby. He found the -girl one morning pacing slowly up and down the pathway leading to the -horses’ corral, her riding-whip in her hand and riding-skirt upon her -arm. She was smiling softly to herself and flipping the tops of the tall -balsam weeds with her whip as she passed them. She looked up, a -startled, challenging look in her large eyes as he approached her. - -“Well, Miss Tibby, what new mischief are you hatching to-day?” Mark -asked as he joined her. - -“None, I assure you. I was only thinking how I would like to see a -prairie on fire.” - -“I trust the wish has not been father to the act. You haven’t set a -match to it?” - -“O, no! I haven’t yet looked up a convenient hiding-place for myself. -And then I don’t believe I’m quite so bad as Nero. My desire to see a -burning Rome is not strong enough to make me set it on fire.” - -“Indeed? You reassure me!” - -“As if that were necessary.” - -“You haven’t told me what you really think of us here, Miss Tibby.” - -“I think it is lovely here; you have so much breathing space.” - -“Is that all we are supposed to do—breathe?” - -“There doesn’t seem to be a chance for much else. Now does that sound -impolite? I don’t mean it so.” Tibby flicked the toe of her boot with -her whip, and drew in one of the deep corners of her mouth as if she had -said something she ought not to. - -“Not in the least impolite. It’s a fact. We may exist here, not much -else.” - -“But I didn’t mean that. I like it here very much. But one is so free -from restraint, breathing seems the easiest and about the only necessary -thing to do.” - -“You were country born?” - -“Yes, and I remember it seemed there as if I was repressed and confined -and I looked yearningly out into the greater liberty of the world. Think -of it! From the freedom of country I longed for liberty.” - -“And now?” Mark questioned. - -“And now I am not tired of the other life. O, no. I enjoy it truly, only -I think part of the people one meets in society life are often very -silly and flat, as—as—” she hesitated for a comparison, then gave the -familiar one of her childhood,—“as dishwater.” - -“Isn’t that the trouble with a part of the people everywhere? After all, -it’s a great thing to be to the manner born,” said Mark, setting his -large hat farther back upon his head, and looking the bright sun in the -face. - -“Ain’t it? There is an ease, a consciousness of power, a—a something -which the very rich have which one may covet. Perhaps it is the -consciousness of always being well-dressed. I think that was what I used -to covet. As to birth, I had nothing to envy in any of them. My mother -was a Devereaux, my great uncle an earl.” Tibby lifted her chin with -conscious pride. Mark saw that the girl was still smarting from affronts -received when she was only Mrs. Wylie’s servant. - -“Even in this democratic America we still are proud of what we please to -call blue blood, are we? Well, it may be foolish, but I reckon it won’t -hurt us,” said Mark. “I hope many of us are better men than our -ancestors of feudal times, however. Our women are certainly more -intelligent, if we may believe history.” - -“Yes?” Tibby was looking out into the expanse dreamily, her eyes -narrowed and yellow in the sunlight. - -“What do you call the restraints of society life?” questioned Mark -suddenly. - -“The necessity of putting on war paint and feathers. The necessity of -hiding behind a mask of conventionality and pleasant phrases, of fine -clothes and fine speeches. I enjoy it immensely—immensely.” Tibby shut -her lips tightly to emphasize her words. “But after all, it is -artificial, and the only fun is seeing through it all. It’s really more -fun to be a spectator than an actor in a comedy. The actors see all the -tinsel and making up.” - -“But you have been an actor?” - -“Yes, in the minor roles.” - -“Tibby, Mrs. Wylie tells me you sometimes see people you do not like and -have a way of punishing them.” - -“Yes,” said Tibby meekly; “sometimes.” - -“Miss Tibby, haven’t we walked about enough? Let us sit down upon this -roller. I want to talk to you. You conquered Tempest very easily. I -believe you have uncommon power,” he continued, as Tibby sat down and -began to fan her face with her riding-hat. - -“Do you think so?” Tibby’s voice was mockingly suggestive. - -“Yes, I am convinced of it. And I have been waiting for an opportunity -to ask how long you have known and used this power.” - -Tibby looked keenly at Mark. - -“I am not sure I understand you. To what power do you refer?” - -“The power to make every person or beast yield to your will. You are a -hypnotist, Miss Waring, and an uncommonly powerful one.” - -The girl looked up eagerly. - -“Do you really think so, Mr. Cramer? I have wondered myself if that -might not be the case. I know—have known for a long time—that if I -really willed any one to do a thing, he was quite apt to do it. When I -was a little girl I used to sit in church and make people turn and look -at me—it was the only way I could amuse myself through those long -sermons which my stepmother made me listen to every Sunday; and -sometimes I have made people stumble, or even fall, just for fun or to -punish them. I know it wasn’t a praiseworthy amusement, but—” Tibby -hesitated. - -“You can put Robbie to sleep.” - -She nodded. “How did you know?” - -“I have been watching you.” - -“You don’t think there is any harm in it?” she questioned in a troubled -voice. - -“Perhaps not, yet I do not think I would exercise my power in that way. -It might weaken the lad’s will. I am sure you would not willingly do him -harm.” - -“Oh, no, indeed! I never mean to do any one any harm. I have sometimes -played jokes on the dudes at the hotels, or occasionally punished some -one, as Mrs. Wylie told you.” - -“There is a person whom I wish you would punish, if it be in your -power.” - -“And that is—?” - -“Professor Russell. You know who he is, and what he has done. If he -comes here again, use all the power you possess to get control of that -man.” - -“What shall do with him if I can hypnotize him?” - -“Anything. Show him up for what he is. And above everything, break his -power or influence over others.” - -“You may be sure I will. Mrs. Wylie has been telling me of him, and that -he is responsible for Mrs. Cramer’s nervous condition.” - -“Yes, and for a hundred other offenses, large and small. Lissa Bartram -is nearly insane over his accursed delusions. By the way, can you not -suggest a different train of thought for her? She sits brooding over her -sorrow, and trying to recall the spirit of her child. You know the -hypnotist can get control of the mind and govern the current of thought -by suggestion. Can you not turn her morbid fancies into dreams of hope -and brightness? Ah, Miss Tibby, if you can bring relief to that darkened -spirit you will be an angel of light!” - -“Mr. Cramer, I will try. I wish I understood better just how to use the -power I have. I know I have it—but sometimes I forget and fail to make -people do as I wish. But I am interested in Mrs. Bartram, and will do -what I can.” - -“Come, let us walk over there now,” said Mark. “The others are occupied -with themselves.” - -“All right. I’ll leave my riding accoutrements here, and we will go. I -wonder, Mr. Cramer, if this power comes from a strong will.” - -“Are you strong-willed?” - -“Ah, you answer my question in the Yankee fashion. I suppose I am. My -stepmother used to call me ‘that self-willed, headstrong girl,’ because -I could coax papa to let me have my own way sometimes. And when I was -right, why should I not have it?” The uptilted chin rose higher. - -“It is usually woman’s way,” Mark replied. - -“The right way is. I agree with you.” - -Tibby walked forward with the free, upspringing step of perfect health -and high spirits. - -“Mr. Cramer, you have not answered my question. What is this power of -hypnotic control?” - -“You should know better than I, Miss Waring. So far as I understand it, -it is the controlling of one person’s will and senses by another, the -subject passively submitting to it. I cannot imagine your hypnotizing -me, for I am naturally very positive myself. You might do so if I were -off my guard. Neither have I your power over others. Why, is not clear -to me.” - -“I made you ask a question for me a couple of days ago,” Tibby -confessed, laughing. - -“When?” Mark looked surprised. - -“It was when you and Mrs. McCleary were talking together, and I wanted -to hear her tell about the planchette. So I told you to ask her—that is, -_willed_ you to. And immediately you turned around and said, ‘Well, how -does Mr. McCleary get on with his planchette?’” - -Mark laughed. - -“I remember I was sorry for starting her off upon her hobby, and was -provoked at myself for asking afterwards,” he said. “But here we are at -Nathan’s. I’ll take you in and then I’ll leave you to entertain Lissa in -your own way.” - -They found her sitting listlessly by her low window, her hands folded in -her lap, her sad, dark-rimmed eyes full of unshed tears. - -“I have brought Miss Waring over to keep you company for a while,” Mark -said brightly. “I think you’ll get along well together without me, so -I’ll run back to Alice. How are you feeling? Better?” - -Lissa arose and came forward to meet them with extended hands, then her -eyes followed Tibby’s about the disordered room. A flush of color came -faintly into her cheeks. - -“I—am about as usual, thank you,” she said to Mark, then apologetically -to Tibby: “Neoka has neglected the work to-day. She wanted a holiday and -I let her off, and have not attended to it myself.” - -“Are you not well, Mrs. Bartram?” asked Tibby. - -“No—that is, I am better than I was,” she stammered, looking at Tibby in -an embarrassed way. - -“You ought to be out in this lovely sunshine. Don’t you think so, Mr. -Cramer?” - -“Yes, indeed. There’s life and health in every gleam, thanksgiving to -the sun,” misquoted Mark, and he touched his hat and turned away. - -“I have a headache,” began Lissa. - -“Which I can rid you of in short order,” cried Tibby. “Did Mrs. Wylie -never tell you what a good doctor I am? I can always cure her headaches -in a moment. May I try upon you?” - -Mrs. Bartram signified her assent, and Tibby stepped to her side and -began to rub her head, talking the while in her low, rich tones. - -“You are to stop thinking about anything and let your head rest easily -against the back of the chair. I will take the pain here and carry it -away on the ends of my fingers—so. Ah, you are beginning to feel better -already. The pain is going, now almost gone—now it is gone. Isn’t it? I -do not think it will trouble you any more.” - -Lissa smiled. “It has gone,” she murmured. - -“Ah, that is lovely. Now we will go and walk. It will complete my cure. -Shall we go down by the river and gather plums?” - -Lissa assented, and Tibby noticed the brighter look that already -animated her face. - -When, three hours later, the twain came back to the house, their arms -filled with wild flowers and plants, Lissa’s dark eyes were shining with -a new interest, and the dawn of a brighter life had shone upon the -darkened, despairing soul of Nathan’s wife. - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV - THE TRAIL OE THE SERPENT - - -“Alice, have you seen Esther McCleary lately?” Mark asked abruptly as he -entered the house. - -“No, I have not. She seems to avoid us since Elinor and Tibby came. I -wonder if it is on account of Donald? Why does she act so?” - -“I am afraid, Alice, there has been, or will be, a tragedy in Esther’s -life, which will wreck it,” Mark answered. - -“Why, what do you mean? What can have happened?” - -“Have you heard nothing about her mysterious wanderings away from home -lately?” - -“No.” - -“Well, it seems she has been given to somnambulancy. She has gotten up -in the middle of the night and left the house upon more than one -occasion. Last night, when I was coming home from the fort, I came upon -her walking alone upon the prairie, wringing her hands and sobbing -bitterly. I called to her, and she at first tried to run from me, but at -last she allowed me to put her upon my horse and bring her home. I -questioned her, and finally the poor child told me the cause of her -wanderings. It seems Russell’s power did not end with his presence, but -after hypnotizing her a number of times he could control her, even -though absent. He never tried to use this baneful power until recently, -or since he was here the last time before now.” - -“But when did he come back? I didn’t know he had returned,” said Alice, -a troubled look upon her face. - -“The Lord only knows!” replied Mark, with a scowl. “I hoped we’d seen -the last of him.” - -“I did too, Mark. I really did. I have been so much happier since Elinor -and Tibby came, and now, when it is most time for them to go, to think -he’s come again.” - -“He must not come here—after they have gone away, at any rate. I don’t -mind it much if they are here, for Tibby, I think, will be a match for -him. But afterwards, if I catch him here I’ll shoot him like the vermin -he is!” - -“But, Mark, they’d hang you for it.” - -“’Twould be in a good cause. But really I don’t think he’ll come again -after I have interviewed him once. This affair of Esther’s is going to -make the place too hot for him.” - -“O, yes, you were telling me. Go on. What about Esther?” - -“Why, it appears he willed her to meet him in the cotton-wood grove that -borders the canon. The poor child swears that she knew nothing and was -conscious of nothing until she found herself face to face with this -arch-fiend, alone and beyond the call of friends. She tried to flee from -him, but could not. He seemed to hold her, powerless to help herself.” - -“You horrify me, Mark!” - -“I am myself so enraged I can hardly exercise self-control. Think of -having a man in the community with the power to call his victims to him -at will.” - -“Does Donald know of this?” - -“No, I think not yet. I am afraid that when he does it will end -everything between him and Esther, if there has been anything, which I -doubt. I believe Don has a friendly interest in Esther, but I suspect he -is growing fond of Tibby.” - -“Indeed! Well, I don’t see how he could help it. But Esther is such a -good girl.” - -“Yes, before she became the nervous wreck she is, because of -that—Russell.” Mark ground his teeth. - -“O Mark, this is dreadful, dreadful! What can be done?” - -“The hound must be driven from this community, now and forever. This -poor girl’s obsession is sufficient excuse for a mob with tar and -feathers. Were it not for the publicity of the thing, and the pain -Esther would experience should these night wanderings be made public, I -would organize a posse myself, to-night, and ride the fellow out of the -territory on a rail.” - -“Ah, Mark, you must not go against the laws of the land. Mob violence -can never be right.” - -“I don’t know, Alice—when one has a case like this which the law would -not touch.” - -“Will not the law touch it?” - -“I don’t know. I am going to town to-morrow to find out if there is not -some way in which he may be held under the law. As for Esther, I wish -she might be sent away from this place—away from his hateful influence -and pestiferous power.” - -“Ah, could she get away from it? Is there any place where it might not -follow her? Mark, wouldn’t it be well for you to see Mrs. McCleary? -Surely she could not sanction such possession of her daughter.” - -“That is a good idea, Alice. I will go to see her to-day—now. If there’s -a heart in that woman I’ll try to find it. This is a mission for which -you are better suited, but in your nervous state it may be more than you -could do.” - -“I would rather trust you,” Alice replied. - -Mark rapped at Mrs. McCleary’s door a half hour later, and asked the -child who admitted him if he might see her mother. - -“Well, well! Oi declare, Mr. Mark, Oi’m delighted if you’ve found toime -an’ inclination to give us a little of yer society,” cried Mrs. -McCleary, coming forward. “Oi told Esther Oi didn’t see why some of the -neighbors didn’t call oftener. We’re always glad to see ’em. And how is -Alice, and that noice sister, and the perty girl with her? Oi am shure -Alice must enjoy their company so much.” As she paused to take breath, -Mark interposed. - -“We do both enjoy them very much. But where is Esther, Mrs. McCleary?” - -“Esther? O, she is giving the children their baths. Oi have to leave all -such work to her now. But she’ll be through varry soon, Oi’m shure. Just -help yourself to some of them plums on the table, Misther Mark.” - -“Thank you. They are very nice, and I always enjoy eating them. This -fruit makes up to us for the lack of apples and other fruits of the -East, which we have not started here yet. Nature is compensative. But I -want to talk to you, Mrs. McCleary, rather than Esther, and upon a -somewhat delicate subject.” - -“Yes?” Mrs. McCleary’s voice slid upward interrogatively. “Oi waant ter -know.” - -“Do you know the extent of Professor Russell’s power over your -daughter?” - -“Why, to be shure, Mr. Cramer. Who should know, if not her mother?” - -“And do you approve of his compelling her to walk in the fields at -night? Believe me, Mrs. McCleary, I ask this from no idle motive. I am -interested in your daughter’s welfare and good name.” - -“He compel her? Professor Russell compel her? Why, ye’re crazy, Mark -Cramer!” The woman’s Irish temper was rising. - -“But it is true she has gotten up in the night and wandered away, alone, -is it not?” - -“It is thrue Esther has walked in her shlape once or twice.” - -“But is he not the cause, when she goes to meet him?” - -“Mr. Cramer, what d’ye mean, insinuating such things of my Esther?” - -“Mrs. McCleary, this is a painful revelation I must make you. But I know -that this has occurred, at least once, and I know that Esther was -constrained to go to this meeting by other power than her volition.” - -“Oi don’t belave ye, Mark Cramer,” said the now thoroughly angry woman. -“Oi don’t know what yer object is in coming here and defaming moy poor -girrl. Oi don’t belave Professor Russell would use any power he has to -hurt moy child’s good name. It’s all along of yer prejudice of the maan, -that yer thryin’ to make trouble.” - -“But, Mrs. McCleary, listen to me, I beg of you, for Esther’s sake. You -don’t want me to believe that Esther would go of her own free will to -such an appointment?” - -“If she has gone, it’s the sperits as has led her. And Oi can’t belave -they would harm a hair of her head, aither. When the sperits used to -come here first, McCleary used to say, ‘Ye’ll lose all yer friends, -Miranda, av ye toike ony sthock in these sperits,’ and Oi sez, sez Oi, -‘If moy friends can’t sthand the sperits, they’re not moy friends at -all, an’ I can get along without thim.’” - -Mrs. McCleary was thoroughly aroused, and her hands trembled as she -clasped the arms of her rocking-chair. - -“You are willing, are you, that the spirits should compromise your -daughter? Mrs. McCleary, there is not a man, woman, or child in this -community that would not grieve to hear this thing of Esther, and would -gladly shield and protect her from such influences; but her own mother -will not listen nor try to save her.” - -“Ye don’t know what ye’re talking about, Mark Cramer. If the sperits—but -I don’t belave it at all, at all.” - -“Mother!” It was Esther herself who interrupted them, Esther standing in -the doorway, her face white to chalkiness, her dark-lined eyelids heavy -with their burden of tears, her voice thrilling with its passionate -intensity. “Mother, Mr. Cramer speaks the truth. It is no spirit that -controls me, but the wicked, black one—oh, blacker than hell -itself!—which lodges in the breast of that dreadful man, Russell. I have -prayed to you, O my mother, to save me from him. I have prayed to Heaven -as well, upon my bended knees, but Heaven and my own mother have been -deaf to my prayers. You would not hear me, you would not believe me. -Yes, you, you, mother, have made me see him, forced me against my own -will to see him, until he now controls me, body and soul. If he bade me, -I should walk into the bottomless pit. And I hate him, hate him, hate -him! O mother, mother, mother!” Esther’s voice ended in a shriek and her -slender body swayed as she staggered forward toward the woman whose -breast should have been her safe and sure refuge. - -Mark caught the half-fainting girl and supported her to a chair. - -“Try to calm yourself, Esther,” said Mark. - -“Yes, Esther, do be calm! Ye’ve upset moy nerves complately. What does -make ye take on so? Oi nivver saw ye in sich a state, nivver.” - -“Mrs. McCleary, in view of all this, will you not promise me that -Russell shall never again enter this house?” Mark asked with resolution. - -“Oi—oh—what can Oi promise? Where is Mr. McCleary. It seems to me ye’re -all afther drivin’ me crazy!” And putting her handkerchief to her face -she sobbed and waved one hand despairingly. - -Fortunately the hesitating, shuffling, uncertain step of Mr. McCleary -was heard coming up the path, and in a few moments he entered the room. - -He looked from one to the other in a helpless, bewildered manner, then -turned to his wife. - -“Mr. McCleary, will you try to keep Professor Russell from your house? -This is all trouble of his making. He has gained possession of your -daughter’s will until she is obliged to wander out upon the prairie at -night if he bids her to do so. She is completely in his power, poor -girl. Only careful watchfulness upon your part and the expulsion of the -villain from the community can avail. Look at your child, Mr. McCleary, -and see if you will permit him to destroy her!” said Mark, with feeling. - -He pointed to the sobbing face of Esther, now pressed against the back -of the chair, and ghastly in its grief. - -The little man looked helplessly at his wife, then at his stricken -child, and his head shook with agitation. - -“Yes, I’ll try—I’ll try. We will, won’t we, Miranda? We’ll try to keep -him away from Esther. I say, Esther, do you want him kept away?” he -continued, going to her side and lifting her poor head in his arms. “My -little girlie, do ye want him kept away?” he quavered. - -“Yes, yes! O papa, if he had never come here!” she moaned, pressing her -forehead against his breast. “Papa—papa!” - -Mr. McCleary blew his nose and coughed uneasily. - -“I’ll promise yer, Mr. Cramer. I’ll promise he sha’n’t. He sha’n’t come -if I can prevent it. Poor Esther—there, little girl! He sha’n’t come -here again if I can help it.” - -For a wonder, Mrs. McCleary said nothing, but with her face concealed in -her handkerchief, rocked back and forth in her chair to the -accompaniment of her sobbing; and feeling that Esther was finding -comfort in the paternal arms, with the old man’s promise, Mark took his -leave. - -“Nor if I can prevent it, shall he come here again!” he muttered as he -walked away. “And I think I can—I think I can.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXV - TIBBY CONQUERS - - -Upon the second afternoon of Mark’s absence from home Alice was -surprised by the dreaded appearance of Professor Russell. The man had -changed his outward guise considerably. His auburn whiskers had given -place to a smooth-shaven chin. A red mustache, grizzled with white, -decked his upper lip, and his hair was closely cut. Even his eyebrows -seemed to have shared in the general cut, and the man looked sleeker -and, if possible, more like Uriah Heep than before. Alice did not at -first recognize him as he came toward the house, but a glance from those -gray-green eyes identified him. - -She shrank back with a perceptible shudder of abhorrence. - -“You here, Professor? I supposed you had departed to lands afar!” she -exclaimed. - -“You did not then receive notice of my coming?” he asked, with a meaning -look. - -“Notice? No—why—how could I?” - -“I have numerous unseen messengers.” - -Again Alice shivered, and turning toward her sister-in-law, beckoned her -approach. Mrs. Wylie left the bunch of prairie flowers she was plucking, -and came forward, while at the same time Tibby came around the corner of -the house, leading Robert. - -As Alice presented the Professor to each in her turn, she observed the -keen look he cast upon them, and noted later the return of his gaze to -Tibby. Her beauty was evidently not lost upon him. - -As for Tibby, she regarded him steadily, as again and again his eyes -sought hers. They appeared like two children trying to look one another -out of countenance. Then Russell’s eyes fell and he turned to enter the -house, while Tibby, her eyes dancing in triumph, followed him in and sat -down opposite him, watching him much as a cat watches the crevice in a -wall through which a mouse has disappeared. Evidently Tibby was very -ill-bred. There was a peculiar electrical charging of the air. Mrs. -Wylie noticed it, and looked apprehensively out of doors to see if a -storm was approaching, then at Alice. Alice felt its influence and -trembled. Tibby alone seemed unmoved and entirely serene. A wicked, -yellow gleam shone in her expressive eyes. - -“Is your husband at home, Mrs. Cramer?” Russell asked at length, after -taking a chair a short distance from the door, and tilting it slightly -backward against the wall. - -“No, I am sorry to say he is not. But why do you ask, Professor? I -supposed you always knew.” - -“I have neglected to make inquiry this time, Mrs. Cramer. Undoubtedly I -might have learned had done so.” - -Tibby rolled up her eyes with an expression of youthful innocence. - -“What a lovely idea that would be for making calls, Mrs. Wylie! One -could always go and leave cards when people were away from home.” - -Mrs. Wylie shook her head at the girl reprovingly. - -“Ahem! I have taken the liberty to invite over some of our friends for a -meeting to-night,” said the Professor. - -Mrs. Cramer could hardly repress signs of her annoyance. - -“I am very sorry—” she began. “It is unfortunate Mark is not here or -that you did not take the trouble to inquire beforehand. For he -decidedly objects to anything of the kind here in his absence.” - -Truly, Alice was becoming brave. - -“I am sorry for Mark’s blindness,” the Professor said, with priestly -assumption. - -“Mark blind? How very strange. I should never have suspected it,” said -Tibby with childish naivete. - -“He is blind to the truth, Miss Waring. A sort of moral blindness, which -is the worst form of ophthalmia.” - -“Oh!” Tibby opened her eyes to their widest extent and met his look -squarely. Then her eyes narrowed until only a rim of blue was visible, -and she did not take them off the visitor. It soon became evident that -the Professor was annoyed by this childish scrutiny. He changed his -position several times and finally turned upon the girl abruptly. - -“Have we ever met before, Miss Waring?” - -“I think not,” Tibby said, with an emphasis that sounded much like “I -hope not,” but she did not relax her persistent watchfulness. Surely the -girl, though handsome, was very ill-mannered. She acted like a child who -had met an interesting specimen. - -“Have you had any new experiences, Mrs. Cramer?” the man asked, again -changing his position nervously. He was evidently upon the defensive so -far as Tibby was concerned, and did not care to longer challenge her -attention. - -“N—no,” said Alice. “I think I have been less annoyed by unpleasant -influences, lately,”—then, catching Tibby’s eye,—“since you went away,” -she added. - -Professor Russell gave Alice a sharp glance, as if to determine whether -any disrespect was intended by her remark, while Tibby’s eyes danced -mirthfully. - -“We trust,” said Mrs. Wylie, with a dignified raising of her chin, “that -as Mrs. Cramer is getting her nerves under better control, she will not -be haunted any more by imaginary spectres.” - -“You think them, then, a mere delusion of the senses?” - -“Most assuredly.” - -“But if I should tell you that I, who am not in the least nervous, can -see forms about Mrs. Cramer, why should she not see them?” - -“Because they are not there. Because you make her see them. Mr. Russell, -we feel, my brother and I, that you have done a serious wrong to Alice, -and I know if Mark were here he would not permit you to see her.” - -“Eh? What? Not to see her? Mark must be beside himself. Why, I am sorry. -I regret very much that—that—that—Why, bless you! how sleepy this warm -weather makes me. I have really allowed myself to become wearied. -Perhaps I ate too hearty a dinner. Mrs. Cramer, may I trouble you for a -glass of water?” And Russell started up and passed his hands before his -eyes as if to brush cobwebs from them. “I have been walking about in the -heat all day and it’s almost overcome me, I reckon.” - -Alice rose to go to the well at the back of the house, and it was -several moments before she returned. - -“Here is the water, Professor,” she said, coming forward with a pitcher -and glass upon a small tray. “I have drawn some fresh for you.” - -But her words seemed wasted upon the man before her, who was apparently -deaf and blind to all external influences. “Why, can it be he’s asleep?” -she continued, under her breath. - -“Ah, I hardly think—he’d be so severe as that. I am—much—interested—much -in—the dark,” muttered Russell. “I’m—m—m—” His chin dropped, his eyes -closed, and he sank back heavily in his chair. Tibby arose and -approached him with cat-like tread, looking at him eagerly. She waved -her hand before his face. “Yes, you’re asleep fast enough!” she said -exultantly. The man began to breathe with the measured rhythm of deep -sleep. - -“Mrs. Cramer, you are free from that man’s influence,” Tibby continued, -with a long sigh of conscious relief. “I was so afraid I could not get -him under control, as he might be on his guard. But you distracted his -attention, Mrs. Wylie, and then I got him. He was warm and tired from -walking, and a heavy dinner too, probably. Did I do the baby act well? -He probably thought I was the personification of rustic innocence and -did not fear me. Ah, you’re asleep now, old fellow, and cannot awaken -until I give you permission. I can see Donald Bartram coming,” she -continued, looking out of the door. She waited for him to come up, -standing upon the step of the cabin, a picture of animated life. - -“For once, Mr. Bartram, you are on hand when you are wanted.” And she -courtesied to him mockingly. - -“For once? Rather say, always,” he replied with assurance. “But what is -it now? Whew!” as he caught sight of the slumbering man. - -“Can you ask? Don’t you see it is a sleeping beauty; and as he’s liable -to wait until the Millenium for the princess to come to awaken him, or a -thousand years, more or less, suppose we bury him.” - -Donald looked from the face of the laughing girl to the sleeping man, in -amazement. - -“I put him to sleep,” she vouchsafed. - -“By all that’s good, if old Russell hasn’t met his match!” he whispered. - -“O, you needn’t whisper, he won’t waken; and it isn’t a lucifer-match, -so don’t look surprised, but please suggest to me what to do with him.” - -“It’s Tibby that has put him there,” said Mrs. Wylie. “She has -mesmerized the creature. Ugh! I hope there is no danger of his -wakening.” - -“Not until I waken him,” said Tibby. - -“Then suppose you wait until Gabriel sounds his trumpet,” Donald -suggested. - -“Mr. Bartram, I am bad enough, but you are positively wicked! To think -of punishing poor Mrs. Cramer by having such a clod as this left around -to look at.” - -“Miss Waring, if the man is in a hypnotic sleep, any suggestion you may -make to him, he will act upon. Why not use him as he has Esther -McCleary? Make an exhibition of him.” - -“What, make him dance? I might try. Wouldn’t it be fun? We should have a -larger audience, though. I wonder if I can. Oh, what a joke it will be!” - -“Certainly you can. He can be made to dance, talk, make a speech—even -tell the truth, perhaps. Try it!” - -“He said when he came in he had invited some people here to a seance -to-night,” said Mrs. Wylie. “It is nearly time to expect them, is it -not?” - -“That’s so. Jump on your pony and go after Esther, Mr. Bartram. How I -wish Mr. Cramer were here. It will be a joke for them to find him -asleep.” And Tibby’s eyes glowed wickedly, with yellow fire in them. - -Donald, nothing loth, started upon his errand. - -“Be sure he does not waken,” he said. - -“Never fear! I’ll see to that,” she called after him. - -Poor Alice Cramer had not spoken since the drama began. She was -frightened, yet glad in her secret heart. She feared this man so much, -it was a satisfaction to see him harmless and sleeping, and Mark would -be home before the night was over. - -“Ah, Mrs. Cramer,” cried Tibby, “just pay no attention to him. I’ll make -him go and lay in the corner, if he is in your way.” - -“Oh, no!” cried Alice, frightened at her daring. “Let him remain where -he is. You’re sure you can bring him out when you please?” - -“Yes, indeed!” - -Alice stepped about softly, as if in fear she would wake him, while she -arranged the furniture in the room. - -“I am sorry he arranged for a seance here to-night,” she whispered. -“Mark will be angry.” - -“But _he_ isn’t to have one. Don’t you see. It’s _I_ that will have the -seance, and he is to dance at it. Oh, you wicked man, I have heard -enough about you! Are you not wicked? Answer me!” - -“Yes, I am wicked,” came from the lips of the slumberer. - -Tibby clapped her hands with delight. - -“I can see Sol Garrett coming now,” Alice said, going to the door. - -“Dear me! What will they say?” - -“They’ll say Satan is outwitted,” said Mrs. Wylie. - -“Well, I am sure I hope it is all right,” Alice replied, with a sigh. - -Before Mr. Garrett reached the house, Donald galloped up from the -opposite direction and threw himself from the horse. - -“How is it, have you got him fast?” he asked, hurrying in. - -“Yes, but where is Esther?” - -Donald frowned. - -“She is either not at home or would not see me,” he said. - -“And her mother?” - -“Was nursing a headache and would not see me.” - -“Ah, then they will not be here. I am so sorry,” murmured Tibby. “Esther -ought to see him act the clown’s part.” - -Mrs. Jenkinson soon arrived, with Auntie Dearborn and the Pemberton -twins. Sol Garrett waited to come in with Lissa Bartram, and three or -four others soon followed them. They all started back at the sight of -the sleeping Professor, and looked at one another inquiringly. - -“Too much spirits,” said Tibby audaciously. - -“Why, you don’t say? Has he been drinking?” queried Auntie Dearborn in a -loud whisper. - -“No, he’s overcome by spirits, but not of that kind,” Donald said. - -“A stronger spirit than his own controls him,” added Mrs. Wylie. - -“Strong spirits are always dangerous,” giggled Tibby in an aside to -Donald. - -“Weak ones are more so,” he replied in the same tone. - -The company were soon seated about the room, looking curiously at the -slumbering medium. - -Then Donald explained to them that his sleep was an unnatural one, -induced by Miss Waring, who had, like the Professor, hypnotic powers. - -“We propose to prove to you that much that this man has taught is -fallacy,” he said. “That which he has claimed to be spirit manifestation -is much of it only hypnotic suggestion.” Then at a signal from him Tibby -came forward. - -“Come, Professor!” she said with authority. “You are asleep, very sound -asleep, are you not? You cannot open your eyes if you try to, can you?” -The man made an evident vain effort to do so. - -“Now, put out your arm.” The subject obeyed. “Put it down.” Again he -obeyed her. - -“He is all right,” said Donald, biting his mustache nervously. “He will -dance if you tell him to.” - -“Come, these people have come here to see you dance, Professor. You know -you are a dancing master and can perform in a wonderful manner. Mr. -Bartram will whistle a jig for you. Now begin!” - -Donald gave Tibby a humorous grimace, but he struck up a lively tune, -and the Professor, springing to his feet with the agility of a youth, -kept time with him in a most ludicrous manner. He flourished, kicked, -double-shuffled and pirouetted in the manner of a professional stage -minstrel. - -“That will do now! You are tired,” said Tibby, after the man had -continued his exhibition until his audience was convulsed with laughter. - -“You see,” said Donald, “it was not spirits, but hypnotism, that made -Miss McCleary entertain us by waltzing.” - -“That is true, is it not, Professor?” Tibby asked. - -“Yes,” he nodded, “it is true.” - -“Well, I swan!” said Solomon Garrett. “If this don’t beat all creation! -Has that man been foolin’ us all this time, or is he dancin’ with -spirits himself.” - -“He is controlled by this lady here. There is nothing supernatural about -it,” replied Donald. “She controls him, as he has us, many times, making -us see and believe what had no existence. Miss Waring will make him see -things not here.” He looked at Tibby. - -“Professor, Mark Cramer is standing over you with a horse-whip. Look -out, he is going to strike you!” The man showed signs of terror, and -shrank away from the supposed antagonist. “You had better strike back.” -He doubled up his fist and struck back with energy. “There, you have hit -him, he is down.” The Professor glared at the floor, smiling with the -air of a conquering pugilist. - -“Here is a piece of candy for him,” said Donald, handing Tibby a piece -of balsam-weed. - -“Yes, here, Professor, you are fond of sweets. Eat this.” - -The Professor took the stick and bit it, smacking his lips, and chewing -it with apparent relish. - -“What is it?” asked Tibby. - -“Candy,” he responded. - -“No, it’s poison,” she said. - -Immediately his face was distorted and he strove to eject it from his -mouth. - -“There, it is all right. You know you have been deceiving these people -and now you are going to make a speech and tell them the truth. Tell -them how you tricked them,” continued Tibby. - -“My friends,” said Russell, “I will now undertake to explain to you all -that has seemed to you mysterious and supernatural. I am a mind-reader -and a hypnotist. I sometimes figure as a spirit-medium. I have the power -of going into a trance, when my senses no longer control my mind, and -then I can see through time and space; and what has seemed to you -unaccountable except by spirit agency is simply the result of natural -forces not yet well understood.” - -“That is true,” said a voice at the door, and the spectators turned to -see Mark Cramer entering the room. Tibby gave him a meaning look and put -her fingers to her lips. - -“I have deceived you and worked harm among you,” the Professor went on; -“and not only here, but in many other parts of the country. I am -planning more mischief still. Esther McCleary is in my power—” - -“Stop! You have said enough!” cried Tibby, alarmed at his words. - -“Yes, I’ve said enough,” he repeated. - -“Shall I awaken him?” Tibby asked, turning to Mark. - -“So you’ve really hypnotized the villain. Good girl!” cried Mark, and -his hand was extended to her in friendly appreciation. - -“Yes, he’s been dancing, and giving himself away badly,” said Donald. - -“Are you all satisfied that he is a fraud and a villain?” asked Mark, -looking about him. - -“We have his own word that he is,” replied Sol Garrett. - -“O, his dancing was too funny,” giggled the Pemberton twins. - -“I don’t know what to think of it, but I believe the Professor will -explain it when he comes out of his trance,” said Mrs. Jenkinson. “I am -sure he has been under control.” - -“Under Miss Waring’s control,” said Mark, with a frown. “Can it be that -you will yet ascribe this to spirit agency?” - -“He was controlled by a dancing master,” said the twins. - -“Mark, I wish you would send him away,” whispered Alice; “I am so -tired.” - -“You may as well awaken him,” Mark said. “These people are bound to be -deceived.” - -“Awake!” cried Tibby. - -For a moment the Professor’s face became convulsed, he struggled -desperately, then fell prone upon the floor. Donald and Solomon Garrett -assisted him to his feet, and for a few moments he stood staring and -glaring about him. - -“What are you doing here, sir, when I forbade you the house?” cried -Mark. “Get out of here at once, and never let me see your face in this -part of the country again, if you value your miserable life!” - -The man glared at Mark in impotent rage. - -“Come, go! I know all your iniquity and I swear I’ll have a mob after -you before another night if you’re in this vicinity!” - -Mark spoke with angry vehemence. - -“I go, but your wife will follow me,” Russell said, turning and fixing -his eyes upon Alice Cramer. Mark saw her totter forward, and catching -her in one arm he drew a revolver from his belt and levelled it at the -Professor’s head. - -“Will you go?” he hissed. - -Professor Russell did not stop long to question the muzzle of a -revolver, and sprang out into the night. The neighbors, too, frightened -by Mark’s savagery, made short adieux and went home. - -Alice was nearly unconscious from her fright, and Mark bore her to a -couch. - -“I should like to have kicked that hound into the middle of next week!” -he muttered. “Heaven knows what he has done to my poor Alice.” - -“I hope it’s not I who have harmed Mrs. Cramer,” faltered Tibby. - -“No, no, child! Not you! You have done good work. I wish I had been here -earlier.” - -Tibby lifted Mrs. Cramer’s white face in her arms and whispered softly -to her. “He has gone, and will never harm nor frighten you again.” - -“Mark did not kill him?” she questioned. - -“No, only frightened him away. Mark is here.” - -“You will not let him come again,” she said, looking with appealing eyes -into Tibby’s face. - -“Never!” said Tibby with finality. - -With a sigh of relief she sank back upon her pillow, and after a time, -Tibby, believing her asleep, stole softly away. - -“I’ve been a brute to frighten Alice so,” Mark said as Tibby came out. - -“No, it was Russell that frightened her. I wish before I wakened him I -had driven him out and told him not to stop going,” Tibby replied. - -“We would have a second edition of the Wandering Jew,” Mark responded. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI - ESTHER’S DISAPPEARANCE - - -The shock of Professor Russell’s last visit and forced departure -prostrated Alice Cramer, and in the days that followed, a little life -that should have brightened Mark’s home opened its eyes to shut them too -quickly, and went away into the unknown from whence it came, leaving -desolation and sorrow behind it. But this bereavement was swallowed up -in the anxiety for the mother, who for many days seemed about to follow -her child. - -At the same time another calamity befell the community, a tragedy that -touched all hearts. This was nothing less than the sudden and -unaccountable disappearance of Esther McCleary upon the night Russell -had been driven from Mark’s house. - -Where she went or how, no one could determine. She had gone to her room -at the usual hour of retiring. In the morning she was gone, leaving no -word or trace of her going. Her mother refused to believe that any harm -could have befallen her, and would have kept the matter secret; but the -poor father at last dared to think for himself, and notified the -neighbors. - -With their help he searched the canon and the weed-covered tracts of the -prairies to find, perchance, her body, while Donald went to the nearest -railway stations to learn if she had been seen to depart by any of them, -but to no avail. - -Whether she had, in the depth of her despair, taken her own life; -whether, to free herself from the noxious presence of Russell, she had -disguised herself and fled to parts unknown; whether she had been -spirited away by some of his familiar spectres, or whether, in his -complete obsession of her, the unprincipled scoundrel had abducted her, -could not be learned. She was gone, and the unfortunate mother had -leisure to inquire of her own conscience, how far she had been to blame -for this tragedy in her home. - -Professor Russell had not been seen in the neighborhood again, and -during Alice’s convalescence the unfortunate events occurring during her -illness, as well as those preceding it, were rarely alluded to, and her -friends were delighted to find her apparently happier and brighter than -formerly. Lissa, too, had largely recovered her normal condition, owing -chiefly to Tibby’s influence, and the world looked brighter to some of -the actors in this part of it. - -The exposure of the deception practised upon them, added to the -mysterious disappearance of Esther upon the same night of Russell’s -departure, staggered the belief of many of his converts, and no seances -were held in the neighborhood. - -The weeks wore away, and yet Mrs. Wylie remained at her brother’s home. -She felt as if Alice really needed the companionship of Tibby and -herself. In the early autumn Mr. Wylie was going to New York on business -and would call for her, and together they would go East. The sojourn had -been a pleasant one for Mrs. Wylie, despite the tragedies enacted, the -excitement, and the absence of the fashionable circle of her friends. -Her little boy had grown brown and stout-limbed in his liberty, and she -herself was rested and happy. The long letters from her husband, which -came with unfailing regularity, filled with news and anecdotes of the -life in which he lived, helped to break the monotony of rural life, and -as September approached and she began to look forward to his coming, the -little estrangements were forgotten and Nellie Wylie dwelt fondly upon -her husband’s perfections as she talked of him to her sister-in-law. - -“You cannot think, Alice, what a wonderful business man Horace is,” she -said as they sat in the little doorway of the house one beautiful -September evening watching the sun sink behind the fringe of cotton-wood -trees in the distant west. “If he were to fail in business to-day he -would be on sound footing to-morrow. He seems to know instinctively what -to do. I need never have any fear for the future, having him to rely -on.” - -“He has been very kind to allow you to stay with us so long. He must be -very lonely without his family,” Alice replied. - -“Yes, though he is with his sister a great deal, and she is—Forgive me, -dear, I was about to say she was one of those dreadful spiritists. But -really she is fanatical in her beliefs and goes to such lengths in it. -That is the one regret I have for being away. I don’t like her influence -over Horace. But forgive me, Alice, I beg of you. Though I hope now you -feel the same as I do about it, I know I should not have introduced the -subject.” - -“On the contrary, I am very glad you have done so. I want to tell you -that since Professor Russell went away I have seen fewer visions and -thought less upon the subject. I am really much less nervous than when -you came, and yet I cannot entirely rid myself of those—spirit -presences. If the evil ones have been driven away, there are kind ones -who come to me in my dreams. I believe Tibby exorcised the evil ones who -made life such a torture to me, and I cannot tell you how thankful I am -that you came here this summer and brought me deliverance. But for this -I should have been lying there with my baby, or been in the mad-house. I -am sure of it. But I see Mark coming. I must run and see if tea is made -for him.” - -“Well, sister mine,” Mark said, springing from his horse and throwing -the reins over its neck. “When do you expect to hear from Horace?” - -“To-day, now! Give me the letter quick!” she cried, holding out her -hands to him. “Ah, a telegram. He must have started, then.” And she -hastily tore open the envelope. “Yes, it is from Johnson, his partner, -and says, ‘Wylie started on No. 5, to-night, for the East.’ Oh, isn’t -that grand! He will be here in a few days.” - -“You have been somewhat lonely here in the wilds, I suspect, little -sister; but we shall regret your going.” - -“And I shall miss you all very much, wherever I am; but I suppose Horace -will be willing to stop only a very short time, so we can be here but a -few days longer. Let me see, this is the eighth. He should be here by -the twelfth, should he not? Robbie, come here, dear. Papa is coming. Do -you hear?” And Nellie Wylie caught up the little fellow and kissed him -in the exuberance of her delight. - -“I am glad you will leave Alice in so much better health, mentally and -physically, than she was when you came,” Mark said. - -“Yes, and better than all, with that man banished from this place.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII - A LEGAL DOCUMENT IS RECEIVED - - -“He will be here to-day! Surely, Horace will be here to-day,” Nellie -Wylie repeated to herself as the hours crept slowly on and the time -arrived when, by her reckoning, her husband should have reached C——. - -Mark had driven out to meet him, and the little woman scanned again and -again the broad bosom of the plain for a sight of the returning -carriage. The grass was dry and golden in the sunlight and her eyes -ached from the reflected brightness as, shading them with her hand, she -stood for the fiftieth time before the cabin door and sought to trace -the slender thread of roadway. - -“Alice, I am sure there is some one coming,” she cried at last, as a -brown speck became visible against the horizon. Alice came and looked -over her shoulder. - -“It is only Jackson, the mail-carrier, I am afraid,” Alice replied. “You -know, dearie, Mark would be detained for a little time, while Jackson -has hastened directly here. You must not look too much upon Horace’s -coming to-night, for the train may have been delayed or many things may -have happened to detain him.” - -The letter-box was fastened at the roadside nearly opposite Mark’s -house, but seeing Alice in the doorway, Jackson threw his package of -mail to her and galloped on to the next post. - -“Here is a letter for you, dear,” said Alice as she sorted out the mail -and came slowly up to the waiting sister. - -“A letter? And from Horace, too! He must have written before he -started.” And her bright eyes glanced eagerly over the sheet she had -hurriedly opened. “Oh, merciful Heaven!” - -The cry startled Alice, and she turned to see Elinor stagger as if -stricken by a blow and then sink in a limp and helpless heap upon the -ground. - -“Why, Elinor! Nellie! What is it?” cried Alice, running to her and -lifting the poor fallen head in her arms. “My poor Nellie! Is it bad -news? Tell me!” she implored, while she rubbed the pulseless wrists and -tried to arouse her to consciousness. - -“Mamma, mamma!” cried little Robbie, frantic with alarm, trying to open -her eyes with his little brown fingers. “Mamma! Is she dead?” - -“No, Robbie, not dead. Oh, my child!” cried Alice; “if Mark would only -come!” - -“Uncle Mark is coming,” cried Robbie, and Alice lifted her head with a -silent prayer of thanksgiving as she heard the sound of horses’ -footsteps over the soft earth. - -“How glad I am you’ve come!” she sobbed, as a few moments later he -reached her side. “What can have happened to poor Nellie? Some dreadful -news, I’m afraid.” - -Mark lifted the letter, which still remained in her nerveless fingers. -An enclosure fell from it to the ground. He picked it up and hastily -looked it over. It was evidently a legal document, and as he read the -first line his face grew pale with surprise and anger. - -“Great Scott! What is this! Oh, my poor little girl!” And the -great-hearted Mark Cramer turned away his head and groaned aloud. He -turned to see Elinor staring at him with rigid eyes, full of wonder. - -“What has happened, Mark—Alice? Oh, I know, I know!” and again the blue -eyes were covered with the heavy eyelids. Then Mark lifted her in his -arms, and bearing her as lightly as though she were a child, he carried -her into the cabin and laid her upon a couch. - -“Poor child, poor child!” he muttered. “It is her only chance of -forgetfulness. It would be better almost if she never wakened.” - -“Mark Cramer, will you tell me what has happened?” cried Alice, who had -followed him in and now stood holding Robbie’s hand, her eyes dilated -and expectant. Mark hesitated, but finally said through closed teeth: - -“That paper is a copy of a bill of divorcement from Nellie.” - -“A divorce? I don’t understand!” Alice caught her breath. - -“Yes, that knave of a Wylie has divorced this poor girl! God only knows -for what or why he has done so. But, by the eternal powers, I’ll know -why! That man shall answer to me for this!” Mark’s eyes blazed. - -“Hush, Mark! You are excited and know not what you are saying. There -must be some mistake. It is probably only a joke. He has written Elinor -every day, kind, affectionate letters, and I think he was to have come -to-day, may be here in a few hours. He is only playing a practical joke -upon her.” - -“If so, he shall pay dearly for his joke!” Mark exclaimed. “Ah, my poor -little sister! My poor Elinor!” - -“Don’t, Mark! Think of Robbie hearing you! There is surely some -mistake.” - -“It’s a mistake he shall rue,” he groaned. - -But Mark’s anger gave way to fear as hour after hour went by and Elinor -only awoke from one swoon to go into another. Mark paced the floor, -distracted with anxiety. - -“Poor Nellie, I dread the hour when she shall finally awaken. Heaven is -merciful to her in thus keeping her unconscious,” he repeated again and -again. “What can have made the change in Horace Wylie? I should have -supposed him too proud a man to have entered a divorce court, even if -their life had been unpleasant. And I have always believed them to be -congenial and happy. Surely my poor little sister loved him.” - -“I am afraid, Mark, there is another woman in the case,” Alice said with -conviction. “Depend upon it, no man could do such a cold-blooded, cruel -act as this unless his affections were enchained by some other charmer -who has usurped his wife’s place in his heart.” - -“Hush! she hears you,” Mark whispered, as a faint moan came from the -couch and he saw the blue eyes slowly unclosed to be fixed with painful -directness upon him. - -“What is it, dear; can I do anything for you?” he asked, going to her -and stroking her curl-fringed forehead with his hand. - -“Where is Tibby,” she murmured. - -“Sure enough, where is Tibby? Alice, is it not time for Tibby to be -home? Where did she go?” - -“She went over to Nathan’s this morning, and has not yet returned. Shall -I go after her?” - -Elinor shook her head and looked with stony, unseeing, fixed eyes at the -farthest corner of the ceiling. How pinched and drawn the white face -looked, that had bloomed so rosily a few hours before. - -A moan again escaped her white lips. Alice sighed in sympathy. - -“Don’t, Nellie! Think of Robbie. Poor Robbie, he wants to speak to you.” - -“Mamma, I love you,” Robbie said, softly patting her cheek with his -little brown palm. “What makes you sick, mamma?” - -“Robbie, Robbie, dear, dear Robbie! O God! O God! It cannot be!” - -And again her eyes closed and she was still. - -“It is better, anything is better than that awful stare,” Mark said, -bowing his head. At last, as evening approached, Tibby was seen coming -slowly along over the gray plain, swinging her hat in her hand and -laughing with Donald, who accompanied her. Alice looked at the flushed -face of the happy girl, so radiant, so hopeful, so roseate, and her -heart sank at the thought of her meeting with the crushed, broken lily -who lay upon the couch behind her. And she slipped quietly out of the -door to meet Tibby and prepare her. - -She put up her hand, enjoining quiet, as Tibby swung her hat in -salutation. - -“Tibby, dear,” Alice said as the twain came to her side, “Mrs. Wylie has -received bad news, and is quite overcome by it. She asked for you and I -think you may be able to comfort her.” - -Tibby’s face blanched a little, and the laughing lips were sobered. - -“I will go in at once. Good-by, Mr. Bartram. I’ll leave you to Mrs. -Cramer’s care.” And she flitted away. - -“We’re in great trouble, Donald. Mark will explain to you at another -time,” Alice said. - -“You have my sympathy, whatever it may be,” the young man replied -gravely. “If I can be a help in any way, command me.” - -“Thank you, Donald, we are always sure of that.” - -He lifted his hat. - -“You may bring Lissa over to-morrow. Perhaps the skein of mystery may be -untangled by that time and more explainable,” she said as he turned -away. - -With the coming of Tibby the stony stare of Elinor’s eyes was washed -away by blessed tears, and with her head upon Tibby’s breast she wept -long and silently, while Tibby soothed her with whispered words. Then -after a time the sobs became less frequent, and to the relief of all, -Elinor slept. - -“Thank God for this! and thank you, Tibby, also!” Mark ejaculated. “I -feared her mind would give away to the shock. But this sleep will -restore her. What a blessing is sleep. This world would be a mad-house -of maniacs without it.” - -“Yes, Mr. Cramer; but may I not now know what this all means?” - -Mark handed Tibby the document which had wrought the ruin. She read it -through with corrugated brow, and then sat thoughtfully with it in her -hand. - -“Can you understand the cause for this, Tibby?” - -She shook her head. - -“No, unless—I do not know, but there was a woman on the boat with us -when we went to Santa Barbara, whom Mr. Wylie seemed to admire and who -appeared completely infatuated with him. So much so as to cause remark. -I did not tell Mrs. Wylie, but I overheard people talking of her. She -was in some way one of his kind, that is, she believed in spiritism and -he seemed to enjoy her society. - -“Mrs. Wylie did not like her because she had been at the hotel in the -mountains when we were there, and the ladies had been somewhat -scandalized by her behavior. But of course it seems incredible that she -should have been able to cause trouble. I should not think of her, only -at the time I felt such an instinctive dislike for her, and fear, as if -she was dangerous.” Tibby spoke with evident reluctance. “I am afraid I -tried to punish her sometimes.” - -“Punish her? How?” - -“O, I made her upset her coffee, spill her soup, and do other awkward -things. I am glad now that I did them; that is, if she is to blame—for -this.” - -“I see you feel convinced that she is,” Mark said. “And I am inclined to -trust your intuition.” - -Tibby’s care of Mrs. Wylie was untiring, and when another day had come -and the grief-tortured woman could control herself sufficiently to talk -of her trouble, Mark sought from her to learn something more of the -cause of it; but any suggestion of the idea that Horace had been -beguiled by another woman met with indignant protest from Elinor. - -“O, no, no; there is nothing of the kind! Horace has always been devoted -to me. I think he must be insane. I can account for this in no other -way. I am sure his belief in spiritism has in some way been the primary -cause of the trouble. It does unbalance the mind, we know,” she -faltered. “We never had any disagreement except over that.” - -“Yes,” Mark said, “I am willing to believe that anything may come from -embracing that creed. But what does he write you, Elinor?” - -“Here is the letter. Read it and interpret it if you can. I have read it -several times with no further enlightenment,” she replied sadly. - - - “‘My dear Elinor: - -“‘I fear this letter may prove a surprise to you, and a shock. I hardly -know how to make you understand the reason why I have taken this step. -It seems to be a necessary one. But I have not taken it without due -reflection. I am convinced our marriage has not been the soul-marriage, -which is the only true one, and that our tastes and requirements are so -dissimilar, it is better that we should go separate ways. I am willing -to provide abundantly for all your needs and for Robbie. You will, of -course, desire to keep him with you at least until he is old enough to -be sent away to school. I have placed with my attorney a sum of money -which shall be paid to you regularly each month, sufficient, I am sure, -for all your requirements, and I shall be glad to supplement it if at -any time you desire more. - -“‘Is there anything here at home which you would especially desire me to -send you? I imagine you will prefer to make Forest City your permanent -home, and I would suggest that you keep Tibby with you as long as -possible. Your harp and piano I have already had boxed awaiting your -order. And now, dear Nellie, I hope you will accept this trial in the -right spirit, believing it for the best, as I do. It has been a trial, -also, to me, I assure you, but it has seemed a duty, if not an actual -necessity. - - “‘Very affectionately yours, - “‘HORACE WYLIE.’ - - -“The man is certainly insane, or—” - -“Infatuated with some other woman,” interrupted Alice as Mark hesitated. - -“I will never believe that,” said Elinor pathetically. “I shall write to -him. Yes, I must write to him. This seems so unreal, I am constantly -feeling as though I should awaken and find it but a painful dream.” - -“Yes, write to him by all means, and learn, if possible, the cause of -this change of heart.” - -“I’ve been wondering where I should address him. You know his partner -wired me that he had started for New York. You don’t think he could have -gone through east, already?” - -“I will go to town to-day and telegraph Johnson,” Mark responded. - -He did so, and received this reply: - - -“Wylie left San Francisco for New York, the eighth instant, in company -with his wife.” - - -“‘Oh, my prophetic soul!’” quoted Alice, when she heard it, and Tibby -nodded assent. - -“I know it is that woman of the boat. My instincts did not deceive me,” -she said. - -How Elinor lived through the next fortnight she could never have told. -She remained as one stunned, and unable to talk to any one. She would -lie on the couch for hours and not move, or sit under the canopy of the -doorway, her hands lying listlessly in her lap, her sad eyes staring -pathetically into space. When spoken to she would arouse herself with a -start, and look at her friends with so pitiful an expression in her blue -eyes that they would turn away to hide their tears of sympathy. She ate -only when urged to do so, and slept only when forced to do so by Tibby. - -“If we could only interest her in something,” Alice said over and over, -for she scarcely even noticed little Robbie. - -At last Lissa came in one day, bringing her herbarium of Nebraska -flowers. - -“This was a God-send to me,” she said, “when I was brooding over my -sorrow. Perhaps I can interest Mrs. Wylie in it.” - -“O, how much you have done with it,” cried Tibby, “since the time when -you and I made our first botanical excursion together.” - -“You drew my attention from the dead to the living, growing things about -me, Tibby, dear, and I can never thank you enough,” Lissa replied. - -Wonderful as it may seem, Mrs. Wylie did allow herself to become -interested in the bright descriptions which Lissa gave her of the native -wild flowers of the State, and promised to go with her in the afternoon -to gather autumn specimens, and thus the first step was taken in -distracting her mind from her grief. - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII - HORACE WYLIE’S PHILOSOPHY - - -Let us now make a flying trip to the Pacific slope and go back to that -hour of parting at San Francisco to learn more of the motives that -prompted the tragedy in Elinor Wylie’s life. - -Passenger train No. 9, eastward bound, pulled slowly out of the great -depot building of the Oakland Mole, and the hurrying and excited throng -of people pressed forward, jostling elbows and crowding one another -after the manner of travelers, who sometimes leave their politeness and -good breeding behind them when they take up their valises. - -The coaches were fast becoming filled, when a gentleman entered one of -them, accompanied by a child and two ladies, one a pretty blonde, whom -he helped to a seat and bent over in tender leave-taking. - -“Good-by, Nellie! Write me when you get through, or better, wire me from -Denver, so I may know all is well. Tibby is with you, so I need not -worry if the trains run right.” - -The little lady smiled through tear-moistened eyelids as she replied, -and kissing her again, and the child, and shaking hands with her -companion, he sprang from the train as it began to move. - -Horace Wylie stood watching the long line of coaches as they moved away -from him, biting the ends of his mustache in an absent, absorbed -inattention, then turned slowly back within the gates, a strange mixture -of emotions controlling him. - -The inward monitor, conscience, was not yet stifled, and it was holding -a mental mirror before his vision. He caught a flitting glimpse of his -real self, stripped of all the sophistries and delusions under which he -loved to hide. Was he not a traitor, double-dyed? For a moment he felt -an impulse to rush after the departing train and seek to stop it in its -flight. A vision of his wife, looking trim and attractive in her -fashionable costume, remained and upbraided him with her trusting blue -eyes. - -It was but a moment, however. Another face superseded it—a dark, -brilliant face, with passionate southern eyes, and red, full lips; a -face more sensuous, more bewilderingly intoxicating to him in its -voluptuous beauty and piquancy. - -Horace Wylie shrugged his shoulders and shook himself as if to shake off -the oppression of self-reproach. He had made his decision and would -abide by it. After all, what mattered it? He had but one life to live. -It was right to get all the enjoyment out of it within his reach. - -He had not confessed to himself before why he had been so willing, and -more than willing, that his wife should make a visit of three months at -her old home. It had been her wish to go, and he had magnanimously -granted her permission. Thus he told himself. But he knew he concealed, -under a pretense of self-denial, the secret joy he felt that her own -voluntary act should lend aid to the furtherance of his half-formed -designs. He had not told the better part of himself what these designs -were. It is doubtful whether at this time he had faced the fact that -they were designs at all. They were mere desires. At least they were -vague, shadowy, evanescent creations, taking form from his desires, and -developing slowly in the secret, dark chambers of his bosom. - -He felt now, rather than thought consciously, that the barrier which had -restrained the current of his impulses was washed away and he might sink -in the lethal waters or be drifted away from prudence and engulfed in -the maelstrom of pleasure. He could not say _vice_, but a guilty -consciousness oppressed him now as he stood upon the platform watching -the last curling waves of smoke float backward. - -Wylie boasted of being a man of progressive ideas, a modern philosopher, -who had outgrown the old-fogyism of the past generation and arisen to a -plane where he could sit and lay down laws unto himself—mark out a plan -of life for this world and the hereafter. He was well-read in modern -sciences and a student of mental philosophy. He confessed himself -infidel in that he denied the Divine origin of the Scriptures, laughed -at what he called the pretty fables that bound the conscience of the -orthodox Christian, and felt himself superior in his latter-day wisdom. -He claimed to be a free-thinker and a liberalist, who read Huxley and -venerated Ingersoll, but had adopted a modern creed more in accordance -with modern requirements. He confessed to a decided leaning toward -spiritism. In fact, if his ideas were really expressed, he believed a -man had a right to do about as he pleased in this world, despite moral -and civil law. Not that he would have confessed as much to himself. That -was another of his self-delusions. But he had outgrown in theory, with -the fables taught him in his youth, his boyish code of morality. He had -also outgrown, so he believed, his love for his wife, whom he had -married many years ago, when he was but twenty-one, a mere boy, -incapable of judging or choosing wisely. So he argued with the better -self. Not that he found serious fault with her. He secretly wished he -might do so, but she had been faithful to him, he believed, and upheld -the family honor; was pretty, stylish, domestic, social, and a kind -mother to his son. All this he was forced to acknowledge. But she was -one ideaed, commonplace, he told himself, and she was not his _spiritual -affinity_. Ah, there was a reason furnished by his lately adopted creed. -She was not his affinity. - -He could remember a time when she was all in all to him. But he had -outgrown that time too. Of course he loved his boy, and if,—if certain -imaginings and fancies should materialize,—well, he needn’t consult his -better self about that yet. - -“Hello, have you fallen asleep, watching that train off?” A friendly -hand slapped him upon the shoulder. - -Wylie started as though his thoughts were patent to all observers. - -“I—I have just sent off Elinor and the boy,” he said with confusion. - -“Ah, that is—shall I say fortunate or unfortunate? Fortunate for them -perhaps—bad for you. And you were following them with your mind. Are -they to remain away long?” - -“Three months. They will go to the Atlantic coast before they return.” -Wylie spoke with an effort. - -“And what will you do while they are gone? Board at the club, I -suppose.” - -“Yes, at the Bohemian. I am at the office all day, and most of the -nights, so shall have little time to miss my family.” - -“I see. Well, come to the club oftener, when you can get away. By the -way, have you attended any of Mrs. Mount’s receptions lately?” - -“Yes, I go often. They are enjoyable, which is saying much.” - -Wylie spoke with enthusiasm. His companion shrugged his shoulders -suggestively. - -“I suppose that depends whether you are in sympathy or not with the very -liberal ideas discussed there.” - -“Are you not in sympathy?” - -“I don’t like some of the people who go there.” - -“Did you ever find a society every individual of which you deemed -companionable?” - -“Possibly not, but I have reference to two or three conspicuous persons -who are notorious for their immorality.” - -“To whom do you refer? Not Mr. Falkner?” - -“Yes, Mr. Falkner for one. He is much married and divorced.” - -“I am sure all was legal, so far as I know. He separated from number -one, and was again married. When number two ran away and left him, he -obtained a second divorce, and—married again.” - -Wylie’s companion looked at him with curious eyes. - -“I am surprised that you approve of him. From his conduct last evening I -should judge there will be a chance for a third divorce. I cannot like -the man.” - -“His conduct? How?” Wylie inquired, shifting his weight from one foot to -the other, nervously. His companion gave him a scrutinizing look. - -“With Mrs. Hartner,” he replied in a dry tone. - -Horace Wylie winced, but he said in a tone of affected indifference, “I -consider Mrs. Hartner a lady.” - -“Yes? Do you know where her husband is?” - -“No.” - -“It is rumored that he has been hired to leave the country.” - -“For what reason?” - -“To enable her to get a divorce.” - -“So? Well, it’s none of my affairs,” and Wylie laughed a mirthless -laugh. - -“Nor mine, but if I were interested in the lady I should keep her away -from Mrs. Mount’s. Ta, ta, Wylie. This is my corner.” - -Young Holden sauntered around it slowly, out of sight. - -“Confound the fellow! Why did he say that to me? It can’t be that he -suspects—but no, that is impossible. There is something confoundedly -disreputable about a divorce, that’s a fact. But this double life is -risky, especially with such a keen-witted wife as Elinor, and Berenice -is so determined, and insists—well, time enough to think of this later. -It’s a relief to know that Elinor is where she need not hear all the -gossip of the clubs.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXIX - DRIFTING - - “Now Autumn’s fire burns slowly along the woods, - And day by day the dead leaves fall and melt, - And night by night the monitor blast - Wails in the keyhole, telling how it passed - O’er empty fields, or upland solitudes, - Or grim wide nave; and now the power is felt - Of melancholy, tenderer in its moods - Than any joy indulgent Summer dealt.” - —Allingham. - - -The autumnal days were nearly gone, and occasionally was felt the sharp -tooth of the biting wind as it swept over the open prairie and drove the -Westerner into his cabin, with a tingling warning in his ears that -winter was soon to come. Then again the sun would shine brightly and the -soft graces and tints of Indian summer would brighten the landscape. - -The weeks had brought a degree of calmness and resignation to Elinor -Wylie, and to Tibby varied experiences. For some reason, though Donald -Bartram spent most of his spare time with her, she preferred not to be -recognized as the object of his affections. Poor Esther McCleary’s -disappearance was too recent, and although nothing definite had been -known as to Donald’s interest in her, the gossips of the neighborhood -had been pleased to couple their names together. - -It was not certain that Esther was dead. She might purposely have hidden -herself from Professor Russell, and if so might return at any time, now -that the man came no more to the community. - -It ill became Donald to give so much time to this fair enchantress who -deserved so little consideration from him. Of all the provoking, -undisciplined minxes, Tibby appeared the worst. Alice and Nellie -wondered daily at his forbearance, and commented on Tibby’s behavior. - -As for Donald himself, he was drifting with the tide of events, and the -pastime pleased him too well to care to interrupt it by very serious -thoughts or determinations. Tibby was interesting. He enjoyed her -society. That was sufficient. - -To-day he had claimed Tibby for a ride to the post, and as they came -cantering slowly along the soft gray turf, Tibby with her riding-hat -tipped back from her wide, smooth forehead, her feline eyes half closed -from the sun’s bright rays, her dark hair partly escaped from comb and -pin, and fluttering in curled rings about her face, her red lips half -parted above the white teeth, she looked to the man a disheveled Hebe, -too adorable, too incomprehensible to withstand. - -His eyes flashed with a new resolution as he rode up close by her side. - -“Miss Tibby, were you never serious in your life,” he asked, bending -toward her. - -The girl slackened her horse’s pace and looked over and past him -reflectively. - -“Yes, once,” she said at last, as if she had taken time to review her -life from the beginning. - -“I should like to know when it was.” - -“Well, I will tell you, though it is a very impertinent question for you -to ask, and I feel under no obligation to answer it. It was when I lived -in the country and had an attack of quinsy. I couldn’t speak for three -whole days, and the village doctor diagnosed my case as diphtheria. I -expected to die, of course, and I really felt quite serious and anxious, -I must confess.” - -“You had reason to, if you could not talk,” Donald replied in a dry -tone. - -“So I thought. When one can neither talk nor breathe, one has time for -serious reflection. Now, please, Mr. Bartram, don’t say anything about -the delight of my friends under the circumstances, for I think I have -heard something of the kind before. I wrote notes to them.” - -“That must have been delightful.” - -“For them or me?” - -“Both. Miss Waring, why are you so unlike other girls?” - -Tibby opened her eyes to their widest extent. - -“You alarm me, Mr. Bartram,” she said. “How am I different? I’ll wager -two bits that I know. It’s these freckles on the side of my nose.” She -turned her head toward him with a bewitching air of candor. “I don’t -mind them, indeed I don’t. Besides, they are not there all the time, -only since I came here and rode about in the sun and wind so much.” - -“I am afraid you are incorrigible. You know very well that’s not what I -mean.” - -“O, isn’t it?” ruefully. “Perhaps you wouldn’t mind telling me how I am -at fault. I don’t want to be told. I—am very sensitive, as sensitive as -a—a nettle, so please do let me down easy, that’s a good fellow,” she -said in a wheedling tone. - -“You are not sensitive. You don’t care what any one says or thinks of -you.” - -“Don’t I? Then I must be desperately wicked. My mother used to say that -Don’t Care represented total depravity.” - -“It is evident you do not care what I think of you,” Donald said, -looking straight before him. - -“Mr. Bartram, your discernment is wonderful; or is it intuition? -Whichever it is, you arrive at correct conclusions. What did you kill -when you went hunting last week? Lovely little birds, whose song has -been wantonly stilled forever?” - -“Indeed, no. I am not so wicked as to kill song birds, not even though -heartless women delight to decorate their hats with their dead bodies.” - -“Ugh, I do not,” said Tibby, with a shudder. “I don’t even like women -who are thoughtless enough to wear them. They are as bad as the Indians -who love to dangle scalp-locks from their belts.” - -“Granted it is thoughtlessness rather than carelessness, why do you not -make it your business to do missionary work among your fashionable -sisters and help save the birds.” - -The girl shook her head slowly. - -“I haven’t enough influence. I do use what I have. But it does no good. -Woman’s vanity is such that she will sacrifice even the lives of -innocent little birds for the sake of adding to her finery. O, I am -really disgusted with my sex when I think of it.” - -“Why not use the other power you have and make women see this as you -do?” - -Tibby looked at Donald thoughtfully. - -“I’ll do it. When I get back to—” - -“Civilization, you mean. Why not say it? I shall not be offended.” - -“The first service I attend in church I’ll make every woman feel the -weight of the poor bird upon her hat, if possible. It shall be the -heaviest sin upon her conscience. She shall feel the ‘Thou shalt not -kill.’ But you have not told me what you did kill.” - -“Nothing except prairie chickens and a gray wolf.” - -“Are there wolves here?” - -“Not right here, perhaps, but not many miles away. You may see them in -the gray of the morning standing on the top of the sandhills, apparently -taking a survey of the country.” - -“‘The gray wolf like a sentinel stands,’” quoted Tibby. “Do you know I -don’t like to think of hunting or killing anything and I think the -reason so many accidents happen to hunters is because the spirits of the -victims come back to play mischief with the guns.” - -“If you really believe that, you are a spiritist, are you not?” Donald -asked absently as he looked at the glowing face before him. “It is a -fact there are a great many accidents among hunters.” - -“Yes, guns are discharged unaccountably. If we may believe the Eastern -religions that our souls are reclothed in the form of animals, why may -not one of these freed spirits avenge itself; that is, if it be -permitted to drift about in ether and overlook us?” - -“Or if there is an animal’s heaven. You know Professor Russell saw the -spirit of my cat.” - -“So I heard. It must have been a spirituelle cat.” - -“You look very pretty with your hat tilted in that way,” Donald said -irrelevantly. - -“Thank you, but such a remark is entirely foreign to the subject under -discussion and in very bad taste,” replied Tibby, with a pout of her red -lips. “To punish you, I shall not speak to you for a long time.” - -“Won’t you,” he answered dreamily, his eyes partly closed against the -half-veiled sun. - -“Most assuredly not,” she answered with a finality that should have been -convincing. Then as she did not speak they rode on for some time, -silently gazing, as their horses walked slowly, at the beauty of the -wonderful farm-lit expanse before them, the gray fields, the dotted -river wold, the sand hills in the distance, the adobe dwellings and the -adjacent stacks, all silently touched by the golden glory of the setting -sun. - -“I like this gray landscape,” Tibby said, breaking the harmony of -silence. “Its very monotony is restful. A symphony in gray and gold. A -light gray sky, a darker ground, and a girdle of gray hills against the -horizon. The whole sun-tipped. Even the river is hidden to-day, usually -shining in evidence. - - “‘The day was dying and with feeble hands - Caressed the mountain tops. The vales between - Darkened. The river in the meadow lands - Sheathed itself as a sword and was not seen,’” - -quoted Donald. - -“Say rather, ‘Twilight gray had in her sober livery all things clad,’” -responded Tibby. “See, the sun has disappeared.” - -“I have an idea,” began Donald. - -“All your own,” asked Tibby gravely, while she whipped the tall weeds by -the roadside with her riding-whip. - -“No,” Donald replied pleasantly; “it is borrowed.” - -“You don’t care then to pass it on.” - -“No.” - -Again they rode for several rods in silence, while Tibby, with wicked -insistence, punished the balsam-weeds and kept her face turned from her -companion. - -“Miss Tibby.” - -“Tabitha, if you please.” - -“Miss Waring.” - -“Ah, you are improving.” - -“Is this our last ride?” - -“I hope not,” she replied, looking about her in feigned alarm. “You are -not expecting the day of judgment?” - -“Why not? We know not the day nor the hour—” - -“O dear! What have I done now, that you should talk like judge, jury, -and executioner all in one?” - -“I am a pretty good judge.” - -“Of what? Live-stock?” Tibby replied pertly. - -“I should not presume to judge the dead.” - -“Indeed!” - -“Have you enjoyed your wild sojourn here, Miss Waring?” - -“Extravagantly! There are some marplots, of course,” she added, looking -at Donald and smiling wickedly. “But I really have enjoyed the summer.” - -“It’s a pity this fine weather cannot always last.” - -“I never did enjoy a croaker!” - -“I am a weather prophet. This fine day is the herald of a storm. We -shall have few such before the winter will be upon us.” - -“I am sorry. Tempest and I have been such good comrades, have we not, -old boy?” Tibby patted the horse’s neck with her gauntleted hand. - -“You have kind words for everything except me,” Donald said accusingly. - -Tibby laughed a ringing, merry laugh, and turned toward Donald with -shining, challenging eyes. - -“The poor little man, was I unkind to him? I really didn’t know it. What -shall I say that is kind?” - -“That you love me and will become my wife.” It was an unsuitable time -and place for such a demand, and Donald realized it when the words had -escaped his tongue. He had not intended to say as much at this time, and -he execrated himself for his folly. - -Again Tibby’s large eyes opened to their widest extent, rebellion and -reproach in their depths. - -“O, you foolish, wicked man! How you have disappointed me! Where is -Esther McCleary? O, you shifting weather-vane!” - -“Don’t, Miss Tibby. Why should you ask me of Esther? You surely do not -think me responsible for her abduction. Esther was to me as to you, a -friend. I never professed to love her, or any other woman save you.” - -“You are mad! You don’t know your own mind!” - -“I’m afraid you do not, Tibby. Listen to me.” - -“Hush! I command you!” Then, with a laugh, she touched her horse with -her riding-whip. “Race for me then!” And she was off like a rocket. - -Donald accepted the challenge. Madly they flew along over the gray -sward, Tibby several yards in advance, her mellow laugh ringing back to -him as the two mustangs, evidently enjoying the fun, settled down to -their fastest paces, needing no urging. But urge as he might, Donald -could not gain the advantage Tibby had taken at the outset, and for four -miles they rode thus, until flushed, panting and defiant, Tibby drew -rein at Mark’s doorway, and reached her hands to Mark himself to take -her down from the horse. - -“Why, what foolishness now? I’m afraid you’ve been racing,” he said, -noticing the heaving flanks of the horses. - -“Yes,” Tibby explained, with a note of contempt in her voice, “that -presumptuous young man thought he could catch me. I hope he realizes his -folly.” And she shot a triumphant glance at Donald, who had dismounted -and stood by his horse’s head. He smiled serenely. - -“Yes, when you are carried on the back of a Tempest,” he replied. -“Besides, we didn’t start fair.” - -“Ah, the beaten ones always complain of a poor start, don’t they, Mr. -Cramer? I shall always ride Tempest. I can never give him up, never!—for -anything but a cyclone,” she added, with another swift glance at Donald. -Mark laughed. - -“You’ll have to take him with you when you go, I reckon,” he said. - -“You dear man! And you dear horse, not to stumble and betray me! What -more can I ask for in this life?” - -Donald stood looking thoughtfully at Tibby for a moment while she -stroked and patted her pony, then, reaching out his hand for the bridle, -he led the horses to the stable, while Tibby, provoked at Donald’s calm -acceptance of defeat, went slowly into the house. - -“I do wish I could make him angry just once,” she said to herself. “He -is so exasperatingly cool and self-controlled, I can do nothing with -him. He must think me the most undisciplined girl extant. But I beat him -in the race. What should I have done if I had not?” - -Meanwhile, Donald called himself unflattering names for so far -forgetting time and place in his wooing, but smiled as he thought, “She -has challenged me to race for her, and I shall win at last. The race is -to the one with the best staying qualities, and I shall not know when I -am beaten. She is worth racing for.” - - - - - CHAPTER XXX - THE COMING OF THE STORM - - -Winter was slow in claiming sovereignty over Nebraska in the year of -which we write, and coquetted with summer through all the weeks of -November and December. Such snows as had come were light and -short-lived, and the winds had been less furious and threatening than -usual at this season of the year. - -Donald and Tibby had enjoyed many rides over the gray plains and river -wold, and were apparently the best of friends, notwithstanding Donald’s -premature declaration. But their camaraderie was far from sweethearting. -It looked as if Tibby had decided to put their acquaintance on the -I’ll-be-a-sister-to-you footing. - -To a less determined man than Donald this might have been disheartening, -but he had firm faith in the efficacy of persistence, and though he -never annoyed Tibby with declarations of love, he made her ever -conscious of him as the considerate, attentive lover. - -As for Tibby, she badgered, cajoled, teased, and tried his temper and -patience in the manner for which girls have been noted since the world -began. Why it is that the average girl delights in such actions has -never been satisfactorily explained, the parallel of such conduct being -found only in the cat playing with the live mouse. - -With Tibby the feline nature seemed fully developed, and she toyed with -the victim in her claws most exasperatingly. Never consciously had she -given Donald reason to think, or flatter himself, that she cared for him -except as a good comrade with whom to pass the winter and summer of her -sojourn in this western land. - -But when Tibby behaved worst there lurked a smile of conscious power in -the unrevealed depths of Donald’s gray eyes, much to the girl’s vexation -and discomfiture, while he remained outwardly unruffled. He had entered -the race to win, and his nature was buoyant and strong. Why need he be -discouraged? Physically strong, handsome, and athletic, he was possessed -of average ability, enjoyed a good income, and his future looked -promising. Why should he fail? Thus he reasoned. - -A fortuitous chain of events had thrown Donald into Tibby’s society and -kept him in close communication with her until he felt that he knew her -better, appreciated more her real worth, of nature and character, than -any one else about her. She had challenged him to win her. He would make -it the business of his life to do so. - -Mrs. Wylie’s change of plans had aided him in keeping Tibby in the -community, though had she gone away he doubtless would have followed -her. The bereaved woman shrank from meeting her society friends in -Forest City, and to go to the Pacific Slope was to put her in proximity -to her recreant husband, and—sadder to contemplate—his newly wedded -wife. And Elinor had listened to her brother’s persuasions to spend the -winter in their home. Thus, much to Donald’s satisfaction, Tibby had -remained to be his daily companion in this isolated region. The world, -with its modern pleasures, seemed far away from them. He need fear no -competitor while she remained here. For this reason Donald could bide -his time, free from anxious disquietude. - -“How lovely the air is this morning,” cried Tibby one day in early -January as she stepped from the door of Mark’s home and looked across -the farm-lit plains to the brightening glory of the winter sun in a sky -of cloud-fleeced blue. The low-lying ridge of hills skirting the eastern -horizon gave the effect of a mural and fortress-crowned landscape, and -Tibby’s eyes glowed with pleasure as she gazed about her. - -“You should not brave, bare-headed, even the winter’s mildness,” said -Donald, who had come over early to bring a message from Lissa. - -“Since when were you called Dr. Bartram?” asked Tibby mockingly. - -“I was only prescribing the ounce of prevention,” returned Donald. - -“O, the cure comes later, I suspect.” - -“I am afraid it will have to, for one so careless as you are inclined to -be.” - -“This is a lovely day for a ride. I am going to ride Tempest over to -Anna Falkner’s,” Tibby continued, ignoring his remark. - -“Better not go so far. This bright morning is a weather breeder. I can -feel snow in the air.” - -“Mr. Bartram, the role of mentor does not become you.” - -“Think not? How am I as a weather prophet?” - -“Worse and worse! One could have no faith in your predictions.” - -“Not until they have been proven correct, perhaps.” - -“Tibby,” said Elinor Wylie, interrupting them, “hadn’t you better come -in and make an angel-food cake this morning? Alice is busy and the girl -doesn’t know how.” - -“Certainly, there’s nothing I like to do so well,” responded Tibby -cheerfully, springing up the steps and starting toward the kitchen. - -“Sha’n’t I come too?” asked Donald. “I want to learn to cook; besides, -you don’t know how useful I can make myself.” - -“Do you hear that, Mrs. Wylie? The audacity of the man! As chief cook I -am queen of the kitchen and no intruder dare enter its precincts.” - -“Without invitation, of course. But I expect to be invited.” - -“O, you do? The conceit of some people is unbearable. Well, if you will -be upon your good behavior I’ll not be inhospitable. But see that you -don’t talk too much and make me spoil the cake. What do you expect to do -to help me?” - -“O, stone raisins, and build fires, and—and—look at you.” - -“Stone raisins? We don’t use them in this kind of cake, you ignorant -fellow.” - -“Donald sat down by the stove and watched the girl as she broke the eggs -and separated the yolks from the white, and dexterously whipped the -latter to a snowy froth; then sifted the flour. - -“Whew! What a lot of eggs you use!” he exclaimed. - -“The whites of eleven only, and I’ll make a gold cake of the yolks. -That’s economy.” - -“Ah, I understand.” - -“As you do the magic of Hermann. You wouldn’t know how to make this if -you watched me make a dozen, I am sure.” - -“The whites of eleven eggs,” began Donald. - -“Yes, and one glass of flour sifted five times, with a teaspoonful of -cream of tartar.” - -“But cream of tartar is sour, and cakes should be sweet, shouldn’t -they?” questioned Donald. - -Tibby looked at him with an expression of pitying contempt. - -“I told you, you couldn’t understand it. It’s beyond your -comprehension.” - -“Try me and see! What else do you put in this wonderful compound? Sugar, -of course?” - -“Yes, one and one-half cups of sugar and a teaspoonful of flavoring. -That’s all.” - -“O, that’s easy to remember,” said Donald, repeating it glibly. - -“Good boy! You’ll do with good tuition. Then you must _beat_, not -_stir_, the sugar and flour and beaten eggs together in this way. See?” - -“Yes,” answered Donald, noting with admiring eyes the movements of the -rounded wrists as she exemplified her instructions. - -“And now you must put the batter into a bright cake pan, perfectly dry, -and bake fifty minutes in a slow oven.” - -“But how can I tell whether the oven is slow or quick?” he asked. - -“That is something beyond your comprehension. One of the things out of -your reach, you know.” - -“Ah, I see! I confess I have my limitations. But what is the name of -this snowy creation? Didn’t I hear Mrs. Wylie speak of angels?” - -“Certainly! This is angel’s food.” - -“Ah! Food for angels, or made by them? Which?” - -“Neither. It is of the earth, earthy. Even you can safely eat it.” - -But Donald was watching the graceful contour of the dimpled elbow -beneath the uprolled sleeve, and did not for a moment respond to her -retort. - -“Yes—ah—what is it?” he asked, recalling himself. - -Tibby’s pink chin was elevated. “Shakespeare never repeats,” she said -sententiously. - -“But you are not Shakespeare.” - -“Well, I’m nearly the same thing. I’m bakin’,” she said with a giggle. - -“O, you’re too bad! Such a pun as that is atrocious! Bacon? Oh!” And -Donald sank back in his chair and made a feint of fanning himself. “I’m -struck all in a heap.” - -“Well, when young men are so impolite one feels like throwing puns, or -any handy weapon, at their heads. I may take the rolling pin next,” said -Tibby. - -“Really, Miss Tibby, I beg your pardon for my inattention, but the fact -is, I was following a train of thought which was—” - -“Composed of empty cars,” put in Tibby. - -“No, I assure you, heavily freighted.” - -“Indeed!” with an exasperating lifting of the brows. “No doubt you were -reflecting upon your past misdeeds.” - -“I was thinking of you.” - -“Then your thoughts were not worth questioning. Your train was surely -overloaded. To punish you, I shall bid you adieu, and go to get ready -for my ride,” replied Tibby, with a severe tightening of her pretty -lips, as she went over to the sink and began to wash the dusting of -flour from her arms and hands. - -“I suppose you do not intend to invite me to ride with you,” Donald -remarked tentatively. - -“No, indeed. You might take cold. And besides you prophesied a storm.” - -“If you should be caught out in a blizzard I might be of some help to -you.” - -Tibby turned and faced him, her mischievous, glowing eyes holding his. - -“You?” she said. - -“Yes, even I.” - -“But if I don’t want you along?” - -“I shall meekly stay at home, of course. But it strikes me you are -extremely unkind.” - -“Not to myself. Besides, I do not want you to run into danger. See?” She -gave him a sidelong glance from the corner of her eyes. “Mr. Bartram, I -am going to ride and meditate all by myself to-day.” - -“If I withdrew to a safe distance couldn’t you meditate at home?” - -Donald looked through half-closed lids at the mocking eyes and pouting -lips before him. - -“There is nothing like a canter over the prairies to aid one’s -meditation.” - -“I wish I could persuade you to stay at home to-day. You are certainly -taking a great risk in going, at least in going so far.” - -“It is my risk. No one else need worry about it.” - -“You are of too much value to your friends to expect their unconcern in -what affects you so seriously. Even I am anxious, you see,” continued -Donald, speaking quietly. - -“Even you? Of all persons in the world least interested, or ought to be. -Since when have you become responsible for my actions?” - -“Since I learned to care for you more than all others.” - -“Mr. Bartram, you are melodramatic. I shall not listen to you any -longer,” said Tibby, a flush dyeing her cheeks as she gathered up the -discarded apron and hung it up. - -“Will you not shorten your ride and come home before the storm?” Donald -asked persistently. - -“I shall not measure the length of my rides by your tape measure,” -retorted Tibby, tossing her head, while the crimson spot on her cheek -deepened; “neither shall I let you accompany me, even if you rode behind -me. Your presence would mar all my pleasure.” - -Tibby felt the tactless impertinence of her words, and her eyes fell -beneath the gray ones fixed questioningly upon her. - -“That’s pretty severe, if you mean it,” Donald replied, speaking with -great deliberation. “Thank you for your frank manner of telling truths, -however. It is good of you. One would rather be hit straight in the -forehead than in the back. Is it George Eliot that says, ‘Truth has -rough flavors if we bite it through’?” - -“Why don’t you get angry with me?” Tibby tapped the floor impatiently -with the toe of her boot. - -“Because you are trying to make me so, and besides, it isn’t my year to -be angry,” he said with a drawl, his gray eyes still upon her. - -“O, you insufferable prig!” exclaimed the girl desperately. “As if the -man ever lived who didn’t get angry. Tell me, were you never angry?” - -“Yes, I think so—once,” he drawled. “Yes, now I reflect upon the matter, -I remember I was once, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I’d rather -not repeat it, even to please you, Miss Tibby.” - -The girl turned from him petulantly. - -“I think it would please me very much,” she said. “Such even tempers are -abominable. Good-by!” And Tibby backed out of the room, waving her hand -dramatically toward him. “Dryden tells us to ‘Beware the fury of a -patient man,’ and I will run before your wrath breaks forth.” - -“Is Tibby more perverse than usual this morning?” Alice asked as Donald -buttoned up his coat preparatory to departure. - -“Yes, in tempting Providence by riding to the fort this morning. If I am -not very much mistaken, we are to have a small blizzard before night.” - -“O! I hope not,” sighed Mrs. Wylie. “I have never experienced one, but -Alice has been telling me of blizzards, and of people perishing in them -not far from their own doors. I cannot realize such a thing possible.” - -“Wait until you’ve seen one,” said Donald soberly. He shook his head as -he stepped out of doors. “Tell that wilful girl to take no chances,” he -said, turning back. “There’s surely a storm coming. She will not listen -to me.” - -“Don’t forget, Mrs. Cramer, to take my cake from the oven in fifteen -minutes,” Tibby said a little later, entering the room. - -“Why do you go when there is a storm coming?” inquired Mrs. Wylie. - -“Who says there is a storm coming? No one but Donald, and he is a -croaker. I’m not afraid. Tempest will be a match for any storm that ever -blew.” And a few moments afterwards Tibby tripped gaily down the path to -the horse’s stable, her riding-skirt thrown over her arm, and her whole -figure alert with joyous anticipation. As she emerged upon the back of -her favorite horse and swept past the pedestrian, Donald, she called out -saucily: - -“Isn’t a Tempest more in evidence to-day than a blizzard, Mr. Bartram?” - -Donald waved his hand at her, and she was gone, her low, rich laugh -coming back to him in the moist air. - -Before Donald reached Nathan’s the sky had begun to be flecked with -clouds, light and fleecy, that seemed to speed swiftly high in the air. -Then he felt drops of rain that seemed to come out of the somewhere. At -intervals the sun would shine brightly and warm. As the hours wore away -Donald’s anxiety increased. - -Lissa looked out at three o’clock, to see the sky overcast with clouds, -and large scattering flakes of snow floating about in the chill air. At -the same moment Donald rode up from the stables on the back of his -favorite horse, Duke, a large, powerful animal, of great intelligence -and endurance. - -“I am going over to Mark’s, Lissa,” he cried, “to see if Tibby has -returned. Within a half hour it will be impossible to see a rod ahead of -one. If that wilful girl should attempt to start back in the face of the -storm, as she is almost sure to do, she can never get home alone. Don’t -go out of doors yourself. I’ve made all secure at the stables. If Tibby -has returned I shall be back in a few moments. If not, I shall go to -meet her.” - -Lissa’s face paled. - -“I know the danger, Donald. I hope, oh, I hope you’ll find her all right -at Mark’s!” - -Donald was already far down the road, when the wind, suddenly veering, -swept the house with such a shock Lissa was glad to close the door and -draw up to the great stove for warmth. - -A few moments later Donald was at Mark’s door, and the swift-falling -snowflakes were already obscuring the landscape when he rapped with his -riding-whip and met the startled face of Mrs. Cramer. - -“Has Miss Waring returned?” he asked anxiously, searching Alice’s -countenance. - -“No, and I am becoming worried about her. She would be sure to start -home when she saw the storm coming up.” - -“Yes, I am going to try to find her. The wind is rising fast. Can you -lend me a couple of blankets?” - -Alice flew to an adjoining room, and quickly returned with a bright -woolen parcel, which Donald strapped to his saddle securely, while a -wild gust of wind swept past him and struggled and tugged with him for -their possession. - -“Why are you carrying your rifle?” Alice asked, noting his strange -accoutrement. - -“I will tell you,” said Donald, again seating himself firmly in the -saddle. “Have you a gun here?” - -“Yes, certainly.” - -“And you know how to use it?” - -“Most assuredly.” - -“Then you must help me to find my way. I want you to fire it every time -you hear the report of my rifle. Do you understand?” - -“Yes, Don. Do you think the danger is so great?” - -“Yes, we are in for a furious storm. Now remember, answer all my -signals, and—if you should not hear from me for a time, keep firing -every few moments anyway.” - -“Yes, Don. Heaven help you to find Tibby and bring her home safely to -us!” - -A moment later Donald was lost to view in the whirling, swirling masses -of snow that filled the air, and Alice, taking down the heaviest gun -from the wall, examined it carefully, and loaded it with a charge of -powder. - -“What are you doing with that gun, Alice?” asked Mrs. Wylie, who, -hearing the sound of voices, had risen from her couch and now came into -the room. - -“I am going to answer Donald’s signals to guide him through the storm.” - -Mrs. Wylie’s eyes opened wide with alarm. - -“But why has Donald gone out in it?” she questioned, looking from the -window into the impenetrable, snow-filled air. - -“To find Tibby, Elinor.” - -Mrs. Wylie sank down in a chair and pressed her hands to her side, while -her lips grew white. - -“Why—Alice, do you suppose Tibby can be out in this terrible storm? I -have been sleeping and did not realize it was upon us until the gusts -struck the house and I heard you talking with some one—Donald, was it?” - -“I hope, Elinor, that Tibby has not started out in this, but if she has -she may lose her way and freeze if some one does not find her. I have -been very uneasy about her for some time.” - -“Oh, how dreadful, dreadful!” And as Mrs. Wylie continued to gaze out -into the opaque snow-world about her she began to realize for the first -time what a western blizzard might mean. “Why did I not have sense -enough to keep that child at home?” she moaned. “I shall never forgive -myself if she is lost.” - -“We should both of us have seconded Donald’s caution, I’m afraid,” -replied Alice. “I am not so weather-wise as he, yet I should have known -what such a morning in midwinter portended here. Tibby delights in -teasing Donald, and of course would not heed his warning; but she would -have listened to us had we been persistent.” - -“I don’t know. I’m afraid I am the one who always listens to her. I -don’t see why she treats Don so,” Mrs. Wylie said. - -“Don’t you? I think I do. It is because she cares for him, and will not -acknowledge it, even to herself. But do look at the storm, Elinor. Is it -not terrifying? Where does all this snow come from? The ground is -already heavily sheeted with it. And listen to the wind. How it wails -and shrieks, buffets and pounds. We are fortunate in being safely -housed, Elinor.” - -“But if Tibby is out in it! Oh, I cannot bear the thought!” - -“Hark! there is the report of Donald’s rifle. I must answer it.” And -Alice sprang to the window, and raising it a little way, put forth the -heavy gun and discharged it, its detonation bringing an answering shriek -from Mrs. Wylie. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXI - CAUGHT IN A BLIZZARD - - -Tibby had foolishly dallied in her home-coming. Even after mounting her -horse she sat in the saddle and indulged in the prolonged exchanges of -good-bys so common to young girls, until the blackening sky and -threatening flakes of snow admonished her, forcibly, to return in haste. - -Tempest, glad to have permission to go at last, sped over the ground -with wonderful strides, covering the first half of the journey in a -short space of time; but as the wind arose and the soft flakes gave way -to hard, rice-like, cutting kernels of snow that beat in his face, he -became staggered in his pace, and finally, as the storm in all its fury -bore down upon them, both horse and rider lost all knowledge of distance -and location, their only effort being to keep the road. Tibby, blinded -by the storm, and forced to ride with her head bent forward and down, -felt her faithful beast stop and whirl half around as a furious blast, -chill as the arctic snows, struck them. The icy flakes cut into her -flesh like splinters of steel as she lifted her face to look about her. -She could see nothing except the whirling deluge of white enveloping -her. She was lost, lost. - -“O Tempest, good Tempest!” she wailed, “can you see the path no longer? -Will not your instincts guide you home? Try again, Tempest! Alas, I know -not which way to turn you! But go, Tempest, go! We shall freeze if we -stay here. Go!” - -But the horse, buffeted by the driving storm in his face, would move -forward only a few paces, then turn his head and stop, bewildered. - -“O my God, what shall I do?” she moaned. - -The cold was creeping up her limbs and benumbing her. She felt that she -must die there, and so near home. She thought she must have traversed -nearly the distance, if they had kept the road. Ah, if they had kept the -road. She was in doubt as to that. The horse, cowering and baffled, had -turned around. She turned him back, facing the storm, and with hand and -voice she urged him forward. For several moments he plunged into the -opaque snow-world before them, then again blinded, baffled, and -storm-beaten, the faithful animal stopped, and bowed his head to the -fury of the elements. - -Tibby lost courage, and laying her face on the poor beast’s neck, sobbed -in despair. Oh! why had she been so wilful and neglectful of Donald’s -warning? He had been anxious about her, and tried to save her, but she -had in her silly pride and egotism ignored him and his counsel, and now -she must die. How cold she was. Her breath came in short, hard pants. -The wind seemed to take it from her and carry it away. It seemed to her -that the elements sported with life, and the wind, with demoniac shrieks -of frenzy and laughter, pounded and pommeled and bruised her as she lay -upon the neck of the trembling, cowering beast which had borne her so -gallantly that morning. - -“O Tempest, Tempest, we are surely lost, lost!” she wailed. “God has let -loose all his furies upon us; no where on the bleak, cold, storm-driven -and storm-beaten prairie is there shelter for us. If a stable were but a -rod away we could not find it. We must die, must die, good horse! -Die—i—i—i—ie!” Her chattering teeth would scarcely permit the words to -pass. - -Tibby tried to pray, but the words would not form themselves. She could -only think of her child’s prayer of “Now I lay me down to sleep,” and -she remembered reading once of a man who, upon the neck of a maddened -bull, thus prayed, and in a hysterical revulsion of emotion she -laughed,—laughed and shrieked with the shrieking wind, in hysterical -gasps,—laughed even in the face of death. Then, chill and trembling, she -felt as if the hand of the grim reaper was upon her, and she lay -motionless upon the neck of the horse, half unconscious. - -Suddenly she was startled by a sound—the crack of a rifle not far -distant. The horse started and lifted its head, then whirled around -again in the direction of the sound. She felt the quiver of the animal -beneath her, and with an effort roused herself. There was hope in that -sound. Some one was near. - -“Go, Tempest, go!” she cried. “There is some one near! Some one is -looking for us!” - -The horse, as if understanding the meaning of the rifle-shot, was -already plunging forward, and Tibby clung sobbing, in convulsive -reaction, to his neck. - -She tried to shout, but the howling wind drowned even her powerful and -far-reaching voice. It was blowing fearfully now. Each gust nearly tore -her from the saddle by its violence, benumbed as she was by the cold. -Again the friendly rifle-crack sounded its peal of deliverance in her -ears. And farther away she heard, more faintly, a second sound, like an -echo, respond. - -“They are searching for us, and it must be—Donald!” she thought. Good -Donald, whom she had treated so illy! If she ever lived through this -terrible time—but how cold it was. She must not die now, so near, almost -within sound of his voice. The horse, animated by the nearness of the -deliverer, was struggling ahead, not swiftly, but desperately, in the -persistent, whirling phalanx of snow. Again, a third time, the friendly -rifle spoke, and its tone rang sweetest music to the nearly paralyzed -and helpless girl. She felt her faithful horse turn, guided by the -sound; she felt his heaving flank, against which her feet were placed -for warmth, sway, as he pressed onward, and then she heard him neigh, -loud and strong. Good creature! She tried to pat his neck with her numb -fingers. His voice was stronger than hers. Hark! Is that an answering -neigh borne to her? She cannot shout, for her voice is spent; but -Tempest, good Tempest, is calling for her. She clings with desperate -grip to his mane. Is that a voice coming out of the darkness of the -snow-world? A roar, deeper than the roar of the storm, sounds in her -ears, and she feels herself sinking, sinking, down, down. - -“Tibby, Tibby!” - -She hears a voice at her side and Donald is clasping her and enveloping -her in something woolen and warm. She tries to reach to him her poor -frozen hands as she sobs “Don, Don!” and then in a thankfulness too deep -for words she snuggles down in the warm folds of the blanket and again -drops her head upon the neck of her noble horse. - -“That is right, keep your head down! I will lead Tempest,” she hears -Donald say, shouting in his strong voice to her, and again Tibby -realizes they are yet in the clutches of the merciless blizzard; but her -fear is gone, for Donald is with her and will save her. - -“Now don’t be frightened. I must discharge the gun to get my direction,” -he shouts again when he has tucked her comfortably in the blankets. -Tibby hears the detonation answered by a fainter sound at their left. - -“We are all right, child. Alice is signaling us. Try and hold out a -little longer.” And Tibby feels the motion of the horse as it sways -beneath her, and is dimly conscious of a sense of warmth and relief -unutterable. And she forgets the storm, the danger, the oppression of -death which was upon her, and sinks away into a half-sleeping state, -from which she is aroused only when, at the door of Mark’s home, Donald -lifts her from the saddle and carries her into shelter somewhere. She -hears, as though far away, the repeated echoes of the rifle; she hears -murmured words of encouragement from her rescuer, and then she opens her -eyes in bewildered uncertainty as to her surroundings and feels that she -has awakened from a harassing dream to find herself safely at home, and -with a sigh of relief she lays her head more heavily upon Donald’s -shoulder and sinks away to sleep again. - -Not until afterwards did she realize the struggle Donald had undergone -while bringing her home. Not until the neighbors had gathered about her, -days later, and commented on the terrible severity and destruction of -the storm, which had lasted three days and brought death and sorrow to -many homes. Then Tibby heard of those who but a stone’s-throw from their -own doors had perished; of others who, like herself, had been lost and -wandered about to finally lie down and die; of horses and cattle, in -large numbers, frozen to death; of a whole school of children who, -headed by the teacher, had tried to make their way through the -impenetrable snow and fallen to be gathered in the icy embrace of the -blizzard, and delivered into the arms of Death. - -And as Tibby reflected upon her narrow escape from the grim harvester, -she turned in horror from her wilful self, as she stood with the light -of recent experiences upon her. How nearly fatal had been that foolish -ride across the prairie which she had wilfully persisted in taking in -the face of better counsel. But for Donald, whom she had snubbed and -abominably ill-treated, she would have perished. Ah, she was punished, -and yet she would not be willing to owe so much to any other man. Donald -had been forced to remain at Mark’s until the storm lessened in its -severity, but he had gone away before Tibby had fully recovered from her -lethargy. He had aided in caring for her frost-bitten ears and hands, -but he had not returned to make inquiry concerning her since then. Tibby -was becoming restless at his continued absence. Was he thoroughly -disgusted with her behavior that day of the storm? she questioned. - -Could any one have been more exasperating and unladylike? Yes, she -merited his contempt—and he had saved her life, saved her from such a -terrible death. Ah, if she could blot out the memory of that morning. -How she despised herself, her foolish, egotistical self. He would be -divine if he ever forgave her. She had tried to make him angry, and how -she had been punished. She had even mocked at him when he paid her the -highest compliment a man can pay a woman. Why had she acted thus? Why -must a woman always be false to herself? - -Thus, bitterly, Tibby cogitated, and scourged herself, and shed tears of -contrition. But the second week went by and still Donald came not to see -her. Tibby became hysterical. She was wildly mirthful and hilarious at -times, and again her eyes showed signs of weeping. - -Mrs. Wylie became anxious concerning her protege, fearing she was ill. -Tibby ate little, and was in every way capricious, and unlike her -strong, forceful self. “The shock of her dangerous ride has unnerved -her,” Mrs. Wylie reiterated. She believed she ought to consult a -physician, but as the nearest one was twenty-five miles away she put off -doing so, hoping for an improvement in her child. - -At last Tibby could stand the uncertainty no longer. She must know if -she was forgiven and reestablish the friendship between them, and thank -Donald for preserving her life. - -She resolved to interrogate Mrs. Cramer, and act upon her advice. - -For some reason she felt less reluctant to advise with her than with -Mrs. Wylie. She found her hostess putting on her wraps preparatory to -going out. - -“My dear Mrs. Cramer,” she said coaxingly, “I want to see Donald -Bartram, and thank him for rescuing me. I was too ill to do so when he -was here, and besides I did not know the magnitude of the risk he ran. -Do you think it would be proper for me to send him a note, asking him to -call?” There was a touch of anxiety in Tibby’s tone. - -“Why, certainly,” replied Alice. “We are not at all conventional here. -Besides, the straightforward way is always the best, I think.” - -“I hope so,” responded Tibby soberly. - -“Yes, you write your note, and I will take it over to him now. Mrs. -Wylie and I are going over to Lissa’s.” - -“Here it is, I have written it beforehand,” Tibby returned, a flush of -carmine vividly emphasizing her embarrassment. “I would rather you did -not—that is—Mrs. Wylie need not know of it—at least not now,” she -stammered. - -“Certainly not. I’ll give it to Donald myself.” And Alice took the -gingerly proffered note and slipped it into her pocket. - -“It is all right, dear,” she smiled cheerily, in answer to the pathetic -questioning of Tibby’s eyes, and she tripped away blithely, happy at the -thought that she had made a discovery which would aid in adjusting -matters to her liking. - -Alice awaited her opportunity to place the missive in Donald’s hand, -unobserved by any one else, and was pleased to see the start he gave as -he looked at it. - -Alice Cramer, like every other womanly woman, was a born matchmaker, and -this evidence of contrition on the part of Tibby filled her benevolent -heart with delight. This submissive, questioning air of the girl was so -unlike her usual imperious manner that Alice augured much from it. - -“You will go, Don?” she whispered when he again approached her. - -“Yes, if you think best.” He met her eyes with an inquiring look. - -Alice nodded. - -“Now?” - -“Yes.” - -Donald set out across the fields toward Mark’s home with some -reluctance. He knew he had, by rescuing Tibby, put her, in a sense, -under obligation to him, and he dreaded to meet her upon such a footing. -He had remained away from her, resolved that until the remembrance of -that struggle in the storm had become less vivid, he would never force -his attentions upon her; would never annoy her with words of love. - -“If she really cares for me she will be conscious of it in time, and I -shall know it,” he reflected. “I will not trade upon the service I have -done her. I want her _love_, not her _gratitude_.” And he set his lips -firmly in the resolution not to be betrayed into a renewal of his suit -until a more fitting season. - -Donald found Tibby sitting dejectedly by the stove, her feet upon the -fender and her dimpled chin resting upon her pink, upturned palm, while -her eyes studied intently the red coals before her. This was the picture -of which he caught a glimpse through the low window as he approached the -door. At the sound of his footsteps she sprang up and came forward to -meet him, the scarlet flame of the fire blazing in cheek and lip. - -“It is so nice of you to come,” she said, giving him her hand in -welcome. “You have been so shy of receiving thanks that you have -remained away an age.” - -“I am glad if it has seemed an age to you,” he answered, smiling. “One -likes to have his absence noticed.” - -“I didn’t realize how much—how very much I am indebted to you,” she -began shyly. - -“Don’t, please, Miss Tibby. You know there is no question of debts or -credits between friends. I am thankful God gave me strength and -direction to find you. It is a serious thing to battle with the elements -in the West, Miss Waring.” Donald spoke gently and soberly. - -“I realize it now. Can you ever forgive me for my dreadful talk that -morning?” Tibby’s lip quivered slightly and she dropped her eyes. - -“Why, was it dreadful? I don’t remember it to have been so.” - -“And my wilfulness in going against your—advice?” she continued, -resolved to finish her confession. - -“Ah, that was nothing strange. One could not expect an Eastern -born-and-bred maiden to be weather-wise on the prairies or realize the -kind of storms we have here until she had some experience with them.” - -“But she might have sense enough to take some one else’s word for it,” -Tibby replied, tapping the floor with her foot. - -“Ah, Miss Tibby, I’m afraid we all like to experience for ourselves. We -don’t relish excitements second-hand, nor always have faith in the words -of others.” - -“Well,—I—hope I’m forgiven,” Tibby faltered. - -“Indeed, yes, if there was anything to forgive. I didn’t think there -was. In fact, I am sure there was nothing of the kind. However, it must -be pleasant to exercise the divine function and have no room in one’s -heart to remember a wrong. How pleasant this fire is. Nature makes -recompense for all the cold and storm outside by giving us the blessing -of fire.” - -“Yes,” absently replied Tibby, twirling her handkerchief about her -finger, and gazing before her in abstraction. - -“I am afraid you are thinking, Miss Tibby,” Donald said, after an -interval of silence, in which both had studied the fire. - -Tibby turned and looked at him with challenging eyes. - -“Would you know of what I am thinking?” she asked. - -“If I might dare ask so much, yes.” - -“I was wondering what one should do who has done what she regrets.” - -“Undo it, if she can,” Donald replied, speaking lightly. “What is it you -do when you are sewing? Pull out the wrong stitches and do it all over -again, do you not?” - -“I wonder if you could or would help me in the undoing.” - -“Most assuredly, if I can.” Donald saw a roseate flame, deeper than that -in the stove, blaze in her cheeks. - -Tibby put her two hands to her forehead and shaded her eyes. - -“But you don’t,” she said. - -“Don’t what? I do not understand you.” - -“You don’t help me.” - -“But you must first tell me how.” - -“O, you are bound to make me go down in the dust before you,” she said. -“You will not—help me. Suppose you unravel the work, back to—to—that -time—when you—asked me to be your wife,” she whispered. - -“Tibby, Tibby, darling, do not jest with me!” Donald took the pink -fingers in his, and the downcast eyes were uncovered save by the dark -lashes. “Look at me, Tibby, and tell me—if I ask you the same question -again, what will you say?” - -“Yes, Donald, if you can bear to take such a wilful, good-for-nothing -girl as I have been.” - -“Tibby, dear, it is love I want, not gratitude. If it is because I saved -your life—” - -“Indeed, indeed, Donald, it is because—I—I love you, have always loved -you,—ever since—” - -“Since when, sweetheart?” - -“Since I found you were the one man I could not control,” she whispered. - - - - - CHAPTER XXXII - A SURPRISE - - -At Boxwell Hall a large audience sat expectantly waiting the appearance -of Mrs. Lucien. - -Among the members present there were five with whom our readers are -familiar. The lights were yet turned low, and there was the usual buzz -and hum of low-voiced conversation which even those afflicted with -superstitious awe could not repress. - -“I had some trouble to persuade Major Walden to come,” said Nathan in an -aside to his wife. “He has such a horror of this sort of thing, he -flatly refused at first; but when I asked him as a personal favor to -meet you, he consented.” - -“I am sure he can’t denounce Mrs. Lucien, if she is as Elinor describes -her,” said Lissa. “I have really begun to like her, just from the -description. Ah, I wonder if she is coming now. What a perfectly -seraphic face.” - -Mrs. Lucien was clothed in a soft, clinging gown of white wool, from -which her pure, oval face arose in statuesque grace and beauty. - -The dark waves of her hair were brushed back from the rounded forehead -and gleamed in shining ripples to her neck as the glare of the -foot-lights fell upon her. - -“What a striking face! A painter might have made a model of her for a -Madonna. She is grace personified,” whispered Alice. “I can think of -nothing but a statue of one of the graces.” - -“Doesn’t she look more like a painting of St. Cecilia?” Mark replied. - -“Yes, she does look like her. She is about to speak.” - -The chairman of the psychical club led her forward and briefly -introduced her as Madame Lucien, who would give exhibitions of -psychometric reading and slate-writing. Mrs. Lucien bowed slightly for a -moment to the vociferous clapping of hands which greeted her, and then -spoke in a low, sympathetic voice, which thrilled her hearers. - -“Dear Friends: I do not come to you to-night with any gift or knowledge -of my own winning. For some inscrutable reason it has been given me to -read that which my physical eyes cannot discern. By some psychic -telepathy, or telegraphy, which is as mysterious to me as to any one -here, I am made the bearer of messages and permitted to see and describe -to you that which is not visible to our mortal eyes.” - -She turned toward the gentleman by whom she had been presented, who now -bound a handkerchief tightly over her eyes, and addressing the audience, -requested that while Madame Lucien was passing under control an usher -would gather up from the audience such articles as they would like to -submit to the medium for psychic reading and identification. - -Handkerchiefs, gloves, pocket knives, etcetera, were being collected, -and Nathan was about to detach a charm from his watchguard with which to -test her powers, when he chanced to glance up at Major Walden. - -He was startled. The scene at the office seemed about to be reenacted. -The Major’s face was livid and distorted. - -“What is the matter?” Nathan asked with alarm. - -“You—you—knew of this!” Walden hissed, with a desperate effort at -self-control. - -“Knew of what? Great Heavens, Major, what do you mean?” - -“I can’t stay here. I will not!” He arose to his feet, and Nathan, -taking his arm, led him to the open air. - -“You’re a villain, sir! I wouldn’t have treated an enemy as you have me. -And I thought you my friend and trusted you. O Nathan, Nathan, how could -you have done it? Why didn’t you tell me?” - -“Major Walden, I don’t understand what I have done that was wrong. ’Pon -my honor I don’t!” said Nathan stoutly. “You knew it was a spirit—” - -“Did you ask me to that place to-night? Tell me!” - -“I certainly did, but I did not suppose it could be so offensive to -you.” - -“You asked me there to see her?” - -“Her? Whom? My wife? I asked you to meet my wife, and Mrs. Wylie, and—” - -“And her, the woman that—” - -“Good God!” cried Nathan, a light breaking in upon him. “You don’t mean -that Mrs. Lucien is—” - -“My lost wife, Agnes! Yes.” - -“Oh! my poor friend, forgive me. I never dreamed of such a thing. -Believe me, Major, I am innocent of any such plot as this. Mrs. Lucien -is an entire stranger to me. I only knew of her through Mrs. Wylie’s -friendship for her, and she knows nothing of her past history. We have -been blind instruments in the hands of Providence, Major. Why should it -have happened?” - -“God knows, or the Devil. I’d rather have seen Agnes in her coffin, -Bartram. That villain Teasdale must be with her.” - -“Impossible! Did he not tell you otherwise? Don’t, Major, lay that crime -upon her in your excitement. Surely, surely she is blameless and good. -Her face shows that.” - -“Aye! Her face is the face of an angel. O Agnes, Agnes! Nathan, I’m -beset by a thousand furies and fiends of torture. What shall I do? I -want to see her and talk with her. I must, now, now—that I’ve seen her -at all.” - -Nathan was perplexed. - -“You might call at her hotel and see her in the morning,” he ventured to -suggest. - -“No, I’ll see her to-night. I’ll be here at the door when this infernal -business is over, and I will see and speak to her. I want to lift the -weight from my conscience, if possible, and I _will_ speak to her.” - -“But, think of the shock to her. My friend, is it best?” - -“Best? Perdition take me! I don’t know what is best. Leave me! Go back -into the hall and tell your friends I am sick—vertigo—jimjams—anything. -But leave me to think.” - -“But,” began Nathan, loth to leave him by himself in his excited -condition. - -“Go in! I can’t be spoken to now. Go back into the hall. Will you?” he -exclaimed vehemently. - -Nathan turned away slowly and reentered the building, beset with many -misgivings. What might not this irascible and tortured man do if left -alone? - -Mrs. Lucien had begun her reading. She held in her hand a knife which -had been submitted to her for test. - -“I am sure the person to whom this knife belongs is one of very orderly -habits, or was. The present owner has not had it very long. I can see -the woman to whom it formerly belonged. She has auburn hair, and is -rather below the medium height. She is laughing, and says she won the -knife on a philopena.” - -“Is this true?” asked the chairman, taking the knife from Mrs. Lucien -and holding it up. - -“It is true,” responded a man from the audience. “I am acquainted with -the knife’s history.” - -Suddenly an idea presented itself to Nathan, upon which he immediately -acted. - -He picked up one of the Major’s gloves which, in his agitation, he had -withdrawn and left behind him, and motioning to an usher, asked him to -place it upon the table for Madame Lucien’s reading. Then he awaited -results with eager curiosity. - -One after another the articles were taken up and read. - -“This brings me face to face with an aged woman,” she said, as a thimble -was presented. “She calls ‘Annette, Annette.’” - -A woman across the aisle from Nathan began to sob. He noticed the tawdry -showiness of her attire, and read in her face a pathetic history as she -stood up to reclaim the thimble. “It was my mother’s,” she sobbed, as -she dropped back into her seat. - -Then Madame Lucien’s fingers lifted the glove Nathan had sent to her. - -“I am sure the owner of this glove is a person of very positive -character,” she began. “He will combat any irrational belief, or one not -proven to his satisfaction. I can feel a chill of opposition. I—I—can—” -Mrs. Lucien began to breathe in gasps. Her hands shook. Nathan was -frightened at the spasm of agony which swept her face. She dropped the -glove and stretched out her hands helplessly. - -The manager came forward and assisted her from the platform, amid a buzz -of excitement in the audience, returning in a few moments to announce -that Madame Lucien had been affected by the heat of the room and would -be unable to continue the reading, but he would introduce in her place -the trance medium Mr. Eugene Potts, who was both clairvoyant and -audient. - -While this scene was transpiring in Boxwell Hall, Major Walden was -hurrying down the street as though driven by a legion of furies. He felt -that he must get away or do that for which he might be sorry. On, on he -walked, heeding not his direction or whereabouts. He was fleeing from -her and from this nightmare of horror which beset him. And the vision -before his eyes of the pale, spirituelle face of his lost one kept pace -with him. He could not escape it. - -An hour later he had turned his steps homeward. He had walked away the -uncontrollable emotion which had possessed him at the sight of Agnes, -and a calmer spirit prevailed. He had decided that it was better that he -should not meet her again. He would go to his office and write her -fully, and send her again the letter which he had sent to her Eastern -home and which had been returned to him through the dead letter office -but a few days before this. She should know how completely he had been -punished for his lack of trust in her, and should forgive him, if her -sweet, forgiving nature could do so. - -The people were returning from the hall. He stepped into the shadow of a -doorway and waited for the crowd to pass by and the street to become -once more deserted. He realized he scanned each face and figure closely. -Was he hoping to see her? No, it were better that he did not; he had -settled that question, but now, in the struggle with himself. - -The street lamps flamed and flickered, casting weird shadows on the -darkened buildings of the business street where he stood. Ahead of him, -as he again started forward, he saw a solitary individual stop under a -light and take a letter from his pocket, which, leaning against the -lamp-post, he began to read. Something in his figure and attitude -arrested Major Walden’s attention. He looked at him searchingly as he -approached him. At the moment the man, hearing his footsteps, turned his -face from the letter toward him. - -A flame of angry fire shot from the Major’s brain to each prescient -nerve and muscle of his being. With a spring he was upon the man, his -hand upon his throat. - -“Ah, ha! You miserable, white-livered abomination! It is well I have -found you now,—now, when your victim is here in this city,—you -fiend-ambassador of Satan! Killing is too good for you!” - -The attack was so sudden the victim had no chance to cry out, and sank -to the ground, with no show of resistance, the Major’s hand in a -death-grip upon his throat, shutting off breath from his lungs. - -“Take that—and that—and that!” cried Walden, raining the blows with his -clenched fist upon the other’s face and shoulders. “I shall kill you! do -you hear?” - -The victim struggled, his eyes, protruding from their sockets, pleaded -for mercy, and his speechless tongue hung swollen from his lips. Voices -were heard approaching him, but the infuriated and frenzied man did not -heed them. The higher man had, for the time, been lost in the maddened -animal. - -“You snake! It is a joy to throttle you, to see your lying tongue -palsied! Your forked tongue that has stung with its venom God’s best and -purest. A thousand deaths could not pay for the ruin you have made, you -viper!” and the Major’s eyes, red with passion and fury, glared into the -terrified ones beneath him. - -It is a fearful thing to see a man, made in the image of God, unchain -the passions of his soul and allow them to control him. Major Walden -was, for the time, a madman. - -“Hold on, what’s the matter here?” cried a voice, and a hand grasped the -collar of the would-be murderer. - -“I should think the fellow was holding on with a vengeance,” said -another voice. “Come, let up that fellow, or you’ll be an assassin.” - -Releasing his hand from his victim’s throat, Major Walden wrenched -himself free from the intruder’s clutch, and planting his foot upon the -prostrate man, turned defiantly. - -“Is it murder to kill a reptile—a miserable, venomous viper?” he hissed. - -“Good God! It is the Major. Have you gone mad, friend? What does this -mean?” - -“It means that I’ve nearly or quite squeezed the life out of that -villain Teasdale. I’ll assure you I shall not let him go till I’ve -finished him.” - -“Markham! O Markham!” - -“Agnes!” he faltered, as he heard the tones of her voice, so pathetic in -its intensity. - -She stood before him, her hands clasped, her pale face agonized with -fear and supplication. - -It was a scene for a painter. The gladiatorial attitude of the Major, -the frightened faces of Lissa, Elinor, and Alice, with Nathan and Mark -standing at either side as rescuers. - -“‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord,’” feebly quoted -Agnes. - -The Major’s hands fell. He took his foot from Teasdale’s body as the man -began to breathe and struggle to rise. - -Mark bent forward to assist him, then started back in disgust. - -“It’s that contemptible hound Russell,” he said, with a gesture of -abhorrence. “Lie where you are, sir, you travesty upon man, until we see -about this! Lie still, or, by the powers, I’ll finish you myself!” - -“Get him out of my sight, or I’ll not answer for the results!” the Major -cried in a hoarse voice. “There is all of murder in my heart, and my -conscience would not trouble me more than if I had killed a snake.” - -“The lock-up’s the place for him. He’s unfit to run loose,” said Mark. - -“I’m sorry to be found in such company, Captain Cramer, but Nathan will -explain to you my cause of provocation,” Walden continued. “And this -letter will explain to you,” turning to Mrs. Lucien. - -He took a letter from his pocket with a dead letter stamp upon it, and -handed it to her. “This has but recently been returned to me from -Washington.” - -“Wait! He shall explain,” cried Nathan, catching the battered and -bleeding Teasdale, or Russell, by the collar and jerking him forward. - -“Here, you knave, explain to these ladies that those letters you wrote -and sent were but forgeries, fabricated and secreted by you or your -emissaries, to work ruin and unhappiness.” - -Russell gulped and gasped in an effort to speak. - -“Speak! Out with it! Tell the truth!” Mark commanded savagely. - -“I admit it,” he groaned at last. “I wrote the letters and bribed a -servant to hide them in a desk at the Major’s house when his wife was -away from home, in the hope that he might find them and believe that she -was false to him. She knew nothing of them, nor did she ever receive a -letter from me.” - -“Oh, wretched man! How could you conceive of such infamy!” murmured -Agnes, turning away her pallid face. - -“It is to be hoped you will receive a just reward for your wickedness,” -said Mrs. Wylie, who in the light of this scene could unravel all the -mysteries that had so long puzzled her with regard to Mrs. Lucien’s past -history. - -“He shall receive it if there is any justice in this land of ours,” said -Mark. “This is not the only crime he has to answer for. What could have -been your object in this case, you dog?” - -“Revenge!” Russell uttered the word with an evil sneer. - -“Can you ever forgive me, Agnes?” Major Walden had turned from Russell -and was looking at Agnes beseechingly. - -“As I hope to be forgiven, Markham,” she replied solemnly. - -“Thank you. It is more than I have a right to expect. I—” His voice -broke in its utterance, and he turned away to recover his self-control. - -“And now what shall we do with this fellow?” asked Nathan. “Turn him -over to the police?” - -“He certainly should not be allowed to go about leaving in his wake the -slimy trail of the serpent,” responded Mark. “I’ll swear out a warrant -charging him with abducting Esther McCleary.” - -“There are reasons,” said Major Walden, “why it might be unpleasant to -bring my affair into court. However, I am ready to testify against him -if needed.” - -Mark turned again toward Russell, but to his consternation and -astonishment the man had vanished. Before the eyes of six persons he had -managed to glide away unobserved. They looked up and down the streets, -peered into stairways, and searched alleys, but he was not to be found. -He had disappeared as suddenly and entirely as though the ground had -opened and swallowed him. - -“A guard of his imps must have snatched him away,” said Nathan as the -men came back from their search to the place they had left the women. - -“Perhaps he assumed his natural form and slithered away on the ground to -his den,” said Walden. - -“I imagine the fellow must have hypnotized us,” Mark replied. “I can’t -account for his getting away without being seen by some of us by any -other hypothesis. But let us believe it is good riddance. He’ll not be -apt to trouble any of us again. I should like to have had him reveal -Esther’s whereabouts, however.” - -“It’s a pity he’s at large to ruin other homes,” Mrs. Wylie murmured. -“But if God permits him to live, I suppose we may.” - -“Markham!” - -“Agnes!” The Major turned toward his former wife and stood with bowed -head and dejected countenance. - -“I must ask you a question which has been upon my lips since I met you, -but which I am almost—afraid to ask. Is Freddie alive?” - -“Yes, Agnes, yes. He is with me. I will send him to you at once. Oh, my -God!” - -“What is it? Is he ill? Is anything wrong concerning him, my precious -boy?” - -“No, he is well,” he groaned. “Freddie is well, and bright and good. You -may well be proud of him.” - -“Thank God, oh, thank God!” She put her handkerchief to her eyes and -sobbed for very joy. The other women wept with her. Finally, while her -moistened eyes shone with the happiness of the moment, she said -tremulously: “I have news for you, Markham. I want to tell you what -perhaps I should not have kept from you, that God sent me solace for the -loss of my children. A little girl was born to me soon after the death -of my darlings. She is with me here at the hotel. Do you care to see -her, your child, the little Dolores?” - -“Yes, only—Good God, I cannot!” - -“Markham, I do not understand you. Have you aught against me now?” Agnes -Walden said, raising her eyes, now filled with doubt and questioning, to -search his face. - -“No, no; Heaven knows I have not, but—some one tell her. I cannot.” -Major Walden turned from her and walked forward several paces, his face -set and drawn. - -“He has another family, another wife,” said Lissa softly. “God pity both -him and you!” - - - - - CHAPTER XXXIII - CONCLUSION - - -It is radiant summer-time and the June roses are making the air sweet -with fragrance. June breezes are fanning alike the flower-crowned -prairie of the West and the crowded thoroughfares of the Eastern cities. - -The electric current has bridged distances and connected the breath-note -of Chicago with that of New York. By it we can listen to the voices of -our friends, across the mighty expanse of the continent. We can even -store up their words and songs and reecho them at will. A strange force -is this invisible current of which we are now learning the Alpha. What -its ultimate possibilities are, who shall determine? With it the -opposing forces of nature are made subservient and the very winds can be -made messengers between physical and sentient beings. - -We look at the trolley car passing our door and wonder at the power that -propels it. Little by little we are opening our souls to the reception -of beliefs in the invisible powers of nature. - -How far is it to the end? What new and marvelous revelations shall each -succeeding year bring to us? - - -A reception is being held in the parlors of the hotel where the scene of -our first chapter was laid. Forest City has become a town of -metropolitan proportions and its citizens are among the most progressive -people of these twentieth century days. - -Among the guests filling the parlors are several whose names are -household words throughout our land. - -“A strange case,” says one, “that reported of double identity. A -Welshman half of the time and an Englishman the other half, and the two -wholly unacquainted with each other.” - -“Did you hear,” inquires another, “of the psychic experience of Dr. -Seba?” - -“No, what was it?” - -“Why, as I heard it, the Doctor was out one day at the farther end of -Grande Avenue, and on his way home, when he felt an impelling force -direct him to go to a certain house. It was a place which he had never -before visited, and he could not account for the power which moved him. -However, he yielded to the influence, and arrived just in time to save -the life of a lady taken with hemorrhage from the lungs. He prescribed -for her, wondering that no one expressed any surprise at seeing him -there, and did not know until he reached his down-town office that a -telephone message directing him to that same place awaited him, having -been received by his clerk after he had left the office.” - -“How do you account for it?” - -“Telepathy. The message was taken to him by a mental current, no more -mysterious nor wonderful than that which propels that electric fan -there. All the mechanism of the world is governed by unchanging law. -Thought transference, hypnotism, clairaudience and clairvoyance are -undoubtedly governed by laws which, when understood, may appear simple. -Science is a divine revelation, and some genius will be given the key by -which its mysteries shall be deciphered. Tesla’s discoveries are opening -the door to a before-closed world of knowledge. The Roentgen ray has -proven supposed opaque bodies transparent. Who among us would not have -denied a few years ago the possibility of such a thing? And then think -of wireless telegraphy, another wonderful discovery.” - -“Of course you have read Hudson’s explanation of psychic phenomena?” - -“Yes; his idea of subjective mind explains much of the -before-unexplained, so-called spirit manifestations, at least to my -satisfaction; but there is much more that I would like to understand. It -will be some time, I imagine, before we shall equal the Hindoos in the -knowledge of psychic forces. I confess, when I read of some of their -performances, I am ready to believe it supernatural.” - -“True, but think how much is no longer mysterious which, a few years -ago, was deemed supernatural!” - -“Yes, we are a progressive people. For one thing, Doctor, mental -therapeutics has done much to prevent the mortality from drug-poisoning. -Don’t you think so?” - -“Ahem! Well, yes, perhaps it has. The great trouble is, when a person is -given a glimmering of a great truth he immediately jumps at conclusions -and carries the idea beyond the bounds of common sense. I am Rosicrucian -enough to believe that nature has given an antidote to every ill human -flesh is heir to, and that every leaf and flower that grows has its -beneficent uses if we were wise enough to understand them. I don’t deny -that the mind has much to do with the condition of the body, but I -believe even mind influence has its limitations. Of course, nervous and -hysterical people are most susceptible to it, and oftentimes diseases -exist only in the mind.” - -“What do you think of hypnotism as a factor in healing, Doctor?” - -“Well, the French have been experimenting somewhat with that. It is even -a more dangerous agent to use than electricity. Hypnotism may be -dangerous even if self-imposed. For one thing, I believe it is -enervating to the will, and a person controlled by the will of another -may be evilly influenced. Again, what is insanity but the loss of -control of the will over the subjective mind. Each time a person yields -himself to the control of another or suffers himself to be put in the -condition called trance, is he not approaching the borderland of -insanity?” - -“I suppose, generally speaking, a sound nervous organization is not -susceptible to hypnotic influence.” - -“Not as susceptible as the more frail, disturbed ones.” - -“But, Doctor, it is a great thing to control delirium and render a -subject insensible to pain, even during a surgical operation.” - -“Yes, if it can be done. I am told that it has been done, and may serve -with a certain class of subjects; but it will not reset a broken arm nor -remove a cancer. I have not much use for it.” - -“Beware, Doctor, we have not learned all its possibilities yet. By the -way, that Major Walden and his wife are a fine couple.” - -“Yes; did you ever hear that they had been twice married?” - -“Twice married? No; how was that?” - -“Why, it seems that a rascally spirit-medium separated them ten or -fifteen years ago, and the Major married again. Fortunately, or -unfortunately as the case may be, number two was smashed up in a railway -wreck and the story turned out in the orthodox fashion. She herself used -to be a clairvoyant or something of the kind.” - -“What, not that pretty woman he has with him now?” - -“The same. I heard her myself once, out in Denver.” - -“Ugh! That is incredible. She is the last one I should think of -connecting with the idea of spirit-mediumship. She looks as innocent as -an angel.” - -“Ah, my friend, see what prejudice will do. She is as innocent as one, -in my opinion. She was merely self-deceived as to the source of her -power, and not understanding it, supposed it supernatural. It is a -wonder it had not either killed her or made her insane, for even -self-imposed hypnotism, as I said before, seems to weaken and wear both -the mental and physical beings, and where one escapes injury, many -suffer from it. But we all hug our delusions. The more monstrous, the -dearer they are to us.” - -“And yet, as you have already stated, what may appear false to us in one -generation may prove to be truth in the next.” - -“Yes; but remember the hunter after Truth took from his breast the -shuttle of Imagination and wound on it the thread of his wishes, and so -wove his net to entrap Truth. What we must do is to hunt for Truth with -a different net, one in which credulity and desire have no place.” - -“But, Doctor, who shall determine when we have complied with the -requirements? May each generation pass away, holding but a feather from -Truth’s wing in his hand? Shall we believe in nothing of which a shadow -of doubt remains in our minds? What creed—what _ism_ can bear the test?” - -“We read, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ We are also told that -Truth is the work of God, falsehood the work of man. If any belief bear -evil fruit, shall we not reject it? According to Froude, ‘The practical -_effect_ of a belief is the real test of its soundness.’ Let us apply -that test to modern beliefs. Wherever we find misery, wretchedness, or -demoralization concomitant or subsequent, let us reject the creed or -belief as false and dangerous.” - - -We have been told to learn of the philosophers always to look for -natural causes in all extraordinary events; and when such natural causes -are wanting, recur to God. - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES - - - 1. Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in - spelling. - 2. Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. - 3. 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} - div.tnotes { padding-left:1em;padding-right:1em;background-color:#E3E4FA; - border:thin solid silver; margin:2em 10% 0 10%; font-family: Georgia, serif; - clear: both; } - .covernote { visibility: hidden; display: none; } - div.tnotes p { text-align: justify; } - .x-ebookmaker .covernote { visibility: visible; display: block; } - .figcenter {font-size: .9em; page-break-inside: avoid; max-width: 100%; } - .x-ebookmaker img {max-height: 30em; max-width: 100%; } - .chapter { clear: both; page-break-before: always; } - .ol_1 li {font-size: .9em; } - .x-ebookmaker .ol_1 li {padding-left: 1em; text-indent: 0em; } - body {font-family: Georgia, serif; text-align: justify; } - table {font-size: .9em; padding: 1.5em .5em 1em; page-break-inside: avoid; - clear: both; } - div.titlepage {text-align: center; page-break-before: always; - page-break-after: always; } - div.titlepage p {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; - line-height: 1.5; margin-top: 3em; } - .ph1 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: xx-large; - margin: .67em auto; page-break-before: always; } - .ph2 { text-indent: 0em; font-weight: bold; font-size: x-large; margin: .75em auto; - page-break-before: always; } - .x-ebookmaker p.dropcap:first-letter { float: left; } - </style> - </head> - <body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Tibby, by Rosetta Luce Gilchrist</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: Tibby</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'>A novel dealing with psychic forces and telepathy</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Rosetta Luce Gilchrist</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: November 6, 2022 [eBook #69307]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TIBBY ***</div> - -<div class='tnotes covernote'> - -<p class='c000'><strong>Transcriber’s Note:</strong></p> - -<p class='c000'>The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.</p> - -</div> - -<div class='chapter ph1'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>TIBBY</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='figcenter id001'> -<img src='images/i_logo.jpg' alt='' class='ig001'> -</div> - -<div class='titlepage'> - -<div> - <h1 class='c002'>TIBBY<br> <span class='large'><em>A Novel Dealing with Psychic Forces and Telepathy</em></span></h1> -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c003'> - <div><span class='large'>BY</span></div> - <div><span class='xlarge'>ROSETTA LUCE GILCHRIST</span></div> - <div class='c004'>Author of “<cite>Apples of Sodom</cite>,” etc.</div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c005'>“The practical effect of a belief is the best test of -its soundness.”—<em>Froude.</em></p> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> - <div class='nf-center'> - <div><span class='sc'>New York and Washington</span></div> - <div><span class='large'>THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY</span></div> - <div>1904</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div><span class='small'>Copyright, 1904</span></div> - <div><span class='small'>By</span></div> - <div><span class='small'>ROSETTA LUCE GILCHRIST</span></div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c006'>To my daughter Jessamine, -who discovered and introduced -Tibby to the Author</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <h2 class='c007'>CONTENTS</h2> -</div> - -<table class='table0'> - <tr> - <th class='c008'><span class='small'>Chapter.</span></th> - <th class='c009'> </th> - <th class='c010'><span class='small'>Page.</span></th> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>I.</td> - <td class='c009'>The Fair Unknown,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_9'>9</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>II.</td> - <td class='c009'>Tibby’s Eyes,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_18'>18</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>III.</td> - <td class='c009'>The New Acquaintance,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_27'>27</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>IV.</td> - <td class='c009'>Through Clairvoyant Vision,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_33'>33</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>V.</td> - <td class='c009'>The Letter,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_44'>44</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>VI.</td> - <td class='c009'>An Old-Fashioned Journey,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_48'>48</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>VII.</td> - <td class='c009'>In the New Home,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_64'>64</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>VIII.</td> - <td class='c009'>Mother and Child,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_74'>74</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>IX.</td> - <td class='c009'>A New Development,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_81'>81</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>X.</td> - <td class='c009'>The Ghosts of the Cabinet,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_86'>86</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XI.</td> - <td class='c009'>The Fire,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_96'>96</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XII.</td> - <td class='c009'>A New Medium,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_104'>104</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XIII.</td> - <td class='c009'>A Domestic Jar,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_114'>114</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XIV.</td> - <td class='c009'>Before the Public,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_122'>122</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XV.</td> - <td class='c009'>Welcome Guests,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_126'>126</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XVI.</td> - <td class='c009'>An Old Acquaintance,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_136'>136</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XVII.</td> - <td class='c009'>An Old-Time Seance Amidst Old-Time Scenes and Old-Time Folks,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_151'>151</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XVIII.</td> - <td class='c009'>Major Walden,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_172'>172</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XIX.</td> - <td class='c009'>Led into Error,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_180'>180</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XX.</td> - <td class='c009'>Spirits of the Air,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_193'>193</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXI.</td> - <td class='c009'>The Reaper,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_202'>202</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXII.</td> - <td class='c009'>New Arrivals,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_209'>209</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXIII.</td> - <td class='c009'>The Counterplot,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_223'>223</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXIV.</td> - <td class='c009'>The Trail of the Serpent,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_232'>232</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXV.</td> - <td class='c009'>Tibby Conquers,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_241'>241</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXVI.</td> - <td class='c009'>Esther’s Disappearance,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_255'>255</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXVII.</td> - <td class='c009'>A Legal Document is Received,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_260'>260</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXVIII.</td> - <td class='c009'>Horace Wylie’s Philosophy,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_271'>271</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXIX.</td> - <td class='c009'>Drifting,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_277'>277</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXX.</td> - <td class='c009'>The Coming of the Storm,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_287'>287</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXXI.</td> - <td class='c009'>Caught in a Blizzard,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_301'>301</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXXII.</td> - <td class='c009'>A Surprise,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_314'>314</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td class='c008'>XXXIII.</td> - <td class='c009'>Conclusion,</td> - <td class='c010'><a href='#Page_327'>327</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<div class='chapter ph1'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>TIBBY</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - -<div> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_9'>9</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER I<br> <span class='large'>THE FAIR UNKNOWN</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The great bell of the cathedral chimed musically -the hour of six, its vibrant tones mingling with the -muffled din and clangor of smaller bells, steam -whistles, town clocks and street-car jingle, making -itself heard above the roar and rattle of travel over -the stone-paved streets of the Forest City.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Away at the north the blue lake rolled, its waters -dotted by the many white-clothed vessels and smoke-trailing -steamships. The whole was made bright -by a lowering, unveiled sun, which ere long must -sink to rest in its waves. At the south a heavy cloud -of smoke and vapor rested above the river flats, hiding -the blackened roofs of the shops and manufactories, -only broken by the scarlet tongues of fire that -occasionally shot upward from seething furnaces and -tall chimneys.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The rattle upon the pavement grew louder, and -the confusion of sounds greater, as the crowds of -workmen thronged the streets, homeward-bound, -after the hard day of labor.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At an upper window of La Grande Hotel a lady, -screened by the hanging folds of the curtain drapery, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_10'>10</span>looked out upon the multitude of pedestrians hurrying -along the sidewalk below. The close-fitting -gown of soft, light material revealed a plump, stylish -little figure, most attractive in its fashionable perfection. -Against the dark wood of the window-casing -rested a white, rounded wrist, and delicate, -dimpled hand, upon the fingers of which glittering -stones caught the rich sunlight and showered it in -rainbow splendor upon the opposite wall.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The fluffy rings of fair hair that rested above her -forehead seemed appropriate adornment to the -bright, girlish face and careless, smiling eyes, that -showed so certainly her exemption from sorrow and -care.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The perfection and harmony of her costume -showed also that she belonged to that class that “Toil -not, neither do they spin,” but are the beautiful exponents -of the art of modiste and hairdresser.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Across the room, resting indolently in an easy -chair, a gentleman studied the third edition of the -<cite>Daily Leader</cite>, apparently oblivious of the presence -of the fair lady at the window. He, too, had the -well-fed, well-groomed look of the man with full -purse and few anxieties, together with an air of unmistakable -elegance and worldly wisdom.</p> - -<p class='c005'>In age he appeared five and thirty. His face was -smooth shaven, except for the long, drooping mustache -which shaded the corners of his firm-lipped -mouth. His dark hair, inclined to curl, was closely -cropped. His brown eyes were marvelously clear -and penetrating, his forehead broad and particularly -full above the temples. His heavy, massive build, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_11'>11</span>with the squarely cut and rather prominent chin -gave him an awesome individuality, which was counteracted -by the exceeding graciousness, gentleness, -and courtesy of his manner.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He was well known in business circles, a man -keen, shrewd, and full of worldly cunning, but as -honest and upright as the majority of his compeers -who make or lose fortunes in a day at the mart of -speculation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At present he was connected with a steel industry, -and greatly interested in the fluctuations of the ore -and coal market, the strikes at the mines, and the -attitude of the United States Congress with reference -to tariff rates. He was yet studying the columns -before him, and balancing in his mind the advisability -of recalling salesmen from certain localities, -when the lady interrupted his thought.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Horace, have you ever noticed that pretty, sad-looking -woman, dressed in black, who goes by here -so frequently, leading a little child?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Pretty, sad woman, dressed in black—small child. -A definite description, truly. How many in this delightful -city will answer to the same, think you? -Pretty—in a city noted for handsome women; sad—few -are happy; dressed in black—the fashionable -street dress at present; and small child—not a scarce -article, I believe. Really, Nellie, you must be more -specific.” And Mr. Wylie laid his paper carefully -over the arm of his chair and smiled provokingly at -his wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, you are too bad! This lady has such a sweet -face, she is really conspicuous, and she always comes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_12'>12</span>down Leader Avenue at about this hour and turns -down Herald Street, going into one of those blocks -across the way. I feel quite sure she gets sewing to -do, for she usually carries a good-sized parcel with -her. She is very interesting.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, my dear, I am surprised at your enthusiasm. -You really seem to have been cultivating a -habit of observation.” Mr. Wylie leaned his head -against the back of his chair and looked at his wife -through half-closed eyes, while with his large, shapely -hand he softly stroked his smooth chin.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A woman with a parcel and a mystery,” he continued. -“I am not sure but you would shine as a female -detective, Nellie. Shall I send in your name -at the next meeting of the police board?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie looked at her husband with a petulant -pout of her pretty lips. “You are really unkind to -ridicule me when I want to be very serious. Truly, -I believe this <em>is</em> a woman with a mystery and history. -She has attracted me wonderfully, as she would you -could you see her. I wish I knew of some way to -learn more about her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And so you have been sitting here watching for -the unknown, when I supposed you were studying -costumes, or mentally rhapsodizing upon the architectural -beauties of the stone walls opposite. I am -afraid, Nellie, you are getting lonely. The Misses -Eldridge have not called lately, or that dear, delightful -Mrs. Lee, about whom you were raving a -month ago, has gone away. I must look into this. -When my wife is forced to seek amusement and objects -<span class='pageno' id='Page_13'>13</span>of interest in the faces of the passers-by upon -the streets—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, how fortunate! There she comes now! -You shall see for yourself,” interrupted Mrs. Wylie, -eagerly leaning forward and scanning the street before -her. “She will be opposite here before long.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. Wylie arose languidly, and slightly shaking -his body to adjust his clothing, moved gracefully -across the room to his wife’s side, where, glancing -over her shoulder, he sought the described woman. -Among the throng of hurrying pedestrians crossing -the street a few rods away they saw a lady, dressed -in plain and unassuming black, slowly accommodating -her footsteps to the pace of the little toddler at -her side, who trudged along with the half-tottering, -uncertain gait of infants of her age. So slowly was -she obliged to walk that the spectators at the window -had ample opportunity for close inspection.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The woman was of medium height, slender and -pliant, with a fine poise of the head and grace of -sloping shoulders. Her face was pale, too pale for -perfect health, Elinor Wylie thought, and her features -were clear-cut and expressive. But the beauty -of her face was in her eyes. As she came opposite -the hotel she seemed accidentally to glance upward. -Involuntarily Mr. and Mrs. Wylie drew back from -the window, then looked at each other and laughed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Is she not lovely?” questioned Mrs. Wylie triumphantly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She has rather fine features,” returned the gentleman, -absently twirling the curtain about his fingers. -“I fancy I have seen her before somewhere, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_14'>14</span>but I cannot now remember where.” He wrinkled -his brow thoughtfully. “I do not associate that face -in my memory, however, with black robes or the -character of sewing woman in Forest City.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I knew you would be interested if you could but -see her; and now how can I learn more of her? I -might seek her in a business way to get her to sew -for me or something of that kind,” said the little -woman, looking inquiringly at her husband.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He laughed, a soft-modulated laugh, that well -harmonized with his languid movements and studied -grace.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid you are premature in arriving at conclusions. -You are not yet sure that she is a sewing -woman. I think I begin to understand your mission -on earth. You should be at the head of an organized -benevolent society. You are such an adept -at fishing out cases upon which to waste your sympathy.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Please do not laugh, Horace. It is very seldom I -become interested in anything of the kind and you -should encourage me,” she said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>And truly it was a rare thing for careless, thoughtless -Elinor Wylie to take interest in anything outside -the fashionable circle which she denominated -“our set.” Her life had been too carefully ordered -for her to have much appreciation of the wretchedness -beyond her gates.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And so you think I should allow you the luxury -of an entirely new sensation,” said Mr. Wylie, with -his habitual drawl. “All right. Be as benevolent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_15'>15</span>as you choose, only be careful,” he continued, rising -and beginning to draw on his gloves.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie looked at him inquiringly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am going to keep an appointment with Colonel -Fenton. By the way, Nellie, did I tell you, Doctor -Lyman, the noted seer and spiritist, is coming next -week to give a series of lectures in Garrett’s Hall? -I think we’ll have to attend, will we not?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Dr. Lyman? Oh, yes; Mrs. Wallace was telling -me about him. Do you care to hear <em>him</em>?” asked -Mrs. Wylie doubtfully.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Most assuredly, and so must you. People say -he is remarkably interesting; and besides, it will -never do to lose so good an opportunity to learn of -the invisible world toward which we are fast hastening; -eh, Nelly?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Horace—” Little Mrs. Wylie hesitated and -raised her blue eyes to his questioningly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, my dear, I am the personification of devout -attention; what will you have?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wonder—do you really believe he knows any -more about the other world than any one else?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Undoubtedly; a great deal more.” Mr. Wylie -assumed a serio-comic air.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t see why; but I mean, do you really believe -he is right? Do you believe <em>they</em> are right -who believe in spirit manifestation and all that sort -of thing?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do I believe in them who do believe? My dear -girl, you are asking unanswerable questions. I believe -in an infinite number of things or I believe in -nothing. It is to find out just what I believe that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_16'>16</span>I propose to attend Dr. Lyman’s lectures. I have -listened to the preaching of orthodoxy from childhood; -now, I will absorb a little heterodoxy and -see if it is any more clear to the human comprehension. -But I must be going. Is not that the fair lady -again?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and see, she has another and different-sized -parcel. Poor thing, I wonder if it is hard work?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think I’ll go down on the street and get a nearer -view of the fair unknown. It seems to me I have -seen that face some time before this. It is probably -a chance resemblance to some one I have known, that -haunts me. Good-by.” And kissing his hand to his -wife, Mr. Wylie left the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Talk of woman’s curiosity,” laughed Elinor to -herself. “It does not compare with that of the sterner -sex.” And she watched her husband cross Herald -Street and walk down the avenue with more than -his usual celerity. Then she touched a tiny bell, -which was answered by a young girl from the adjoining -room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You may bring Robbie to me, Tibby. Mr. Wylie -has gone away and I am at leisure to amuse him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The young nurse departed, to return with a mischievous -little lad of four years, beautiful in his night -robes of linen and lace, and the mother-love, which -even the society life could not destroy, shone in Mrs. -Wylie’s eyes as she clasped him in her arms.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You may leave us now, Tibby. I will call you -when Robbie has done with his play.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The smiling, dimple-cheeked maid withdrew, and -the mother gave herself up to the enjoyment of a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_17'>17</span>frolic with the wide-awake child. When, an hour -later, she summoned the maid to put the cherub in -his bed, she met with opposition. Robbie had not -wearied of his mother, and refused to go.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But it is bed-time, Robbie, and the sand-man will -come to put sand in your eyes,” remonstrated Mrs. -Wylie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t tare, ain’t doin’ to bed,” asserted the wilful -child.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But you must go, dear; mother desires it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ain’t doin’ to,” persisted Robbie, with the perversity -of a spoiled child.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The mother looked helplessly at Tibby, who came -forward smiling, while her eyes sought those of the -little rebel.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come,” she said sweetly, and to Mrs. Wylie’s -surprise the boy put his hand into the inviting one of -the nurse and suffered himself to be led from the -room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What remarkable eyes that girl has,” soliloquized -Mrs. Wylie as the door closed behind them. “I have -been more fortunate than I dared hope in securing -her services.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_18'>18</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER II<br> <span class='large'>TIBBY’S EYES</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>As for Tibby’s eyes, no one had been able to decide -upon the exact color of them. On warm, sunshiny -afternoons, when Tibby yawned in a swinging hammock -on the back veranda and the pupils were small -and contracted, they appeared of a cerulean hue, -warm and languorous. On cloudy days, when the -sky was dark and lowering, Tibby’s eyes were gray -and forbidding. But when a tempest of rage shook -her pliant figure her eyes sparkled black as coal from -the mines. Her brothers called them cat’s eyes, not -only because the name Tibby was a contraction of the -more severe Tabitha of her christening, but from the -ever-varying, changing light which shone in their -restless depths, which now dilated until the least -rim of color was visible, now contracted like those -of a purring kitten.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby had not to depend upon the beauty of her -opalescent eyes for recognition, for nature had dealt -most generously with her, giving her regular features, -and so mixing and intermingling the types of -brunette and blonde in her physique that no one -could determine in which class to catalogue her. -The delicious glint of the sun in her brown hair, the -rich waves of carmine that tinged and receded from -her cheeks, the arched black brows which defined -themselves so conspicuously against the shining -<span class='pageno' id='Page_19'>19</span>whiteness of her forehead were contradictions when -compared, but formed a <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">tout ensemble</span></i> most charming.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It appeared, too, that Tibby’s nature was as contradictory. -Wayward and wilful as she was at times, -at others she appeared of angelic sweetness, and the -soft, innocent depths of those slumberous blue eyes -captivated the hearts of all who met her, and made -them swear no evil could exist in her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>And now while Tibby, like her feline namesake, -purrs most delusively in the midst of her aesthetic -surroundings, and her pink-tinted fingers effectually -conceal any hidden claws, her mind reviews a scene -but three weeks behind the present.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She sees an old-fashioned, wood-colored farm-house with broad lawn, in which are bright beds of -dear old-fashioned flowers, marigolds and petunias, -bachelor buttons and scarlet poppies; and she sees -herself in calico gown and big sunbonnet standing -under the old elm, in listening attitude, while a shrill, -chirruping note sounds in her ear.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hello, Tib, what’s up?” shouts a boyish voice, -and a stout-limbed, bare-footed lad bounds down the -path toward her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hush!” she says. “Ah, you have frightened it -away! It was singing in the old elm and I hoped to -find it. It’s a tree-toad, isn’t it? Did you ever see -one, Tom?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hundreds of ’em,” replies the boy contemptuously.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What do they look like, Tom? Are they green?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They’re mostly the color of the thing they’re -<span class='pageno' id='Page_20'>20</span>on, I reckon,” says the oracle. “Sometimes they’re -like the bark of the trees or fence, and then again -they’re sort of green if they’re on the grass.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Humph! You don’t expect me to believe such a -fish story as that, do you?” replies Tibby scornfully, -drawing up her straight, slim figure with dignity. -“As if any mortal thing could change its color! As -well might the leopard change his spots,” she continues -as her mind reverts to the Scripture lesson of -the preceding Sabbath.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That’s all you know about it! They’re thicker -’n spatter down in the lane, an’ I guess I know -what I’m telling you! Why, Tibby, they’re like your -eyes. A minute ago they were blue, now they’re -yeller. Mother says your eyes make her fidgety, -they’re so changeable.” And Tom laughed gleefully.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did she, Tom; when?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yisterday. I heard her tell pop. And say, Tibby, -if you don’t go down cellar and do that churnin’, -she’ll make it hot for you. She says you allus slip off -on churnin’ days.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It’s already done, Mr. Tom. I did it before I -came out here. But mother’ll think I haven’t, and -won’t she have a conniption fit?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again the twain laugh.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Say, Tom, wouldn’t you like to go away somewheres, -where folks are different—into the city, or -somewhere? It’s deadly dull here, an’ then mother’s -so cross—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I dunno, pop’s all right if <em>she</em> didn’t put him up -to pitch into us.” Tom gives his trousers a jerk, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_21'>21</span>and digs his bare toes into the grass. “An’ she tells -him you’re wilful and headstrong as fury.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby tosses her red-brown curls and purses up -her small mouth expressively, then she remembers -her quest.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Just find this toad for me, Tom, and I’ll thank -you ever so much, that’s a good boy,” she purrs as -she approaches the tree more closely. “I want to -see one for myself. Here, I’ll boost you up into the -tree. I think it’s out on that limb.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>And the good-natured Tom, declining her proffered -aid, climbs the tree with an agility born of -long practice, while the girl feels her eyes dilate -with expectancy, and then he captures the singer -and brings it to her for inspection. Good Tom! -Tibby feels these same eyes filling as she looks upon -this picture. The toad is a dull gray, and looks incapable -of producing these strident sounds. What -a queer, homely thing it is. Ugh!</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Put it back upon the limb, Tom. I’m afraid to -touch it,” she says with a shiver, and Tom laughs -contemptuously.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You know about as much about toads as Bess -does,” he says; “we saw some toad-stools, last -night, growing in the moss down on the bank and -she said, ‘O, ain’t they pretty, Tom? And to think -the <em>toads made</em> ’em, too.’ Ha, ha, ha! she thought -the toads made ’em.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby feels a little lump rise in her throat as she -remembers this, and as she turns away her head she -sees, as she saw then, a glittering carriage, drawn by -a handsome span of bays, come swiftly down the big -<span class='pageno' id='Page_22'>22</span>hill on the east, and watches it with fascinated glance -as it spins across the level of the flats and up into the -covered, wooden bridge. It comes forth from the -nearer end of the structure, and then something happens, -for almost before the house the horses come to -a halt and the driver springs out. Something has -broken. Tibby knows that it must have been caused -by that steep pitch off the end of the bridge, which -should have been repaired, or filled in, long ago.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There,” she says to Tom, “if Path-master Morton -had attended to that place, this wouldn’t have -happened.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That comes from putting in politicians that don’t -know beans from broomsticks,” says Tom oracularly. -“A man that don’t keep his own place in repair can’t -be expected to look after the public ones.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The driver examines the carriage closely, and then -comes into the yard and asks for hammer, nails, and -other repairing material. Tom runs for the supplies, -while Tibby watches a small lady, accompanied -by a yellow-haired boy with long curls and kilts, -step daintily from the broken carriage and enter the -yard. The lady smiles upon Tibby and asks if she -may sit down to wait under the shade of the patriarchal -old tree; and Tibby replies to her questioning, -while she sits before her and tells her of her -brothers and sisters, and her heart swells with pride -at the lady’s praise of her home and surroundings. -Her eyes follow those of the lady to the old-fashioned, -weather-brown farm-house, with its low-browed -gables and spreading lean-tos, built apparently -without regard to economy of ground space; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_23'>23</span>then to the left, where upon a little lower ground -the great red-roofed barns and spacious corn-cribs -stand, and again to the nodding, smiling flowers dotting -the lawn.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Yes, it was beautiful, the old home, with all its -homely comforts, but Tibby had longed to try her -wings in flight to seek other fields of enchantment.</p> - -<p class='c005'>By and by the little boy becomes restless and begs -his mother to go and ride, fidgets and whimpers. -Tibby wishes to amuse him, and looks at him longingly, -until he comes and puts his small hands in -her brown ones, and she tells him of the little singing -toad in the tree-top, and of the twittering squirrels -who make the elm their home, until his brown -eyes grow heavy and he falls asleep in her arms. -Then Tibby sits and feasts her eyes on the strange -lady’s costume, a poem of harmony in color and fit,—though -Tibby does not name it thus,—and feels the -contrast between this lady’s attire and her own, marvels -at the glittering jewels on her white fingers, -and alas, in the girl’s heart, a dormant wild desire -springs into active growth. She longs to go with -this city-bred woman and have dainty boots and -beautiful gowns.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Does the cry which she feels within herself reach -the heart of the lady? Surely, surely her lips have -not spoken, but the stranger lady, as if understanding -her thought, says:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What a nice way you have with children, my -dear. I should like to have a girl like you to live -with me and help me to look after Robert. You have -done wonders with him. He is usually averse to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_24'>24</span>strangers. How would you like to go home with -me?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I should like it very much indeed,” she replies, -with conviction.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You have no mother, I believe you said,” the lady -continues.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, a stepmother. The children are my half-brothers, -except Tom and Bess. Our mother died -when I was a little girl.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And what are you now?” asks the lady, smiling.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Quite as large as you, I think,” Tibby says, with -no intentional disrespect.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That is true, but I suspect you are not quite so -old.” And then the child tells her she is fourteen -and does not have to go to school any more; and -then—ah, Tibby heaves a sigh as she remembers the -fluttering of her heart while Mrs. Wylie was talking -with her husband, standing by the broken vehicle, -and how she kept saying to herself, “I want to go! -Take me! Take me!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>She smiles as she remembers Mr. Wylie’s good-natured -banter and his questions as to her trustworthiness -and honesty.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“As if my word would be of any worth if I were -not honest,” she thinks. And then Mr. Wylie talks -to her father, and—here she is, surrounded by all -the luxury she coveted, with the tumult and noise of -the great city beneath her window.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby rises from her chair and stretches her arms -high above her head with a cat-like yawn, then walks -with padding footsteps up and down the thick-carpeted -room, and back and forth before the long mirror, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_25'>25</span>smiling at the trim, well-dressed figure reflected -therein. And the face in the mirror smiles -back at her, till the dimples deepen in the blooming -cheeks and the red-curved lips open to reveal the -gleaming rows of teeth behind them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby, Tibby,” the girl whispers to the reflection, -“your feet have been shod in French slippers and set -in pleasant places. You have pretty gowns and dainty -ribbons. If you are only a nurse-girl, you have -much to be thankful for. You can learn to be a lady, -and you must be very, very good, so these advantages -shall not be taken away from you. It will be -your own fault, your own fault, Tibby Waring, if -you ever go back to—to—” She hesitates, and stopping -before the mirror she looks long and searchingly -into its crystal depths.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The little Swiss clock on the mantel chimes musically. -It is nine o’clock. But Tibby’s eyes are half-closed, -and she sees beyond her own reflection the -plain family room at the farm-house, with its bright -rag-carpet on the floor and its chintz-covered chairs. -She sees her gray-haired father dozing in his chair -tilted back against the wall, with his hands clasped -before him. She sees Tom sleeping, stretched out -upon the old, green-covered lounge. She sees little -Bess and Ted in their night-gowns scampering up -the closed-in stairway to their beds. Ah, she is not -there to give them their good-night kiss when they -have repeated their “Now I lay me down to sleep.” -She sees her father rise, yawning, and step heavily -across the room to the old wooden clock in its niche -in the wall, and she can even hear the creaking of the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_26'>26</span>iron weights as he winds the clock for the night. -She sees her own little bed with its high posts and -white valances. She closes her eyes tightly to shut -out the vision and the tears that stand ready to fall. -Then she hears her father call, “Come, Tom, you -sleepy lubber! Get you up and off to bed!” She -knows how Tom will stagger to his feet and rub his -leaden eyelids, and start in the wrong direction. -Dear lad! It is harder to think of him than all the -rest. But she has had her wish. She is in the great -city, and they—Tom, Bess, father—are there at -home where the old life will go on day by day, and -she in this new life must be brave and—grateful.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_27'>27</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER III<br> <span class='large'>THE NEW ACQUAINTANCE</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“I have succeeded in becoming acquainted with the -lady in black,” remarked Elinor Wylie, a few days -subsequent to the date of the beginning of this story, -as, with her husband, she came slowly up from the -dining-room and entered their private apartment. -“Did I tell you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I think not. Do you find her as interesting -as fancy painted her?” drawled Mr. Wylie languidly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, more so. At least, I find her very refined -and cultured. She has surely been in better circumstances.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, the pity of it, in this world of ours!” replied -Mr. Wylie, throwing himself into a luxurious armchair -and shaking his head expressively. “It is the -story common to the lives of too many Americans. -One day we’re dining at Delmonico’s, the next, starving -in a hovel. Ah, seductive, evanescent, elusive -Fortune, why do we trifle with you? To me the -pathos of life is epitomized in the words, ‘She has -seen better days.’”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have engaged her to sew for me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed!” Mr. Wylie’s eyebrows were elevated -quizzingly. “What has become of Madame Somers?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I found out by asking Mrs. Wallace,” continued -Mrs. Wylie, following her own train of thought, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_28'>28</span>ignoring his question, “that the block on Herald -Street had an establishment for making and selling -ready-made clothing, so that I felt sure she did sewing, -and I followed her home one day and saw her -enter a stairway leading up over Mrs. Dray’s hairdressing -rooms. I accordingly asked Mrs. Dray if -she could tell me where I might find a woman to do -plain sewing or embroidery, and she spoke at once of -a worthy woman in the block who wanted to get -work, and directed me to her rooms. She is on the -third floor, in wretched little quarters, but she has -pretty things about her. She met me kindly, and -when I made known my business, seemed glad to get -work. I’m thankful that I went, for, if you will believe -me, Horace, she had been making buttonholes -for Darkson at a quarter of a cent apiece, supporting -herself and child upon that.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Such things are painful to hear of,” said Mr. -Wylie, shaking his head again. “I trust you will pay -her better.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Of course. And, Horace, she has been making -cotton blouses and overalls for workmen for eighty-five -cents a dozen. Think of it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suppose you learned her name and history?” he -interrogated.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes—no—” hesitated Mrs. Wylie. “I learned her -name was, or at least she told me to call her Mrs. -Lucien, and the child’s name is Dolores. Odd, isn’t -it? She nicknames her Dolly. Such a sweet little -creature, too. I wonder if that is Mrs. Lucien’s -real name?” she continued musingly as she toyed -with a tassel of the upholstering.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_29'>29</span>Mr. Wylie sank into the depths of his chair and -studied the opposite wall intently for several moments.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wish,” he said, “I could think of whom it is -she reminds me. I believe if I could see her gowned -in white silk and diamonds I should remember.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What an idea,” laughed his wife. “I should like -to see her so dressed, I confess. She should have -more color in that pale face and less sadness in those -dark eyes, then she would shine in such a brilliant -setting. Yes, I am sure she has a history.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Which you did not learn?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Which I did not learn.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again Mr. Wylie sat wrapped in thought, stroking -his massive chin softly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do you remember, Nell, all who composed our -party two years ago in the Adirondacks? Or was it -<em>three</em> years?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“More nearly four, I think. Why, there was -Judge Matthews and wife; the Misses Eldridge—just -think, Fannie is married; Mrs. Harmon and her -brother; Tiny Lewis, Dr. Bessemer, and Cousin -Harry and Lottie,—and—no—let me see! That was -all that there were at Paul Smith’s, I believe, except -the time that we went to Au Sable Chasm we met -Major—oh—what was his name, that Major Somebody -and his wife, that Cousin Harry was so taken -with at the fancy ball? Don’t you remember her, -Horace? They went to Childwold with us, too.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. Wylie started.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, I remember! He went West. He did have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_30'>30</span>a lovely wife. I wonder if she is the one I am reminded -of.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And then there were the Pemberton girls who -went to Saranac with us, and old Professor Sawyer -with his bugs and beetles, hunting specimens. What -a perfectly lovely time we had that summer.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” dreamily. “We’d better be planning a trip -for next season. This fad of staying in the city because -it’s cooler won’t last, I fancy. I’ve been thinking -of Ocean Beach,” tentatively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And I of Bar Harbor; but it doesn’t matter. -We’ve been most everywhere,” Mrs. Wylie said with -a little sigh. “I don’t know but what I have enjoyed -Forest City as much as I should any other -place. It has been delightfully cool here on the -lake.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, but I suspect that my little Nell has a -hankering for the moon, just the same. I reckon -we’d better go to the seashore for a little while next -month, just to break the monotony of life. And if -you go, you’ll want to take Tibby with you, I suppose.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Most assuredly. She’s a perfect treasure. I -couldn’t get along without her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I see you are becoming much attached to her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed I am. I never had a maid before so deft -and pleasing.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’m afraid she’s too pretty for her position.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, no; not <em>too</em> pretty. Children like a pretty -companion. Robbie never obeyed Mrs. Harbeck as -he does Tibby. But she has remarkable eyes. For -some reason she has taken a great dislike to that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_31'>31</span>young man with the eye-glasses, on the third floor. -It’s amusing to see the look with which she regards -him. Yesterday Tibby was waiting at the head of -the stairs for Robbie and that man came along and -stared at her rather insolently through his glasses. -You should have seen Tibby. Her eyes began to -dilate like those of a tigress at bay, and she returned -his stare. The fellow started down, but for some -reason stumbled and made a very ungraceful descent -to the bottom of the staircase. It really seemed as -if Tibby made him fall. You can imagine her delight -at his mishap.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That is the way of womankind,” said Mr. Wylie, -smiling. “They laugh at our downfalls, unless -we drag them down with us, which we’re apt to do. -Tibby is no exception; but seriously, do not pet her -too much, or she may forget what is due to her position -in life. She must not appear impertinent.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’m sure she behaves well. Tibby is not ill-bred. -Her parents were quite superior people, if they did -live on a farm. Tibby boasts that her mother was -a Devereaux, grand-niece to an earl,” said Mrs. Wylie, -laughing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The little minx! She has pride enough, no doubt, -and who cannot boast of ancestors in America! She -certainly is a bright girl, and has a remarkably pretty -face. She cannot fail to attract attention, especially -as you treat her like a younger sister, rather than like -a servant. It is really unfortunate for her that she is -so unlike the ordinary maid.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have thought of all this, Horace, and I mean -to make more of her than simply a servant. In time -<span class='pageno' id='Page_32'>32</span>she will grow to be my trusted friend and companion, -I am sure. Why may she not? She is well-born; -better than many in our best society.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You dear little philanthropic soul, you’d better -adopt her at once. But don’t pick up too many pretty -girls to waste sympathy upon or <em>I</em> shall be neglected, -I fear. Besides, I have often noticed how illy such -kindness is repaid. You might have cause to regret -it.” Mr. Wylie picked up the evening paper and was -soon absorbed in its columns.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_33'>33</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER IV<br> <span class='large'>THROUGH CLAIRVOYANT VISION</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>And now, as the exhibitor of a panorama might -say, it becomes necessary to introduce our readers -or audience to new scenes and stranger people. But -these strangers being near and dear to the heart of -the writer, if not yet to the reader, become in their -lives so intermingled and interwoven in the lives and -histories of the persons first introduced that we can -no longer allow them to remain behind the scenes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>We must also go back in time several years to a -period when the prairies of the West were in some -portions less thickly populated than at present, and -the mushroom growth of the towns was still a marvel -to the slower growing East. To a time, also, when -the so-called modern spiritualism was of a newer -growth and when esoteric philosophy, occultism, -and the many other <em>isms</em> dealing with the life beyond -the grave were less talked of.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The place, a small town in western Iowa, and a -country farm-house, nestles down in one of the -horse-shoe coves formed by the bluffs above the -eastern border of the Missouri River.</p> - -<p class='c005'>There are no neighboring dwellings in sight, -though but a few rods away are other houses situated -also in coves in the bluffs, forming quite a large community, -living near but out of sight of each other.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_34'>34</span>Large herds of horses and cattle are seen grazing -upon the unfenced pasture land, and a small schoolhouse -standing out like a beacon from a ridge of -highland is the only building visible, except the barns -and corn-cribs belonging to the farms.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The house itself is low and long, with several additions -or lean-tos, but has an air of comfort and hospitality, -looking out as it does upon the many acres -of rolling plateau, where far away is seen the dark -line of the country road winding about the base of -the bluffs or climbing steeply up the sides of them. -A long lane branches from the main road and leads -up to the house, and affords a view of any coming -visitor for some distance away, and lines of cowpaths -thread the steep hills at the back of the dwelling.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Thus sequestered and hill-environed lived Squire -Bartram with his wife and two sons, enjoying the -peace and plenty of the average well-to-do farmer, -with none of the business care and excitements which -a life in town might bring.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Squire Bartram was one of those who had the -good fortune to have been born in that most coveted -birth-place, Massachusetts, and perhaps, better than -all, he first opened his eyes upon the renowned and -beautiful Berkshire Hills. In early childhood he -had been taught the religion and creed of those Puritan -fathers who founded the first homes there, and -had been brought up to a most strict observance of all -moral and evangelical law. His life had been frugally -and honestly spent upon a farm up to the time -when, listening to the preaching of the early apostles -<span class='pageno' id='Page_35'>35</span>of Mormonism, he felt himself called to a priesthood -among the Saints.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Later, when he had endured martyrdom and privations -for the sake of this belief, he found himself -face to face with the till-then concealed doctrine of -plural marriage. From this his Puritan instincts revolted -and he quitted the church with many others -who located near Council Bluffs. But, cast out from -a church he had loved, his faith shattered, his illusions -destroyed, he was ready to turn to any creed -or <em>ism</em> which came his way.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As he learned more of the newly taught creed of -modern spiritism, he began to give it credence, the -more so as he believed he could understand, from -such a standpoint, the life of the prophet Joseph -Smith. Was not Smith a spirit-medium and were -not the trances and visions which he claimed to have -had similar or identical with those mediumistic exhibitions -which he now witnessed? Might not the prophet -himself have been deceived and the revelation -which he supposed to have come from God been but -the communication of a false and dangerous spirit? -In this way, only, could he find an apology for the -prophet, whom he had loved and believed in as little -less than a god.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Squire Bartram’s sons had grown up stalwart, -brainy lads, ambitious and capable. Nathan, the elder, -who had lately brought to his father’s home a -bright little sixteen-year-old wife, with black eyes, -shining ringlets and bird-like movements, had prepared -a home on the Nebraskan prairies, to which -he was soon to take his bride. He had preempted a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_36'>36</span>homestead, bought another one hundred and sixty -acres, and thus secured a nice farm on the plain some -distance north of the Platte River. He had, after the -manner of the pioneers of the country, built himself -an adobe house, and was now ready to begin life in -earnest.</p> - -<p class='c005'>His wife, Lissa, whose sister lived in that locality, -was possessed of the delighted eagerness of a child -to see and occupy the new home and was almost impatient -of the delay which Nathan insisted upon, -namely, the visit of a few weeks at his father’s house.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The sun had already been hidden from view by the -huge bluff behind the house, though it was still -broad daylight at the homestead, and good Mrs. Bartram -had dallied in her supper work to talk with -Nathan’s wife, when the Squire put his head in at -the door to announce that Professor Russell, the -noted seer, medium, and clairvoyant, would honor -them with a visit and give them proof of his supernatural -powers.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“For the land’s sake,” exclaimed Mrs. Bartram, -“why didn’t you tell us before! Here I hain’t got -my work done up yet. How long before he’ll be -here, I wonder?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, not for a half hour or so; he stopped down -to Job Atkins to help find them that colt that was -lost,” replied the Squire.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And how can he help them, unless he’s the one -that took it? Them that hides can find, I take it,” -continued the good lady, with a sniff. “I haven’t -<span class='pageno' id='Page_37'>37</span>much use for these folks that knows <em>too</em> much and -whose ways are dark.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Wait until after you see the Professor, before -you judge,” said the Squire.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And so we are to be entertained to-night by one -who is in league with the powers of darkness,” said -Donald, a young man of eighteen years, as he entered -the family room and seated himself by the side of his -new sister-in-law. “Lissa, don’t you tremble at the -thought of the evil wraiths that are to fill this room?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I fear more the evil spirit that shall animate your -Professor, Donald,” replied Melissa, who in her -Eastern home had imbibed a deep prejudice against -the so-called spiritualists.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“His spirit? Mne, let me see. I believe a big Injun, -Stuck-in-the-mud, or some such high-sounding -name, is his especial <em>Control</em>; but he is not confined -to one familiar. His demons are many.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How absurd,” laughed Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You won’t say so after to-night. I’ll wager the -best pony on the ranch you’ll be a firm convert before -the evening is over. Maybe I’ll add a side-saddle, -too. Eh, Lissa?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’m afraid I can’t gratify you by accepting any -such foolishness as that, even for the sake of the saddle, -or permit you to wager upon a certainty of -losing.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did I ever tell you how the Professor found his -wife?” Donald asked.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, but I suppose you’ll tell me through some -celestial matrimonial agency,” she replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Sure! His wife was a strongly developed medium -<span class='pageno' id='Page_38'>38</span>living in London, England. One day, while in -a trance, the Professor, here in the United States, -was made cognizant of the existence of this lady by -spirit agency, and instructed to write to her, which -he did. It seems she had received a communication -concerning him at about the same time and in the -same manner, with the same instructions, which she -also followed. The two letters reached their destinations -simultaneously, and each person, with the -other’s letter in hand, could summon the writer’s materialized -spirit before him. In this way they communicated -with each other at will, and finally the -lady embarked for this country at his request. He -was kept daily informed as to her whereabouts, and -when she arrived at New York he was there to meet -her, and they were married speedily, only one letter -from each having passed between them, and yet each -was well acquainted with the past history of the -other.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Impossible! You must be very credulous, Donald, -to believe such a story as that.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Quite convenient, wasn’t it? If the black powers -would deal as kindly with me I should not long remain -a bachelor. This knowing to a certainty all -about the lady of one’s choice would remove the fear -of flying into the dangers we know not of. One -could be certain then if she did up her hair on curl-papers.” -And Donald glanced significantly at Lissa’s -shining ringlets.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Surely, you don’t pretend to believe such a preposterous -story, Donald,” she said, laughing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We have the Professor and his wife to testify to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_39'>39</span>it, neither one ever known to l—prevaricate; and in -the mouths of two witnesses the truth shall be affirmed,” -misquoted Donald. “At any rate one story -is good until another is told.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They must be a pair of charlatans, and I don’t -think I care to make their acquaintance.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suspect you begin to fear them. There is no -telling what they may discover,” Donald said with -mock gravity. “But here comes the redoubtable -hero himself. All hail, ye Prince of Darkness, hail!” -he continued in a sepulchral voice, as a step was -heard outside the door.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A moment later the Professor entered the apartment. -Melissa had time, while he greeted the head -of the family, to note that he was a medium-sized, -wiry-looking man, of about forty, with very long -red hair hanging to his shoulders, and bristling -whiskers of the same color. His lower jaw was -prominent and his ears were flattened very close to -his head. But his most remarkable feature was a -pair of keen gray eyes, which gleamed restlessly -from under rather overhanging brows.</p> - -<p class='c005'>When presented to Lissa he fixed his eyes upon -her in a way that caused her to suppress a shudder, -and regarded her steadily for a moment, then, still -holding her by the hand, which she would gladly -have withdrawn, he said:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You look like your mother, Mrs. Bartram, except -that she has blue eyes. She has a scar on her -left wrist, made in a peculiar manner.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa blushed painfully, and followed his eyes to -her own wrist as she drew away her hand. She -<span class='pageno' id='Page_40'>40</span>knew the history of the scar alluded to, though she -believed it unknown to any one outside her own immediate -family. She felt the inquiring eyes of her -husband’s relatives upon her, and sat down ill at ease.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Presently the company were seated about a table in -the center of the room, and the clairvoyant announced -himself in readiness to afford proof of his -wonderful powers.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Accordingly, two or three lines cut from a letter -from a sister of the bride were placed in his hand, so -rolled that no words written there could give any -clue to the writer.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Professor Russell gazed passively at the rolled -scrap for a time, then the muscles of his face began -to twitch slightly, his eyes became vacant and partly -closed; there was a convulsive movement of his -shoulders, a long-drawn sigh, and he began to speak.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I can see a wilder scene than this, a country as far -as the eye can reach, a vast table-land, dotted here -and there with adobe houses and their contiguous cotton-wood -groves of one or two years’ growth. One -of these houses stands facing south, and in the doorway -I can see a woman. She is looking anxiously -westward, shading her face with her hand. She has -on a dress of some dark material, partly covered with -a kitchen apron. She has dark hair and—ah, now -she has removed her hand; she looks like a lady in -this room, except that she is taller, and her hair, a -shade lighter, is worn in braids instead of curls. -Her gray eyes have an anxious look in them. A -number of ponies are corralled near the house. -What is she looking at?”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_41'>41</span>The Professor spoke slowly, as if studying the -scene of his clairvoyant vision. Nathan and Lissa -exchanged glances, while Donald rolled up his eyes -with a concealed affectation of awe. Squire Bartram -appeared interested, and glanced toward Lissa -inquiringly, while his wife, good soul, gazed sternly -and forbiddingly at the Professor as though she believed -him in league with his Satanic majesty, and -the ghosts of her Puritan forefathers were warning -her against him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Meanwhile the face of the man was working -strangely.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The house has disappeared from my vision,” he -cried, “and I can see a still wilder country, through -which runs a placid, shining river. A large party of -Indians are cantering across the prairie, mounted on -round, sleek-looking mustangs. With them is a -white man, young and handsome, with light, flowing -hair, and fearless blue eyes. He is dressed in hunting -costume, with wide-brimmed hat, and he rides a -white pony with an army saddle and large stirrups. -There is a coil of rope at his saddle bow and a couple -of pistols and a hatchet in his belt. He carries also -a rifle.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The ground over which they are traveling is torn -and trampled as if an army had lately traversed it, -and—ah, yes, I see, away in the west, a herd of buffalo -looking like a great black cloud against the sky, -and showing distinctly against the red of the setting -sun behind it. But, look, they have turned their -course toward the south and are running their horses -at full speed! They turn in their saddles and look -<span class='pageno' id='Page_42'>42</span>northward. I see! There is another party coming -from that direction.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The Professor looked fixedly a moment and continued:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They are Indians, also; a larger band, and hideously -painted. The others are spurring their horses -toward the river to escape this hostile band, who -have seen them, and like the wind are rushing down -upon them. Their horses are more fleet, they are -gaining upon them—they lift their rifles and shoot! -Good! Their shots do not reach them. The white -man rises in his stirrups and returns the fire. The -Indians of his party follow his example. Their rifles -have longer range and their shots tell. Several saddles -of the pursuing party are empty.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The man spoke eagerly now. His restless gray -eyes kindled, and his face glowed with animation. -His story had produced a like effect upon his listeners, -all of whom showed more or less excitement.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa was pale, her large, dark eyes fixed intently -upon the speaker, while her small hands gripped each -other tightly in her lap. Squire Bartram peered over -his spectacles and rubbed one palm upon the other, a -habit he had when deeply moved. Donald looked -from one to another quizzingly, but said nothing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The fleeing party have reached the river and -taken refuge behind the protecting bank—yes, their -shots speak now. One, two, three of the painted -devils reel from their ponies. More fall! Half of -them are down! On come the rest, swinging their -hatchets! They are at the bank! They fight hand to hand -with their tomahawks. Great Scott! There -<span class='pageno' id='Page_43'>43</span>he is struck, he is down!—the white man is hurt!—he -topples over and falls backward down the bank!—he -sinks into the river and disappears!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>A shriek from Lissa interrupted the further description -of the scene. Nathan sprang to her side, -and in the confusion that followed the Professor -seemed to lose sight of his vision, nor could he be -persuaded to again enter the clairvoyant state.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Poor Lissa was greatly excited. The man had so -accurately described her brother-in-law, then living -in Nebraska, and knowing as she did that he was in -command of a party of Pawnee scouts she could not -free herself from the idea that the scene depicted -was a true one, notwithstanding her former scepticism.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_44'>44</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER V<br> <span class='large'>THE LETTER</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“What would you give me for a letter from Nebraska,” -said Donald a few days after the Professor’s -visit, as he flung himself from his horse and sat down -on the steps of the veranda where Lissa sat, with her -lap full of flowers which she had been gathering.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Donald, give it to me quick! I can’t wait a -minute,” she cried, espying the gleam of white sticking -from the pocket of his coat.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But tell me first, before you read it, whether you -have any faith in Professor Russell’s vision,” he said, -teasing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, no; I don’t know. I can tell better after I -have read Alice’s letter.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Of course, but that will not demonstrate your -faith. However, I’ll be good and let you have it.” -And Donald placed the coveted missive in her hand.</p> - -<p class='c005'>With the remembrance of the vision before her, -Lissa’s fingers trembled as she tore open the envelope. -The letter would confirm or refute the truth of -the Professor’s clairvoyance. And although she -would not admit for a moment even to herself that -she believed in any <em>spirit</em> agency, she understood so -little of clairvoyancy as to believe it connected with -supernatural phenomena.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As she read the letter, her expressive eyes dilated -with wonder and awe.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_45'>45</span>“What is it?” asked Nathan, noticing her agitation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She placed the written pages in his hand.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Read that, Nathan, and tell me what to think, -what to believe. Read it aloud that all may hear and -judge.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan took the letter and read as follows:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r c003'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘Cramer Cabin, Prairieland,</div> - <div class='line'>“‘August 28, 18—.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-l'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘My Darling Little Sister:</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Don’t you wish you were here with me this summer -evening? Outside, the white stillness of the -great prairie woos one to meditation and letter writing. -Now you will expect something poetical and -fine, will you not? Well, the inspiration is here, but -alas, I am one of those “Who cannot sing, but die -with all their music in them.” My muse deserted -me in my infancy. Besides I have been having unexpected -duties.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Mark is at home laid up with a couple of -wounds, not serious ones, I am happy to say, but -such as to give me an opportunity to coddle and pet -him for a time. I am not sure I am <em>sorry</em> he received -them, but don’t whisper this to him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘How did he get them, did you ask? Well, he -was away on a hunting expedition with a band of his -Pawnees, when they were surprised by some Sioux. -Mark got a flesh wound in his shoulder from a tomahawk -blow, and a bullet grazed him in the left side. -Close call, wasn’t it? The skirmish was on the bank -of the Niobrara, where Mark’s party had fled for -shelter, and he managed to get under water until a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_46'>46</span>clump of hazel-brush enabled him to climb out and -hide. He was too exhausted from the loss of blood -to fight any longer. However, his men drove off the -Sioux and found him and brought him home. Mark -says I have represented him in a cowardly position. -I hope not. He was in a dead faint when the men -found him. Anyway, I don’t see any bravery in -standing up to have your scalp taken off by a savage, -do you? But men are so very sensitive upon those -points.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘I can hardly wait for your arrival. Mark says -I act like a crazy woman whenever I speak of it. -O Lissa, Lissa, Lissa! We’re out of the world -here, but I am sure you will enjoy it. I hug myself -with delight whenever I think of seeing you so -soon.’”</p> - -<p class='c011'>Nathan paused in his reading.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is wonderful,” he said. “Professor Russell -must have seen the entire skirmish.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” responded Lissa, “unless he may have -heard of it in some way. Alice does not say upon -what day Mark was hurt.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, you are yet a doubting Thomas,” Nathan -said, smiling fondly upon the winsome upturned face -of his girl-wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, only looking for a peg to hang a doubt upon. -Nathan, I am very anxious to get to our new home.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My dear, we shall be there in a fortnight. I must -wait until the wagon is finished, you know. I hope, -little one, you will not be disappointed when you see -what a <em>poor</em> home it is,” he continued, shaking his -head doubtfully.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_47'>47</span>“I shall not be. Read the rest of Alice’s letter.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>Nathan continued his reading:</p> - -<p class='c011'>“‘Just think, sister, of having no social barriers -or stiff conventionalities to hamper one. No fussing -to prepare elaborate toilets, no two-minute fashionable -calls to make, no questioning as to what one -shall wear. I am happy and well-dressed for any -occasion in my pink gingham. It is a pretty gingham, -and made up prettily, I assure you, as I made it -myself. Then, we are all so well acquainted with -one another, and call each other by the first names, -and run about to each other’s houses whenever we -please and stay as long as we please, and talk about -our chickens and ponies, and—and—O Lissa, dear, -you cannot realize what a free, wild life this is. And -the air is so pure and invigorating.’”</p> - -<p class='c011'>“And there’s plenty of it,” interpolated Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, too much, sometimes,” said Nathan.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Now don’t, Nate! Don’t say a word to discourage -me. If I were going to Kansas I should be -afraid of cyclones, but I am sure we shall have none -in Nebraska.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And if we should, you know we have the <em>dug-out</em>,” -Nathan replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’d really advise you, Lissa, to arrange to sleep -all the time in the <em>dug-out</em>. It would be so uncomfortable -to wake up some morning and find yourself -occupying some one else’s farm or tree-top,” said -Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa smiled indulgently, but made no reply, and -Nathan continued reading the letter.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_48'>48</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER VI<br> <span class='large'>AN OLD-FASHIONED JOURNEY</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“Put on your big sun hat and dust wrap,” Nathan -had said, “we are to drive through a wild region -much of the way and shall have plenty of dust -and sun, besides you need have little fear of meeting -acquaintances on our long path over the prairie.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>And Lissa had packed in big trunks, that were to -be sent ahead of them by express, all the pretty -dresses and hats which were so becoming to her, and -reserved only the most serviceable costume for that -season of the year. This she covered with an ample -linen wrap, and tied a leghorn flat over her shining -curls.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They were to go in a wagon, and, contrary to the -usual emigrant fashion, an uncovered one. Nathan -wanted a light spring-wagon to use upon his farm, -and Lissa insisted that she could see the country and -enjoy the ride after the fleet little mustangs better in -that particular wagon than in any other possible conveyance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They started upon a beautiful September morning, -one of those days which seem to blend the perfection -of summer loveliness with the delightful, hazy charm -of early autumn.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“All you need now is a brass band and a banner,” -Donald said, as Nathan drove up to the door with -the scrubby little ponies attached to the brightly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_49'>49</span>painted wagon, “and you could take a bridal tour in -first-class style.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And, Lissa, if you should meet any Indians by -the way be sure you shake hands with them, and say -‘How,’ which is the Indian for ‘How d’you do.’ It -means, you know, that you are ready for decapitation -if it so pleases them and only question their <em>manner</em> -of procedure. They might be offended if you omitted -this little ceremony, and become unpleasant; and, -Lissa, if any of them shall ask you for a lock of your -hair don’t hesitate to cut off a curl and give it to them -with the sweetest smile you can muster, for they -might take a notion to take the whole of them just -to hang in their belts for ornaments, and—But I -don’t mean to frighten you, ’pon my soul I don’t!” -he continued, noting the suspicion of tears in Lissa’s -bright eyes and the tremor in her voice as she turned -to bid good-by to Squire Bartram and the irrepressible, -fun-loving brother whom she had taken into -her affection.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The wild home to which you are going will have -one star of the first magnitude to brighten it before -many days, but I reckon it will be rather dark in this -quarter of the heavens to-night,” he said, looking -graver than she had ever before seen him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Don, how can that be, when <em>you</em> are to remain?” -Lissa replied, smiling through her tears.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am a planet and only shine by reflected light,” -he replied; “not that I shall cast any reflection upon -what has gone before,” he added in his old manner. -“But don’t be surprised if you should see a stray -comet out on the prairies before many moons-there’s -<span class='pageno' id='Page_50'>50</span>no telling when one may be liable to strike -you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The sooner the better,” she responded brightly, -and with a few more words of final adieu they drove -away.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They had several miles of drive to the ferry which -should transport them across the Missouri River, or -the “Big Muddy” as the Indians named its roily -waters.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It well deserves its name,” observed Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” responded Nathan, “and this river keeps its -color and current separate unto itself for many miles -after emptying into the clear Mississippi.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I should say the Mississippi refused to be polluted -by it and tried to quarantine against it,” Lissa -returned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They noted the pretty villages along the shore, -which had looked so near to them from the bluffs, -before they crossed to the Nebraska side and found -themselves in the flourishing city of Omaha. There -was little to distinguish it from other cities in the -East, except the regularity of its streets and the -newer style of architecture which uniformly met -their gaze. An hour later they were out upon the -broad, balsam-scented prairie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The wind-swept grasses nodded to them invitingly -and the unrebuked sun shone down smilingly upon -the unmarred handiwork of Nature.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa was enraptured. This was the unfettered -life of which she had dreamed. Her buoyant spirit -was exhilarated by the fresh, flower-scented air and -the glory of the landscape.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_51'>51</span>“O Nathan, I shall never want to go East again!” -she cried as they approached the Platte River and -viewed the magnificent stretch of land for several -miles up the valley, so level, so perfect, with the shining -thread of the river like a prescient nerve carrying -health and vigor to the adjacent territory. And far -at the north and south the soft gray hills arose, joining -the clear blue of the sky above as if earth, enamoured -with the beauty of heaven, had arisen to meet -the sky’s embrace.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They had been riding many hours, when Nathan -said: “Look yonder, Lissa, in our way. If I am -not greatly mistaken, your desire to see a wild Indian -is about to be gratified.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa beamed with excitement. A wild Indian! -Should she be afraid?</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How can you tell at such a distance? I can see -nothing but a dark object, and cannot determine if it -be man or beast,” she said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You have not trained your eye to long distances. -I can see that it is a pony and that it has a rider, and -the swift, steady gallop, together with the position of -the rider, suggests an Indian; besides, we are in a locality -where we are more likely to meet the ‘noble -redman’ coming alone upon the prairie than his -white brother.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa watched the approach of the stranger with a -shade of uneasiness. The thought of meeting a savage -aboriginal, who to her mind was connected with -all sorts of deeds of fiendish cruelty, caused a fluttering -of the heart which Nathan’s assurances could not -wholly allay.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_52'>52</span>“How,” was Nathan’s salutation to the man as he -drew near; and “how” was the guttural response of -the Indian as he came to an abrupt halt by the side -of the wagon, sitting in statuesque uprightness upon -his pony. Not a muscle of his face moved. His -countenance was as stolid and blank as if cut in stone, -and during the time Nathan conversed with him in -the Pawnee dialect he neither smiled nor expressed -any feeling or thought in his face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa studied this native specimen with much interest -while Nathan detained him. He was clad in -gala costume and was going down to attend an Indian -festival at Omaha, he said. His head was -bound with a woolen scarf of red and black, knotted -behind with falling ends. Beneath this his long, -straight, black hair fell to his shoulders. Several -long feathers were stuck in this zone, and a plaited -lock of hair hung over it from the crown of his head. -His brown face was smeared with little lines of red -paint, seemingly ingrained in his skin, and his ears -had long slits in them, which were literally filled with -ear-rings of different kinds, sticking out in bunchy -confusion. A large red blanket covered his shoulders -and one arm. The other was free and cinctured -with numerous bracelets, while his hand grasped the -rope which bound the lower jaw of his pony. He -wore deer-skin leggins, fringed and ornamented profusely, -and beaded moccasins.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Around his neck were strings of wampum and -other beads, and he carried the primitive bow and -arrows.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am glad you saw him,” said Nathan, “for it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_53'>53</span>may be a long time before you will have opportunity -of seeing another Indian so magnificently dressed. -Their every-day costume is much less elaborate. Besides, -this fellow is rich. Those wampum beads -around his neck are money and current coin with -them. You noticed it was a long string, wound several -times about his neck. He also had on wampum -bracelets. That braided necklace, made of what -looked like dried grass, is a charm, and a valuable -possession. It is made from a rare grass or weed -which is found only a spear in a place, and is very -fragrant. He carried the bow and arrows, instead -of gun, to take part in the festival.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did you ever see him before?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, yes. His name is We-wan-shee. He is one -of Mark’s scouts. He tells me they have been having -trouble with the Indians stealing from the post. -Squint-eye and Handle-the-bow have been thieving, -and the chief has given them up to the Government -for punishment.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What did they steal,” asked Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Horses. They make little account of anything -else. They have not been many years subject to the -United States Government, and are quite primitive -in their habits and manners, you will find. I’ll take -you down to the reservation as soon as we are settled. -You will enjoy them immensely.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suppose there is no danger in going among -them,” she ventured.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, no,” and Nathan laughed. “I believe you -are trembling now. You are not afraid of that one -Indian, I hope.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_54'>54</span>“Yes,” Lissa said meekly, “I believe I was. It is -lonely on this immense prairie, with no sign of habitation -anywhere, and—he looked ferocious.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again Nathan laughed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You’ll get used to them when you have them for -neighbors.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>In the middle of the afternoon they stopped upon -the banks of the river and baited their horses, and -rested while partaking of their luncheon which they -had brought with them. They had passed through -many small towns on their way, towns of mushroom -growth, and at one of them they had bought their -dinner.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We are upon the old overland route,” Nathan -said. “Over this road many emigrants have toiled -along, suffering and dying, many of them at the -hands of the Indians. Do you see that ridge of -earth which seems to have been artificially thrown up -there? That was undoubtedly a sort of breastwork -hastily made by a party of emigrants who were assaulted -at this place.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa shuddered. “Can it be possible I am really -in this wild land of which I have read. I wonder if -any were killed here, and if the ground has been -soaked with their blood. How strange it all seems! -I can imagine so much since seeing that Indian. He -does not look much like those I have seen at Niagara, -selling bead-work.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not much; and you will receive another impression -should you ever see a band out on a war expedition -against a hostile band, fully decorated with warpaint -<span class='pageno' id='Page_55'>55</span>and feathers. They really look formidable -then.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa shivered again.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We have made good time to-day. How far do -you think we have driven?” Nathan asked as, toward -evening, they approached the suburbs of a -small town.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sure I have no idea. The ponies have trotted -steadily all day. These mustangs are good travelers, -if they are small.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They have endurance. I have been out on a hunt -with the Indians when we have kept in the saddle for -a hundred miles at a time, the ponies loping or running -most of the way.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But how could you stand it to ride so far?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, I can sleep in the saddle if necessary. One -never knows what he can do until he is put to the -test. But I think we have come about forty-five -miles to-day. Yonder is the town. They are just -lighting it. How pleasant it looks, doesn’t it, this -evidence of life after so many miles of uninhabited -wilds.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The ride has been perfectly delightful,” said -Lissa. “I never better enjoyed a day in my life.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>They drew rein at a freshly painted building, bearing -a sign “Badger House.” The landlady was evidently -a Yankee, for she began a series of questions -to Lissa. Where did they hail from? Where were -they going? Had she ever been West before?</p> - -<p class='c005'>To Lissa’s responses she vouchsafed a consolatory -remark: “Well, I’m kind of sorry for you. There -is nothin’ but work out here. Ye don’t look as if -<span class='pageno' id='Page_56'>56</span>ye’d seen much hardships. Ye’ll git awful homesick, -I reckon. What with the poor crops and the hot -winds, and the grasshoppers, there ain’t much to look -for’d to.” After which she left the room to see to -their supper.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The next morning they started early, that they -might get well on their way before the intense heat -of mid-day. They had been traveling for some time, -when Lissa suddenly started and grasped Nathan’s -arm.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Stop, stop!” she cried; “I’ve been here before. -I know just what is before us! Ah, how can it be—and -yet, yet, I’ve seen it all before. Just beyond that -large tree the ground descends to a river. There is -a marshy strip of ground at the left, and a log lying -diagonally, thus.” Lissa indicated the position by -crossing her hands. She was excited and eager. -“What does it all mean? Am I, too, clairvoyant?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We will see,” he said, chirruping to his horses. -They soon came to the height overlooking the river -flats. Before them lay the scene Lissa had described. -The tears started in her eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Nathan, have I ever lived in another form -than this? I certainly could never have been here -before. I cannot understand it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not unless you have been here in a dream.” At -the word, Lissa started.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, I know now. I remember! It is a dream! -It is written down in my journal. I wrote it when -I first began to keep a journal, many years ago. The -dream made such an impression upon me, I wrote it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_57'>57</span>down, and a description of the scene. I have frequently -read it over since.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What happened here, do you remember?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I could not remember at the time, but I -awoke with great fright, trying to cry out, with the -feeling that I had been passing through some terrible -experience, with this scene clearly imprinted upon -my consciousness.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is a very strange coincidence, Lissa, but this is -the place where a white man was flayed alive a number -of years ago by the Indians.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, I remember reading of it, and how horrible -it was.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The man brought the punishment upon himself. -He wantonly shot an Indian woman. It was a terrible -method of torture, however. He was flayed before -the eyes of his friends, and afterwards burned, I -am told.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, dreadful, dreadful!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The remainder of the party were allowed to go, -I believe, after being made to witness his suffering -and death. I used to know the man when I lived in -Illinois,” Nathan added. “Remember, it is not so -many years ago. We are to go among the same tribe -of Indians. Probably those who committed the outrage -are still living.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t let us speak of it. It horrifies me. I will -look up the date of my dream in my journal, when -we get home, and see if it corresponds with the date -of the tragedy. If it should prove to be the same, I -should believe that I saw the crime in my sleep. -Ugh!”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_58'>58</span>“We will stop to rest under this tree,” said Nathan. -“This is the first large tree we have seen for -some distance.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Later in the day they halted at a ranch, and bought -some delicious water-melons of a smiling and inquisitive -Dutch farmer, who grew them. After mid-day -they stopped by the side of a lovely, quiet river, and -enjoyed their luncheon, taken in this primitive fashion.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wonder if I was ever so hungry before,” said -Lissa. “These peaches are delicious, and surely -melons were never so sweet and appetizing. The biscuits -are ambrosia and this lemonade is nectar. It -was a good idea to bring this ice, for the river water -must be very warm to drink.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The lunch ended, Lissa went down to the water -and bathed her face and hands in its limpid depths. -Suddenly she found the skirt of her gown covered -with persistent burrs, which stuck to her fingers as -she tried to remove them, and pricked and irritated -her hands intolerably.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan laughed heartily at her discomfiture.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, those are only sand-burrs, dear. I wonder -if you have never before made their acquaintance? -We have no patent upon them, and you may find -them in many parts of the country, East and West. -We don’t lay entire claim to them here.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I should hope not,” said Lissa ruefully; “at least, -we might dispense with them, if they would permit -us to, which is doubtful.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa tried again to free herself from the noxious -<span class='pageno' id='Page_59'>59</span>weed. With Nathan’s help she at last succeeded, and -they resumed their journey.</p> - -<p class='c011'>The sun was painting the western horizon a glorious -crimson when they entered the last town on -their route.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Now, Lissa, we have twenty miles farther to -travel before reaching home. We have already come -over forty miles to-day. Shall we stop in this town -and wait until morning?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, no, no, no, not for anything. Alice will be -looking for us and I am so anxious to see her and -our home. Do let us go on, or will it be too great -a drive for our horses?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They can endure it better than you, but I don’t -think Alice will expect you before to-morrow night. -People usually take four days to drive through. -However, if you wish we will not stop.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>It was pleasant driving in the cool of the evening -and the ponies sped along rapidly, apparently little -wearied by the many miles behind. They had gone -but a part of the distance, however, when the sound -of a galloping horse over the soft turfed ground -struck upon the ear. Soon it was beside them and a -cheery voice saluted them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hello, Nathan, is that you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, Mark, how d’you do?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan grasped the hand of the handsome, yellow-haired -fellow who came along beside the wagon.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“This is our brother, Mark Cramer, Lissa.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And this is the little sister I have known so well, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_60'>60</span>but never seen,” said Mark. “You are very welcome -to this western borderland, I assure you. Alice is -wild with happy anticipation of your coming.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa’s sister had come West and married the year -before, and this was Lissa’s first meeting with her -brother-in-law.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I heard in C—— that you were seen to drive -through, so I hurried on to catch you. My horse is -fleet, but I have run him all the way. You drive -fast.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think our desire to reach home has been communicated -to the horses. They have needed no urging,” -Nathan replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wish you would change places with me,” Lissa -said. “I am tired of riding in a wagon, and a horseback -ride would rest me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark hesitated. “My horse has never been ridden -by a woman, or in fact only once or twice by anybody, -and is but illy broken. I took him from a herd -of wild bronchos from the plains. They were -brought here a few days ago. I fear he isn’t altogether -safe; besides, the saddle—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Lissa is an expert horsewoman,” said Nathan, interrupting -him. “If he is not really vicious, I think -she can manage him. As to the saddle, she is used -to that kind. Turn the off stirrup to this side, and -it will be all right.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>All being soon arranged for her, Lissa stepped -from the wagon to the horse’s back, and experienced -a delightful sensation of rest and exhilaration at the -idea of a canter in the dewy, evening air over this -wild, strange country. She started on ahead. Her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_61'>61</span>horse sprang into a lope, increased his speed to a -run, and she was soon skimming over the road at a -pace unparalleled in her experience. She became -alarmed and sought to check him, but was unable to -do so. The spirited, half-wild thing had taken the -bit in his teeth, and heeded not her utmost strength -upon the bridle rein. She heard the wagon coming -behind her, and knew they were running their horses -at their highest speed to try to keep her in sight, but -the mustangs, jaded as they were, were no match for -the swift-winged Pegasus beneath her. On, and on, -and on he sped, faster, faster, and faster, until the -gentle breeze became a strong wind, taking her -breath. How long would she be able to hold out, -she wondered. At the rate they were going it would -not be long before they would reach home. Home—what -a meaning that word had for her. But suppose -the pony took a wrong road; this road was marked -only by the borders of high grass on both sides. -There might be branches leading no one knew where.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She had passed beyond the sound of the wagon -now. On, on, on the swift creature flew, no pause, -no break in his mad flight. They must have covered -five miles at least, she determined. Her breath was -coming in frightened gasps, and her hands were -trembling. She felt that she could not keep her seat -much longer. Suddenly the horse stumbled slightly -and slackened his gait. Lissa nearly fell, but by a -desperate effort recovered herself. She was holding -tightly to the saddle horn. Again the horse stumbled—there -must be holes in the ground. Slump, -slump, slump. What was the matter? The broncho -<span class='pageno' id='Page_62'>62</span>was going much slower now, and Lissa spoke soothingly -to him, and drew up on the rein. He submitted -to her, and subsided into an easy canter. At last, -as the soil seemed to frequently give way under his -feet, he came down to a walk and permitted her to -keep him slowly at that gait, until she heard the welcome -sound of the wagon behind her, when she -halted and waited until they came up.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What a fright you have given us!” cried Nathan, -a quiver of relief in his voice. “We feared you had -been carried off bodily to the plains or thrown down -by the way-side. Why did you ride so fast?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“For the reason that I was obliged to. Whirlwind—I -have named him—paid no more attention to my -commands for him to moderate his speed than if I -had been a gad-fly. He fairly flew with me until -he stumbled, back here. He seemed to lose courage -or confidence then, and went slower.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wonder you did not fall,” said Mark. “I was -afraid of prairie-dog town. These little fellows undermine -the ground until it is hardly safe to ride -over.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And we, then, have been over a prairie-dog settlement?” -questioned Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, there is a large one here extending a mile -on either side of the road. If you had come through -here in daylight you would have seen them coming -out of their little houses, and heard them bark.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think I did hear one. Have they a little piping -voice?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, very likely you did hear them. You will -<span class='pageno' id='Page_63'>63</span>often pass here and have plenty of chance to study -them,” said Nathan.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do they do any harm?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, except to undermine the ground and make -it treacherous to travelers.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The remainder of their journey was uneventful, -and before midnight the two sisters were united, and -talking so animatedly that the night bid fair to be -sleepless.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, Alice,” Mark said at last, “Lissa must be -very tired and you are to have weeks and months together -now to tell everything to one another. You -don’t want to make her ill at the beginning.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I do not. But it does seem glorious to have -some one to talk to.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“As if we were not of any use in that line?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice made a pretty grimace.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are away so much. And then it—it is different.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>But Alice kissed her sister, and left her to spend -the remainder of the balmy night in her new home.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_64'>64</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER VII<br> <span class='large'>IN THE NEW HOME</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The next morning when Lissa awoke the sun was -shining brightly in through one of the small windows -of her adobe house and she had leisure to look about -her, and to survey this new, and to her, novel style -of architecture.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The house was built of sod and mud, the roof being -formed of poles of cotton-wood covered with -sod, and brightly green with the upspringing grass. -The inside of the house was lined by a strong paper, -firmly stretched and fastened at the corners, and presented -a smooth and cleanly looking wall. Through -the windows Lissa could see the vast prairies level -gray, dotted with small houses, similar in construction -to this one to which her husband had brought -her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>There were but two large rooms in the house, and -one bed-room. No second story, as the roof was -low. A large cupboard stood in one corner of the -kitchen and another in the bed-room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That shall be my dressing-case,” said Lissa to -herself; “in this other I will put up some hooks and -a curtain, for a wardrobe.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Just back of the house was a symmetrical little -grove of cotton-wood trees of perhaps three or four -years’ growth. Some ponies corralled near, together -with herds of cattle grazing at a distance, gave life -<span class='pageno' id='Page_65'>65</span>to the scene; the sunlit grass sparkled and waved invitingly, -and the halo of the early morning enveloped -all, presenting a landscape of pleasing attractiveness.</p> - -<p class='c005'>All this Lissa noted with the eye of an artist as, -while dressing, she peered from the door and window, -wondering what had become of Nathan, for he -had risen while she slept.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She was interrupted in her musing by the arrival -of Alice, who came in, bright and cloud-dispelling, -bearing a basket which she placed on the table, while -she laughed at the wonder in Lissa’s large eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’ve come to take you over to breakfast with me,” -she said. “Ah, I see you haven’t even thought of -breakfast yet. What a lazy girl! We get up early -here in the West. The sun doesn’t have to climb any -mountains or tall tree-tops before he reaches us. -Why, how bewildered you look! I’ve been to the -post this morning, pony and I. Nate sent by me to -get a few things which are in the basket.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You don’t mean to say you carried that big basket -on the back of that diminutive pony?” Lissa exclaimed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“To be sure I did, and another one like it. But -come now, we’ll walk over. It will give you an appetite -for breakfast.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>When Lissa had once more returned to her own -home, which, humble as it was, had an irresistible attraction -for her, she found plenty of employment in -unpacking and arranging the contents of the large -trunks which had been brought out from C—— the -previous day. Although at first it seemed impossible -to find places for so many things, there was pleasure -<span class='pageno' id='Page_66'>66</span>in devising ways and means. Lissa found that the -trunks could be utilized as packing-cases and window-seats, -the dry-goods boxes converted into cupboards -and wardrobes, and before many hours, with -Nathan’s assistance, she had succeeded in arranging -everything to her satisfaction.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As they were seated at their little table for an early -tea, Lissa suddenly gave a faint scream and overturned -a cup of the scalding fluid which she was -handing to her husband, soiling the snowy whiteness -of the table-cloth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, Lissa, what is the matter?” cried Nathan, -in alarm; but following the direction of her eyes, he -saw the face of an Indian flattened against the pane -of glass of their small window, and his alarm -changed to mirth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The redman, seeing he was noticed, presented himself -at the door, and drawing in his chest, and assuming -a most woe-be-gone expression, said “te-cawpox,” -accompanying his words by a gesture indicating -that he desired something to eat.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He says he is hungry,” said Nathan. “What -can we give him?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa lifted the plate of warm biscuits from the -table, but Nathan interposed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He’ll take them all without any compunction if -you offer them,” he said, and selecting a couple, he -handed them to the Indian, who dropped them into -a dirty-looking sack he carried, then spoke again in -his harsh guttural words, which Nathan interpreted -as a request for water-melon.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He knows I have them growing out here and has -<span class='pageno' id='Page_67'>67</span>probably helped himself as fast as they have ripened, -in my absence. Now he will beg the remainder. -Well, I must give him one, I suppose.” And going -to the little garden at the side of the house he plucked -one from the vines and gave it to the Indian, who returned -a grunt of satisfaction and departed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Then Nathan related anecdotes of their savage -neighbors until Lissa, her fright over, laughed merrily.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid I shall be constrained to keep the curtains -down in your absence if there is any danger of -being frequently startled by such apparitions,” she -said, with a shake of her curly head.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You’ll mind nothing about it in a short time. I -must take you out to the reservation, and show you -the noble redman in his home. But, come to the -door, I have a present for you. I see Mark has -driven over the ponies.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>They stepped into the open doorway, and as Nathan -whistled a call, a beautiful white pony started -up from the group grazing near, and came cantering -toward them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have had this horse in training for a long time, -and she is as docile and gentle as a kitten. Puss,” -he said, stroking the pony’s smooth neck, “this is -your new mistress. No one shall ever drive or ride -you from this day, but this little lady.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa flushed with pleasure and put out her hand -to caress the pretty creature, which seemed to understand, -and acknowledged her acquaintance by dropping -its head and rubbing its pink nose in her palm.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, jump on her back. She requires no bridle, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_68'>68</span>but will move in any direction you may indicate by -the motion of your hand.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa permitted Nathan to seat her, and at the -word the gentle little creature lifted her ears and -stared across the prairie at an easy lope, most delightful -to the rider. Lissa was charmed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How delightful! How intelligent! How easy!” -she cried, as the pony, obeying the wave of her hand, -turned back toward the house. “As easy as a rocking-chair. -How I shall enjoy going about with her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She is perfectly safe, and never scares at anything -except farming implements. She usually prefers to -make a detour whenever she sees a drag or plow. -We tried to hitch her to a mower when we first -brought her here, but she utterly refused to be coerced -into service and tried to get away by vaulting -into the air, lying down in the harness, and performing -other gymnastic feats. In fact, she behaved in -such an utterly demoralized manner, even kicking -and biting, that we concluded we would not subject -her to such a trial again.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The poor thing! She felt it to be a degradation -and would not submit to it. I do not blame her.” -And Lissa caressed her pityingly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A few days subsequent to this Nathan announced -his intention of going to the trading post and Indian -village, inviting Lissa to accompany him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Accordingly, one bright morning they mounted -their horses, and after a refreshing canter of several -miles came in sight of the reservation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They overtook on the way a number of Indians, -bestriding scrubby little mustangs, which they managed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_69'>69</span>with rope reins tied to the under jaws of the -ponies. At the post Nathan was greeted by a shout -of “Ho, ho, ho, Cheiks-ta-ka-la-sha!” which Nathan -interpreted as a greeting to the “white-man-chief” -from the approaching brave.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The lazy aboriginal then begged the privilege of -sharing Nathan’s pony. He was weary and would -ride. But Nathan declined to grant the request, telling -him the pony was not strong enough to carry -double.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Several other Indians welcomed him in the same -manner, each one asking about the <em>chuppet</em> who accompanied -him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Soon they were at the village, a collection of Indian -huts covering quite an area of ground, built of -sod or mud and most of them circular in form, with -but two openings, one at the top for the escape of -smoke, and a low passageway through which one -must stoop to enter.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At this season of the year the huts were but little -occupied, being infested with fleas, and small tents, -made of poles covered by blankets or bison skin, afforded -more inviting shelter from sun and rain.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Little nude children ran about here and there, or -ducked in the waters of the river, like so many young -goslings. Stalwart Indian-braves sauntered to and -fro lazily about the wigwams or squatted on the -ground under cover of their tents. The Indian industries -seemed to be confined to the women, who -were laboriously employed roasting corn in holes in -the ground or scraping and rubbing the bison skins -which had been recently brought in from the plains; -<span class='pageno' id='Page_70'>70</span>for the braves were just home from their summer -hunt, and preparations were going forward for their -great green-corn festival.</p> - -<p class='c005'>In vain our Eastern woman looked for the beautiful -Indian maiden of poesy and song. She concluded -no poet could find inspiration to write of these dirty -humans, with unpleasant faces and tangled locks.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Presently they rode to the tent of the chief of the -tribe, who invited them to dismount and enter.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As Lissa followed Nathan into the small tent she -confessed to an instinctive desire to flee in the opposite -direction, for as she sat down upon the cushion -her host placed for her, six Indian warriors entered -and squatted down in a circle around her husband -and herself. A timid look at Nathan, however, met -assurance, and she tried to banish fear, but the -thought of the white man flayed on the banks of the -river would force itself upon her, and she found herself -looking at their hands with a feeling of horror, -which with an effort she sought to keep from appearing -in her face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Two women were laboring assiduously at a large -bison skin at the door of the tent, scraping, pounding, -and rubbing it, until it was white as a piece of -cotton, but paying little attention to her, save now -and then a stolen glance up from their work.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Then Lissa was attracted to the movements of the -chief, who took a long-handled, red-clay pipe and -filled it from several bone cups, filled apparently -with a variety of herbs, then lighted it, and -after taking two or three whiffs passed it to the Indian -at his right, and thus it was handed around the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_71'>71</span>circle. The herbs gave out a pungent odor as they -burned, which to Lissa was sickening, and she was -thankful that she was passed by and only Nathan invited -to smoke with them their <i><span lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">calumet</span></i>.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The chief then took another of the odd-looking -cups, and filling it with a kind of chowdered, dried -meat gave it to Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She was embarrassed, for she dared not refuse it, -yet shuddered at the thought of tasting it. Nathan -answered her imploring looks by laughing and explaining -to the donor that the white squaw was from -the land of the rising sun and had not learned to appreciate -such a treat. The chief, too, smiled, a little -contemptuously Lissa thought, at her ignorance of -this dainty, and called to one of the squaws to bring -her corn.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa was glad to accept the shining ear of maize, -roasted within its husk to an appetizing brown, and -she ate it with a relish, much to the satisfaction of -the Indians and the woman who brought it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>In the mean time, Nathan, his eyes twinkling with -amusement, was carrying on an animated conversation -with one of the Indians in their dialect, and gesticulating -toward Lissa, as if she might be furnishing -the topic of discussion. She felt relieved when -her husband arose and proposed their departure.</p> - -<p class='c005'>When they were again in their saddles and careening -over the flower-strewn sward Nathan explained -that the Indian was attempting to bargain -for the “white chuppet,” offering for her his three -squaws, two ponies, a wagon, some wampum—in -fact, all of his possessions.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_72'>72</span>“And you were really bartering me before my -face, and I ignorant of it?” said Lissa. “Well, I like -that!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and the fellow was terribly in earnest too. -He thought you would make a good wife to hoe his -corn and work for him,” laughed Nathan.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, the horrid creature! How my ideal of the -‘noble redman’ has fallen since coming here.” And -she quoted:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Black and glossy were her ringlets,</div> - <div class='line in2'>As the tresses of the sea;</div> - <div class='line'>Gloomy as the starless midnight,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Pretty star-eyed Estollee.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c005'>“O Nate, where are they, those beautiful children -of the forest, whom Longfellow and other poets -dreamed of? The squaws are positively ugly with -their tangled hair, narrow eyes, high cheek bones, -nakedness and dirt. The men are not bad. They are -at least straight and symmetrical,” she added.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The women are bowed down and deformed by -hard labor and heavy burdens,” Nathan replied. -“Be thankful for what civilization has done for -women.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, it is dreadful! Those great lazy fellows lying -about and doing nothing. ‘Noble redmen’ indeed! -Ignoble, rather.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, the Quakers are at work among them. We -may expect an improvement in the next generation, -if not in this. But here we are at the post. Come, -we will go in and look about.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>In addition to the stores and trinkets of Indian -manufacture for sale, Lissa was interested in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_73'>73</span>girls of the Quaker school, who, though dressed in -the calico dresses of civilized America, were yet far -from the ideal maiden she thought. They were shy, -hiding their faces if she looked at or attempted to -speak to them. And these were the real American -girls, the product of the soil.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Lissa,” said Nathan, when they were again in -their saddles, “Major Andrews, who has charge of -the government stores here, offers me a position as -bookkeeper in his office this fall and winter, and I -think I had perhaps better take it, as I can do little -on the farm until spring. What do you think?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa’s heart sank at the thought of his being away -from home, but she answered bravely: “By all -means accept it if it will be for the best. It will keep -us through the long winter, and we can start fairly -upon the farm when the spring comes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>So it was arranged, and in the years that followed, -when crops were blighted from the drought or hot -winds, and other accidents impoverished them, Nathan -could earn a livelihood at the office desk, and -fared better than his neighbors.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_74'>74</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER VIII<br> <span class='large'>MOTHER AND CHILD</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“Come, darling, dinner is ready,” and Mrs. Lucien -held out her arms to the tiny sprite who was -busily engaged in pinning a scrap of torn lace about -a broken-nosed doll, her face a study in its eager intentness -of purpose.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O mamma, has we somefin’ nice?” she exclaimed -as her eyes fell on the small table bearing the -articles of food. “Why tan’t we have oranges every -day?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My dear, mamma has not had money to buy -them, but a good lady has given mamma work to -do, which brings money. Is not baby glad? Maybe -we may have good things to eat every meal, for -Dolly, now.” Mrs. Lucien kissed the child’s little -face passionately, then turned away her own, lest -the tears should be seen that trembled in her lashes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It was a mean little room, as Mrs. Wylie had said, -only lighted by one narrow window, but the taste of -its simple furnishing accorded with the faces of -mother and child. Mrs. Lucien’s was one of those -rare faces seen only occasionally among the masses, -purely oval, with soft outlines and exquisite delicacy -of expression. The eyes seemed to index the soul -in their spirituality and clearness. It seemed impossible -to think of guile or hypocrisy finding lodgment -in the heart of a woman with such a face. The tinge -<span class='pageno' id='Page_75'>75</span>of melancholy resting upon it only added to its attractiveness.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The child was the counterpart of the mother, even -to the soulful eyes and mobile lips. It was evident, -as Mrs. Wylie had observed, that Mrs. Lucien had -seen better days. There was an unmistakable air of -culture and refinement in her manner, a dignity and -grace of carriage that could come only with one to -the manner born. She appeared to be a stranger in -Forest City and was markedly uncommunicative as -to her past life and history in her intercourse with -the few who sought further acquaintance with her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. St. John, on the second floor, had been attracted -by her face, and tried, through the child, to -know more of her, but succeeded illy. The child -was as reserved as the mother, or had been kept in -ignorance of its history. One thing she noticed, it -never spoke of its father, and Mrs. St. John discreetly -withdrew, and refrained from further investigation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There must be something wrong when people are -so much afraid to let you know anything of them,” -she reflected. She could not afford to risk her own -reputation by becoming associated with her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie, too secure in worldly caste to be deterred -by such considerations, had a new interest, -and would leave no means untried to learn more of -her protege.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She found she had an endless amount of sewing -to be done, and made many calls with reference to it, -as well as necessitating much going to and from her -own rooms by Mrs. Lucien. And in all of those interviews -<span class='pageno' id='Page_76'>76</span>the little woman chatted away as blithely -as though her caller were an intimate friend instead -of a stranger sewing woman, this being characteristic -of Elinor Wylie, and the outgrowth of her kindness -of heart, which neither fashion nor society, conventionality -nor worldliness could repress.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. Wylie joked her daily upon her enthusiasm, -which increased with acquaintance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She is entirely lovable, Horace, and entirely refined -and cultured. I have not her superior in my -whole circle of acquaintances,” she reiterated one -night, when he had chidden her for spending so -much of her time with Mrs. Lucien. “If she were -not so proud I should have gotten her out of that -dark little jail of a room before now, but I dare not -openly offer her charity. But, Horace, I have made -a discovery. She was formerly from New York, -and she came here to be among strangers. I suspect—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, what do you suspect?” said her husband, -as she hesitated in her speech.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why—I half suspect she has run away from her -husband,” admitted Mrs. Wylie reluctantly, hastening -to add, “I am quite sure she had a good reason -and that no blame can attach to her, whatever the -cause.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. Wylie shook his head.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do not let your enthusiasm blind your eyes, Elinor. -I give you credit for being pretty keen-sighted -usually, but a woman with such a history may not -be a desirable associate for my wife.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Horace!” the blue eyes were raised reproachfully -<span class='pageno' id='Page_77'>77</span>to his face. “Even if my suspicions are correct,—and -they are only suspicions,—we may suppose a -case where she might be entirely blameless, and oh, -so much more to be pitied, because of these very circumstances -which may cast a shadow over her fair -name! Surely she needs my friendship so much the -more.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You precious little philanthrope!” said her husband -fondly. “It is difficult to answer you, but -suppose there are plenty of associates for Mrs. Horace -Wylie whose characters are above suspicion and -need no vindication. And yet,” he continued gravely, -“the woman’s face is vindication for her. Do as -you think best. Shall we invite her to attend the lecture -with us to-morrow night?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, if you will. She so seldom goes anywhere, -and I am sure she needs recreation. I could wish it -was something besides Dr. Lyman’s lectures, however. -I am always glad to get home from one of -them, and I dream of ghosts and goblins when I -sleep afterwards.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>There was a compassionate look on Mr. Wylie’s -face as he turned toward his wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am surprised, Nell, that you cannot appreciate -what I enjoy so much. Surely, Dr. Lyman is a very -interesting speaker.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A good talker, yes, but I do not like his subject,” -and the little lady drew herself farther upon the sofa -and pursed up her lips defiantly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And yet the subject is one that may materially -affect us?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I do not believe it can <em>materially</em> affect us; if it -<span class='pageno' id='Page_78'>78</span>does spiritually, why, it may. We shall find out -after we leave this world, probably, all about it. -What is the use of believing that the spirits of our -friends can communicate with us. I don’t want them -to. It’s horrid, the whole of it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I do not see anything particularly horrid about -it. If I should die and live again in the spiritland -and should come back and reveal myself to your -material sight and talk with you as I do now, would -you consider it particularly horrid? That is,” he -continued with his pleasant drawl, “supposing I -come in immaculate broadcloth, shining boots, etc., -and present you with a check for a few thousands to -squander in bon-bons.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, do stop talking so dreadfully! I will not -think about it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Then you will not want me to come back?” he -queried provokingly. “Especially if you are wedded -to your second, and well provided for?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes—no—I do not know. I think I should be -dreadfully afraid of you if you did.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Aren’t you a little afraid of me now? Come, -confess. Aren’t you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie made a grimace.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I hope not, but I am afraid of Dr. Lyman.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And why do you fear him?” said her husband, -laughing as he bent over and twirled one of her -bright curls over his finger. “What do you fear in -him?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid he will mesmerize me and make me -think as he does. There you have my reason for disliking -<span class='pageno' id='Page_79'>79</span>him, and to go to the Lyceum,” said Elinor, -flushing slightly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again her husband laughed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, that is it. Do you think there would be any -harm in that?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, I think it would be dreadful to be hypnotized; -to have any one control your will and make -you think and do things you would not do otherwise.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have an idea,” cried Mr. Wylie; “let me try it -on you. Come, look me right in the eyes, relax all -your muscles and think of nothing but me.” Mr. -Wylie fixed his mischievous dark eyes upon his wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She closed her own eyes tightly, and turned her -face away.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Never! It would make me forever your slave. -I have not much will of my own now, and you would -take that away from me. No, thank you!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“As if a woman ever lived who did not have her -own sweet will and way. But, Nellie, you may call -upon Mrs. Lucien to-night, and ask her to accompany -us. I shall be curious to know her opinion of -the Doctor and his hobby.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mne! How kind you are! Man’s curiosity -again! Well! I’ll go just to gratify you, but she -may not be willing to go to such a place even in your -company.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. Wylie smiled indulgently, but made no reply.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Horace, I can almost believe Tibby exercises -some such influence over Robbie. It is really remarkable, -the ease with which she can subdue him, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_80'>80</span>and put him to sleep at any time she desires. Mrs. -Harbeck used to fuss for hours.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby exercises a power woman has, since the -world began—the power of her beauty. Tibby is -such a pretty girl, and Robbie is susceptible to it. I -remember when I was a youngster, the pretty teachers -always had the least trouble with me. Children -have aesthetic instincts, and Robbie recognizes the -influence, if he does not yet understand it. Dame -Harbeck was a good old soul, but she did lack winsomeness. -Eh, Nellie?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie laughed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wonder if that does make a difference.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly, and is it not a moral duty to cultivate -beauty in the race?”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_81'>81</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER IX<br> <span class='large'>A NEW DEVELOPMENT</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>True to her promise, Mrs. Wylie called the following -afternoon at the small room she had learned -to designate as Number Nineteen, and invited Mrs. -Lucien to accompany herself and Mr. Wylie to the -Lyceum.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Lucien’s pale face flushed slightly, and an -eager, pleased look came for a moment into her eyes, -then she shook her head.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are very kind, Mrs. Wylie, but you forget—that -I never go out.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I know you <em>should</em> go. You are growing as pale -as a calla, shut up here so closely. You owe it to -yourself and little Dolores here, to go whenever you -can. Besides, I have quite set my heart upon having -you with us, and I am supposed to always have my -own way,” she added playfully. “I want some one -along who can enjoy a good lecture, if I cannot, and -Mr. Wylie thinks Dr. Lyman a very fine speaker. I -am sure you will reconsider your answer and go with -us.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, your husband—I am afraid—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Will be delighted. In fact, he first proposed -your going,” said the other, feeling that Mrs. Lucien -was yielding. “You shall bring little Dolores to -our rooms and Tibby will look after her with Robert. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_82'>82</span>She’ll be sure to enjoy it, for Tibby is a rare -entertainer. Robert is quite happy with her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Dolly never makes any one any trouble,” replied -Mrs. Lucien, smiling fondly upon her child. “It is -true I have taken considerable interest in Dr. Lyman’s -lectures as reported in the papers, and in his -subject. I have myself witnessed phenomena in the -so-called spirit manifestations which I could not account -for by any knowledge of my own, scientific or -otherwise. If it is not spirits, then what is it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie shook her head.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I confess I am very incredulous,” she said, smiling. -“I think sometimes with old Mr. Hucklebone, -that it is the work of the Evil One, and feel like -avoiding it; but my husband is interested in the subject, -and I go to these lectures to please him. I cannot -say that I enjoy them, however.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Can you not believe the soul is immortal? And -if so, why may not one come back to this earth and -linger near those one has loved? Shall spirits be -limited by time and space? These are finite things. -Does not the spirit belong to the infinite?” Mrs. -Lucien’s voice was low, sweet, and persuasive.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I do not deny that it may be so, because I see -nothing to entirely disprove such a possibility; but -I cannot see what good it can do us or any one else -to seek intercourse with those who have passed to the -other world. There has been a boundary line and a -veil of death placed between Time and Eternity, -mortals and immortals, and it better remain. What -I cannot countenance is that people give up their religion -to take up spiritism. Why the testimony of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_83'>83</span>the spirit of mortal man (admitting that it may testify) -should weigh more than the great Spirit of the -Universe, in whom even the wild Indian believes and -whom we designate our Creator, is to me a strange -thing. It is making a religion of spiritism that I -object to.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie spoke with unusual seriousness and -her friend did not immediately respond.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I do not think <em>I</em> believe in making a religion of -it either,” she said after a moment of silence; “but -there is so much one does not understand, and if by -actual converse with those who have gone before and -tested the mysteries of the unknown we may learn -without doubt of the life in store for us, it is a satisfaction, -to say the least.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But <em>can</em> we know without doubt? Do we know -with what we are conversing? I confess I have seen -so much charlatanry I cannot be sure of anything.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Have you not had experiences in your life, dear -Mrs. Wylie, which have demonstrated to you a -psychic power beyond explanation, save by this theory -of spirit force?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Possibly; though I only think of one instance -now which might be of this class,” said Mrs. Wylie -reflectively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And may I ask if you will tell me that?” questioned -Mrs. Lucien eagerly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It happened several years ago. I took a sudden -determination to visit my parents, and started immediately, -without notifying them of my coming. -Arriving at the station I found my father waiting -for me, he having been impressed with the fact of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_84'>84</span>my coming, in some unaccountable way; my -thought of the early day having been communicated -to him by a sort of mental telegraphy, I imagine.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, yes, there are so many instances of that kind. -I have had many myself. I wonder, sometimes, if -I am naturally superstitious. There have been many -peculiar examples of second sight or clairvoyance in -our family. It has been traditional for generations, -and proven by accumulated evidence, that no great -calamity can befall any member of us without forewarning, -not alone to the victim, but to the others of -the household. The warning always comes in the -same way.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And that is—?” Mrs. Wylie questioned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“By a footstep at the door,” continued Mrs. Lucien. -“Before any death or evil to any one of the -house we are startled by hearing a footstep come to -the door, step heavily once or twice and then vanish -from sound and sight. If the door is opened no one -is visible to mortal eyes. Sometimes it comes more -than once the same evening, and we know the evil -is near at hand.” Mrs. Lucien spoke in a low, soft -voice, of indescribable sadness, as she continued: -“It has come to me several times, once before a trouble -worse than death. Ah, and the footsteps were -heavy and loud. I can hear and feel them yet, treading -on my very heart. Then they came again before -my darlings died, and I knew there was no hope, no -hope that God would hear my prayer and spare them -to me, though they were all I had. Truly, I can say -there is no justice in the heavens. But forgive me, -dear friend, I did not mean to so far forget myself,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_85'>85</span>she added, turning her white face toward the little -woman, whose eyes were filled with tears of sympathy.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And you have had other children, and lost them? -How sorry I am for you,” cried Mrs. Wylie impulsively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, three; but I do not think of them as lost, -only gone before. They come to me at night and I -feel the touch of the tiny hands upon my forehead—only -Freddie, he never comes to me. But I see you -are surprised. As I said before, I have seen much -of spiritism, enough to make me credulous. It is a -blessed thought to me that my darlings may be near -me, and that possibly when I am myself more spiritual -I may reach out my hands and grasp their little -ones and enjoy more fully their loved presence. I -am glad I may go to hear Dr. Lyman. He may -make plain to me those things I desire to know, may -teach me how to make such things possible.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie knew not how to respond to her. -There was so much about this theory to which she -was opposed. She was disappointed in her friend, -and yet she could not condemn her. She took her -leave shortly, wishing Dr. Lyman at the antipodes.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_86'>86</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER X<br> <span class='large'>THE GHOSTS OF THE CABINET</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“My dear, I have come to invite you to a real materialistic -seance,” said Mrs. Wylie, a few weeks -later, as she called at the door of Mrs. Lucien’s improved -lodgings.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Lucien’s eye brightened, and she clasped her -hands with childish naivete.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Really?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, really! Mr. Wylie has an especial invitation -and tickets given him, so we shall not feel that -we are intruding. He bade me come at once and tell -you, as he knew how much you desired to witness -such an exhibition.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How kind you are, dear Mrs. Wylie. I cannot -express how grateful I am to you for such an opportunity,” -said Mrs. Lucien warmly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is arranged, then; we will call for you at half-past -seven this evening.” And Mrs. Wylie tripped -away, feeling that she had at least given pleasure by -the invitation, little as she herself desired to attend -the seance. The lectures of Dr. Lyman, which she -had attended to please her husband, had rather prejudiced -her against than converted to his teaching, -and she could not appreciate the interest which her -friends seemed to take in them. As for this seance, -she would go that Mrs. Lucien might have the desired -<span class='pageno' id='Page_87'>87</span>privilege of attending, but her conscience disapproved -of it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At the appointed time the trio took a carriage to -Scoville Street as directed, and stopped before a -small story-and-a-half house, with an “L” upon one -side, and a broken paling in front.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am bound to investigate everything thoroughly,” -said Mrs. Wylie, in a whisper, as they went toward -the house.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly, that is your privilege, my dear. I am -sure the spirits will have no objections,” said Mr. -Wylie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They were met at the door by a grave-looking -man, who asked for their credentials, and when Mr. -Wylie had presented his card of invitation they were -ushered into a small square room furnished only by -a centre table holding a lamp, a little old-fashioned -carpet lounge standing in one corner, upon which -two or three persons were seated conversing in subdued -tones, and a tall base-burner stove offering -warmth to a small group of people gathered about -it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>No one spoke to the members of our party, who, -while warming themselves by the fire, gazed into an -empty room adjoining. This room had only the -light of a single lamp fastened near the ceiling in one -corner and covered and shaded by a Japanese umbrella. -A string depended from this lamp to the -cabinet in the opposite corner of the room. An antique, -black hair-cloth tete was near the cabinet, and -a carved mahogany stand stood between the only -two windows in the room. The remaining space of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_88'>88</span>the apartment was taken up by chairs for the invited -spectators.</p> - -<p class='c005'>All these separate details Mrs. Wylie observed and -noted. Then she turned to the man who admitted -them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Am I permitted to examine this room?” she -asked smilingly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly, madam, we court the most careful investigation -in this matter. Examine thoroughly -everything in this room,” and in a solemn manner -he conducted them forward to the cabinet and lifted -the curtains of plain black cloth which hung before -it. Rolling these, he threw them over the top of the -pole, that she might enter the cabinet and explore -the interior.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie felt of the wall, which was covered -with a faded paper; tapped it to see if there were -closets in the partition, pressed it to learn if it was -movable, examined for cracks or evidence of secret -panels, but could discover nothing. She even examined -the carpet and saw that the tacks holding it -to the floor were rusted as if not recently lifted or -changed. She looked under and behind the tete, -but could discover no possible place of concealment -in the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Are you satisfied, my curious Pandora?” said -Mr. Wylie, who had been watching her with a faint, -indulgent smile upon his lips.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I find only plain, bare walls, and no visible -outlet, save by the one door through which we entered.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_89'>89</span>“Good! Perhaps your scepticism will vanish after -to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie shook her head and peered again at -the ceiling and dependent lamp. She was prepared -for trickery, even if she could not fathom it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Still unconvinced? Oh, most doubting of -Thomases!” said Mr. Wylie, with a gesture of despair.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Only cautious and conservative,” whispered Mrs. -Lucien.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Conservatism, what crimes of doubt and unbelief -are committed in thy name!” responded the other.</p> - -<p class='c005'>By this time people were beginning to file into the -room, until the chairs were filled.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Our friends sat down near the door, where the -hard-coal fire cast a dim light into the room, and directly -opposite the cabinet. No other light was left -in the room after the entrance of the medium.</p> - -<p class='c005'>This person, who was tall and large-framed, and -who weighed apparently about two hundred and fifty -pounds, walked over to the tete and sat down.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I will sit here for a time, and perhaps we may -have a manifestation before I am under control,” -she said. “Will anybody please sing.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The spectators began to sing religious hymns, and -almost immediately, to Mrs. Wylie’s astonishment, -the curtains parted by invisible power and a little -figure of light, with indistinguishable features, -stepped forth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Good-evening, everybody. How do you do?” -came from it in a thin, piping voice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Some of those present, who had evidently seen the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_90'>90</span>apparition before, addressed it as Starlight, and the -vision vanished.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The medium then arose and stepped into the cabinet. -No sooner had she done so than three or four -men’s voices were heard speaking together. One, -a Jack Tar, with nautical phrases; another, the guttural -voice of the American Indian, a third that of -an educated citizen.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Some in the audience seemed to recognize and -greet the voices.</p> - -<p class='c005'>After a period of quiet and another hymn the curtains -again parted and a slender woman appeared. -No one approached her as she stood before them and -delivered a short oration, the theme of which was -“Universal Progress,” the diction and thought in -no wise remarkable.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She withdrew to give place to another figure, -which called a name in a soft, plaintive voice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, it is my wife!” cried a man in the audience, -and he went forward, and grasping the materialized -spirit by the arm, he led her forward about the room, -while she shook hands with other friends who -seemed to recognize her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie shook in an agony of apprehension.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t, don’t let her come near me!” she gasped, -while her heart beat to suffocation. She looked at -the white, eager face of Mrs. Lucien, and the not less -interested face of her husband. She clutched him -by the arm, while she grew hot and cold by turns. -But the figure turned away before reaching her, and -stepped back into the cabinet. Then several others -<span class='pageno' id='Page_91'>91</span>came out and were recognized, kissed, and spoken to -by friends.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At length came the figure of a man, who spoke in -a faint voice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The usher came to the lady sitting next to Mrs. -Wylie upon the left.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is for you,” he said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The lady arose, went across the room to the cabinet, -clasped the figure in her arms, calling him her -dear brother, and when he disappeared came back -to her seat, sobbing and crying bitterly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie wrung her hands in the pause of darkness -and silence which followed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh! Mrs. Lucien, Mrs. Lucien, the next will be -for you,” she whispered. As if to confirm her words -a figure of light advanced, so clear, so luminous, so -fair that a suppressed murmur arose from the spectators. -It seemed to float through the air and hover -suspended before the cabinet. Mrs. Lucien had -arisen and moved forward with outstretched arms.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mamma, mamma!” a bird-like voice repeated, -and fluttering like a bird in the air the tiny hands -brushed the white face of the entranced woman. -Then by its side a second figure appeared, larger but -less distinct. For a moment they hovered flutteringly -before her, then disappeared, and the usher led -the now nearly fainting Mrs. Lucien to her seat.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Another figure appeared, a man. A woman behind -Mrs. Wylie arose and went forward.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Jim!” she cried.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have been so sorry,” a feeble, moaning voice replied, -“that I did not do more for you when in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_92'>92</span>flesh. I had no opportunity, before I passed over, -to tell you what was in my heart. I realize now that -I blighted your life by selfishly yielding to my appetite. -I would undo it all if I could, but it is too late.” -With a groan he disappeared.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Then a little boy ran out from the cabinet and -cried:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I want my mash!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, that is little Eddie!” exclaimed a girl from -the audience, and she ran forward to clasp the little -figure in her arms.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At last came a figure of beauty and light, with extended, -fluttering hands and eager face. “This is -for you,” said the usher, coming toward Mrs. Wylie, -who felt bound to her chair and unable to move.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As the man approached her she felt as though her -heart ceased to beat, but she passively suffered him -to lead her to the cabinet.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Sister, sister,” whispered the little sprite, and its -tiny hands sought to take hers. She felt the soft, -cool touch of its hand upon her own, then drew back -with uncontrollable fear.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She wants to kiss you,” said the man, but Mrs. -Wylie was too terrified to permit it. Then the figure, -so transparent and ethereal, vanished in the cabinet -and again all was darkness.</p> - -<p class='c005'>When Mrs. Wylie was again seated there was a -sound as of rushing wind, and two little Indian -girls came running out of the cabinet. One ran -back. The other called her out again.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“This is little Moonlight. Come on!” said number -one.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_93'>93</span>“Good-evening, everybody!” said number two -timidly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Number one laughed and danced about, while -number two ran back into the cabinet.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Dance for us, Starlight,” said a gentleman who -seemed to recognize her as a well-known favorite.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mne! No music,” she said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The gentleman began to whistle.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, no good,” cried Starlight.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie could never after account for the influence -which prompted her to lean forward and clap -her hands to the time of a waltz, while she hummed -a gay air.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mne! That’s good!” cried Starlight, and her little -feet kept time with the grace of a ballet-dancer.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Good-night, good-night, good-night!” she cried, -and danced back behind the curtains of the cabinet, -and all was still.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The audience arose and began to go out of the -room, and Mrs. Wylie, with a dazed, unnatural sensation, -turned to her friend. “Am I asleep or -dreaming?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I feel like asking the same question,” said Mrs. -Lucien. “What a wonderful experience this has -been.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>When they were seated in the carriage, and proceeding -homeward, Mr. Wylie turned to his wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, Nellie,” he said, “what do you think of -it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think,” responded Mrs. Wylie slowly, “that I -was hypnotized.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_94'>94</span>“Hypnotized!” exclaimed Mr. Wylie and Mrs. -Lucien in unison.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, hypnotized. I began to grow cold and feel -so strangely as soon as that medium sat down there. -I think she sat outside long enough to mesmerize us -all. You remember she had them sing to distract -our thoughts.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I must say, Elinor, when you try to be idiotic you -succeed a little better than any one I ever knew before -you.” Mr. Wylie looked his annoyance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Horace, if I was not under some influence, -why did I sing and clap my hands for that spirit to -dance? Do you think I would have done such an absurd -and unheard of thing of my own volition?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There’s no telling what you might or might not -do, Elinor. I confess you surprise even me very frequently.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie sighed. It seemed difficult to combat -the now apparently fixed belief of her husband in -spirit manifestation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did you hear the music that seemed to be playing -in the air above our heads from the moment the medium -entered the room?” inquired Mrs. Lucien.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I did not notice it; did you, Horace?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. Wylie shook his head.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How strange! I heard the sound of many instruments -blending in a wonderful harmony,” murmured -Mrs. Lucien.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A further proof that we were hypnotized,” replied -Mrs. Wylie. “You, Mrs. Lucien, were the -most susceptible and first brought under control?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. Wylie looked disgusted.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_95'>95</span>“A proof, Elinor, that you were too frightened to -know what was transpiring about you. I am not -surprised that Mrs. Lucien should perceive harmonies -beyond the hearing of our ears, or of less -sensitively organized ones. We were curious, antagonistic, -unbelieving. We were determined not to -hear and therefore were deaf to the melodies which -entranced her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Entranced?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I think we were all entranced, and made to -see or hear anything,” replied Mrs. Wylie.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_96'>96</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XI<br> <span class='large'>THE FIRE</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c013'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Again has come the Springtime, with the Crocus’s golden bloom,</div> - <div class='line'>With the sound of the fresh-turned earth-mould and the violet’s perfume.”</div> - <div class='line in48'>—Samuel Longfellow.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>It is the spring of Lissa’s second year in her Nebraska -home. Nathan, through with his winter duties -at the post, has become farmer again, and the -prairie, yet gray with the tall wild grass of the previous -year, is black-dotted with patches of newly -plowed land, while the upspringing verdure gives -the landscape a gray-green tint of great beauty.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa has grown to love this Western home, and -as we see her now, tripping about the floor of her -humble cabin, there is a maturer look in her bright -face and pliant figure, and though she is paler in -cheek and lip, her smile speaks the joy in her heart. -Her neat calico gown is supplemented by a white -cambric apron, and as she critically glances about -her she is a picture of womanly contentment. She -is obliged to make up in swiftness now the time demanded -from her work to care for the little seraph -who kicks, squirms, and even cries in her waking -hours if she is not given immediate and undivided -attention. Their house has grown with their family, -and a nice little lean-to has been built, giving an -extra room, and Lissa seems to have forgotten to -wish for the spacious walls or wide balconies of her -former home. She has as good as her neighbors, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_97'>97</span>and luxuries are only comparative, after all. It must -be confessed, Lissa is not a little vain of the handsome -silver, few pieces of cut-glass, and dainty -napery which were among her wedding gifts, and -which she can now display on occasions to the admiration -and envy of her less fortunate neighbors. -Only Alice, of all her neighborhood, can outshine her -in this, but Mark is an army officer, and quite the -great man of the place, and she cannot feel envious -of one of the family.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It is nearly dinner time and baby must be put aside -while Lissa prepares the table. A motherly solicitude -shines in her dark eyes as she places the little -autocrat in her crib (a large wicker clothes-basket), -puts in her clutching, uncertain grasp the rubber -ring, and turns toward her work.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“There, there, baby Lucy, lie still with your toys,</div> - <div class='line'>For papa is coming and does not like noise,”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>she sings, in her clear treble.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Hush, hush, there’s a deary, or mamma ’ll be weary;</div> - <div class='line'>There, there, but a minute, you’ll have to be in it,</div> - <div class='line'>Till mamma makes dinner, then baby’s the winner.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>Thus sings and rhymes the girl-mother, and the -cloth is laid in a short space of time, and few moments -later the dignified, manly figure of Nathan -enters.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How smoky it is getting outside,” Lissa says as -she catches a glimpse of the atmosphere through the -open doorway.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, the fires must be making considerable headway -<span class='pageno' id='Page_98'>98</span>across the river. The smoke is much denser -than it was this morning when I began plowing.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You think it is all across the river? No danger -of its getting over here?” Lissa questions, a note of -anxiety in her voice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, no; the river ’ll protect us. I should think -Linkwell and Jordan, over there, would need to start -back fires, though.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We’ve been fortunate, this spring, not to have -any started on this side,” Lissa says.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, with as much tall, dry grass as there is -about. We don’t generally have any fear of fires at -this time of year. It’s the fall when they rage worst. -The spring burning is unusual,” continues Nathan -in his measured speech. “But I suppose some one -thought he’d burn off his piece of ground before -plowing, and was careless about it, as we were once -upon a time. His plowed strip may have been too -narrow, or the wind too high.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, one cannot be too careful!” Lissa says with -feeling. “I think what a close call we had when you -let me fire the ten-acre lot by the canon, and all because -the sod was not quite overturned on that rocky -place at one corner.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, but I reckon it was a good thing to happen. -You wouldn’t have known how to fight a fire if we -had not had that experience. Now if one should -start up you would know what to do.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” she says reflectively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The meal ended, Nathan goes again to his work, -which is now upon the upper end of the farm, nearly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_99'>99</span>two miles from the house, and Lissa, when the dinner-work -is over, sits down to rock her baby to sleep.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The smoke has become quite dense by this time, -and as she looks out across the river she sees leaping -spires of orange-colored flames amidst the lifting, -rolling clouds of smoke.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, baby Lucy, we are fortunate not to be over -there,” she says, and clasps the little one more closely -while she croons a lullaby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Suddenly she is attracted by the strange actions of -the family cat, which has been stretched out upon a -rug across the room. Puss darts across the floor to -the window, and placing her forepaws upon the window-seat, -looks out. Then with a look of terror she -runs to Lissa, and crouching at her feet begins to -mew piteously.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What is it, Menkin?” asks Lissa, putting down -her hand to stroke the creature’s back. The cat darts -again to the window, and Lissa, following her, sees -that which blanches her face and lips to chalky -whiteness.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The fire has crossed the river! The wind has carried -the burning cinders even to the nearer bank, -and now, only three-quarters of a mile away, she can -see the curling smoke, and tongues of red fire lapping -the dry grass.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Frantic with alarm, her thoughts work rapidly. -She drops her baby into the basket and rushes out to -the well, which, with its buckets, stands near the -house.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Heavens! How long it seems ere, working desperately, -hand over hand upon the rope, she can -<span class='pageno' id='Page_100'>100</span>bring the filled bucket to the top of the curb. Then -with a pail of water and a gunny-sack she flies -across the fields to meet the oncoming fire. With -supernatural strength, evolved from her terror, with -the wet sacking she beats back the ravening flames -madly, frantically, and with all the force of over-strained -muscles and fear-nerved energy she fights -the merciless element, until at last, blinded by smoke, -and scorched and blackened, she turns toward the -house, and flies with all the strength left her, her -only hope now to get her baby and run with it to the -only haven of safety, the black soil of the plowed -land.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Snatching her child from its pillow and folding it -in her smoke-begrimed arms she dashes again -through the doorway and runs on and on over the -soft earth, until, with many yards of the moist, upturned -sod about her, she pauses and turns her eyes -backward toward her humble yet beloved home.</p> - -<p class='c005'>With fascinated gaze she watches the flames creep -nearer and nearer, now only like red snakes in the -grass, then as the tall weeds catch, like sheets of -scarlet, wound and twisted in smoke-clouds.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The fire has parted at the place where her frenzied -efforts have been most effective, and one part is -sweeping down the side of the road opposite the -house, the other around the barn-yard toward the -stables. She can see the horses corralled beyond the -barn, and anticipating their fate she hides her face in -her child’s clothing and sobs.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She is startled by hearing the sound of galloping -horses and looks out to see a drove of frightened -<span class='pageno' id='Page_101'>101</span>animals come madly down the road ahead of the -flames. Will their instincts guide them toward a -place of safety? A burning stack across the road is -adding to the blinding smoke, and she can see -through smarting eyes but a short distance around -her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O God! spare the poor creatures tied there and -helpless,” she prays. “Oh, why didn’t I think to -loose them?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>She crouches down over her child and gives away -to her grief. Suddenly she hears steps near her, -and glancing up, the pink nose of Puss, her pony, -is thrust into her hand.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O you dear creature, how did you get away?” -she falters. Then as she perceives the dragging -rope, yet fastened to the up-pulled stake, she knows -what Puss in her fright has been able to accomplish.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We all have superhuman strength given us in our -time of need,” she murmurs. She strains her eyes -for a glimpse of the burning house, but the smoke is -so painful she is fain to hide her face, while her -faithful horse rubs its head against her as if to assure -her of sympathy.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Lissa!” cries an anxious voice near her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Nate! Oh, our poor horses and our home! -What shall we do?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am thankful <em>you</em> are safe, Lissa. I feared you -might not remember to come here soon enough. -Keep your eyes covered and crouch down close to -the ground. This smoke from that burning stack is -overpowering.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_102'>102</span>“And our burning house and barns! O Nate,” -wails Lissa, “those poor, poor horses!” She bows -her head again, and for some moments neither -speak.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Lissa, Lissa, look up!” cries Nathan suddenly, -his voice thrilling with a note of exultation. “Our -home is safe! Do you hear? Safe!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa raises her eyes. The smoke has lifted, and -to their surprise and joy they see revealed to them -the buildings standing, unharmed. The fire, although -raging across the road, has let the barrier of -only a few feet, the width of one wagon-track, turn -its course, and now, passing on, has left only a blackened, -smoking trail behind it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It has passed back of the stables, turned by the -yards, and left them and the horses untouched.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is a miracle, Lissa!” says Nathan devoutly, his -slow speech giving force to his words. “As soon as -the turf cools we can go home,—home—think of it!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>But Lissa is weeping hysterically.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What, crying when the danger is over? This is -not the time to cry. What is it for, little girl?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Nate, Nate—Nate! I—can’t help it! I—I’m—so -happy! I—I’m so glad!” she sobs.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There, there, give me the baby. Your nerves are -all unstrung, that is certain, and small wonder at it. -But what’s this? What’s the matter with your -hands? Why, child, they are all blistered and -burned. What have you been doing?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I—I fought the fire,” falters Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My poor child!”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_103'>103</span>“I beat it back just as long as I could,” she pants.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And divided it, and saved our home! I understand -all now,” Nathan answers in broken tones.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, it was the yards, I think. It was a miracle. -I only beat it out up to the road.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And kept it on that side. But these poor hands -must be looked after. Aren’t they paining you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I—I haven’t thought of them,” replies Lissa. -“How could I when these poor animals and—and -our house were in such danger.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_104'>104</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XII<br> <span class='large'>A NEW MEDIUM</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“My dear Mrs. Lucien—why, what is the matter?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie ran hurriedly to her friend’s side, but -stopped, frightened at the unseeing, vacant stare -which met her. During the fortnight intervening -since the seance she had met her friend daily, but -never had seen her as now.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Lucien sat by a small sewing-table, her hands -resting upon it, her eyes gazing vacantly into space. -Her expression was uncanny in its fixity, and her -hands moved restlessly over the smooth surface before -her. Her aspect was that of one whose outer -senses were locked and all thought and sight turned -inward.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The little Dolores, who had opened the door to -Mrs. Wylie, resumed her position by her mother, -her hands resting in her mother’s lap, her troubled -eyes searching her mother’s face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie, unable to win any response or recognition, -stood silent and frightened, watching the entranced -woman. Then her eyes fell upon the swiftly -moving fingers. What was she doing? Surely she -was forming letters—writing. Was it possible? -She seemed to see her own name spelled from the -ends of those fingers. Mrs. Wylie had seen such -things before from professed mediums. Suddenly -<span class='pageno' id='Page_105'>105</span>a thought came to her. She detached the little gold -pencil from her watch guard and laid in with her -shopping-tablet on the table before the woman. In -a moment Mrs. Lucien seized the pencil and was -writing rapidly, her eyes still fixed and unseeing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>When she at last relinquished the tablet Mrs. Wylie -took it up, and read in letters scrawling and unlike -the chirography of her friend, the following:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-l c003'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“My dear friend:</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c005'>“Why do you hesitate on the dark borders of prejudice -and ignorance? Why not come into the full -light of the truth? Our hands would gladly lead -you if you would take them. There is much to believe -that is truth; there is much to reject that is -untruth. You accept much untruth. But you shall -soon know all.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“E. M. B.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>What did this meaningless missive prove? That -Mrs. Lucien was other than she seemed? Mrs. Wylie -could think of no one having those initials. Ah, -yes. She did have a friend, long ago, by the name -of Emma Boyleson. She could not remember her -middle name, or if she had one. It might have -been “M.” But she was dead, died a long while -ago, when only a little more than a child. And why, -if it came from her,—Mrs. Wylie’s instincts denied -the possibility,—why should she write such stuff as -this? Simply to mystify her? Could she be mistaken -in Mrs. Lucien? Could it be possible that she -was one of those dreaded charlatans? But if so, -how could she have known anything about Emma -<span class='pageno' id='Page_106'>106</span>Boyleson? She had never mentioned her, so far as -she could remember, even to Mr. Wylie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She would arouse Mrs. Lucien and sift this affair -thoroughly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mrs. Lucien! Mrs. Lucien!” she said imperatively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She was gratified to see a change pass over the -woman’s face. Mrs. Lucien started, shivered, -pressed her hands to her forehead.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What is the matter, Mrs. Lucien,” again demanded -Mrs. Wylie, bending over her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The dazed woman brushed her eyes and looked -about her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Have I been asleep?” she asked plaintively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and writing me a letter in your dreams,” -chirruped her visitor gaily. “Now you may arouse -yourself and interpret it for me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Lucien shook her head, while the look of -awe deepened in her face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, can it be possible,” she murmured, “that Dr. -Lyman told me the truth, and that I am really a medium? -How strange it seems, and yet he promised -me it should be.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You a medium?” Mrs. Wylie shrank from her -hostess involuntarily.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Dr. Lyman told me I was mediumistic, and -that if I would sit down at just the same time every -evening, and allow myself to become entirely passive -I would soon be made the instrument to take and -convey the words of the invisible to the visible. I -did not think, however, to obtain this so soon.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Mrs. Lucien, how could you lend yourself -<span class='pageno' id='Page_107'>107</span>to such experiments? You would not deceive me, -would you? Tell me truly, did you know what you -were doing when you wrote that message to me?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No more than I know what I do in my sleep. I -have a feeling that I have had dreams, but I cannot -recall them.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did this ever happen before?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have had this feeling and a partial remembrance -of dreams, but I do not know what I have ever written.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do you think Dr. Lyman had anything to do -with this?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, only so far as he has assisted in developing -me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What do you mean by that?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think he exercised some—mesmeric power or -influence over me, while in attendance at his lectures.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You horrify me! And would you continue to go -and hear him, when you knew this?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, yes. I hoped he might develop me into a -medium. Why should I not?” Mrs. Lucien’s innocent, -dark eyes looked up inquiringly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think it is dreadful—dreadful! I would not be -under his influence for anything.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But it is not his influence. It is—Oh! I cannot -tell you. It is a power from beyond. Why -should I fear to speak to those I love?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I cannot bear to think of it,” Mrs. Wylie said, -shivering. “We do not know to whom we are talking. -We have no proof of their identity, and know -not if the power be good or evil.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_108'>108</span>“What, not when we see, as we did a short time -ago, the faces of those we have known and loved -here on earth?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie shook her head.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A delusion of the senses!” she said positively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Lucien gazed pityingly upon her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sure, dear Mrs. Wylie, that when we see -a photograph taken of a spirit face we can not doubt -its genuineness. Cameras do not lie.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t they? I am not sure. I have heard that -people have tried to get pictures of materialized spirits, -and failed. The camera plate reveals <em>nothing</em>, -proving the delusions. Did you ever see an authentic -spirit-photograph?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My father did, and I have often heard him tell -the story, although he does not profess to believe in -spiritism. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, -and while in the West, a number of years ago, -one of his brother knights sickened and died. The -family had no good portrait of the man, and my -father, who was superintending the funeral arrangements, -obtained permission to get some one to take -a picture of the corpse.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There was a young lady photographer a few doors -away and she was called in. She told them she was -out of negative plates (they were in a country town -where supplies were not readily obtainable) but that -any glass would do. Accordingly she found a pane -of window glass, and cut it to the required dimensions -and prepared it otherwise for the holder. My -father propped the man upon pillows as well as he -could, and the artist focused upon him with care. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_109'>109</span>Removing the plate she took it to a dark closet, previously -prepared, to apply the developing solution, -and then brought it forth to show to my father. He -looked at it, and exclaimed in surprise, for instead -of the dead man alone, there were three figures -upon the negative, a very good portrait of the corpse, -and on either side a man and a woman, their faces -growing more distinct as they looked. The artist -was as much surprised as my father, and could not -account for the phenomenon. At last they called in -a friend of the family, who at once recognized and -pronounced the portraits to be those of a deceased -brother and sister of the dead man. The widow corroborated -their statements, recognizing them and -calling them by their names. My father ordered the -artist to take another picture, as he wanted to keep -this, and she did so, obtaining one of the dead man -alone. I have not only my father’s word for this, -but that of others who were present at the time and -acquainted with the facts. Certainly, dear Mrs. Wylie, -that could have come only from actual materialized -spirits before the camera.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Unless the images were already stamped upon -the plate by some natural process before the picture -was taken. The glass might have been some old -cast-off negative from a studio; or I have read of -breath pictures stamped upon window-panes by natural, -if not well-understood, forces. There might -have been a mirror behind the dead man, which reflected -your father and the artist as the picture was -being taken. Of course it is very mysterious, but -might have a simple explanation if we could find it. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_110'>110</span>The orientals believe they have astral bodies which -they can project at will. I am willing, I think, to believe -in <em>anything</em>, rather than spirits; for, my dear -friend, even if we grant that the spirits of our dear -departed are near us, and acting as guardian-angels -to us, do you think it would be necessary for them -to resort to so much that is unpleasant and almost -ludicrous in order to make us aware of their presence? -And even if they are able to make themselves -visible to the eye of the camera, is it well for us to -try to communicate with them and to seek to discover -that which God has hidden from us?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My dear, we are told to seek for the <em>truth</em>. And -why, then, is it not well? Surely, if the presence of -my children was dear to me on earth, it is dear to -me now.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, if you were in heaven with them; but I cannot -believe such doubtful converse as this, gotten -through mediumistic agency, can be well for any -one.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I can see no possible harm in it,” returned Mrs. -Lucien, with an air of conviction. “Even Christ materialized -after his crucifixion.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But He didn’t have a cabinet and a medium to -assist Him,” replied Mrs. Wylie, with some asperity. -“There is really so much that is despicable and -demoralizing connected with the history of this belief -that I confess I have little patience with the -followers of it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My dear, wrong has been done in all sects and -societies. Any new belief is apt to draw to itself -many who are no honor to it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_111'>111</span>“But think of all this buffoonery of materialization -in a cabinet, and table-rappings, and tying with -cords, and so forth. I cannot believe in it. Hermann -can surpass it by his magic.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did not Moses and Elijah materialize?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not in a cabinet. Besides, the days of miracles -are passed.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I cannot think so,” said Mrs. Lucien, clasping -her hands and looking upward with a rapturous -glance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well,” said Mrs. Wylie, rising, “I am sorry you -are so much interested in the subject. I have never -seen anything but sorrow come of it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Is there not sorrow everywhere, Mrs. Wylie? -This day is, I think, symbolical of life, or of many -lives.” She threw open a window, and the two stepped -out upon a small balcony above the street.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A heavy calm was over and about all nature. The -whistle of the oncoming train, the rattle of the car -over the pavement was louder and more discordant -than on brighter, sunnier days. Even the voices of -the people on the street grew distinct and harsh, as -the air, damp with the approaching storm, bore their -words with clearness to the twain above them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Little gusts of wind caught up the dust from the -trampled pavement, and whisked it over, in tyrannous -derision, and a dusky, yellow hue shone upon -the faces of humanity. The swinging signs before -the shop creaked and groaned ominously, and the -flag upon the tall pole in the park shook out its folds, -then wound them about the halyards and hung limp -and spiritless.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_112'>112</span>The faint muttering of a cloud skirting the horizon -was at times heard, when the sound of busy humanity -was for a moment hushed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Lucien stood, leaning over the railing of the -veranda, her pale cheek resting in the soft upturned -palm of her hand, and her eyes fixed on the moving -panorama before her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I feel as though listening to the voice of God -coming from yonder storm-cloud,” she said. “How -responsive is all nature to the ominous warning -there. Even the trees seem to be holding their -breaths and waiting for the presence to pass by. Notice -how different is the quiver of the leaflets now -from their usual merry, rollicking dance in the wind -and sunshine at other times.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suppose the atmosphere is more dense and -heavy,” said Mrs. Wylie, determined not to be betrayed -into sentimentality.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I like to think they understand the portent of -the thunder and are afraid,” replied the other. -“They are saying their prayers now, and asking that -they may survive the blows and buffeting of the -coming tempest. Hear the sparrows chirp to call -their families together. To me there is no time so -grand, so inspiring as this.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But if you were in the West, where cyclones are -common, what would you feel?” asked the practical -Mrs. Wylie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Fear, terror, and trembling like the leaves, no -doubt,” replied Mrs. Lucien. “The anger and fury -expressed in a tornado must be dreadful. I shudder -at the thought of it. But after the wind comes a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_113'>113</span>still small voice. Ah, how can people who live and -breathe the beneficent air of heaven, who witness the -wonderful phenomena of nature, say or believe there -is no grand, marvelous unity controlling it all? -Truly, it <em>is</em> the fool who sayeth in his heart, there -is no God.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We can feel His wonderful love and care in the -beautiful earth and flowers about us, can perceive -His righteous law in the retributive justice of all -nature, and His might and omnipotence in the thunder-storm -and cyclone. Ah, it is a wonderful thing -to live, to know that in a little while we shall have -crossed to the other side, beyond time and eternity. -And then we may see and know the Law-giver, this -Almighty One, who carries worlds in his hands, yet -deigns to note a sparrow’s fall.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” assented Mrs. Wylie, “it is a wonderful -thing to live.” But she sighed. She could not forget -the scene that presented itself to her eyes earlier -in the morning, and she bade her friend good-by -abstractedly, and passed out into the hurrying -world upon the street, her mind heavy and oppressed.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_114'>114</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XIII<br> <span class='large'>A DOMESTIC JAR</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Mrs. Wylie went back to her home in a very dissatisfied -frame of mind. She mentally scourged herself -for having been instrumental in bringing Mrs. -Lucien under Dr. Lyman’s influence. The whole -subject was distasteful to her and she resolved to -keep away from Mrs. Lucien as much as possible in -the future. She could not rest, however, until she -had unburdened herself to her husband.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Horace, I am very sorry we ever met Mrs. Lucien,” -she said that evening as they sat in the quiet -of their parlor at the hotel.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Regret meeting Mrs. Lucien?” Mr. Wylie raised -his eyebrows quizzically. “And why, may I ask? -Am I to infer that you do me the honor to be—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, no, of course not. But—I feel that we have -done her harm—an incalculable amount of harm.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We do her harm? Will you be so kind as to explain -your anomalous words? I am not accustomed -to think of myself as a dangerous character, either -specially or as regards the body-politic,” he replied, -frowning.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I mean that, by our aid, she went to hear Dr. -Lyman, and I am afraid his pernicious theories -will ruin her,” faltered Mrs. Wylie, as she detected -her husband’s disapproval.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My dear, I would have you choose your adjectives -<span class='pageno' id='Page_115'>115</span>more carefully. Pernicious is an offensive -word to use in connection with a subject of which -you know so little. Oblige me by deferring your -judgment until you are better acquainted with the -subject. Your blind prejudice is making you censorious.” -Mr. Wylie employed his most lofty tone -and manner.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I never want to know more of the subject, and I -shall always regret that I ever went or took Mrs. -Lucien to hear that man!” Mrs. Wylie’s blue eyes -filled with tears.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, see here, Puss, you seem more out of humor -than usual. What has happened to Mrs. -Lucien?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Matter enough! She is entirely carried away -with that—that Dr. Lyman’s creed,” she stammered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Perhaps you wouldn’t mind telling me where -she has gone,” he suggested with serio-comic gravity.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie smiled through her tears.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, she is here yet, at least in body, but her mind -is up in the clouds roving around after familiar spirits. -She was in some kind of a trance when I went -there to-day, and wrote me a letter purporting to -come from some mystical source.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah?” Mr. Wylie became interested.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It didn’t amount to anything. The whole thing -was dreadful.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why dreadful? Did you keep the letter?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, here it is upon my shopping-tablet.” She -detached the ivory ornament and handed it to him. -He studied it carefully, then said:</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_116'>116</span>“And she was unconscious when she wrote this, -you say?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, apparently.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Strange, strange. It is as I thought. Mrs. Lucien -will develop into a writing medium. It is such -ethereal natures as hers that are chosen.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Horace, I cannot endure the thought of -such a thing.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And why not, pray?” Again his eyebrows were -exasperatingly elevated.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Because there is no good in it. Because it will -ruin her, body and soul. Whoever goes into that belief -does so at his peril. He either becomes insane -or helplessly demoralized before many months or -years.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Where have you learned so much, Mrs. Wylie? -It appears to me I have never seen you so much excited -over anything before. Who has been talking -to you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I heard Mr. Smalley’s address at church last Sunday -evening, which you would not go to hear. He -said it was a most pernicious and dangerous theory -to follow. That it led to—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, I know. It is the wholesale condemnation of -heterodoxy by orthodoxy. It is believe what I believe -or be damned. All else is of the Devil. It has -been the habit of most people since the world began -to denounce as heresy, or ridicule as madness, things -too high for their sight or too deep for their comprehension. -But the day has gone by for this sort of -thing. It is merely a confession of ignorance, now-a-days, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_117'>117</span>to assert a total disbelief in psychic and supernatural -phenomena.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Horace, there is much fraud and trickery -connected with it. Think of that exposé last winter -of that Mrs. Brunner.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, that is liable to happen in any creed or theology. -There are always some who make pretensions -from merely selfish motives.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Horace, this is no theology. That is what -I think so dreadful about it. If people would only -not make a religion of it and accept the utterance of -the so-called spirits for their guide in spiritual maters.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It seems to me spirits should be good guides in -spiritual matters,” said Mr. Wylie, smiling.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Horace, Mr. Smalley said that, as a rule, false -religions always led to sexual immorality; that we -would find the history of spiritism associated with -divorces and worse. Husbands separating from -their wives, wives from their husbands, minds becoming -unbalanced, business neglected, and a general -lowering of the whole social fabric, mentally -and morally. You know, Horace, many spiritists -are free-lovers.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am surprised that my wife has permitted herself -to listen to such utterances. Hereafter, I prefer -you do not go to hear Rev. Mr. Smalley. I will -take you with me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And I will <em>not</em> go with you to any more of those -horrid seances!” said Mrs. Wylie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Very well. I shall not compel you to do so. But -this childish anger and lack of self-control is very -<span class='pageno' id='Page_118'>118</span>distasteful to me. I hope I may not have a repetition -of it.” Mr. Wylie arose and left the room, -while his wife threw herself upon a sofa and shed -tears of anger and grief over this experience of marital -infelicity.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A small wedge may divide in halves a tree, but -when divided no power on earth can unite them as -closely as before; and little cracks in the soil of -home life may form a place for germ deposits in -which dissensions, strife, and all manner of unpleasantness -are bred.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie would not have confessed to her dearest -friends that her life the succeeding winter was -less happy than before, but it was true she felt a -growing estrangement between herself and husband.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He was, possibly, as kind and indulgent as ever, -treating her as a fond parent might treat a wayward -child, but she missed the old-time confidences and -evening talks.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Probably there had never been that true unity of -soul with soul that should constitute the real marriage, -but Elinor Wylie’s husband had always -seemed so proud of her, and fond, that until this -winter she had felt no lack in his affection. But, -alas, so small a thing will turn and divide a shallow -stream, and when turned, how far apart the separate -branches may run. And the ideal marriage of -true unity of thought and purpose is so rarely consummated. -Hence the world of divided lives.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie felt that they were drifting away -from each other, and every wife knows what that -may be. To feel the division growing wider and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_119'>119</span>wider, deeper and more impassable, and be impotent -to stop it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The little coolnesses and differences which are -at first made up with kisses of cementing power -grow more frequent and bitter. The endearing -word is less frequently given. By and by the good-by -kiss is forgotten when he leaves her, the salute of -greeting omitted when he returns, and each heart -grows harder and harder, bitterer and bitterer, until -at last he thinks of her but to censure and condemn, -she of him but to dislike and fear. And finally, -as Byron writes, “Hating one another, wishing -one another dead, they live respectably as man -and wife.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Only the first act of this drama of life had as yet -come to Mrs. Wylie, but the little imp of unrest had -crept into her breast, and the quiet happiness of -other days was no more. Horace Wylie spent less -time at home than formerly, and when there buried -himself in books and papers, and thus the little -woman was left much to herself to seek pleasure and -excitement where she could.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The one thing which caused Mrs. Wylie more -heart-ache than any other was her husband’s growing -interest and adherence to the creed of Dr. Lyman. -Although that subject was tabooed between -them, she knew he regularly attended seances during -the winter and no longer even asked her to accompany -him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie was grievously disappointed in Mrs. -Lucien and went less frequently to see her, for she -knew her friend had been led into giving public seances, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_120'>120</span>and as a writing medium and psychometrist -was being much talked of in the city and sought after -by a certain set, many of whom Mrs. Wylie felt she -would not care to acknowledge as acquaintances, although -they belonged to a psychical society or club -of which Mr. Wylie was a member. This club had -made much of Mrs. Lucien and brought her before -the public.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Hence, Mrs. Wylie, being left to her own resources, -went more in society, was gayer, more extravagant -and fashionable than ever, and little Robert -was left more and more to the care of the remarkable -Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby grew and waxed beautiful, and became -more and more a fact and factor in Mr. Wylie’s -household. She was no longer only nurse to the -child, but companion and friend to Mrs. Wylie. It -was Tibby’s fingers that brushed away the headache -brought on by social dissipation. It was Tibby’s -sympathy and advice that soothed away the little -vexations that sometimes distressed her mistress. -Mrs. Wylie would as soon have thought of giving -up little Robert as this Tibby who had grown into -her heart and love. Even Mr. Wylie was not insensible -to the charm of her presence. He began to -treat her more as a daughter of the house and indulge -her in any whim or fanciful taste she might entertain.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Truly, Tibby was in a fair way to become spoiled, -according to his earlier theories; but Mr. Wylie -seemed to have forgotten those early fears, and now -helped in the spoiling.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_121'>121</span>And thus, when Mr. Wylie’s business required his -removal to the Pacific slope, Tibby went with this -family of her adoption, secure in her present and future -needs.</p> - -<p class='c005'>And there, among strangers and strange scenes -she was known as the adopted daughter of the -wealthy Mr. Wylie. Teachers were procured for -her, and a broader culture and further accomplishments -were added to the native graces of our little -country girl.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tom and Bess became pleasant memories of that -past which now seemed to Tibby so far away, and -though she laughed and shed tears occasionally over -their misspelled and somewhat illegible letters, she -no longer pined for the companions of her childhood.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_122'>122</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XIV<br> <span class='large'>BEFORE THE PUBLIC</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The large hall of the Lennox is filled with a curious -and heterogeneous assemblage of men and -women. The majority of those present are believers -in spiritism, and ready and more than willing to -credit all the phenomena witnessed to spirit agency. -A few are there who came in the honest endeavor -to learn the truth and to discover if there is something -in the mystic realms beyond the sight which -may be made clear to their comprehension. There -are others, however, who came with malice aforethought, -desiring to thwart and expose the trickery -which they believe is practised by the medium.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Before all this multitude she whom we have called -Mrs. Lucien appears to give an exhibition of psychometric -reading and slate-writing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She has changed slightly since we saw her. She is -even thinner and more ethereal looking than she was -then. Her eyes have a pained, timid look in them, -as if the life she is leading is fraught with haunting -ghosts and mocking spectres, with tortured nerves -and sleepless nights. Mrs. Lucien has had much to -cause her extreme dejection and pain.</p> - -<p class='c005'>These exhibitions which she gives are for the most -part but as dreams to her. She has little realization -of what she says or does in the trance state into -which she passes. But it has happened once or twice -<span class='pageno' id='Page_123'>123</span>that she has been unable to become fully passive and -entranced. Then she has been obliged to simulate -such a condition or wholly disappoint her audience -and make an utter failure of her work. It is the fear -of this deception, to which she may be compelled to -resort at any time, which frightens her and fills her -with self-loathing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She has that fear upon her now as she comes forward -and sits down before the audience, her pale face -waxen in the gaslight.</p> - -<p class='c005'>If she should fail! She sits very still, seeking to -hold her thoughts in abeyance, that she may woo -that sweet forgetfulness and waking dream which -reveals to her the mysteries of the invisible.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It is coming.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Her hands grow cold and sink weightily upon her -lap. She feels the mystic power enveloping her, -creeping down, over and around her. The lights -grow dimmer and dimmer. Her eyelids are -freighted with leaden compresses.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Soon eyes and ears are closed to all external sights -and sounds. Strange melodies, fitful and harmonious, -sound within, and strange lights, like electric -sparks, flash across and illumine the recesses of her -brain.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She feels as if mind and body had become separate -and apart. Thoughts new and uncalled for come to -overwhelm her. Then voices from out of the distance -are heard. Words, words come in numbers, -half-consciously to her lips, but she hears them as -afar off. She sees with closed eyes, and in this inner -vision message after message written out before her.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_124'>124</span>Words written upon a scrap of paper and crushed -in her hand stand out in bright distinctness before -her mental vision. Words in languages other than -those she speaks are known to her. She forgets -them as soon as uttered. No—hark! “Tell Harry -his mother is waiting for him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Did her lips utter those words? She cannot tell. -Words, words, words—where do they come from? -She is under control. No power or volition of her -own consciousness moves her. Songs, sweet songs, -she hears. Does she sing them? Is she out of mortal -life or in it?</p> - -<p class='c005'>It is over!</p> - -<p class='c005'>The world in which she has been living floats -away like evanescent smoke in ether-filled space. -She awakens to the unfriendly glare of the foot-lights, -the restless, garish crowd, the unfeeling -world again.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Ugh! She shudders. If she could never more -waken. Whence comes this pain, this actual pain -which racks her?</p> - -<p class='c005'>Even that is over at last, and she can arise and escape -from it all. How gladly she would shut herself -up in her own little room with Dolores again. But -it must not be. The five dollars a night for these -exhibitions must be earned and laid by for Dolores.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She puts on her wraps and enters her carriage to -be whirled away to the hotel, her temporary abiding -place. What are her thoughts and reflections upon -this lonely, homeward ride!</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O God, O God!” she is saying; “show me -some other way! Am I wrong, wicked to do this? -<span class='pageno' id='Page_125'>125</span>Where does it come from, this power? From Thee -or from the shades of darkness? If I only knew! -If I only knew! Why did it ever come to me? Why -should my life be so differently ordered from that of -other and happier women? Can it be I am the same -who was once safe and sheltered in the comforts of -home? Safe? Did not the serpent enter my Eden—even -there?</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O God! why did it come? Can this life be -real? If I could but waken and find it all a dream.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_126'>126</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XV<br> <span class='large'>WELCOME GUESTS</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>We will pass over the first few years of Lissa’s pioneer -life, only mentioning one or two experiences -which, though common to that section of the country, -brought terror and anxiety to the heart of our -little bright-eyed woman. Again they experienced -the sweeping of a prairie fire near them, when Nathan -came expecting to find their home in ashes, and -another hour when a blizzard drove them terrorstricken -to their dug-out, where, during the long -night, they listened to the shrieking and pounding -of the elements, expecting every moment to have the -roof torn from the house.</p> - -<p class='c005'>There had been seasons of famine and distress, -too, when neighbors had been obliged to turn to each -other for aid, and the higher and diviner attributes -of mankind had shone forth as gold from the crucible, -and others, alas! had been proven so encased in -the rock of selfishness that when Famine’s gaunt -wolf howled about they thought only of themselves -and their own safety, and consoled their consciences -by quoting, “Charity begins at home.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>But these trials had drawn the little community -more closely together, and the habit of calling each -other by the first name became general, showing the -unity of feeling among them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan, owing to his winter employment, escaped -<span class='pageno' id='Page_127'>127</span>the privations common to many, and Mark, also, had -not to depend upon the mutability of the seasons for -a livelihood.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa had grown fully in the enjoyment of her -home; and in the company of her bright-eyed little -daughter, who pattered about the house, adding to -her joy as well as care, she realized the ideal life of -a mother. What is it to her that away in the East -the luxuries of life are magnified, and things unessential -to her are there necessities?</p> - -<p class='c005'>She has enough to eat, enough to wear, so far as -comfort demands; and the fashion periodical which -is sent to her each month keeps her in touch with the -outside world. She can fashion the simple fabrics -which serve to replenish her wardrobe after the latest -modes. She reads the daily papers, sent to her in -bundles six or eight at a time, and is familiar with -the doings of metropolitans. If the time shall ever -come when she shall need to go back to city life she -will be ready.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Look at her now as she steps to the door in anticipation -of Nathan’s home-coming. Her shining ringlets -hang about her fair face in the way her husband -loves best to see them; her arched, short upper lip -describes the Cupid’s bow over the full under one, -and her large, luminous black eyes, gleaming with -slumbering fires, look out upon the smooth, sunlit -expanse before her. She is a beautiful and charming -picture of a happy and contented wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A half hour later Nathan entered and greeted the -little woman tenderly, while he noted with the eye of -love the pallor of the upturned face.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_128'>128</span>“I am afraid the care of baby and all is getting to -be too much for you again,” he said. “I must get -Neoka back from the post to help you. I think she -will prove more tractable, now the Quakers have had -her in charge so long. I want you to get out more. -You are getting to look too much like a cellar plant. -Besides, we have visitors coming and I want you to -have time to enjoy them.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa’s eyes dilated eagerly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Nate, it can’t be—Who is it? It <em>can’t be</em>—<em>mamma</em>?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, dear, and Donald.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mamma and Donald? But how did they come -together? Where are they? O Nate, I don’t understand!” -And Lissa pressed her hand to her heart.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There, there, dear. Don’t get excited. I’m -afraid I’ve told you too suddenly. Your mother -stopped with Alice to have me come on and let you -know. They’ll be here after a little while. Donald -is out tethering the ponies, and waiting, for the -same reason.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Nate, now I’m entirely happy!” And Lissa -caught up the child and laughed and cried while she -kissed it ecstatically.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hello, sis! Aren’t you embracing the wrong -one? You might save a little for the rest of us.” -Lissa looked up to see Donald’s laughing face framed -in the doorway. She extended both hands to him. -“O Don, I’m so happy, I don’t know whether to -laugh or cry!” she gasped, her tears mingling with -her smiles.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, Lissa, I don’t actually know which is the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_129'>129</span>more becoming to you—perhaps both. I always did -like April weather. You are fully as dazzling as a -rainbow now. It was rather bad for us to come and -surprise you, that’s a fact; but I knew you wouldn’t -mind me, and Nathan tells me you didn’t receive -your mother’s letter.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, and I’m glad I didn’t. I could never have -waited for her to get here; no, <em>never</em>! I should have -started alone across the prairies, horseback, to meet -her. But how changed you are, Don. You look so -much taller and bigger, and—my!—so much older!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, it’s the added wisdom of my college years,” -replied Donald with assumed gravity. “That’s what -ages a fellow. It’s the Greek and Latin that you -see sticking out all over me that has changed me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa looked up into the smiling eyes of this big -brother and wondered if it was those four years of -hard study that had so chiseled and thinned the boyish -face of her remembrance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suspect that mustache is responsible for some -of the change,” she said aloud.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“So? Shall I shave it off? It’s an outgrowth of -<i><span lang="la" xml:lang="la">calculus</span></i>.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, you’re all right as you are. I’m not sure but -you’re improved.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, that morsel of flattery is sweet, at last, and -I’ve been fishing for it so long,” said Donald, with -an expansive sigh. “I rather expected you to say -at once, ‘how much handsomer you’ve grown!’”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am very glad I did not say it,” said Lissa, with -a grimace. “But I see mamma coming. Excuse -me, Donald, I must run to meet her!” and Lissa, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_130'>130</span>with all the abandon of a school-girl, ran down the -path to meet the stately mother, whose tears were -ready to mingle with those of her beloved child. -And when, a few moments later, Lissa came in -clinging fondly to the maternal arm, the crimson -flush of excited pleasure in her cheeks, the intervening -years seemed to have been stricken out and one -saw but the girl of sixteen who so trustingly gave -her future into Nathan’s care and bade good-by to -Donald in his Iowa home.</p> - -<p class='c005'>But there is little Lucy to be shown to grandma, -and kissed and commented upon, and the tea is cold, -and the cakes in danger of being spoiled before -Lissa is recalled to her duties as hostess.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, Donald, dear, I shall let you all starve, I -am sure, before I can bring myself down to such -mundane affairs as bread and butter again. How -delightful this is. I didn’t know I was homesick -before, but now I think I must have been. But how -did you happen to be with mother, Don?” she babbled.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Our meeting was ‘purely accidental,’ as the fiction -writers say. I saw her at the station and heard -her inquiring for a carriage to bring her out here, -and so I made bold to introduce myself. Of course -she saw at a glance the honesty in my face, and knew -I was a confidence man—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, oh!” cried Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And I told her I was a poor navigator bound for -the same harbor and we set sail together,” Donald -concluded.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Clyne nodded. “That is true, notwithstanding -<span class='pageno' id='Page_131'>131</span>Mr. Bartram’s rather mixed metaphor,” she -said, smiling.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, how strangely it happened, and fortunately. -And now you will spend the winter with us; and you, -too, I hope, Donald.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have to take charge of a surveying party for -a few weeks. After that I may be back to spend -some time here.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, yes, I remember you are a civil engineer. -You will enjoy the hunting in the winter on the buffalo -grounds.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not hunting buffalo, I hope. At the rate they -are being slaughtered they will soon be extinct,” said -Nathan.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Never fear, Nathan, I’ve little taste that way. -It’s too noble an animal,” replied Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, now, I have made new tea, and we will -have supper. It’s <em>supper</em> here, mother, instead of -<em>dinner</em>, and I know you are all ravenously hungry -after your long ride of twenty-five miles from the -station.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It seems to me an extremely long distance to be -from a railway,” said Mrs. Clyne, after they were -seated around the table, where Lissa’s silver shone -resplendent. “How did you happen to come so far -from one when you bought?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan smiled.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I took up the land first, believing at the time the -line would run nearer, and it is only a question of -time when it will do so.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suppose this is a great farming country.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We have much to contend with here,” said Nathan. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_132'>132</span>“The ground is rich, but has little depth. -We are liable to have a wind-storm that will carry -the land from one farm to another.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Free transportation and exchange of farms,” said -Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes; again, we have a fine crop of grain or corn -nearly in ear, when there will come a hot wind and -sear the leaves like a fire. We are never quite sure, -or able to prognosticate here for the future, whether -we will have corn, beans, and potatoes to eat, beans -and potatoes, or whether it will be beans alone.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And you sometimes have real fires,” said Mrs. -Clyne. “I have worried about them ever since the -one you wrote me about, which Lissa fought. How -did you do it, dear?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Really, I don’t know. I was so frightened that -I didn’t have time to think. The grass was not so -high on this side of the river or I don’t know what -might have happened.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Lissa aided in turning the fire. I doubt if it -would have spared us otherwise,” said Nathan.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I shall always believe it a real miracle that time,” -said Lissa. “It was only a day or two before that -that Nathan had brought the calves around to crop -the grass before the house. Had it not been for that, -it surely would have burned. And who inspired him -to bring them just when he did?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think you all learned something that time,” said -Alice. “You have since followed Mark’s example -and kept the grass cut around the house. But there’s -always danger in the fall, when the weeds are high -in the outlying fields.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_133'>133</span>“When Mr. Elmer’s house was burned it was -nearly as terrifying. Nathan was thirty-five miles -from home, and men came across the fields and -lighted back fires for me. The wind was driving -the flames up from the south and burning corn-fields -and houses by the way,” Lissa said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How dreadful! You sometimes have it very cold -here also,” said Mrs. Clyne.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, but we are used to that, and our houses are -warm. Don’t worry about that, mother.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly not, I can stand it if you can, I am sure. -But how are you off socially? Have you pleasant -neighbors?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, indeed, and neighbors are neighbors, here. -We call each other by the first name,—that is, most -of us do,—and we are not above borrowing from -one another when necessary.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I should think not,” laughed Alice. “We have -often loaned our dresses and shoes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And that isn’t all.” And then the twain looked -at each other and laughed again.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t see how you ever became accustomed to -it, girls. You were brought up to such a different -life,” Mrs. Clyne remarked.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, it’s easy, just as easy as learning to skate,” -responded Lissa, not finding at hand any more suitable -comparison. “It comes to one naturally in a -little time.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Clyne shook her head. “I’m afraid it -wouldn’t come to me. I’m too old.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, now mother, don’t think that. You’ll really -enjoy it. And we have some really nice people -<span class='pageno' id='Page_134'>134</span>here. The McClearys, for instance; and the Davitts -and the Youngs and the Garretts. Then we -<em>know</em> every one for miles away, and intimately.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” said Alice, “we know all the private affairs -of each other. If Mrs. Garrett gets a new dress all -the neighbors know of it, and if I have company to -tea, or make plum butter, it is known from here to -C——”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, it’s all beyond me,” Mrs. Clyne sighed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And when we visit one another we take our work -along and stay to tea,” giggled Lissa, “whether we -are invited or not.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And just think, mother, I have been in a carriage -but once or twice since we came here. I always go -horseback,” added Alice. “And Donald,—I’m sure -you’ll allow me to follow our custom out here and -call you so, as you are one of the family,—the young -folks go ‘sparking’ out here, and—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And sit in the corner and hold each other’s -hands,” put in Nathan.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Whew, that sounds interesting. I’m booked for -at least one winter here. Are the girls pretty?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Most assuredly, and there are heaps of them, as -we say here. There are more girls than boys, for -some reason. Really I don’t know of more than half -a dozen marriageable young <em>men</em> in this section.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suppose with so much land in sight they preempt -a portion and marry to live upon, and secure -it,” said Donald. “But who are the girls?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, there are the Pemberton twins, who look -so exactly alike you could never tell which was -which,” continued Alice.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_135'>135</span>“That sounds interesting! Two fair ones must be -better than one. Shall I put a mem. in my note-book -concerning them?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It will not be necessary. You will see them soon -enough, and will rarely see one without the other. -They are quite the rage, and have cropped yellow -curls, and milky blue eyes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald lifted his eyebrows quizzically.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Lissa is such a fine word photographist, one can -see their very image,” he said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, Don, leave the women to their gossip and -come with me,” said Nathan. “I want a history of -the old home since you were here.” And the two -men sauntered out into the night and the wonderful -silence of the moonlit prairie.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_136'>136</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XVI<br> <span class='large'>AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Among the visitors at Lissa’s home was one whom -she at first received with scant hospitality, if not actual -discourtesy. This was Professor Russell.</p> - -<p class='c005'>How he had chanced to come to their neighborhood -she never knew. He had accompanied her husband -home from the post one evening, and the dismay -she felt at the sight of him had not been easily -disguised.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Why he should have sought them was a question -that often returned to her as the months brought frequent -visits from him, sometimes prolonged into -weeks of sojourn in the neighborhood. Sometimes -for months nothing would be seen of him, then suddenly -he would appear like a dangerous comet, -bringing a feeling of uneasiness to Lissa, wherefore -she could not have told.</p> - -<p class='c005'>When inquired of as to his wanderings and uncertain -appearances, he always said he had been in -the East, but added no further account of himself.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa at first distrusted and disliked him instinctively. -His bland, insinuating manner was thrown -away upon her, she told herself.</p> - -<p class='c005'>And yet she feared him too much to refuse him -admittance to her home. Since that night when, at -the house of Squire Bartram, he had so accurately -described her brother-in-law’s encounter with the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_137'>137</span>Sioux she had not doubted his power of divination -or clairvoyance, or whatever the faculty might be -termed. But it was an uncanny, unpleasant power, -and she felt a shudder of superstitious terror whenever -he approached her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She would have been glad of any justifiable pretext -to keep him from visiting them, and was happy -when the weeks would roll by without his appearing -among them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>This feeling, however, gradually wore away in -some measure as she became more accustomed to his -presence, and as her sister, and later her mother, became -interested in his theories, she began to tolerate -with more patience his teaching of spiritism.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He held frequent seances in the neighborhood, and -many of the families about her had become more or -less interested in the doctrines, few of them openly -opposing them and their teacher, except her handsome -brother-in-law, Mark Cramer. He was outspoken -in his condemnation of both the man and his -<em>ism</em>.</p> - -<p class='c005'>One mild November afternoon, when the sisters -and mother were together at Lissa’s home, the name -of a sister who had died in infancy was mentioned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If,” said Alice, “there is any truth in Professor -Russell’s communications, I would like to have him -bring me word from Elsie. No one here, not even -Mark, knows of her having existed, as we so rarely -mention her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa assented, and observed that it was the anniversary -of her death, the thirteenth of November.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Before they had finished their conversation upon -<span class='pageno' id='Page_138'>138</span>the topic they were startled by a rap at the outer -door and Lissa opened it to see the ubiquitous Professor -himself, who, after shaking hands with the -sisters and Mrs. Clyne, seated himself, and without -asking for either Nathan or Mark, observed suavely:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“As both of your husbands are to be at home to-day, -I called to see if we might not invite in some of -the neighbors and hold a seance this evening.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But Nathan is absent,” said Lissa, “and will not -be home until Saturday.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And Mark is out upon the plains, forty miles -from here,” added Alice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The Professor smiled indulgently.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They are both coming home and will be here before -evening,” he said with an air of assurance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The three women exchanged glances. Was this -but talk, or did he have the power of unveiling the -future as well as the past? Or did he clairvoyantly -see Nathan and Mark directing their course thither-ward?</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You speak with conviction, Professor,” Lissa at -length replied. “Have you received intelligence -from the absent ones which is not known to us?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That which I see, ye cannot now perceive,” the -man said sententiously. “Yet the time is coming -when you as well shall have the power to lift the veil -which hides the dreaded unknown and learn the -mysteries which are only revealed to those who are -willing to seek in the right manner and submit themselves -to the spirit influences which surround them. -You can never know, Mrs. Clyne, the peace you will -experience when you have ceased to resist and rebel -<span class='pageno' id='Page_139'>139</span>against the gentle influences which seek only to promote -your happiness and well-being. There is one -angelic form now hovering about you and anxiously -striving to win recognition from those so near and -dear to her when on earth.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Can you tell her name,” questioned Lissa, as the -man, with his eye fixed upon the opposite wall, -paused and seemed wrapped in thought.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is a woman, young and beautiful. She must -be a near relative. Her name is E-l-s-i-e—Elsie.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice looked at her mother with awe-shaded eyes. -Whence did this man’s knowledge come? It was -certainly remarkable. He could not have known -Elsie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Further speculation or conversation was arrested -by the sound of a horse’s feet outside the door, and -in a moment the handsome, smiling face of Mark -Cramer appeared. His curling, yellow hair hung in -womanish profusion to his powerful shoulders, over -which a large soft hat rested becomingly. His hunting -costume of gray, with belt and pistols, spoke of -his wild, free life; and his clear blue eyes, florid -complexion, and Herculean frame made a magnificent -picture of manly strength and perfection, as for a -brief time he stood framed in the open doorway -against the back-ground of the setting sun.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A moment later, and Alice, with a little cry of welcome, -sprang to greet him. The Professor aroused -himself from his semi-trance, and Mrs. Clyne and -Lissa were extending their hands and expressing -surprise at his coming.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How did you chance to come home so much earlier -<span class='pageno' id='Page_140'>140</span>than you expected?” Alice asked radiantly, when -the greetings were over and they were seated. “We -did not look for you for a fortnight.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We lost one of our men, Wish-has-ta, and as he -was to marry Enona, daughter of the chief, when he -returned, we thought it our first duty to look him -up, and so started back to see what had become of -him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And did you find him?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, yes, in town. He had become separated -from us by buffalo. The mad little mustang he -rode kept along with the herd, in spite of him, for -several miles, or until at last he came to a ravine and -managed to fall into it. He narrowly escaped being -trampled to death as the herd went over him, but -he got out with only a few injuries. He lost his -pony, however, and instead of following us, made -his way back to camp. He left word at C—— that -he was safe, as he knew we’d be looking for him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And did you see Nathan,” asked Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, he’ll be home to-night too. I came into -C—— early and called at his place of business. -That’s a fine place Nathan has, with the Major. -Good pay and light duties. Much better than his -position at the post.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, only it keeps him away from home more. -And so you will both be here to-night after all. -Professor Russell, you have in this case proven a true -prophet.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I trust I am in every case,” he replied, with an -expressive gesture of the hand. “I do not rely upon -lying spirits for my information.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_141'>141</span>“Well,” said Lissa, not perceiving Mark’s frown -of disapproval, “if we have a seance here to-night -we must get word to our neighbors.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I will myself go and call Mrs. McCleary and -good Auntie Dearborn,” said Russell, “and will get -word to the Jenkinsons and Sol Garrett, if you -wish.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Be sure and have Esther McCleary present,” said -Mrs. Clyne. “I am greatly interested in that girl.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly; no meeting would be complete without -her,” responded Russell, bowing himself from -the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Esther will not come if she can avoid it,” said -Alice after the Professor had gone. “She feels deeply -mortified because of the exhibition she was forced -to make of herself at Mr. Jenkinson’s. She herself -has no faith in spiritism, even though her mother is -so absorbed in it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Poor girl, I pity her,” Lissa said. “It is a shame -the way her mother misuses her. Letting her have -all the care of that large family, while she sits in her -easy chair and holds communion with spirits, as she -claims.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Was she always like that,” asked Mrs. Clyne. “I -confess she impresses me as being just a little out,” -tapping her forehead significantly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She was quite an invalid when she first came -here,” replied Lissa, “and of course the burden of -household care fell upon Esther, and since Mrs. -McCleary has been in better health she does not seem -inclined to shoulder responsibility of any kind, and -Esther is cook, housekeeper, and nurse to those children, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_142'>142</span>as entirely as though she were the only -woman about the house. She is a delicate girl, too, -and must break down soon if she is not relieved of -some of her burdens, I’m afraid.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mrs. McCleary was all right until she became a -convert to this accursed spiritism,” said Mark. “I -have known her for years. She used to live near -my old home in Iowa, and was a good, capable -woman; but she seems now to have no interest in -anything that does not come from the other world. -If Esther should die and become a spirit she might -become an object of her interest and solicitude. I -am utterly disgusted with Russell and all of his -nonsense about spirit manifestations, and revelations, -and the like. In my opinion, all the spirit he communes -with is the spirit of evil, his Satanic majesty. -I can’t have a bit of faith in the fellow, and I believe -Nathan feels as I do about it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, come now,” said Alice, “you are too bad, -Mark. Professor Russell certainly believes in his -creed himself, and is honest in his convictions, -whether they be right or wrong.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I even doubt that,” replied Mark.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He foretold your coming here to-day. What -do you think of that?” asked Alice triumphantly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think he probably saw Wish-has-ta, who told -him we would certainly come back for him, or possibly -he may have seen me in C—— after my arrival. -I stopped there several hours. Depend upon it, he -learned it from no disembodied spirit.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And more than that, Mark, he told us about our -<span class='pageno' id='Page_143'>143</span>sister Elsie, and I am sure he could not have heard -about her,” Alice continued.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Unless he may have heard you talking about her, -with mother or Lissa, lately.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa flushed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How suspicious you are, Mark. I am sure he -might have learned these things through spirit -agency, as well as many others which can be explained -in no other way.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How do you know, Alice, that they can be explained -in no other way?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But have not all tribes and races believed in spiritualism -since the beginning of the world,” said Mrs. -Clyne.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“In a kind of spiritualism, perhaps; so have they -believed in many other <em>isms</em>, but that does not prove -them true,” replied Mark. “The heathen searchers -after God have found Him in the water, in the fire, -in the sun, and in the creatures of His making, and -have worshiped the spirit of the universe as manifested -in material things; but these so-called spiritists -put aside the Creator and make a religion of a -belief in spirits of mortals, like themselves.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But do you not think this should strengthen one’s -faith in the soul’s immortality? Are we not spirits -living in material bodies? And when the material -body dies, if our spirits are immortal, why should -not they seek to manifest themselves to their friends -on earth? I am sure if you would read Davis’s -works you would have less scepticism,” said Alice -with some warmth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Alice, have you been reading them?” Mark spoke -<span class='pageno' id='Page_144'>144</span>quickly and almost harshly. The color deepened in -Alice’s face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly I have, and many others. What harm -can come of learning all one can? I am sure we -should not condemn any creed until we investigate -it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark frowned. “Where did you get all these -books?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Professor Russell has brought them to us, and -mother, Lissa and I have read them at his request, -and I assure you we have been much interested in -them.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“All of them, as well as Swedenborg, teach sound -morality and oppose evil.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Your Bible teaches you that, Alice; and as I understand -it, it does <em>not</em> teach you that the spirit of -mortal man comes back on earth to perform the absurd -feats of overturning tables, rapping and tapping -upon furniture, making it dance around the -room, and like antics. It seems to me, if I were a -spirit, I would prefer to be engaged in some more -dignified occupation.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I hope, Mark,” said Mrs. Clyne, “you won’t let -prejudice make you unjust. There is certainly much -about this matter which we cannot understand, and -is it not our duty to learn all we can?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mother, there <em>is</em> much about this that I don’t understand, -neither do I understand how the juggler -or the East Indian magician performs his marvelous -feats, nor can I see that it is necessary for us to -know.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_145'>145</span>“But if the knowing would be valuable to us? If -we should learn from it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have great faith in my mother’s Bible. I believe -that teaches all the religion it is wisdom for us -to understand. I prefer the teachings of Christ and -his disciples to any disembodied spirit, good or bad,—the -Professor admits that evil as well as good spirits -commune with mortals,—and I never have seen -any really good results from a belief in spiritism. -‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ I find that in -many instances its believers become its victims, and -either end their days in a mad-house or permit themselves -to drift into free-love doctrines or some other -demoralizing fad, until they become unprincipled -and lose the respect of their fellow-men. This much -I have learned from observation, and I have yet to -see one person whom this belief has made better, nobler, -or more useful to society. Nor, in my opinion, -improved in what pertains to good morality and -good citizenship.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice looked abashed, but Lissa said:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid you will not relish spending your -first evening here at a spirit-seance. I am sorry that -the Professor happened to come at this time.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I prefer to be here if Alice is to be present at such -a meeting; in fact, I strongly object to her attending -one in my absence,” Mark said. “I will say in -all sincerity, I wish she and you had never seen this -Russell or heard of his abominable <em>ism</em>. I am -sorry that you have been fed on such literature as he -has been sending you, and I regret more, that you -have given enough credence to it to tolerate his society -<span class='pageno' id='Page_146'>146</span>or his absurd seances. He is, in my opinion, -a gross humbug.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But that is only your <em>opinion</em>, Mark,” suggested -Alice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t believe there is any mystery about this -that cannot be explained by one of three hypotheses: -first, animal magnetism or hypnotism; second, jugglery -or sleight of hand in the medium; third, -thought transference, mind-reading and telepathy, or -perhaps I should say the force, not yet well understood, -that makes these things possible. These, -aided by the excited and overwrought imagination -of the witnesses, can produce any phenomena adduced. -There are men with strong wills, sufficient -to control entirely those with whom they come in -contact, and make them do, think, feel or believe -whatever they suggest. We have frequently seen -these exhibitions from traveling mesmerists, who -make no pretense to spiritism, nor attribute their -power to spirit agency. I believe the Davenport -brothers perform their feats in the same manner. It -seems to me that our mind, like our body, is dual, -and that one part of it can come entirely under the -control of another person if we are sufficiently interested -in anything to be off our guard. How differs -this spiritism from the Babylonian necromancy? -Undoubtedly there is a force which, if understood -by man, would enable him to put himself in a hypnotic -state at will, and when in that state to see -clairvoyantly, hear clair-audiently, and communicate -with other minds or intelligences in the same condition. -Hence the remarkable clairvoyant dreams, visions, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_147'>147</span>etc., which come under peculiar stresses of excitement. -There is a queer thing about this force -which may manifest itself in another way. I remember -that when I was at college we boys used to -try this experiment. We would place one of our -number in a chair and two of us would lift him high -from the floor—while he held tightly to the chair—by -merely placing the little fingers of one hand under -the bend of his knees and the forefingers of the -other hand under his elbows. We would use no -force, seemingly, in lifting him, and he would appear -but a featherweight, but we would all hold -our breath at the same instant and <em>think</em> of lifting -him. We lifted men weighing two hundred pounds -in this way. Ordinarily the muscles of those fingers -would not sustain such a weight. What then was -the force which aided us? Mind-reading is a proven -fact, as is hypnotism. Subjects in the hands of a -hypnotist will imagine themselves Napoleon, Washington, -or any individual suggested, and assume the -character and carriage of such individuals, talking, -reasoning, and affirming in harmony with the character -assumed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why then should we attribute everything of this -kind seen at a spirit seance to spirits?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Professor Russell is clairvoyant,” said Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But clairvoyancy, or psychic force, is not spiritism, -and those mediums are either self-deceived or -deceive their audiences by their legerdemain. I can -understand that in some instances they might be self-deceived, -as a hypnotic subject, by suggestion. It -seems this second intelligence of ours will reason -<span class='pageno' id='Page_148'>148</span>from a false starting point as well as from a correct -one, and, given a false suggestion—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Mark,” again interrupted Alice, “you are -only giving your opinion and we all have a right to -our own individual opinions, and we think and reason -for ourselves.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark sighed. “Yes, only do not let that Professor -think and reason for you. Read your Bible, and -pray God that you may not be deceived.” Then, -passing his hand caressingly over her fair hair he -continued lightly, “Don’t you think we have had -enough of this for the present?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes; only—Mark, I want to say one thing. The -Bible contains many passages which confirm the -truth of spiritism. Don’t you remember the fingers -of a man’s hand that wrote upon the wall at Belshazzar’s -feast?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, some more of Russell’s thinking for you. -That is the worst of it. Almost anything may be -proven by the Bible in the hands of a skilful and unscrupulous -manipulator, who quotes solitary texts -without reference to the subject which precedes or -follows them. Professor Russell has doubtless -called your attention to many such ‘proofs.’ Beware -of the blind leaders of the blind, Alice. I do not -object to the spiritualism of the Bible, which comes -from God; but I do make a distinction between that -and the modern spiritism, which consists of buffoonery -and worse. This demon worship, or worship -of spirits who like to assume the form and speech -of an Indian child, or ignorant buffoon, is ridiculous. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_149'>149</span>Let me see, what was it Mrs. Jenkins said her -mother appeared in?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“In the form of a morning-glory,” said Lissa, -laughing. “But I didn’t know before, Mark, that -you were such a theologian.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark smiled.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I went to Sunday-school when I was a boy, and -I had a praying mother and father. Besides, I used -to hear the Bible read each day when I was at home, -and one does not forget his early lessons.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, come to tea now. I think your ride and -talk must have given you an appetite.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It does not require a canter over the prairies nor -a dissertation on spiritism to give me that when you -are the cook,” he replied gallantly, and the party -gathered about the table.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Later, when Lissa and her mother were busy in -the other room, Alice approached her husband.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did I understand you to say that you did not -wish me to see Professor Russell when you are -away?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I may not have said as much, but I should much -prefer you do not.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice’s cheeks reddened and she lifted her chin angrily.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” repeated Mark, noticing her rising color, -“I mean what I say. Russell must keep away from -my house in my absence.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And I say—” began Alice, but paused as the door -opened and Nathan entered, accompanied by the -light-hearted, fun-loving Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Don, we just needed you. Every one is so -<span class='pageno' id='Page_150'>150</span>sepulchral here to-night,” cried Lissa. Then she continued -in a half-whisper to Mark: “Even Professor -Russell has no power over Donald. He did not foretell -<em>his</em> coming.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mne! I suspect he would have been willing to -have excused his absence,” remarked Mrs. Clyne.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You do look a little solemncholy, that’s a fact,” -Donald said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t we? And all because we are going to -have a spirit seance to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan started.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How does this happen,” he asked. “I thought -that Russell had left the neighborhood.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He has returned. It’s the old story of the bad -penny,” replied Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Isn’t it the still older story of the serpent in the -garden?” suggested Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I think you’ve hit it, Don,” said Mark. “The -cloven hoof is in evidence and he leaves a trail of -brimstone behind him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That must have been what made this room look -so blue when we came in. His excellency must have -been here, I take it. Are there not yet blue flames -playing in the corners?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If not there will be, doubtless, before the evening -is over. But I must make haste or you two hungry -men will not get any supper. Come, sit down and -eat before it is cold.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I, for one, need no second bidding,” said Donald.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_151'>151</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XVII<br> <span class='large'>AN OLD-TIME SEANCE AMIDST OLD-TIME SCENES AND OLD-TIME FOLKS</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>When the tea things had been carried away and -stowed with the washed and shining dishes in the -cupboard at one side of the room, the floor swept, -and the apartments made tidy, Lissa ushered into it, -as first to arrive, Mr. Jenkinson and Mrs. Jenkinson -and their mother, Mrs. Price.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They were English people, and firm converts to -spiritism, Mrs. Price being so absorbed in it as to -appear of unbalanced mind. Mrs. Jenkinson had a -delicate constitution and a nervous temperament, -which made her easily excited and wrought upon. -Already she figured as a medium.</p> - -<p class='c005'>They were soon joined by Solomon Garrett, a -stoutly built farmer of the neighborhood, who had, -several years before this, come from Scotland with -a party of Mormon emigrants. When met by the -plural-marriage doctrine he had renounced his faith -and refused to continue his journey to Salt Lake -City. Subsequently he had located on the Nebraska -plain. His conversion to this new creed of spiritism -had been recent and half-hearted.</p> - -<p class='c005'>With him were the Pemberton twins, two pale, -fair-haired young ladies, who looked so exactly alike -as to appear one and the same person. No one except -their mother could identify them, and it was said -<span class='pageno' id='Page_152'>152</span>that in their childhood she was liable to whip Clementina -for the sins of Seraphina.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The young ladies themselves seemed to enjoy the -confusion they caused, and dressed always in twin -gowns, imitating closely each other’s speeches and -gestures. It has been asserted on the best of authority, -their own words and their mother’s, that if one -was ill the other one was likewise affected. And -since they had become spiritists they claimed to have -been visited by the same visions and communications.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Following the Pemberton twins came the McCleary -family, whom I shall more fully describe.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Those present were the father, mother, son, -George and daughter Esther.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. McCleary was a small, quiet, pale, sleek, red-eyed, -inoffensive little man, usually known as Mrs. -McCleary’s husband. He seemed to feel it his -bounden duty to affirm all his wife’s statements, and -when asked a question had a way of casting an imploring -glance at her,—as if begging her to answer -for him, which she usually did,—but who, so far as -known, was a kind, indulgent father to his children, -and an honest and industrious neighbor. When not -otherwise engaged, Mr. McCleary might be found -amusing himself with a planchette. With it he -talked, reasoned, and speculated upon the problem of -life. Sometimes he whispered to the partner of his -bosom certain wonderful secrets which he believed -the planchette had imparted to him. And—they -were secrets no longer.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. McCleary was a short, well-preserved -<span class='pageno' id='Page_153'>153</span>woman of the “fat, fair and forty” type. She had -remarkable black eyes, blue-black, waving hair, and -very white, plump hands, with which she continually -gesticulated to accompany the unceasing flow of -words from her tongue. Her speech retained -enough of the Irish brogue to make it pleasant to -the ear.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. McCleary imagined herself an invalid, -though no one, not even herself, could determine the -nature of the malady with which she was afflicted. -It seemed to be rather a delicacy of constitution than -any pronounced illness. Some of her neighbors -were uncharitable enough to remark that if Mrs. -McCleary were to receive some shock that would -rouse her from the helpless state she fancied herself -to be in she would be as well and strong as any one.</p> - -<p class='c005'>George McCleary, an undergraduate from an -Eastern college, was in no way remarkable, but -Esther was the hundredth woman, whose influence -was felt throughout the little community.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She was but a slight, delicately built girl of eighteen -years, yet what a marvel of diligence and endurance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>In the McCleary family there were six children -younger than herself, and upon Esther devolved almost -the entire care and responsibility of the household, -a responsibility which she accepted uncomplainingly -and discharged faithfully.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Esther was pretty and more than pretty. She was -interesting. There was in her face a sweetness and -brightness of expression that charmed all who met -her, and won their affection. Then, too, she was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_154'>154</span>one of those to whom all turn for instruction and -advice. She knew how to do things. From the -fashioning of a gown to the most intricate fancywork, -as well as the rarer concoctions in the culinary -department, Esther was the most competent authority -in the neighborhood.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nor did her usefulness end here. In the sick room -she was unequaled. “A most uncommon handy person -to have around,” one of the good fathers in the -community had said, and perhaps that best expressed -her qualifications. God bless the “handy” person.</p> - -<p class='c005'>What if Esther’s features were slightly irregular -and her figure too slight for beauty. No one -thought of that after the first half hour of her acquaintance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald felt his gaze returning repeatedly to that -pale, cream-tinted face, as seated that night near his -sister-in-law he listened to the chatter of the women.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. McCleary sank into an easy chair, panting -and short-breathed from the exertion of removing -her wraps, and turning to Lissa began to talk volubly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How very noice ye look, dear! Your hair curls -so beautifully. When Esther was a little girl Oi -used to do up her hair on curl-papers for her, but -now she must do it for herself. It is really too much -for me. Alice, Oi see yer not intoirely free from thet -cough yet. Ye should nivver let it run. It moight -run ye into consumption. Oi’ve known many a case -to turn out so, hev ye not Miss Lissa? Ye must attind -to it. Oi do wish ye’d thry some of moi Indian -cough surrup. Oi hev a commoonication from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_155'>155</span>a great Indian docther, advoising it. Mrs. Cloyne, -did Oi tell ye how Georrge was cured of the faver?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>All this she uttered without pausing for reply.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald glanced at Esther at the mention of curl-papers, but not a tinge of color dyed the paleness of -her cheeks. She was evidently accustomed to her -mother’s revelations. George, however, looked a -trifle annoyed at the mention of his name.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Clyne took advantage of the woman’s brief -halt for breath to say that she had never heard the -story.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, ye see, Georrge, was very ill, so ill we’d -given him oop ter die, an’ Oi was cryin’ an’ prayin’ -the great docther ter do sumthing fer him, whin if -ye’ll belave me, the boy reached oop his hand, an’ -in a moment we saw some leetle black specks lyin’ -in it, lookin’ fer all the world like Ayer’s pills. He -held thim so we all saw thim an’ thin he put thim in -his mouth, an’ in the shortest toime he was aslape, -an’ frim that very hour he was better.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What do you think it was?” asked Mrs. Clyne.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, bless your sowl, what could it be but medicine -put in his hand by some watchful spirit? Ye -needn’t smoile, Mr. Mark Cramer, nor you, Mr. -Bartram; there were a plenty present who’ll swear -to what Oi tell ye. Ain’t it so, Mr. McCleary?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yis, yis,” the little man mumbled; “it is as she -says.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>They were interrupted by the arrival of Professor -Russell, who came bustling in with Auntie Dearborn, -a sprightly, handsome old lady, who was carrying -<span class='pageno' id='Page_156'>156</span>a huge basket upon her arm, which appeared filled -with manuscripts.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She was most becomingly dressed in black silk, -with fine white lace at wrist and throat, and her pink-tinted -face, white hair, mild blue eye beaming with -kindliness, and lips wreathed in smiles, made a beautiful -picture. She had arrived at a sweet old age. -Every one liked her, despite her eccentricities, which -some pronounced a mild form of insanity. Alas, -the borderland between sanity and insanity is scarcely -defined, and if good Auntie Dearborn was insane -she has many companions who would scorn such accusations. -Who among us does not like to believe -we have an inspired pen?</p> - -<p class='c005'>Auntie was thoroughly imbued with the idea that -the spirits of the departed poets used her hand as the -medium for presenting their verses to the public, -and she kept a constant and ever-accumulating supply -of her “poetry” on hand to read whenever she -could find audience.</p> - -<p class='c005'>After shaking hands with Lissa and kissing her -most affectionately, the old lady said in a stage whisper:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You see, my dear, I have brought along some o’ -my poetry, for I know’d you would want to hear it, -because I’ve really been inspired by the great Byron -himself this week. It is most remarkable.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa smiled kindly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Thank you, Auntie. I shall be glad to hear it, I -am sure, and so, perhaps, will others here. You will -stay with me to-night of course?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, now really, dearie—it would be very pleasant -<span class='pageno' id='Page_157'>157</span>and you’re drefful kind to ask me, but you see -there’s Natty, poor dog, shut up in his kennel, who’ll -howl all night if I don’t come back, and the chickens -will have to be fed in the morning—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Here she was interrupted by the announcement of -the Professor that if they were ready the company -would form themselves into a circle about the room, -as he saw several spirit forms impatient to communicate -with their friends.</p> - -<p class='c005'>In compliance with his request they were soon -seated, except Esther, who, unobserved by all except -Donald, slipped quietly out of the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Joining hands, the members of the circle sat expectant, -their eyes closed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>We are describing an old-time seance, reader, and -may be forgiven the minuteness of detail, for even -with later experiment with psychic forces it is found -there is magic in the mystic circle.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The silence was broken by Russell, who declared -there was a disturbing element in the circle. Some -sceptical person repelled the gentle spirits who desired -to communicate.</p> - -<p class='c005'>All eyes were turned upon Mark Cramer, who -smiled as he arose and left them. Then Esther McCleary -was missed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Where is Esther?” asked Mrs. McCleary plaintively. -“Oi declare that girrl has left the room ag’in. -Oi desire her to sit with us.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>And Mark was sent after the run away.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They’re asking for you, Miss Esther,” he said as -he saw her shrink into a dark corner of the adjoining -room as he entered it.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_158'>158</span>“O dear! Can’t you hide me somewhere? I -don’t want to go. I shall have to dance again. It’s -all so terrible, and I don’t believe it’s right, do you, -Mr. Cramer?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, Esther; but then my opinion should have -little weight against so many. I sat down in the circle -thinking I might be able to help you. I am really -sorry for you, if you are unable to withstand the -mesmeric powers of that rascal—for I believe that is -all there is of it. Try, if you are obliged to sit with -them, to keep control of your own <em>will</em>. Put all your -soul in opposition to him and don’t forget yourself -for a moment. Can’t you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’ll try; oh, I’ll try, but I’m afraid ’twill be no -use! Ah, they’re calling me again, and I must go. -Come into the room and help me if you can.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark reentered, seating himself in one corner of -the room outside the circle. The Professor made -room for Esther beside himself, but she declined his -civility, and passed around to the side of her mother, -not noticing, until too late to retreat, that she had -placed herself next to Donald Bartram. She flushed -slightly as she gave him her hand, humiliated that -she should be placed in such a position.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again silence prevailed for the space of several -minutes. Donald glanced through half-closed eyes -about the circle, noting the placid content of Auntie -Dearborn, the grim determination of Solomon Garrett, -the complacent expectancy of Mrs. McCleary, -the awed, half-frightened look of Lissa, the sly, furtive -glance which each Pemberton twin cast frequently -at her sister, and he felt a hysterical inclination -<span class='pageno' id='Page_159'>159</span>to laugh. The thought must have been communicated -to his companion upon the right, for he -felt her fingers tremble in his. He rolled his eyes -up to hers with an affected air of terror. Then a -ripple of merriment burst from Esther’s lips, in -which he joined. The Pemberton twins giggled in -unison, while all started and opened their eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Russell frowned and demanded quiet, fixing his -gray eyes upon Esther. Mrs. McCleary rebuked her -daughter, but explained that Esther was “hystericky,” -and biting her lips to subdue the nervous inclination -to laugh, Esther closed her eyes and quiet -was restored. Donald, thrilled by her trembling -fingers, dared not again look toward her, and presently -he saw Mrs. Jenkinson, his neighbor on the -left, begin to jerk spasmodically. Her eyelids quivered, -she sighed a few times, then drawing her hands -from those who clasped them she began rubbing -them briskly together, then slapped them energetically -for a moment, while every eye was fixed upon -her. She was under “control.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Suddenly she began to speak in a high, shrill -voice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My friends, I have a message for you to-night,” -and continuing without hesitancy she delivered a -somewhat tedious harangue to the listening believers, -who sat awed and open-eyed, as if her words -were really from the world beyond. All present -knew Mrs. Jenkinson to be illiterate and only able -to use provincialism in conversation. They marvelled -at the correct English which fell from her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_160'>160</span>lips, even though the thought expressed was of little -value.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Her “inspired” speech ended, Mrs. Jenkinson sank -into a chair, dropped her face in her hands and remained -quiet.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A few moments later Mrs. McCleary began to -manifest similar signs of influence, and sang in a -sweet, plaintive voice the old hymn, “Oh, sing to me -of heaven, when I am called to die! Sing songs of -holy ecstasy to waft me to the sky,” etc.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark remembered that Mrs. McCleary was not a -singer in her natural state, and again was forced to -marvel at this exhibition of power which he had no -faith to believe emanated from the source prescribed -by Russell.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald, too, was becoming interested, and forgot -the humorous side of the spectacle. When his eyes -again sought Esther’s, to his surprise he found them -fixed and vacant, her face unusually pale and rigid. -He noticed, too, that the small, brown hand he held -felt cold and unnatural. Glancing from her to Russell -he saw the man looking fixedly at her. Then the -Professor arose, and passing to Esther’s side moved -his hands several times before her face, though without -touching her. He then took a handkerchief from -one of the gentlemen and bound it tightly over her -eyes, closely shutting out every ray of light.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think, my friends,” he said, as he placed several -chairs in the unoccupied space of the room, “we -shall prove that, though Esther cannot see with mortal -vision, there are spirit forms about her who will -<span class='pageno' id='Page_161'>161</span>direct her course and thus demonstrate their presence.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>All sat in hushed expectancy until Esther, rising -from her chair, glided like a phantom to the middle -of the floor, and humming a soft, slow waltz, she -floated about the room, avoiding the chairs and other -articles in her way without losing step or breaking -time in the least.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It was wonderful. Mark would have been staggered -in his scepticism had he not seen the same performance -once enacted by a subject in the hands of -a noted mesmerist.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“This is only further proof of the scheming falseness -of that villain Russell,” he reflected. “It shall -not be my fault if he is not banished from my house -from this day forth. If he would only attribute his -power to the right source I could endure him, but -spirits—bah!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>For ten minutes the girl waltzed without interruption, -then, as if led by unseen hands, she passed from -the room and threw herself, apparently exhausted, -upon a small lounge in the adjoining apartment.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She has been dancing with a stronger partner -than herself and got tired out,” said Russell coarsely. -“We’ll let her rest a while.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>When the company was again seated in the circle -Mark slipped out and removed the handkerchief -from the eyes of the prostrate girl. Her face was -chalky in its pallor, and there was scarcely a perceptible -evidence of respiration.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My God! How like death this is,” muttered -Mark as he bent over her. “If she were my daughter -<span class='pageno' id='Page_162'>162</span>she should never come into the presence of that -man again. Then he strove to waken her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Esther, Esther,” he said, shaking her gently by -the arm. “Awake!” But not a muscle of the rigid -face relaxed. He lifted her hands and slightly -punctured the smooth flesh with a pin. She did not -wince nor show that she felt it. Again and again -he sought to arouse her. Mark was beginning to -fear that the sleep was one which would find its -awakening in another world, when Russell entered -the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You can see the result of your spirit-waltz, Professor,” -he said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Russell placed his hand upon the girl’s brow.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, yes, she has been taking a fine nap after it. -But she is waking up now. Come, Esther, ain’t it -about time for you to come out to see us again? I’m -afraid you’re a sleepy-head. Come, you’re awake -now!” and laughing coarsely, Professor Russell returned -to the company.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Esther, to Mark’s delight, arose to a sitting posture, -passed her hands several times over her eyes as -if striving to collect her thoughts, and seeing only -Mark present, asked plaintively:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What is it, Mr. Cramer? Where am I? What -has happened?” She looked about the room in a bewildered -way. Then, as the sound of voices from -the adjoining apartment fell upon her ear she turned, -and burying her face upon the lounge burst into hysterical -weeping.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark sprang to her side.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_163'>163</span>“Don’t Esther, child! Don’t cry! What is the -matter?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Mr. Cramer, have I been dancing again? -Has that horrible, horrible man made me a waltzing -puppet for the people to laugh at? It is too dreadful! -What shall I do? What shall I do?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sure there was nothing ridiculous or laughable -in your dancing, for it was really artistic; but -truly, Esther, are you entirely unconscious when you -perform that feat?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed I am. I could not believe them when they -told me about it the first time I danced that way. -This time it seemed when I awoke as if I had been -dreaming of dancing or of hearing dance-music. -<em>He</em> makes me do it, that horrible man! I am sure -the spirits have nothing to do with it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Your hands are placed some of the time as -though dancing with a partner.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Are they? I can’t help it. I remember nothing -since Mr. Bartram made me laugh in the circle,—oh, -he was witness to my disgraceful exhibition!—until -I seemed to hear the Professor’s voice, and -looking up I saw you there.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You say you seem to have heard dance-music in -a dream?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I have a feeling as though I had been floating -up in the air and hearing music. A sort of dim -remembrance of a dream. Oh, if mamma would -never compel me to see him again! I shall leave -home and go where he shall never find me if that -man continues to come to our house. He is so detestable! -<span class='pageno' id='Page_164'>164</span>I hate him!” And the girl shuddered and -again covered her face with her hands.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have told mamma so, but she will not listen to -me. She is wholly wrapped up in the belief of spirits, -and in Russell.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Your dislike is very strong to be based only upon -this power he has of making you dance hypnotically,” -Mark said. “Are you just to him?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have reasons enough for my dislike of him,” -Esther replied, compressing her lips. “And what -am I to do if my own mother will not listen to me? -Think of being subject to the power of such a man. -I believe him thoroughly unprincipled, and—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The villain! If he dares!” Mark ground his -teeth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Here Lissa put her head in at the door.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, Mark,” she whispered, “Professor Russell -is writing messages.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark stepped quietly into the sitting-room just -as the Professor, who sat at a small table scrawling -with a pencil a profusion of characters on a sheet -of writing-paper, finished it and paused, while the -paper was passed from hand to hand for examination.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At first nothing could be made of it. Finally some -one discovered it was addressed to Lissa. Another -read it Alice, and still another Anna.</p> - -<p class='c005'>By this time the Professor had aroused himself, -and read with little difficulty:</p> - -<p class='c011'>“Lissa, my dear sister: How long I have desired -to speak with you and let you know I am near -<span class='pageno' id='Page_165'>165</span>you. The only added happiness I could wish for in -this life is recognition of my friends on earth. If -you will let me converse with you, and Alice, and -mother, I will improve every opportunity. I can -see you, so cast away all doubt and fear, and help -me to communicate with you. Believe,</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='sc'>Elsie</span>.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Lissa found she could trace the words as read, -now that she knew what they were.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The Professor produced two slates, between which -he placed a small pencil, and immediately all in the -room heard distinctively the sound of the scratching -of the pencil as it apparently wrote upon the slate.</p> - -<p class='c005'>When the slates were brought forth from beneath -the table and opened there was a long communication -upon one of them for Mrs. McCleary, purporting -to have come from her mother, and Mrs. McCleary -declared it was in her own handwriting. She -could “recognize it anywhere,” she said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Whereupon Sol Garrett took part in the conversation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’ve been a thinkin’ sence I sot here a good deal -about this here writin’ business. An’ it seems to me -mighty curis how my old mother came to write me a -message when she never in her hull life writ me a -word, nor never learnt how. Even her will was -signed with her cross-mark. I reckon she must ‘a -ben learnin’ pretty fast sence she died.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald’s eyes twinkled merrily as he glanced at -Russell’s face, which really showed embarrassment -for a moment.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_166'>166</span>“We cannot tell, Mr. Garrett, what her opportunities -may have been in the other world. We may -know hereafter much that is hidden from us now,” -he said after a little preliminary cough to clear his -throat.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, how is it that Injun control o’ yourn hain’t -learned to read an’ write, if their chances are so good -over there? He allus complains ’cause he can’t -read.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Perhaps because he is of another language and -nation,” replied Russell, evidently annoyed at the -persistence of his interlocutor.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Wall, ye see my mother was a Scotch woman, -and didn’t talk as we do, an’ I can’t see how she -come to use such perty English in that letter.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Perhaps,” interposed Russell hastily, “there was -some mistake about it and the letter was intended -for some one else.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It was directed to me,” persisted the farmer, “an’ -I don’t know another feller round these parts that -answers to the name of Solomon Garrett.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, we will not discuss this matter now,” said -Russell, anxious to turn the subject of conversation. -“Mother Dearborn is going to read us a poem, Mrs. -Bartram tells me. We will listen to that now, and -continue this subject at another time.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Auntie Dearborn, thus appealed to, fumbled in her -big basket, and after opening several papers selected -one, which she smilingly announced was “inspired -by Lord Byron himself.” Then in a musical voice -she read:</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_167'>167</span>“Friends of earth, to you I hasten</div> - <div class='line in2'>With a message from on high.</div> - <div class='line'>Sorrows seek you but to chasten;</div> - <div class='line in2'>Bear all bravely, I am nigh.</div> - <div class='line'>When the stars shine, I am by.</div> - <div class='line in2'>When you whisper, know I hear you.</div> - <div class='line'>When you call, to you I fly.</div> - <div class='line in2'>When the night falls, I am near you.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“In the night-winds, hear me calling,</div> - <div class='line in2'>When your eyelids close in sleep,</div> - <div class='line'>While the evening dew is falling,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Still my watchful care I keep.</div> - <div class='line'>For in life, dear one, I met you,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Met you but to see and love.</div> - <div class='line'>Now I never can forget you,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Though I roam in space above.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“O my darling, are you weary</div> - <div class='line in2'>Of the fruits the world can give?</div> - <div class='line'>Are your days and night-times dreary</div> - <div class='line in2'>In the lonely life you live?</div> - <div class='line'>Then, oh, think that you can fly, love,</div> - <div class='line in2'>To my waiting, loving arms,</div> - <div class='line'>For ’tis no hard thing to die, love,</div> - <div class='line in2'>When the world has lost its charms.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Still you will not know I’m speaking,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Though your blindness gives me pain;</div> - <div class='line'>Must I be forever seeking</div> - <div class='line in2'>For your notice, all in vain?</div> - <div class='line'>See, I softly press your pillow,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Softly touch your dewy lips,</div> - <div class='line'>Brush your bosom’s heaving billow,</div> - <div class='line in2'>Clasp your dainty finger tips.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Once when midnight shadows thickened,</div> - <div class='line in2'>In your dreams I saw <em>you</em> start,</div> - <div class='line'>While your breath came warm and quickened</div> - <div class='line in2'>By the fluttering of your heart.</div> - <div class='line'>Then no more I need to try you,</div> - <div class='line in2'>For you felt my heart was thine,</div> - <div class='line'>Felt my hovering presence nigh you—</div> - <div class='line in2'>Then it was your soul met mine.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_168'>168</span>When Auntie had finished reading this production, -which all present declared truly Byronic, Professor -Russell bade them each write upon a piece -of paper the name of some departed friend and the -spirits would respond to their questions through -his “control.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The slips were written, folded as directed, and -thrown into a hat, while the Professor again went -into a trance state, and taking one of the slips in his -fingers—his eyes having been previously bandaged—he -awaited communication from the other world.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I can see a name, ‘Henry Arthur,’” he read -slowly. “He is present. I see him distinctly. He is -of medium height and wears a uniform.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is my brother,” said Mrs. Jenkinson. “He -was in Her Majesty’s service in England. Are ye -well, Henry, and happy?” she asked.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am well, and much happier than I ever was -upon earth,” came from the Professor’s lips in a -thin, nasal tone. “You have the right principle, -Helen. No one can be sick. There is no sickness, -if we only deny the belief in such a thing. Stick to -your faith and you are all right.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The Professor selected a second paper.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I see the name Maria,” he said. “Maria, are you -there? Will you answer if a friend wishes to speak -with you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Has she—has she blonde hair?” asked Donald, -with some hesitation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and blue eyes,” answered Russell. “She is -very delicate and pale, and is holding out her hands -to you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_169'>169</span>“Ah, yes; she wants me to take her, probably. -Sorry I can’t. Ask her if she is all right and likes -the other world as well as this.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The answer came in a husky falsetto:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, better.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do you forgive me for all my ill conduct toward -you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I have nothing to regret. I remember only -the delight of our acquaintance and your many kindnesses.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are sure you forgive me for the last blow I -dealt you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I know it was not your heart that spoke, in -that, but the force of circumstances.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You forgive all my neglect and—cruelty?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O yes, if there was anything to forgive.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Are you surrounded by friends?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, there are many we both have known.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, Tommy and Jack, and the rest, I suppose. -Are you where I may see you if at any time I should -pass in my checks?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O yes; certainly.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, good-by.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Good-by.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I feel greatly relieved after this revelation,” Donald -said, “as it settles two doubts in my mind which -have always troubled me. First, as to whether it is -a crime to slay innocent creatures whose only fault, -perhaps, is a proclivity to take what is not theirs; -and second, as to whether there is more than one -heaven and whether we shall meet our victims in the -other world. I killed Maria because she would steal -<span class='pageno' id='Page_170'>170</span>chickens, a natural propensity for which I should -not have blamed her, probably. She was my favorite -cat, and my conscience has never been quite easy -since, but now that I know that she is all right and -safe I feel relieved.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>A peal of laughter from Mark was echoed by a -loud guffaw from Solomon Garrett and several -others in the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. Bartram, I consider such levity out of place,” -said Russell angrily. “It seems that you are the -same incorrigible Don that you were when I knew -you in Iowa. Age doesn’t seem to have improved -you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But if Maria’s spirit was not there how could you -have seen her?” asked Donald innocently.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There are many spirits who bear the name of -Maria while upon earth,” Russell replied with dignity.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But the one whose name I wrote is the one who -should have appeared; and I repeat, I am glad to -know she is all right.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How you can jest on this subject is more than I -can understand,” replied the other, as he began to -make preparations for departure.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The Pemberton twins giggled and said in unison, -“How funny.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>At this juncture Auntie Dearborn began to -chuckle. She appeared to try to control her desire -to laugh, and put her handkerchief to her mouth, -while her face grew red. But the more she tried to -stifle the laughter, the more it overcame her. Finally -her merriment became almost convulsive, and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_171'>171</span>Auntie shrieked in a frenzy of mirth. And in the -midst of the laughter, for the effect was contagious, -Professor Russell took his leave.</p> - -<p class='c005'>This hysteria of the old lady was not an uncommon -phenomenon, and excited little comment -among the guests, though most of them joined heartily -in the outburst, and departed to their homes freed -from the superstitious awe which had held them -earlier in the evening.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_172'>172</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XVIII<br> <span class='large'>MAJOR WALDEN</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The fire was burning with active energy in the tall -stove, and the dish of water sitting upon it, “to keep -the room healthy,” was sending forth steam clouds, -as Nathan and Lissa, after closing the door behind -the last departing guest, returned to their family -room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald had walked home with Esther McCleary, -and Mrs. Clyne had retired for the night, leaving -them alone.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is an ugly night,” Nathan said, shivering and -lifting his shoulders, as he stood with his hands held -behind him and his back to the stove.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and I’m afraid I’m going to have neuralgia -in my face again,” said Lissa, pressing her cheek -closer to the glowing heat of the fire.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That’s too bad. I should think that wisdom-tooth -would have done troubling you some time. -Ain’t it through yet?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No; I pity teething children, if they have the -pain I have.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Better get good and warm before you go to bed. -The house seems unusually cool to-night.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It’s having the doors open so much. But, Nathan, -what is the matter? You have been uncommonly -grave and silent all the evening. I hope you -have had no trouble at the office?”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_173'>173</span>“<em>I</em> have had no trouble,—only,—well, something -happened which was quite unlooked for by me, anyway. -Major Walden is in trouble, I think, though -I do not understand the nature of it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa looked interested, and her eyes searched his -face questioningly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan drew up a chair and sat down.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We were both in the office looking over some -notes and papers in the desk this morning when the -mail was brought in. There were two or three letters -and some newspapers, which latter he tossed -over to me to examine. While thus engaged I was -startled by a strange sound from the Major, and -looking up I at first thought he was in a fit. His -face was pale and distorted, and he shook like a man -with the ague. He clenched an open letter in his -hand, which I thought must be answerable for his -condition. I sprang to him and unbuttoned his collar, -as he appeared to be choking, and he seemed to -be relieved, though it was some time before he could -control himself, or articulate. When he did, it was -to hiss the words ‘scoundrel, villain, devil!’ with insane -fury. I did not know how to act, or what to -say to him, and so after shutting and fastening the -door, that no one might intrude on us,—an act which -he seemed to approve,—I stepped into a little private -office opening from the room and busied myself -with the ledger accounts, while I waited for him to -grow calmer.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It was fully an hour, I think, before he called me, -and then I was surprised at the change in him. He -looked ten years older, and his face had the pinched -<span class='pageno' id='Page_174'>174</span>look of one recovering from an illness. His hands -shook and he seemed entirely unnerved. ‘Nathan,’ -he said, ‘I have received a severe shock, and it has -proven almost too much for me. But there are reasons -why I wouldn’t want my family to know anything -about it, and I shall have to ask you to say -nothing here of what you have heard or witnessed. -I will explain it all when I feel able to do so. At -present I think the best thing for me to do is to take -a little change of air, and I believe I’ll run down to -Omaha for a day or two. I reckon I’m really sick -enough to warrant a day off,’ he said, trying to -smile.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Just call at noon and say to Mrs. Walden that -I’ve gone to Omaha on business. Had to hurry off -to catch a train, or some such clap-trap, or say—I’ll -write a note to that effect. You see, I fancy she’d -better not see me now.’</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I told him his countenance would betray him, -for he really looked ill, and he had much better not -go home if he wanted to conceal the fact, and so he -went off to the station and left me to fix up matters -as best I could. I am more puzzled about the matter, -as I am familiar with all his business affairs and -investments, and know everything is ship-shape and -flourishing. However, as he promised to explain -everything when he returns, I need not speculate -upon it now I suppose.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There is another matter I wanted to speak of,” -continued Nathan, “and that is in regard to this -man Russell. I don’t know what to think of him. -Mark is terribly opposed to him and his coming to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_175'>175</span>their home, and if we encourage Alice’s meeting -him here—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think Mark has no right to let unreasoning -prejudice rule him the way he does,” interrupted -Lissa. “He knows nothing against him, and yet he -is ready to accuse him of all the crimes in the decalogue.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t like to think of his power over Esther -McCleary, Lissa.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, as for Esther, I don’t think she need yield to -his power if she prefers not to. She can avoid him.” -Lissa spoke sharply.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not when her mother compels her to see him. -My child, do you really believe in spiritism yourself?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, Nate, what a question for you to ask! I -am sure you are the one who gave the most credence -to it when I first knew you. I didn’t take any stock -in it then.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And now?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And now I think there’s something in it which -cannot be accounted for in any other way, and—I -think it is a blessed thought that our friends are near -us after death.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t know whether it is or not. It can’t be -pleasant for them to be witnessing all the pain and -suffering which we are perhaps bearing. If we are -promised happiness in the other world it would seem -a poor fulfilment of it to me. I could not be happy -if I could look back and see you suffering for food -and not be able to provide it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I was not thinking so much of their happiness, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_176'>176</span>I confess, Nathan,” Lissa murmured. “But if I -should die, and be happy, wouldn’t you like to feel -that I was near you? Wouldn’t you like to hear -from me?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But how could I be sure of it? I think I should -prefer you did not have to worry over me any more. -I was really startled by a remark made by Major -Walden the other day. In the course of conversation -I chanced to allude to Professor Russell in some -way, and spoke of his being a spirit-medium. The -Major turned on me with more anger and vehemence -than I have ever before seen in him and said, ‘Bartram, -in God’s name have nothing to do with one of -those mediums! Shun him as you would a rattlesnake -that crawls in the grass at your feet, for I tell -you his bite is as deadly, and you never know when -he may strike. On no account give him access to -your home and family. As you value your present -peace of mind or your domestic happiness, never let -him cross your threshold!’ I was a trifle knocked -out, but I told him the medium had been and was a -friend of the family and frequent visitor at my -house, and that he appeared to be a respectable and -intelligent man. ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘the Devil may -wear the garb of a saint, but he’s not to be trusted -for all that. I pray you be warned, and shun the -fellow in time, as you would old Clovenhoof himself! -I know what I’m talking about.’ I suppose -Walden is prejudiced for some reason, but I can’t -help wishing Russell did not come here.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’m sure I can’t see what possible harm he can -do <em>here</em>,” Lissa replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_177'>177</span>“But about Alice. She was not looking well to-night, -and I am sorry to have her oppose Mark.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, of course she feels bad, because Mark has -forbidden her to have Russell at the house when he -is not there, and Alice is very set in her way. It -may make trouble between them. I know Mark was -angry, for Alice told me so, and she said he should -find she had mind enough to attend to her own affairs. -I expect she’d let him come in spite of Mark.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We will hope not,” said Nathan gravely. “Mark -may have wisdom in his objection to Russell. I -wish he did not come <em>here</em>.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How absurd you are. <em>You</em> were the one who -introduced him to me, who believed in him and tried -to overcome the horror which in infancy I had imbibed -of spiritism. And now, because of Major -Walden’s prejudice, and Mark’s fanaticism, you are -ready to turn round and forbid a spiritist your hospitality.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, perhaps I am wrong. I confess I have an -unaccountable fear and distrust of him. I presume -Walden’s warning has had something to do with it. -I shouldn’t blame the man for his belief.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But if the belief takes away all fear of death, -why should we not embrace it? If I should die before -you, I want you to teach little Lucy that her -mamma is near and watching over her. Don’t you -think it might keep her from wrong-doing if she -knew it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If she knew it? Ah, there’s the thing! If we -really knew.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_178'>178</span>“But, haven’t we proof? What human, unassisted, -could turn water into wine as Professor Russell -did a few weeks ago?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But haven’t you heard Mark’s exposé of that? -That is simple. Mark can do the same.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mark Cramer?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes; Mark’s university training has served him -a good turn in this as in everything else. You know -he is a good chemist, and he can prepare the glasses -so that when water is poured into them a pleasant -wine is produced. He claims the Professor does the -same. You will not deny that Mark speaks the -truth. We have known him much longer than Professor -Russell,—or at least much better,—and you -know he is the soul of honor.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, how awful it is for Mark to do such a -thing!” said Lissa severely. “I wonder he does not -receive some terrible punishment. I am sure he will -if he is not more believing. I pity Alice.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan felt like retorting that he pitied Mark, but -he forbore.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I confess,” he said, “I did feel as if Russell was -almost sacrilegious in assuming to duplicate one of -Christ’s miracles, but I can see no harm in Mark’s -exposing the means employed.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“One thing, Nathan, I want to speak of now, -while I think of it. If I should die first, I will, if -there is such a thing as the spirit returning to earth—come -back to you. Now let us determine upon a -test, and see how I shall come in such a way as to be -convincing to you if you are left behind. We will -tell no living soul what it is. Then if one of us goes -<span class='pageno' id='Page_179'>179</span>and can fulfil the conditions, there can be no doubt -in the other’s mind of its genuineness. If I go first -and give you the test, you will have no doubt my -disembodied spirit is near you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan looked thoughtfully at his wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Your idea is a good one, but God knows I don’t -like to think of a time when it could be tested. Still, -it might be a satisfaction to the one that is left.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Then they planned a test that should never again -be spoken aloud or imparted to another person.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There would be danger from the mind-reader, -even in this,” Nathan said to himself. “He might -surmise the secret and make use of it to deceive. -Ah, how can we know the truth?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The next morning the white snow had covered -and shut in all the outer world, and so filled the air -that they could only get to the stables by tying themselves -to ropes, and the cold was so intense that many -of the fowls froze upon their perches in the coops.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_180'>180</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XIX<br> <span class='large'>LED INTO ERROR</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Some time after the occurrences of the last chapter, -Nathan received a note from Major Walden, requesting -him to call at his house.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He went directly, and was ushered into the library, -where he found his friend looking worn and dejected, -as if from haunted days and sleepless nights.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Major Walden motioned Nathan to a seat, and -then paced slowly up and down the room, as though -striving to compose himself before giving to his -friend the promised revelation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At length he paused, and seating himself a short -distance from his visitor said gravely:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Bartram, I am about to confide to you a chapter -from my private history which perhaps might better -never be disclosed, and in doing so I am subjecting -myself to a painful trial and tearing open a -wound not yet healed. And yet I cannot otherwise -explain to you the scene which you witnessed a few -days since. My story may serve to show you the -venom that may exist in a species of human reptile. -I need not say that I trust this to you alone. You -will understand how great the cause I have for secrecy -when you have heard what I am about to relate -to you.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Twelve years ago my business often took me up -and down the Hudson. Upon one of those trips I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_181'>181</span>met one who seemed to me the perfection of female -loveliness. Her deep, dark eyes seemed wells of -crystal purity and innocence, and her sweet, fair face -haunted my vision for days.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I found myself comparing, mentally, every lovely -woman I met with the one face ever before me, -and finally began to consider myself a victim to a -case of love at first sight. It is needless to say my -trips upon the Hudson were frequently repeated after -this, and at length fate rewarded me by giving -me once more the same lovely fellow-passenger. I -managed to find a mutual acquaintance and so followed -up my advantage as to become, in a few -months, an accepted visitor at her father’s house. -She was an only child, the idol of an aged father -and mother, who at the end of the following year -made me the happiest of men by giving me their -daughter’s hand in marriage.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Everything prospered with me. My wife was all -that could be desired; three lovely children were -born to us; my business ventures were successful, -and until five years ago there seemed to be nothing -wanting to make the harmony of our united lives -complete.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“About this time, at the house of a friend, we met -a spirit-medium, a Dr. Teasdale. How he ever obtained -admittance there I do not know, but there he -was, and there we were forced to make his acquaintance. -He held a seance, as he called it, and among -other things told what my wife had written and -sealed in our presence and which never left her -hand. I discovered afterwards a bit of impression -<span class='pageno' id='Page_182'>182</span>paper concealed beneath the outer cover of the book -he handed her to write upon, which probably aided -the spirits in making their revelation. This so interested -my wife that she attended a number of seances, -and finally invited the Doctor to our house, -where he became a frequent visitor.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I never liked the fellow. There was a sort of -sneaking hypocrisy about him, it seemed to me, that -made me prefer his room to his company.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“However, as I seldom interfered with my wife’s -actions, I said nothing, thinking she would soon -penetrate his shallow mask of deceit and become disgusted -with him, as I had.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“In one of his trances he wrote and delivered to -me a sealed communication, purporting to be from -the spirit world, hinting,—barely hinting,—among -other things, infidelity on the part of my wife. I -waited until the other guests had gone, and then I -called the wretch to one side and told him what I -thought of him, and bade him never set foot, under -any pretense, within my doors again.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I told my wife I had forbidden the fellow the -house because he was disagreeable to me, and she -seemed more pleased than otherwise at what I had -done and said she, too, participated in my growing -dislike of him. I hoped then I had seen the last of -him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A short time after this my wife was summoned -by telegram to visit her mother, who was ill, and left -home, taking with her the children, my business being -such as to prevent my accompanying her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“While she was gone two letters came to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_183'>183</span>house addressed to her and I noticed the superscription -resembled the chirography of the Doctor. I -wondered what he could have to say to her, but laid -the letters aside unopened, thinking it unnecessary to -forward them, and that I would deliver them to her -upon her return and satisfy myself as to their contents. -I own I had some curiosity, as I could not -imagine a reason for correspondence with the villain. -One evening, just before her return, as I was turning -over some papers in the writing-desk, a letter fell -out addressed in the same peculiar handwriting. It -had been opened, and this time my curiosity overcame -my scruples of honor, and I opened it and -read a most impassioned love-letter to my wife, -signed ‘Devotedly yours, Z. T.,’ which I could only -interpret Zenas Teasdale.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I hesitated no longer to open and devour the contents -of the two letters which had come to her later, -and before I had finished, the characters traced in -ink had burned into my very soul, and my tongue -was parched with a thirst that water could not -quench. The words stood before my gaze like demon -eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The first letter spoke of the pleasure the writer -had received in the perusal of my wife’s last ‘white-winged -message of love’ and quoted from her letter -sentences about the ‘bear that growled around her -hearthstone’ meaning me—and other like extravagant -expressions, and concluded by assuring her of -his never-dying affection, and hope of their ultimate -union in spiritland, where no disagreeable tyrant -<span class='pageno' id='Page_184'>184</span>should ever presume to forbid them the pleasure of -each other’s company.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The second letter, written three days later, chided -her with her long delay in answering, and informed -her that the writer had received a communication -from the invisible world to the effect that the obstacle -in their way was about to be removed, and pictured -the delights in store for them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“All night I paced the room and swore and raved -alternately. But with the morning came calmer reflection. -Retribution would overtake them, I concluded, -if left to themselves; I would not put my -own neck in jeopardy for the sake of such despisable -wretches as they seemed to me. Besides, a -softer feeling, in spite of me, would creep into my -heart, when I thought of the happy past, and I felt -I could not take the life of one who had been dearer -than all else to me—who was now the mother of my -innocent children. They would be from this time -motherless. I would not make them also fatherless, -but would keep my life blameless and unblemished -for their sweet sakes. The stain of their mother’s -fall would be dark enough.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She returned home that day. I shall never forget -how sweet and fair she looked as she tripped -from her carriage up the steps and into the room -where I stood like an avenging Nemesis. Her bright -hair was blown into little rings about her forehead, -and a smile wreathed her sweet lips, which expected -the kiss of greeting.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“See,” he said as he took from his desk a miniature -and handed it to Nathan, “was she not beautiful? -<span class='pageno' id='Page_185'>185</span>And that picture was but a poor representation -of her, for art cannot produce on ivory the thousand -pretty changes of expression which constituted one -of the chief charms of her face.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan looked attentively at the fair, sweet face -of the picture, and agreed as to its beauty. The Major -continued:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I met her sternly, and she must have seen in my -face something of what I was about to utter, for the -smile left her cheeks and gave place to a look of -terror indescribable.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Agnes,’ I began, ‘do not dare to face with a -smile the husband you have betrayed, wronged, and -made a cuckold of in his own house; miserable -woman, that should ever have lived to become so low -and vile a creature, with so fair a face!’ She gazed -at me in fear and horror and I verily believe she for -the time thought me insane. She pressed both -hands to her heart as though to quiet its fluttering,—ah, -God! I can see her yet,—and then gasped, ‘Markham, -for Christ’s sake, what do you mean? What, -oh! what has happened?’</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I cannot describe accurately the scene which followed. -I know I flaunted the letters in her face, I -accused her of her treachery, and called her to account -in the worst possible terms, such a maddened -brute was I, and refused to listen to anything she -tried to say in denial or palliation of her guilt.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She fell on her knees before me, and begged and -implored me to listen to her—to believe her. She -called on God to witness and attest her innocence. -But I mocked at her, and told her that after such -<span class='pageno' id='Page_186'>186</span>conduct as hers had been, a falsehood was as nothing; -that I would not believe her if the angel Gabriel -came down from heaven to testify in her behalf. I -bade her begone from my sight, that I might not so -far forget myself as to punish her crime with violence. -Then she begged, if she must leave me, that -I would let her have the children. Finally, as I -remained obdurate, she prayed only for the one little -girl, the youngest, three years old—the baby, -and most helpless one. The boys might stay with -me, but this little one, her baby, she could not give -up. She should die without her baby, and she -pleaded as only a mother can plead for this one boon, -the privilege of caring for her own child, which she -had herself brought into this cruel world.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Here the Major’s voice faltered, and there was a -sympathizing moisture in Nathan’s eyes as he continued:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A shame upon such laws as give any one, even a -father, the right to deprive a mother of her God-given -privilege!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Amen!” said Nathan under his breath.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Finally I promised her that if at the end of six -months I heard no report of her holding any communication -with Teasdale I would let the little Eva -go to her mother; but if I learned of her seeing or -having anything to do with that creature I would -never allow the child to even see her. With that she -must be content. I had a sort of fiendish delight in -the thought that through the mother’s love for her -child I might keep her from the arms of her paramour.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_187'>187</span>“Finally I left her, saying that I should expect -her to take the next boat back to her father’s and -that I would make suitable provision for her maintenance -so long as she remained away from Teasdale; -and that I desired that she should take with her -everything belonging to her or that might help to remind -me of her who was once my wife. That was -the last time I ever met her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“When I came back in the evening the nurse told -me the mistress had gone away, and the children -were in the nursery crying for mamma.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Here was a feature of the case I had not, in my -anger, counted upon. What should I do to appease -the children? I concluded to transfer my business -to other hands for the time, shut up the house, and -take the children to my parents, thinking that perhaps -grandma might be the best substitute for -mother. This, as soon as I could make the necessary -arrangements, I did.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That night upon returning to my room I read, -written in trembling hand upon an open page of my -note-book, these words, which are burned into my -memory: ‘Markham, my husband,—for God knows -no act of mine has made me other than your wife,—I -feel that the time will come when my innocence will -in some way be vindicated. It may never be while -I live, but I cannot believe a just and over-ruling -Providence will allow such a foul wrong to be done -and the perpetrator to go unpunished. And some -day, in some way, justice will be done to me or my -memory. Then you may, perhaps, realize the tithe -of what I now suffer in the remorse which will follow -<span class='pageno' id='Page_188'>188</span>you to the grave. Deal gently and tenderly with -my babies who are to be without a mother, and remember, -as you would have God deal justly with -you, to keep your promise and allow the little Eva to -cheer her mother’s desolate heart at the end of this -terribly long probation. May Heaven forgive you -and open your eyes to the fatal and terrible mistake -you have made, is the prayer of your injured and -heart-broken Agnes.’</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, we had not been long at their grandmother’s -before the children were taken sick with -that terrible ravaging disease, diphtheria, and in -three short days Arthur and Eva, the youngest boy -and the baby girl, were chill and cold in death. I -would have sent for their mother, I think, had more -time been given me; but they were taken down so -suddenly and the disease made such rapid progress -that ere I was aware of their danger death had already -set its seal upon them, and I could only telegraph -their mother the sad tidings that two of her -loved ones were no more.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It was some time before I heard from her, and -then came such a letter as I never read before, and -have never dared to read a second time, so full was -it of hopeless agony and pain. I could not sleep for -nights after. The words kept ringing in my ears, -together with the plaintive moans of my little ones, -who cried for mamma with their last conscious -moments. I would think, sometimes, that if I lived -until the morning I would take the first train to my -wife, and despite her treachery would forgive and -take her once more to my heart and trust; but the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_189'>189</span>morning light would dissolve alike my visions and -my resolutions, and I had to read but one of Teasdale’s -letters to harden my heart to all such sentiments. -Do you wonder that I never doubted the -genuineness of those letters? How could I doubt -with the remembrance of their finding ever before -me?</p> - -<p class='c005'>“After the death of my little ones I went to Chicago, -that metropolis of bustle and activity, hoping -a change of scene and business would lift the pall of -gloom that rested upon my spirits. There I became -acquainted with my present wife. At the hotel -where I boarded we were thrown into daily intercourse, -and as I became impressed with the strong, -quiet dignity and purity of her life, a warmer sentiment -seemed to gradually thaw my heart, the more -so as I perceived she manifested an evident partiality -for me.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I found it easy, with the aid of those letters, to -procure a divorce from Agnes, in Chicago, and last -fall I married my second wife and came here, bringing -with us the one child left me, whom you have -often seen. I have lived a peaceful and quiet life, -and striven so far as possible to banish from my -memory and thoughts the scenes of the past—that -beautiful and nearly tragical past, the happiest days -of my life and the most miserable, until—Well, -you were with me in my office when a certain letter -was delivered to me but a short time ago, and you -witnessed the effect upon me and wondered at my -agitation. I promised to explain its cause. You -will wonder no longer when I tell you that the letter -<span class='pageno' id='Page_190'>190</span>was from Teasdale and contained a full confession -of his villainy. In it he avows the perfect innocence -of Agnes, and explains just how and why he secreted -the letter in my secretary and wrote the others -in her absence, thus wreaking a terrible vengeance -on us both.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Admiring my wife, he hoped if he could in some -way separate us he might get her into his power; -and when she, with scorn, repelled his slightest advances -toward her, and I with threats drove him -from the house, he became unscrupulous as to his -mode of revenge. He bribed one of the servants to -place the letter where I found it, as soon as he -learned of my wife’s absence from home, and then -sent the other two letters, conceived with diabolical -cunning that the result would be just what it has -been. And I, blind fool that I was, worked right -into his hands, and acted the damnable part of an -Othello, entailing a life of misery and lifelong regret -upon both myself and my innocent Agnes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If I were free I would hasten to her, the bride of -my youth, and on bended knee implore her forgiveness -of the most grievous wrong ever committed by -man upon the gentle being who gave her life into -his hands, and whose only fault was having loved -and trusted so stupid a fool as I.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“As it is I cannot right one wrong without committing -another. <em>There</em> lives the wife of my youth, -mother of my son and co-partner in the right to that -little grave upon the hillside where sleep the two innocents, -flesh of our flesh. <em>Here</em> is the wife who -married me in all trust, who will soon be mother, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_191'>191</span>also, of my child. Was ever man so unfortunately -placed? Curses upon a system that makes it easy for -a man to get a divorce upon the most trivial pretext. -If I had only—but why speak of what cannot be -changed? I can see nothing but days and nights of -sleepless remorse in my pathway, whichever way I -turn, whatever happens. On my life, Bartram, the -future is too black a hell to enter into! Were it not -a cowardly act, I believe I would make an end of my -wretched existence.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Have you told her, your present wife, of all -this?” Nathan asked.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No; I could not tell her all. It seemed unnecessary. -She knew when she married me that I had divorced -my first wife for infidelity. Were I to tell her -now of this late discovery she would at once jump at -correct conclusions in the matter and be inconsolably -wretched, for I believe she loves me, unworthy as I -am; while I—I must strive against hating any object -that stands in the way of retracing my steps -back to those halcyon days of love and happiness. I -tell you, Bartram, the human heart is a wayward -animal and hard to be held in the leash. But forgive -me for giving utterance to thoughts that should -never be allowed lodgment in my brain.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Have you written to your first wife, Agnes?” -Nathan inquired, as Major Walden began gloomily -to pace the floor of the library.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes; I wrote telling her all,—all my misery,—and -inclosed the letter from Teasdale. She shall -have that to clear herself there, and she shall have -the satisfaction of knowing that remorse with guilt -<span class='pageno' id='Page_192'>192</span>is harder to bear than injustice with innocence. I -think, after a time, I will tell Mrs. Walden as much -as is necessary, and let little Freddy go to his mother. -I have promised Agnes that, and I have made my -will providing liberally for her, for I feel as if this -strain cannot long be borne without the snapping of -some of those strings that are essential to the harmony -of this mysterious something we call life, and -the grave or mad-house will ere long claim a victim.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You have my profound sympathy, Major,” said -Nathan; “but you know it is said, ‘life has no -wounds time cannot heal.’”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I know, I know; but, alas, I am haunted by a -fear that Agnes may not be living; that she may -have been crushed by this terrible blow of my inflicting! -She was so sensitive, so gentle. Oh, I cannot -bear the thought! I want her to know the truth, -now.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do you not think she might know that, even if in -the other world?” Nathan ventured.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“For God’s sake, don’t say that! It savors too -much of that accursed creed that has been at the bottom -of all my trouble,” said Walden with savage -vehemence. “The nauseating flavor of the other -world which I have been obliged to taste from the -hands of these spiritists has given me no appetite for -any more of it, I assure you. I’ll think of Hades or -Nirvana, but not of that intermediate place where -spirits are supposed to roam. Ugh! I’ll have none -of it!”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_193'>193</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XX<br> <span class='large'>SPIRITS OF THE AIR</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c013'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Are you visited by phantoms or by ghosts at midnight, walking?</div> - <div class='line'>See you grim and grisley spectres? Do you never hear them talking?</div> - <div class='line'>Talking low, in chilling whispers, of the worn heart’s secret sorrows,</div> - <div class='line'>Of the lone heart’s hidden treasures, and the hopes it vainly borrows?</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“When alone, at evening sitting, in the shadows of the twilight,</div> - <div class='line'>See them softly by you flitting—or in dimness of the firelight—</div> - <div class='line'>Phantoms of your youthful pleasures, mocking at you now, and scoffing,</div> - <div class='line'>Whispering as they brush you, lightly, ‘past the hours of mirth and laughing.’</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Spectres of the dear departed, who once smiled upon you, brightly;</div> - <div class='line'>Of the fair and faithful hearted, whom you love to dream of, nightly.</div> - <div class='line'>Other forms from out the shadows walk and grin with horrid grimness,</div> - <div class='line'>Mock you with their ceaseless chatter, as the firelight fades in dimness.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Then, sometimes you feel the coolness of the west wind softly blowing,</div> - <div class='line'>Of the cool sweet wind of summer, fresh from where bright waves are flowing,</div> - <div class='line'>And it carries with it zephyrs, whispers of the happy childhood—</div> - <div class='line'>Of the joyous days of girlhood, and the fragrance of the wildwood.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“And you clutch with eager yearning, but to stay them in their fleeting,</div> - <div class='line'>Clutch at air and soulless nothing, vain is all your soul’s entreating;</div> - <div class='line'>Gone beyond is all the sweetness, carried by the zephyrs lightly,</div> - <div class='line'>Borne afar beyond your reaching, by the mocking phantoms, nightly.</div> - </div> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“O the year so slowly drifting, with their freight of human sorrow,</div> - <div class='line'>Are they very near their ending? Will they end, too, on the morrow?</div> - <div class='line'>Ghosts of years and ghosts of pleasures, cease, oh cease, your midnight stalking,</div> - <div class='line'>Fill no more the heart with anguish, by your tireless, soundless walking.”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Alice Cramer stood by the small window of her -home, her fingers unconsciously thrumming on the -pane, while she gazed out into the shadowing twilight -of early spring.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The road was a dark line in the gray landscape -and she watched eagerly for a figure to arise from it -into vision. It was the evening that Mark should -<span class='pageno' id='Page_194'>194</span>come, and she remembered that she had parted from -him almost in anger. She had expected then to see -him soon again, in a few weeks at the furthest, but -the weeks had grown into months. There had been -trouble with the Indians on the frontier and Mark -was ordered to report for active duty and sent away -a long distance from home. What a long, dreary -winter it had been, even though her mother had been -with her. Alice sighed as she thought of it. Even -the mother had gone back to her Eastern home now, -and she was alone.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Ah, she was glad, very glad Mark was coming; -but there was a shadow of fear tinging the brightness -of her joy. She had disobeyed him. She compressed -her lips as she thought again of the command -he had laid upon her. Why had he been so -bitter and prejudiced in regard to Professor Russell? -Mark was usually so tolerant of others’ beliefs -and foibles. It could not be from the cause the -Professor had once insinuated. A hot flush of -shame swept over her as she thought of that dreadful -insinuation. Surely, the man had forgotten himself -when he hinted that. She should never dare repeat -his words to Mark. He would shoot him, she -feared. Perhaps Mark was right in his dislike for -the man, but she could not refuse to credit his doctrine. -Surely, surely she had proof of unseen visitants -surrounding her. She felt their presence.</p> - -<p class='c005'>And even as she thus thought, a shiver of fear -came over her. The air about her grew chill. In -imagination she could see without, in the gathering -darkness, a host of shadowy forms flitting backward -<span class='pageno' id='Page_195'>195</span>and forward before her, like swarms of tiny insects -in the atmosphere. How they swarmed about her -and over her as she grew colder and her breathing -more difficult. Involuntarily she turned her head -and glanced backward over her shoulder. The shadows -had deepened in the room. A frightful figure -began to take shape before her excited vision. Her -heart beat loudly and painfully. Her breath came in -gasps. A moment, and the shape began to approach -her. She gazed in fascinated terror into the darkness, -not daring to move. Nearer and nearer it -came,—ah, God! Alice felt her limbs sinking beneath -her, and dropping to the floor she cowered -and covered her face with her hands.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Oh, the fright and awfulness of that moment! -She felt the forms all about her, shadowing and overpowering -her. She heard them in a swarming, buzzing -confusion of sound. Suddenly, out from it all -came another sound, louder and more distinct, but -she was too paralyzed to reason.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She heard the sound of heavy footsteps outside. -Nearer and nearer they came. The door opened. -Some one approached in the half darkness. There -was a rushing and roaring as of many waters in -Alice’s brain, and she crouched lower and lower and -uttered a faint shriek of terror.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Alice, Alice!” a voice called in her ear. “Alice, -where are you? All in the dark by yourself?” -Then, as the visitor nearly stumbled over the heap -upon the floor, he started back involuntarily. “Great -Heavens! What has happened? What is the matter? -Alice, can this be you upon the floor? Why, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_196'>196</span>child, what has happened? Did I startle you by -coming sooner than you expected?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark Cramer, with anxious countenance, bent -over the cowering figure of his wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Her face was still buried in her hands, her frame -shaking, her whole attitude one of extreme fear.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark’s heart sank with a fear of unknown dangers. -This was a strange welcome after his long -absence.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice’s letter had, it is true, prepared him to find -her ill, perhaps only depressed, for he had noted the -dejection of spirits in the written words, but he could -account for that; but could this shrinking, cowering -creature be his formerly light-hearted and happy -wife? Surely he had expected nothing like this.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nothing less than a serious nerve shock could -have caused this condition. From what source could -the shock have come? Could it be, Alice had -brooded in her cabin until she had become insane? -These and a hundred other thoughts rushed through -his brain in the space of a moment as he bent over -the abject form of his wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Alice, dear Alice, have you no welcome for me -after all these long months?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark tried to raise her, but she shrank back from -him, limp and helpless, yet trembling as with palsy.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Alice, do you know me? Have you lost your -mind? My God, what a home-coming is this! You -surely are not afraid of <em>me</em>, Mark? Speak to me, -Alice.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>She looked up at him with dazed eyes and tried to -speak, but her lips would not obey her will.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_197'>197</span>“Alice, O Alice!” Mark lifted the trembling figure -in his arms and held her tightly. “Alice Cramer, -do you not know me? What has happened to put -you in this state?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>She turned her white face against his shoulder, -hiding it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Darker thoughts took possession of the man. -Was there a reason why his wife should fear him, -her husband? His blood grew hot with anger. -Had that villain, Russell, so poisoned her mind that -she feared his return, or had some person, just previous -to his return, frightened and prostrated her? -He glanced into the adjoining room and listened for -any noise to denote an intruder. No, Alice was -alone.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Alice, speak to me!” he commanded sternly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mark, Mark,” she murmured. “Oh! has it -gone? Can you save me from it?” And again she -shrank fearingly against his arm.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There is nothing here, Alice; only I, Mark. -What has disturbed you so? Was any one here before -I came? Has any one been trying to frighten -you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice raised her head and looked shrinkingly behind -her, clinging closer to her husband as she -did so. Then she began to sob, and clutch his shoulders -tightly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes—oh—I do not know! I saw it behind me -here in the room. It was so hideous—so dreadful! -I saw it over my shoulder there!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think, my dear, it was only the shadow cast by -my horse as it came down the road.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_198'>198</span>“Oh, no, no, it was there!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark looked distressed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Alice, I shall not dare leave you alone again -while your nerves are in this state. Do you know -that there has been nothing here but spectres of your -excited imagination. Since when have you conjured -gruesome hobgoblins out of the darkness? You -never saw such things before, did you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice hid her face in his bosom.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Mark, many times. They are always about -me. When I walk they come up behind me and I -hear their padding footsteps following me. They -even pull my hair sometimes at night when I cannot -sleep. Oh, I cannot bear it!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark frowned, and chewed his mustache reflectively, -but he repressed the words that came to his -lips.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My dear child, I am home with you now.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Mark, and I am so—so—glad! But you -will go away and then they will come again.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wish you might go when I do. You are nearly -ill with nervous prostration. You should see a doctor -right away.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, no, Mark! Not a doctor! I am not sick!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What has caused this trouble, Alice? I do not -know unless it is that miserable hound Russell. Can -you not believe me when I tell you this is all a mere -delusion of the senses? You have thought and -thought over, and allowed your mind to dwell upon -that wretched <em>ism</em> until it has nearly shipwrecked -you. It was an evil day when that villain darkened -our door.” And Mark ground his teeth in impotent -<span class='pageno' id='Page_199'>199</span>wrath. “But come, let us have a light and drive -away the spirits of darkness.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Mark, dear,” said Alice, as she arose and -lighted a lamp, “can you not see that, to me, it is -truth? I really see and hear them, and if it were -not for these hideous ones—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They are <em>all</em> hideous—the whole doctrine is hideous, -my dear, and only such as an unbalanced mind -can conceive of,” he said hastily. “For my sake,—for -God’s sake,—try and use some reason and judgment -in the matter! You used to feel different from -this—you, the little fearless woman of five years -ago. I was so proud of you for your bravery, as became -a soldier’s wife. You were all right until that -man came here—until that serpent came into our -Eden. Now you are frightened, and faint at your -own shadow. But forgive me, dear, I didn’t come -home to scold you. I am sure it is because you are -not well and your nerves are to blame for it all. -Queer things, these nerves, to play us such pranks. -You are better, are you not?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice turned her face, still pale and wan, toward -him, and said in a voice yet unsteady: “We will not -talk of it any more. It is too dreadful.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, we will choose pleasanter themes. I have -some news for you. I have received a letter from -my sister Elinor, and she thinks of coming to make -us a visit. She will have a fine rest here after her -round of society life.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But I thought she was in California.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“So she is, but will stop and visit us on the way -<span class='pageno' id='Page_200'>200</span>East. I know it will do you good to have her here. -She is always bright and happy.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice’s lip quivered at the implied reproach, -though Mark had no intention of meaning it as such.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But will she be happy here? I am afraid our -rude little cabin will scarcely make her comfortable.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t worry about that, child. Nellie is a good-hearted -little woman, in spite of her wealth and love -of society, and she will enjoy the change, I assure -you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I feel—afraid to see her,” said Alice, the tears -quivering in her lashes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Alice, dear, can it be this lonely, isolated life that -is ruining your health and nerves? Shall I give up -my commission and go back East?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, no, Mark! It is pleasant here—only—” -And Alice again looked apprehensively behind her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My poor child, we will go East,—anywhere,—to -get you away from these scenes and influences,” -he murmured.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Mark, do you not think they are everywhere? -In the East and West and North and -South? The air is full of them, it seems to me. -What used to seem only thin, pure, fresh air, -sweet to breathe, and space vast and limitless, appears -now a thickly populated ether or chaos in -which are countless thousands of spirits floating or -coming and going in surging, whirling, maddening -confusion. Oh, you cannot see with my eyes! If -you could you would pity me!” Alice leaned against -her husband’s arm and her tears fell softly. “You -wouldn’t scold me if you knew.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_201'>201</span>“Poor child, poor child! I will not scold you nor -laugh at you. I will cure you. I know disordered -nerves are as bad as other functional disorders, or -worse, and it is a physician you need, and a big dose -of rest, and you shall have them. You shall not be -left alone again, either. You are not afraid when I -am here?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, you seem to exercise control even over the -inhabitants of the air.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I thank God I am able to. Did you know, Alice, -Nathan’s little Lucy is ill?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Little Lucy? Ah, how sorry I am. How did -you learn it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I met Nathan down the road and came home -with him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mark, dear, how I am neglecting you. I am sure -you are tired and hungry, and here I have been taking -your time with my woes, and forgetting your -needs. Supper is all ready, however, except making -the tea.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, that begins to sound like home again. Yes, -I am hungry. I am always hungry when I can come -home to my own table and have my good wife’s -cooking.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>And Alice, intent upon the hospitable entertainment -of her husband, forgot, for the time, the spectres -that haunted her.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_202'>202</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXI<br> <span class='large'>THE REAPER</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The spring brought trouble deep and lasting to the -home of Nathan. Their child, upon whom Lissa had -rested her heart and hopes after the manner of all -mothers since the dawn of creation, sickened and -died.</p> - -<p class='c005'>One day its little, warm lips had been pressed to -hers, while its eyes looked inquiringly into her face -with the mysterious intensity of infancy. The next, -the waxen body lay cold and still before her unknowing -and unheeding, and the weighted agony of -her heart was beyond expression.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Oh, mothers who have had this experience, how I -pity you! How my heart bleeds for you! It is to -tear out a vital part of your being, to rend the very -cords of life, to see that precious little casket of -clay, so pure, so fair, borne away. How can you -bear it?</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa did not bear her trial bravely, but sank beneath -it. For days she neither ate nor slept. She -would sit in the spot where her baby died, and beg -that it should return to her. She would pray that -it might become materialized and appear to her as -the children she had at one time seen come from a -cabinet at a seance. That seemed to be her one -thought, to see it, to feel its little warm hands once -more.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_203'>203</span>Nathan watched her with increasing anxiety, -scarce naming, even to himself, what he feared. At -last one morning she startled him by declaring that -the child had come to her in the night. That she -had seen it and touched its hands.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It was but a dream, dearest. Little Lucy is safe -in Jesus’ arms. Think of that, Lissa, safe!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>She turned from him impatiently.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t want to think of it. I want her myself. -I have the best right to her. It was cruel to take my -baby, my only one. He must let her come back to -me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, my dear, that is impossible. Our little one -is safe in a better world, where no harm nor evil can -approach her. She is waiting for us there. Some -day you can go to her, Lissa, but she may not come -to you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But I know she can and does. She is there in -that corner of the room. Sit very still, and she will -come to you. See her?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan, startled in spite of himself, would sit, -awed and expectant, looking in the direction indicated, -while his wife, wrapped in eager absorption, -would remain motionless, becoming angry if he disturbed -her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>And thus the weeks passed, bringing no relief. -Lissa’s nature seemed completely changed. She no -longer took interest in her household affairs, but left -everything to her domestic, who at best was an indifferent -housekeeper. Nathan came home each week -to find neglect and chaos, where had once been care -and order.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_204'>204</span>Lissa was petulant and easily irritated, and her -dark, sad eyes looked as if she never slept. She lost -in flesh and color and her constant and ever-recurring -theme of conversation was the child she had -lost.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, how far from comforting is this belief which -my poor wife has embraced! If Lissa would only -become reconciled to the fact that the child cannot -come to her again, she would soon recover from -her sorrow,” he said to Mark Cramer, as after an -unusually trying hour with her he walked slowly -with his brother-in-law toward the latter’s house. -“It is certainly wrong to try to recall the dead.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I agree with you. God pity those who have no -other belief than spiritism.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Amen!” replied Nathan. “It has been weighed -in the balance and found wanting. Poor Lissa keeps -herself and every one around her wretched by constantly -talking of her lost one. I feel at times she is -losing her mind. She seems to care for nothing but -what she calls ‘communing with her child.’ I can -see that she is failing in health as well as mind. I -hoped when the first outburst of grief was over she -would, like other mothers, become resigned, but if -anything she is becoming more absorbed in it. I -cannot blame her friends for staying away from -her. They do not want to hear the same story continually. -If I propose that we go away for a time she -looks alarmed and refuses to leave the house, because -of the nightly visits of her little one. Surely, surely, -Mark, it is a delusion. It cannot be that she <em>does</em> -see her?” he questioned.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_205'>205</span>“I certainly believe, Nate, that she is self-deceived -and that unless her mind can in some way be diverted -and given other food she will die or become insane. -I was surprised to-day to see the change in her, even -in the short time I have been gone.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If she would only take some interest in her household -affairs, but she leaves everything to Neoka, who -is poorly fitted for such responsibility. I might send -for her mother—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark shook his head. “I am afraid her mother -gives too much credence to this wretched fallacy that -is making all the trouble,” he said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well,” groaned Nathan, “I’m to blame for all -this! If I had never brought that man Russell into -the neighborhood this need never have happened.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Possibly not, but you don’t know. The Devil -usually has some way of finding victims. He might -have sent along some other of his emissaries. I -suppose he has plenty, even of <em>this</em> kind. But I will -think about this and see if I cannot find some way of -deliverance.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Heaven grant you may, and soon!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’ve often wondered,” said Mark, “why you ever -had anything to do with this belief. I always supposed -you too sound a man to be deceived easily, and -yet you have half seemed to accept the doctrine.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I never told you of an experience I had, a number -of years ago, while I was railroading, did I? -You know I ran on the road three or four years. At -the time the incident happened I was acting as conductor -on a freight train running between R—— -and Council Bluffs. I had a friend, George Marvin, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_206'>206</span>who was also a railroad man, and we were close -chums. He was a splendid fellow and supported a -widowed mother, who idolized him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“One day he came down to the station and told me -he had had a bad dream the night before, and felt -sure that if he went out upon his run he’d meet with -an accident. I pooh-poohed at him, but he was terribly -depressed and insisted that he’d had a warning -and must not go. So finally we hunted one of the -boys to go in his place, and he jumped on a passing -train to ride up to the street-crossing near his home, -standing on the step of the third car from the engine. -As the train moved out between the tracks upon -which other cars were standing, George leaned out -too far, was struck by some projection from a -freight car, knocked under the wheels, and killed instantly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It was a terrible thing. I couldn’t sleep for -nights after it happened. And his poor mother—well, -she never got over it. It killed her inside of -six weeks.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Two or three weeks after George was killed I -took a freight train up to the junction, where I was -ordered to side-track and wait for the express to -pass me. I was some behind time, owing to an accident -up the road, when I pulled out onto the switch, -and I was slowing up to stop, when the rear door of -the caboose was thrown open with a bang, and if -you’ll believe me, there stood George Marvin, as natural -as life.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Nate,’ he said, ‘go back and close your switch.’ -Then he jumped off, and the door closed. For a moment -<span class='pageno' id='Page_207'>207</span>I forgot but that George was living. I rubbed -my eyes to see if I was awake. I went to the end -of the car, and looked out, but no one was in sight. -There were four drovers in the car playing cards -and laughing. While I was looking at them and -wondering what it all meant, the door flew open -again and George Marvin once more appeared. -‘Nate,’ he said, very slowly and expressively, ‘go -back and close your switch.’ I asked the drovers if -they saw any one. They said, ‘Yes, a fellow told -you to close your switch.’ ‘That man has been dead -two weeks,’ I said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They urged me to go back and see what it meant, -and as the train had stopped, I ran back and found a -piece of coal had fallen between the rails and prevented -the switch—which worked automatically—from -closing. I got it out and closed the switch just -as the express came in sight. Otherwise it would -have run into us, and another railroad horror would -have been recorded. Now how do you account for -that?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Had it not been for the drovers seeing the vision -I should think you might have seen, standing in the -rear of the car, that the switch did not close; but as -you were carrying on another train of thought, perhaps -thinking of your friend, you were not conscious -of noticing it; and that the other part of your mind -warned you. Your imagination supplied the vision.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But the drovers?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, perhaps it was thought transference. You -received the impression passively, scarcely realizing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_208'>208</span>it. The passive mind might have transferred it to -their minds. I must confess there is much we cannot -understand even in the laws that govern mental -telepathy.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_209'>209</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXII<br> <span class='large'>NEW ARRIVALS</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The soft and balsam-scented air of summer fluttered -the white curtains of Alice Cramer’s house as -she sat before the open doorway awaiting, with no -little anxiety, the arrival of her fashionable sister-in-law -from San Francisco.</p> - -<p class='c005'>And when her practised eye saw the carriage, a -mere speck against the sky, coming across the prairie, -her heart throbbed with the dread of meeting -and she looked about her mean little apartments with -a sense of embarrassment. What had come over -her, that she should have lost the self-possession and -ease of manner inherent in her, and become timid -and awkward as the most illiterate of her neighbors?</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have been so long out of the world I am no longer -myself,” she murmured, “and yet—and yet it is -not wholly that. I seem to be living in a state of -chronic fear. If only her coming will free me from -those other visitors.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>With a choking sensation in her throat, and trembling -in her limbs, she arose as the carriage turned -from the highway toward the house. She took in -with a glance the blonde-haired, blue-eyed sister, the -curled, elaborately-dressed child, and then her eyes -rested upon the most beautiful face she had ever -seen, it seemed to her. A face so commanding and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_210'>210</span>bright, so impellingly attractive, she gazed at it in -joyous wonder.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark lifted them down from the carriage, one by -one, and presented them to her, and the tears started -in her eyes as Elinor kissed her fondly, called her -sister Alice, and appeared to overlook the shabby -apartments which had so distressed the housewife a -few minutes before.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The little boy bounded and capered in the joy of -freedom as he looked at the boundless prairie, and -Tibby Waring’s eyes glowed with tender moistness -as she feasted upon the beauty of the expanse before -her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, Mrs. Wylie, how lovely it is to breathe freely -again,” she murmured as, after removing her wraps -with the dust and stain of travel, she stood, later in -the day, outside the cabin door and watched the red -sun touch the prairie’s distant rim.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Tibby, you will be a child again with all -these country wilds about you. You will have chickens, -cows, and horses to your heart’s content. -Mark, do you remember how we youngsters used to -go out to grandpa’s?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed I do. I remember how you tried to walk -a log across Willow brook and fell in.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And I remember when grandpa whipped you for -taking eggs from under his sitting hen.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Because a little girl about your size—you haven’t -grown much—told me to do it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and I ran and hid in the dry-house and fell -asleep there. What a time they had finding me.” -And Elinor laughed at the recollection.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_211'>211</span>“’Twas old Tige that found you. We never -could understand how he opened the dry-house -door,” responded Mark.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, those happy, happy days,” sighed Elinor. -“Look yonder, Tibby, what a lovely group of -ponies.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They are coming this way. May I go to meet -them, Mr. Cramer?” And Tibby, with Robbie at -her heels, swiftly went across the crisp, dry turf toward -the approaching horses.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Is it safe for her, Mark?” asked Elinor, looking -anxiously after her protege.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, come on, we will follow them.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How lovely they are, Mr. Cramer. Are they -all gentle? May I go near them?” asked Tibby as -the twain approached her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If you are not afraid, select one for your own -use,” Mark replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby went nearer and surveyed them for a moment.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I like that roan the best, though he looks a trifle -wicked,” she said, pointing to one a little distance -from the herd.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, that is Tempest. He is a little wild. Better -choose again.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The horse lifted his ears and struck the ground -with his fore-foot challengingly, as Tibby slowly -went toward him. Mark expected to hear him -snort viciously and take to his heels as she neared -him, but to his surprise the horse kept his position.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Then, as Tibby spoke to him, he backed a little, -and again struck the ground with his foot.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_212'>212</span>“Soh! Good fellow, good fellow! Come here!” -Tibby paused, and holding out her hand beckoned -the animal toward her. Then they stood looking at -one another steadily. Finally the roan took a few -steps forward, striking the ground, and seeming to -question her right to command him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come here, I tell you!” said Tibby imperiously, -again, and to the surprise of all the horse once more -took a few steps nearer her. Haltingly it walked -toward her, nearer, its eyes fixed on the girl and her -outstretched hand. A few more steps and it was -within reach, and Tibby’s hand was upon its nose -and she had conquered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, I’m astonished at that!” exclaimed Mark. -“He’s the Devil’s own, usually. He must have an -eye for beauty, the rascal.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby stood and stroked the animal’s nose, whispering -to him as she did so, and feeding him grass -which she pulled from the ground.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are not afraid, Tempest. You must always -come when I call you. Soh! Good Tempest; come, -sir, come! I’ll show you to the mistress.” And -Tibby turned toward the house, the horse following -the hand touching his nose.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, if that girl ain’t leading Tempest!” Alice -exclaimed. “He’s the wildest colt of the lot. Even -Mark hasn’t been able to do much with him, he’s so -vixenish. And without a bridle! How did she -manage it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She can manage almost anything,” laughed Mrs. -Wylie. “I sometimes think she manages all of us. -I don’t know how we should get along without her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_213'>213</span>“Where did you find her?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“In a country place not far from Forest City. I -took her for a nurse girl for Robbie, but as I wrote -you, I’ve made a companion and daughter of her. -She is invaluable in any capacity. The only trouble -I have is keeping the young men from running off -with her. She attracts a great deal of attention -wherever we are stopping, and woe be it to any -young woman who purposely ignores her. She -makes her a wall-flower from that time on, and -draws away every young man who would pay the -offending one any attention.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But how can she do it? Of course she is remarkably -handsome, but that does not always—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The goodness knows! It’s her own secret. -Sometimes I think it is her compelling eyes that -bring every one to her upon whom she casts them. -Haven’t you noticed that quality in them?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They are wonderfully bright, and—electrical,” -replied Alice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Electrical? Yes, that is the word. Aren’t they? -I can sound Tibby’s praises by day and night. One -feels them ever when not looking at her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well,” said Mrs. Cramer, “we have very few -young men here. None of much account, except Donald -Bartram. He is nice, and entirely eligible, so -you need not fear him. The girl is remarkably attractive.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby Waring had indeed become an important -element in Mr. Wylie’s household. Every one liked -her, from Robbie, who was restless and uneasy in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_214'>214</span>her absence, to Grandma Wylie, who, when she -made her annual visits, insisted that Tibby was better -than a doctor to relieve her aches and rheumatic -pains. And Mr. and Mrs. Wylie found need of her -on all occasions.</p> - -<p class='c005'>From the position of servant she had become a -daughter of the house. Her ready wit and imperturbably -good humor made her a welcome adjunct -in the parlor, and if some of Mrs. Wylie’s society -friends sneered and complained of her when by -themselves for her presumption in forcing an unknown -girl upon them, they were careful not to -shadow forth any dislike in her presence. Latterly, -when traveling, Mrs. Wylie had introduced her as -a foster-daughter, and thus Tibby was saved any affronts.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice Cramer was never weary of watching both -Tibby and her sister-in-law and feasting upon the -brightness and freshness of their apparel, with the -many little accessories of fashion which, of late, -were unknown to her. And Mrs. Wylie herself was -like a wild bird set at liberty. She sang and rode -with Tibby and Mark over the plains, her fluffy -blonde hair blowing in the wind, and her pink and -white complexion, which no wind could mar, only -took on a richer tinge, more healthful and attractive. -But she became alarmed at the peculiarities which -she observed in Alice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>One day, while galloping over the soft turf, she -questioned her brother.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mark, is Alice entirely sane?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Sane, Nellie! What do you mean?”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_215'>215</span>“Why, she acts so strangely at times. She sits -and looks back over her shoulder in such a startled -way, and early this morning, after you had gone out, -I heard some one cry out in her room and I ran in -there to see what was the matter. She was sitting -up in bed and brushing the wall about her with a -broom. Her face was red, her eyes bright, and she -kept saying, ‘Get away with you, you little imps!’</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Why, Alice,’ I cried, ‘what ails you?’ She -dropped her broom and looked embarrassed when she -saw me, and said imploringly, ‘I can’t help it, Nellie! -Don’t blame me, I can see such horrible crawling -things on the walls. There are all manner of -creatures, some on two legs and some on four or -more, and they grin and chatter in such a fiendish -way I have to fight them.’ And she began to sob. -I told her it was only her imagination from disordered -nerves, and she ought to have a doctor. But -she assured me she was well, physically. One can -see, however, from her thinness and pallor that such -is not the case.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark’s face grew dark and he shut his teeth hard.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Nellie, it all comes from the evil machinations of -one man who has been coming here to the house; a -spirit-medium, he calls himself, but I imagine him an -agent for Satan. He holds seances, and has given -Alice books to read until she is filled with his theories. -She has been alone too much since mother -went home, and has become melancholy and nervous. -I am very glad you are with us. Try to keep her -cheerful and her mind off those things as much as -possible. I need help.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_216'>216</span>Mrs. Wylie sighed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, I know what it is, Mark. Horace has been -interested in this subject, and I have seen more of it -than I enjoy. Horace’s sister in Oakland is a believer -and gives up her house to seances and meetings -of that sort.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed, I am surprised that so solid a man as -Mr. Wylie should give ear to such nonsense.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Mark, you can’t say it is all nonsense. -There are very many bright people who believe in it, -though they are perhaps the exceptions; but there -is certainly something supernatural about it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, Nellie, I do not think it is supernatural. It -is only because we do not understand Nature’s laws -and forces that we thus designate the phenomena -produced. I really believe the time will come when -every phenomenon adduced will be explained from -natural hypothesis. Much of it can be now. I am -not sure but all of it can.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have a friend, Mark, a very sweet young -woman, who I am sure would not stoop to deceit, -who can do many wonderful things. She can write -messages from the spirit world, is clairvoyant, and -can, if an article is placed in her hand, describe the -owner, his surroundings, etc. I have recently heard -that she has developed as a materializing medium.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, my dear, she may be ever so honest and be -self-deceived. Those things do not prove the agency -of any disembodied spirit. We all have more or less -of the psychometric power, no doubt, which, although -we cannot account for it, is no more wonderful -than the electric current and many other forces -<span class='pageno' id='Page_217'>217</span>of Nature. There certainly seems to be a force which -connects individuals and forms a medium for -thought transference. The Hindoos understand this -much better than we do, hence the mysteries of their -conjuring tricks. They must make use of this psychic -force of which we are but dimly conscious. -Possibly we may, in the future, learn to control it as -we do now the lightning. But there is no spirit -agency in it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The most mysterious to me is the slate-writing,” -said Mrs. Wylie. “My friend does that also. I have -seen instances where there seemed to be absolutely -no opportunities for fraud.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We may have belief in the power of mind over -matter. I have thought much over this and am willing -to admit that the spirit of man may even act -upon matter to produce this slate-writing, but I believe -it is the medium’s spirit rather than any other. -If the disembodied spirit is supposed to do this, why -not the spirit or intelligence of the medium also? -All things considered, I prefer to believe the medium -responsible. Of course, in many cases it is probably -only a trick or sleight of hand, in substituting one -slate for another; but I think I have seen cases myself -where such explanation could not be given.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But this hypnotic force which can make a subject -do, believe, assume personalities and see whatever is -suggested to him is a wonderful force and I know -not what its limits are. It may account for the supposed -slate-writing. The Oriental can produce phenomena -beyond anything known here, and yet, as I -understand, he does not pretend that his power -<span class='pageno' id='Page_218'>218</span>comes from the spirits of departed friends. As for -mind over matter, the planchette is certainly governed -by the intelligence of the operator or manipulator.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If,” said Mrs. Wylie, “one mind may influence -another, now annihilating time and space, why may -not the mind or spirit of the dead so act after it is -separated from the body?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I do not deny that such a thing is possible. I am -not prepared to state absolutely that such things are -impossible, but I have never had any proof sufficient -to convince me that they were at all <em>probable</em>, -and I don’t believe that spirits have anything to do -with all this table rapping, etc., which really amounts -to nothing. You will find that all written answers to -questions, even in slate-writing, tell only that which -is known to some one in the room. If a question is -asked which demands an unknown answer the so-called -spirit either refuses to speak or the answer is -so ambiguous as to admit of several interpretations. -Really I have never seen one such communication -that even stated a fact clearly. They usually deal -in generalities.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That is true. I’ve often told Horace that they -could get along all right until some question was -asked which the mind-reader could not find out -about, and then they fail. I have heard that only inferior -spirits are capable of producing psychical phenomena.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“So we have the Indian children and big medicine-men -to instruct us so much. Strange that people -should pin their faith to the utterances of spirits of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_219'>219</span>those with whom they would not associate were they -living upon earth.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“After all, it’s the making a religion of it that I -object to,” said Mrs. Wylie, “and letting these communications, -wherever evolved, control one’s morals -and living.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did you ever know a person made better by giving -up his religion and substituting spiritism?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, that is it. I have often told Horace that the -doctrine tended to demoralization; but he will not -listen to me. Of course there is much that is wrong -in the followers of any religion, but this seems especially -lowering in its tendency, so far as I have -observed.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, you can see what it has done for my poor -Alice. And her sister Lissa is nearly insane from it. -It will unbalance the mind if not the moral nature.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suspect you will not be willing to go and hear -Mrs. Lucien when she comes to C—— upon her -Western tour. I care nothing for the exhibition in -itself, but am a little anxious to know how she has -developed. I have not seen her since she first began -to try her mystic powers, as we went to the Pacific -coast soon afterwards.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, yes, I am willing to see your friend. I am -not so intolerant as that. She may, as I said, be sincere -and self-deceived. Such a condition might be -possible. However, it is quite as likely you are deceived -in her. By the way, you have a remarkable -maid—this Tibby. She is extremely pretty and has -wonderful eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, you are stricken with a shaft from those -<span class='pageno' id='Page_220'>220</span>eyes. I don’t wonder at it. Tibby has been with -me ever since she was fourteen, and I have heard -that remark over and over again from each one to -whom I have introduced her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I could believe she practises hypnotism, though -perhaps unconsciously.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, I have frequently suggested as much to -Horace, but he says it is her beauty. She certainly -can do what she wishes with any one. The young -men at the summer hotels where we stop swarm -about her like bees about a honey jar, but she does -not seem to care for them. Sometimes she plays the -most absurd tricks upon them. One evening, when -we were at the Metropolitan, a young man called -whom I had especially recommended to Tibby. I -left them in the parlor and stepped out upon the veranda. -Shortly, Miss Tibby followed me, her eyes -dancing with mischief. ‘Where is Mr. Bevington,’ I -asked. ‘In the parlor, asleep,’ she said demurely. I -went in, and sure enough, there the fellow sat in an -easy chair, sound asleep, his jaw dropped, and looking -anything but picturesque and charming. Tibby -stood by me, looking wickedly at him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘There, you see how gentlemanly your fine -young man is,’ she said. ‘I must be interesting -company. Don’t you pity me? Shall I cover him -with a shawl and let him sleep?’ I shook my head -at her. ‘Better waken him.’</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Mr. Bevington, we’ll excuse you if you would -rather sleep at home,’ she said. I wish you could -have witnessed his confusion when he awoke, as he -did immediately upon Tibby’s addressing him. I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_221'>221</span>really pitied the poor fellow. He muttered, of -course, something about late hours, etc., but I am -satisfied Tibby had something to do with his sleeping. -She has, when she chooses, a very soothing influence -over one.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“So I perceive. I saw an instance of her mesmeric -power yesterday. She wanted to go and ride upon -Tempest (by the way, there is a proof of her -strength. Tempest was the worst horse on the -ranch) and Robbie insisted upon her staying with -him. She sat down upon the horse-block and looked -at the child until he came to her as if she had been -leading him by a rope.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘I think you may as well sleep while I am gone,’ -she said, ‘to keep you out of mischief.’ To my surprise -the little fellow dropped down by the side of -the block and appeared to be asleep in a minute. -He slept until she returned from her ride, when she -awakened him, and they both came in together.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You don’t think there is any harm in it? It will -not hurt Robbie?” asked Mrs. Wylie anxiously. “I -have learned to rely upon her so completely.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Perhaps not, though I have heard that it weakens -the will to be frequently mesmerized. But we’ll hope -she does not abuse her power.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Really, Mark, I believe I obey Tibby myself. -We have never disagreed upon anything yet, that I -did not yield, I am sure. And when I have a headache -she can sooth it away with her touch.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby has a very positive character. I fancy -Donald is interested in her already.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_222'>222</span>“Donald! Why, I thought they told me he was -fond of Esther McCleary.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark smiled.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I do not know—possibly. Meanwhile, have I -your permission to talk with your protege on the -subject of mesmeric influences?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Most assuredly, or upon any other subject. But -really, Mark, isn’t there something uncanny about -a person possessed of such power?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again Mark smiled.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are possessed of the intolerance of our forefathers. -You would not suffer a witch to live.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, it does seem as if such a person had a familiar -spirit. We are commanded to abhor such, -and in olden time they were put to death, it is true.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I do not class hypnotists with spirit-mediums,” -Mark replied. “And I have an idea with regard to -Tibby which may be useful. She should be able to -exorcise other evil influences, as did the priests of -old. I’d like to pit her against Russell.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Russell? O, yes, he’s the man to whom you -ascribe Alice’s perversion of mind. Well, I wish -she might be able to. I wish she might.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_223'>223</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXIII<br> <span class='large'>THE COUNTERPLOT</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Mark sought a convenient opportunity to interview -Tibby. He found the girl one morning pacing -slowly up and down the pathway leading to the -horses’ corral, her riding-whip in her hand and riding-skirt -upon her arm. She was smiling softly to -herself and flipping the tops of the tall balsam weeds -with her whip as she passed them. She looked up, -a startled, challenging look in her large eyes as he -approached her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, Miss Tibby, what new mischief are you -hatching to-day?” Mark asked as he joined her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“None, I assure you. I was only thinking how -I would like to see a prairie on fire.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I trust the wish has not been father to the act. -You haven’t set a match to it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, no! I haven’t yet looked up a convenient -hiding-place for myself. And then I don’t believe -I’m quite so bad as Nero. My desire to see a burning -Rome is not strong enough to make me set it on -fire.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed? You reassure me!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“As if that were necessary.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You haven’t told me what you really think of us -here, Miss Tibby.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think it is lovely here; you have so much -breathing space.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_224'>224</span>“Is that all we are supposed to do—breathe?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There doesn’t seem to be a chance for much else. -Now does that sound impolite? I don’t mean it so.” -Tibby flicked the toe of her boot with her whip, and -drew in one of the deep corners of her mouth as if -she had said something she ought not to.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not in the least impolite. It’s a fact. We may -exist here, not much else.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But I didn’t mean that. I like it here very much. -But one is so free from restraint, breathing seems the -easiest and about the only necessary thing to do.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You were country born?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and I remember it seemed there as if I was -repressed and confined and I looked yearningly out -into the greater liberty of the world. Think of it! -From the freedom of country I longed for liberty.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And now?” Mark questioned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And now I am not tired of the other life. O, -no. I enjoy it truly, only I think part of the people -one meets in society life are often very silly and flat, -as—as—” she hesitated for a comparison, then gave -the familiar one of her childhood,—“as dishwater.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Isn’t that the trouble with a part of the people -everywhere? After all, it’s a great thing to be to -the manner born,” said Mark, setting his large hat -farther back upon his head, and looking the bright -sun in the face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ain’t it? There is an ease, a consciousness of -power, a—a something which the very rich have -which one may covet. Perhaps it is the consciousness -of always being well-dressed. I think that was -what I used to covet. As to birth, I had nothing to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_225'>225</span>envy in any of them. My mother was a Devereaux, -my great uncle an earl.” Tibby lifted her chin with -conscious pride. Mark saw that the girl was still -smarting from affronts received when she was only -Mrs. Wylie’s servant.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Even in this democratic America we still are -proud of what we please to call blue blood, are we? -Well, it may be foolish, but I reckon it won’t hurt -us,” said Mark. “I hope many of us are better men -than our ancestors of feudal times, however. Our -women are certainly more intelligent, if we may believe -history.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes?” Tibby was looking out into the expanse -dreamily, her eyes narrowed and yellow in the sunlight.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What do you call the restraints of society life?” -questioned Mark suddenly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The necessity of putting on war paint and feathers. -The necessity of hiding behind a mask of conventionality -and pleasant phrases, of fine clothes and -fine speeches. I enjoy it immensely—immensely.” -Tibby shut her lips tightly to emphasize her words. -“But after all, it is artificial, and the only fun is seeing -through it all. It’s really more fun to be a spectator -than an actor in a comedy. The actors see all -the tinsel and making up.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But you have been an actor?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, in the minor roles.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby, Mrs. Wylie tells me you sometimes see -people you do not like and have a way of punishing -them.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_226'>226</span>“Yes,” said Tibby meekly; “sometimes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Miss Tibby, haven’t we walked about enough? -Let us sit down upon this roller. I want to talk to -you. You conquered Tempest very easily. I believe -you have uncommon power,” he continued, as Tibby -sat down and began to fan her face with her riding-hat.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do you think so?” Tibby’s voice was mockingly -suggestive.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I am convinced of it. And I have been waiting -for an opportunity to ask how long you have -known and used this power.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby looked keenly at Mark.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am not sure I understand you. To what power -do you refer?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The power to make every person or beast yield to -your will. You are a hypnotist, Miss Waring, and -an uncommonly powerful one.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The girl looked up eagerly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do you really think so, Mr. Cramer? I have -wondered myself if that might not be the case. I -know—have known for a long time—that if I really -willed any one to do a thing, he was quite apt to do -it. When I was a little girl I used to sit in church -and make people turn and look at me—it was the -only way I could amuse myself through those long -sermons which my stepmother made me listen to -every Sunday; and sometimes I have made people -stumble, or even fall, just for fun or to punish -them. I know it wasn’t a praiseworthy amusement, -but—” Tibby hesitated.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You can put Robbie to sleep.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_227'>227</span>She nodded. “How did you know?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have been watching you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You don’t think there is any harm in it?” she -questioned in a troubled voice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Perhaps not, yet I do not think I would exercise -my power in that way. It might weaken the lad’s -will. I am sure you would not willingly do him -harm.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, no, indeed! I never mean to do any one any -harm. I have sometimes played jokes on the dudes -at the hotels, or occasionally punished some one, as -Mrs. Wylie told you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There is a person whom I wish you would punish, -if it be in your power.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And that is—?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Professor Russell. You know who he is, and -what he has done. If he comes here again, use all -the power you possess to get control of that man.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What shall do with him if I can hypnotize him?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Anything. Show him up for what he is. And -above everything, break his power or influence over -others.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You may be sure I will. Mrs. Wylie has been -telling me of him, and that he is responsible for Mrs. -Cramer’s nervous condition.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and for a hundred other offenses, large and -small. Lissa Bartram is nearly insane over his accursed -delusions. By the way, can you not suggest -a different train of thought for her? She sits brooding -over her sorrow, and trying to recall the spirit -of her child. You know the hypnotist can get control -<span class='pageno' id='Page_228'>228</span>of the mind and govern the current of thought -by suggestion. Can you not turn her morbid fancies -into dreams of hope and brightness? Ah, Miss -Tibby, if you can bring relief to that darkened spirit -you will be an angel of light!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. Cramer, I will try. I wish I understood better -just how to use the power I have. I know I have -it—but sometimes I forget and fail to make people -do as I wish. But I am interested in Mrs. Bartram, -and will do what I can.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, let us walk over there now,” said Mark. -“The others are occupied with themselves.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“All right. I’ll leave my riding accoutrements -here, and we will go. I wonder, Mr. Cramer, if this -power comes from a strong will.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Are you strong-willed?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, you answer my question in the Yankee fashion. -I suppose I am. My stepmother used to call -me ‘that self-willed, headstrong girl,’ because I could -coax papa to let me have my own way sometimes. -And when I was right, why should I not have it?” -The uptilted chin rose higher.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is usually woman’s way,” Mark replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The right way is. I agree with you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby walked forward with the free, upspringing -step of perfect health and high spirits.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. Cramer, you have not answered my question. -What is this power of hypnotic control?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You should know better than I, Miss Waring. -So far as I understand it, it is the controlling of one -person’s will and senses by another, the subject passively -submitting to it. I cannot imagine your hypnotizing -<span class='pageno' id='Page_229'>229</span>me, for I am naturally very positive myself. -You might do so if I were off my guard. Neither -have I your power over others. Why, is not clear -to me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I made you ask a question for me a couple of -days ago,” Tibby confessed, laughing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“When?” Mark looked surprised.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It was when you and Mrs. McCleary were talking -together, and I wanted to hear her tell about the -planchette. So I told you to ask her—that is, <em>willed</em> -you to. And immediately you turned around and -said, ‘Well, how does Mr. McCleary get on with his -planchette?’”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark laughed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I remember I was sorry for starting her off upon -her hobby, and was provoked at myself for asking -afterwards,” he said. “But here we are at Nathan’s. -I’ll take you in and then I’ll leave you to entertain -Lissa in your own way.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>They found her sitting listlessly by her low window, -her hands folded in her lap, her sad, dark-rimmed -eyes full of unshed tears.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have brought Miss Waring over to keep you -company for a while,” Mark said brightly. “I think -you’ll get along well together without me, so I’ll run -back to Alice. How are you feeling? Better?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa arose and came forward to meet them with -extended hands, then her eyes followed Tibby’s -about the disordered room. A flush of color came -faintly into her cheeks.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I—am about as usual, thank you,” she said to -Mark, then apologetically to Tibby: “Neoka has -<span class='pageno' id='Page_230'>230</span>neglected the work to-day. She wanted a holiday -and I let her off, and have not attended to it myself.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Are you not well, Mrs. Bartram?” asked Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No—that is, I am better than I was,” she stammered, -looking at Tibby in an embarrassed way.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You ought to be out in this lovely sunshine. -Don’t you think so, Mr. Cramer?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, indeed. There’s life and health in every -gleam, thanksgiving to the sun,” misquoted Mark, -and he touched his hat and turned away.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have a headache,” began Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Which I can rid you of in short order,” cried -Tibby. “Did Mrs. Wylie never tell you what a good -doctor I am? I can always cure her headaches in -a moment. May I try upon you?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Bartram signified her assent, and Tibby -stepped to her side and began to rub her head, talking -the while in her low, rich tones.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are to stop thinking about anything and let -your head rest easily against the back of the chair. -I will take the pain here and carry it away on the -ends of my fingers—so. Ah, you are beginning to -feel better already. The pain is going, now almost -gone—now it is gone. Isn’t it? I do not think it -will trouble you any more.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa smiled. “It has gone,” she murmured.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, that is lovely. Now we will go and walk. -It will complete my cure. Shall we go down by the -river and gather plums?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa assented, and Tibby noticed the brighter -look that already animated her face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>When, three hours later, the twain came back to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_231'>231</span>the house, their arms filled with wild flowers and -plants, Lissa’s dark eyes were shining with a new -interest, and the dawn of a brighter life had shone -upon the darkened, despairing soul of Nathan’s wife.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_232'>232</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXIV<br> <span class='large'>THE TRAIL OE THE SERPENT</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“Alice, have you seen Esther McCleary lately?” -Mark asked abruptly as he entered the house.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I have not. She seems to avoid us since Elinor -and Tibby came. I wonder if it is on account -of Donald? Why does she act so?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid, Alice, there has been, or will be, a -tragedy in Esther’s life, which will wreck it,” Mark -answered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, what do you mean? What can have happened?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Have you heard nothing about her mysterious -wanderings away from home lately?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, it seems she has been given to somnambulancy. -She has gotten up in the middle of the night -and left the house upon more than one occasion. -Last night, when I was coming home from the fort, -I came upon her walking alone upon the prairie, -wringing her hands and sobbing bitterly. I called -to her, and she at first tried to run from me, but at -last she allowed me to put her upon my horse and -bring her home. I questioned her, and finally the -poor child told me the cause of her wanderings. It -seems Russell’s power did not end with his presence, -but after hypnotizing her a number of times he could -control her, even though absent. He never tried to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_233'>233</span>use this baneful power until recently, or since he was -here the last time before now.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But when did he come back? I didn’t know he -had returned,” said Alice, a troubled look upon her -face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The Lord only knows!” replied Mark, with a -scowl. “I hoped we’d seen the last of him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I did too, Mark. I really did. I have been so -much happier since Elinor and Tibby came, and -now, when it is most time for them to go, to think -he’s come again.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He must not come here—after they have gone -away, at any rate. I don’t mind it much if they are -here, for Tibby, I think, will be a match for him. -But afterwards, if I catch him here I’ll shoot him -like the vermin he is!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Mark, they’d hang you for it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“’Twould be in a good cause. But really I don’t -think he’ll come again after I have interviewed him -once. This affair of Esther’s is going to make the -place too hot for him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, yes, you were telling me. Go on. What -about Esther?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, it appears he willed her to meet him in the -cotton-wood grove that borders the canon. The -poor child swears that she knew nothing and was -conscious of nothing until she found herself face to -face with this arch-fiend, alone and beyond the call -of friends. She tried to flee from him, but could -not. He seemed to hold her, powerless to help herself.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You horrify me, Mark!”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_234'>234</span>“I am myself so enraged I can hardly exercise -self-control. Think of having a man in the community -with the power to call his victims to him at -will.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Does Donald know of this?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I think not yet. I am afraid that when he -does it will end everything between him and Esther, -if there has been anything, which I doubt. I believe -Don has a friendly interest in Esther, but I suspect -he is growing fond of Tibby.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed! Well, I don’t see how he could help it. -But Esther is such a good girl.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, before she became the nervous wreck she is, -because of that—Russell.” Mark ground his teeth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Mark, this is dreadful, dreadful! What can -be done?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The hound must be driven from this community, -now and forever. This poor girl’s obsession is sufficient -excuse for a mob with tar and feathers. Were -it not for the publicity of the thing, and the pain -Esther would experience should these night wanderings -be made public, I would organize a posse myself, -to-night, and ride the fellow out of the territory -on a rail.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, Mark, you must not go against the laws of -the land. Mob violence can never be right.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t know, Alice—when one has a case like -this which the law would not touch.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Will not the law touch it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t know. I am going to town to-morrow to -find out if there is not some way in which he may be -held under the law. As for Esther, I wish she might -<span class='pageno' id='Page_235'>235</span>be sent away from this place—away from his hateful -influence and pestiferous power.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, could she get away from it? Is there any -place where it might not follow her? Mark, -wouldn’t it be well for you to see Mrs. McCleary? -Surely she could not sanction such possession of her -daughter.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That is a good idea, Alice. I will go to see her -to-day—now. If there’s a heart in that woman I’ll -try to find it. This is a mission for which you are -better suited, but in your nervous state it may be -more than you could do.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I would rather trust you,” Alice replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark rapped at Mrs. McCleary’s door a half hour -later, and asked the child who admitted him if he -might see her mother.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, well! Oi declare, Mr. Mark, Oi’m delighted -if you’ve found toime an’ inclination to give -us a little of yer society,” cried Mrs. McCleary, coming -forward. “Oi told Esther Oi didn’t see why -some of the neighbors didn’t call oftener. We’re always -glad to see ’em. And how is Alice, and that -noice sister, and the perty girl with her? Oi am -shure Alice must enjoy their company so much.” -As she paused to take breath, Mark interposed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We do both enjoy them very much. But where -is Esther, Mrs. McCleary?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Esther? O, she is giving the children their -baths. Oi have to leave all such work to her now. -But she’ll be through varry soon, Oi’m shure. Just -help yourself to some of them plums on the table, -Misther Mark.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_236'>236</span>“Thank you. They are very nice, and I always -enjoy eating them. This fruit makes up to us for -the lack of apples and other fruits of the East, which -we have not started here yet. Nature is compensative. -But I want to talk to you, Mrs. McCleary, -rather than Esther, and upon a somewhat delicate -subject.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes?” Mrs. McCleary’s voice slid upward interrogatively. -“Oi waant ter know.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do you know the extent of Professor Russell’s -power over your daughter?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, to be shure, Mr. Cramer. Who should -know, if not her mother?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And do you approve of his compelling her to -walk in the fields at night? Believe me, Mrs. McCleary, -I ask this from no idle motive. I am interested -in your daughter’s welfare and good name.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He compel her? Professor Russell compel her? -Why, ye’re crazy, Mark Cramer!” The woman’s -Irish temper was rising.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But it is true she has gotten up in the night and -wandered away, alone, is it not?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is thrue Esther has walked in her shlape once -or twice.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But is he not the cause, when she goes to meet -him?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. Cramer, what d’ye mean, insinuating such -things of my Esther?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mrs. McCleary, this is a painful revelation I -must make you. But I know that this has occurred, -at least once, and I know that Esther was constrained -<span class='pageno' id='Page_237'>237</span>to go to this meeting by other power than -her volition.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oi don’t belave ye, Mark Cramer,” said the now -thoroughly angry woman. “Oi don’t know what -yer object is in coming here and defaming moy poor -girrl. Oi don’t belave Professor Russell would use -any power he has to hurt moy child’s good name. -It’s all along of yer prejudice of the maan, that yer -thryin’ to make trouble.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Mrs. McCleary, listen to me, I beg of you, -for Esther’s sake. You don’t want me to believe -that Esther would go of her own free will to such -an appointment?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If she has gone, it’s the sperits as has led her. -And Oi can’t belave they would harm a hair of her -head, aither. When the sperits used to come here -first, McCleary used to say, ‘Ye’ll lose all yer friends, -Miranda, av ye toike ony sthock in these sperits,’ and -Oi sez, sez Oi, ‘If moy friends can’t sthand the sperits, -they’re not moy friends at all, an’ I can get along -without thim.’”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. McCleary was thoroughly aroused, and her -hands trembled as she clasped the arms of her rocking-chair.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are willing, are you, that the spirits should -compromise your daughter? Mrs. McCleary, there -is not a man, woman, or child in this community -that would not grieve to hear this thing of Esther, -and would gladly shield and protect her from such -influences; but her own mother will not listen nor -try to save her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ye don’t know what ye’re talking about, Mark -<span class='pageno' id='Page_238'>238</span>Cramer. If the sperits—but I don’t belave it at all, -at all.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mother!” It was Esther herself who interrupted -them, Esther standing in the doorway, her face -white to chalkiness, her dark-lined eyelids heavy -with their burden of tears, her voice thrilling with -its passionate intensity. “Mother, Mr. Cramer -speaks the truth. It is no spirit that controls me, -but the wicked, black one—oh, blacker than hell itself!—which -lodges in the breast of that dreadful -man, Russell. I have prayed to you, O my mother, -to save me from him. I have prayed to Heaven as -well, upon my bended knees, but Heaven and my own -mother have been deaf to my prayers. You would -not hear me, you would not believe me. Yes, you, -you, mother, have made me see him, forced me -against my own will to see him, until he now controls -me, body and soul. If he bade me, I should -walk into the bottomless pit. And I hate him, hate -him, hate him! O mother, mother, mother!” -Esther’s voice ended in a shriek and her slender body -swayed as she staggered forward toward the woman -whose breast should have been her safe and sure -refuge.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark caught the half-fainting girl and supported -her to a chair.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Try to calm yourself, Esther,” said Mark.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Esther, do be calm! Ye’ve upset moy -nerves complately. What does make ye take on so? -Oi nivver saw ye in sich a state, nivver.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mrs. McCleary, in view of all this, will you not -<span class='pageno' id='Page_239'>239</span>promise me that Russell shall never again enter this -house?” Mark asked with resolution.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oi—oh—what can Oi promise? Where is Mr. -McCleary. It seems to me ye’re all afther drivin’ -me crazy!” And putting her handkerchief to her -face she sobbed and waved one hand despairingly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Fortunately the hesitating, shuffling, uncertain -step of Mr. McCleary was heard coming up the path, -and in a few moments he entered the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He looked from one to the other in a helpless, bewildered -manner, then turned to his wife.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. McCleary, will you try to keep Professor -Russell from your house? This is all trouble of his -making. He has gained possession of your daughter’s -will until she is obliged to wander out upon the -prairie at night if he bids her to do so. She is completely -in his power, poor girl. Only careful watchfulness -upon your part and the expulsion of the villain -from the community can avail. Look at your -child, Mr. McCleary, and see if you will permit him -to destroy her!” said Mark, with feeling.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He pointed to the sobbing face of Esther, now -pressed against the back of the chair, and ghastly in -its grief.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The little man looked helplessly at his wife, then -at his stricken child, and his head shook with agitation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I’ll try—I’ll try. We will, won’t we, Miranda? -We’ll try to keep him away from Esther. I -say, Esther, do you want him kept away?” he continued, -going to her side and lifting her poor head in -<span class='pageno' id='Page_240'>240</span>his arms. “My little girlie, do ye want him kept -away?” he quavered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, yes! O papa, if he had never come here!” -she moaned, pressing her forehead against his breast. -“Papa—papa!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mr. McCleary blew his nose and coughed uneasily.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’ll promise yer, Mr. Cramer. I’ll promise he -sha’n’t. He sha’n’t come if I can prevent it. Poor -Esther—there, little girl! He sha’n’t come here -again if I can help it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>For a wonder, Mrs. McCleary said nothing, but -with her face concealed in her handkerchief, rocked -back and forth in her chair to the accompaniment of -her sobbing; and feeling that Esther was finding -comfort in the paternal arms, with the old man’s -promise, Mark took his leave.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Nor if I can prevent it, shall he come here -again!” he muttered as he walked away. “And I -think I can—I think I can.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_241'>241</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXV<br> <span class='large'>TIBBY CONQUERS</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Upon the second afternoon of Mark’s absence -from home Alice was surprised by the dreaded appearance -of Professor Russell. The man had -changed his outward guise considerably. His auburn -whiskers had given place to a smooth-shaven -chin. A red mustache, grizzled with white, decked -his upper lip, and his hair was closely cut. Even -his eyebrows seemed to have shared in the general -cut, and the man looked sleeker and, if possible, more -like Uriah Heep than before. Alice did not at first -recognize him as he came toward the house, but a -glance from those gray-green eyes identified him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She shrank back with a perceptible shudder of -abhorrence.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You here, Professor? I supposed you had departed -to lands afar!” she exclaimed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You did not then receive notice of my coming?” -he asked, with a meaning look.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Notice? No—why—how could I?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have numerous unseen messengers.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again Alice shivered, and turning toward her sister-in-law, -beckoned her approach. Mrs. Wylie left -the bunch of prairie flowers she was plucking, and -came forward, while at the same time Tibby came -around the corner of the house, leading Robert.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As Alice presented the Professor to each in her -<span class='pageno' id='Page_242'>242</span>turn, she observed the keen look he cast upon them, -and noted later the return of his gaze to Tibby. Her -beauty was evidently not lost upon him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As for Tibby, she regarded him steadily, as again -and again his eyes sought hers. They appeared like -two children trying to look one another out of countenance. -Then Russell’s eyes fell and he turned to -enter the house, while Tibby, her eyes dancing in triumph, -followed him in and sat down opposite him, -watching him much as a cat watches the crevice in a -wall through which a mouse has disappeared. Evidently -Tibby was very ill-bred. There was a peculiar -electrical charging of the air. Mrs. Wylie noticed -it, and looked apprehensively out of doors to -see if a storm was approaching, then at Alice. Alice -felt its influence and trembled. Tibby alone seemed -unmoved and entirely serene. A wicked, yellow -gleam shone in her expressive eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Is your husband at home, Mrs. Cramer?” Russell -asked at length, after taking a chair a short distance -from the door, and tilting it slightly backward -against the wall.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I am sorry to say he is not. But why do you -ask, Professor? I supposed you always knew.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have neglected to make inquiry this time, Mrs. -Cramer. Undoubtedly I might have learned had -done so.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby rolled up her eyes with an expression of -youthful innocence.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What a lovely idea that would be for making -calls, Mrs. Wylie! One could always go and leave -cards when people were away from home.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_243'>243</span>Mrs. Wylie shook her head at the girl reprovingly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ahem! I have taken the liberty to invite over -some of our friends for a meeting to-night,” said the -Professor.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Cramer could hardly repress signs of her annoyance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am very sorry—” she began. “It is unfortunate -Mark is not here or that you did not take the -trouble to inquire beforehand. For he decidedly objects -to anything of the kind here in his absence.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Truly, Alice was becoming brave.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sorry for Mark’s blindness,” the Professor -said, with priestly assumption.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mark blind? How very strange. I should never -have suspected it,” said Tibby with childish naivete.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He is blind to the truth, Miss Waring. A sort -of moral blindness, which is the worst form of ophthalmia.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh!” Tibby opened her eyes to their widest extent -and met his look squarely. Then her eyes narrowed -until only a rim of blue was visible, and she -did not take them off the visitor. It soon became -evident that the Professor was annoyed by this childish -scrutiny. He changed his position several times -and finally turned upon the girl abruptly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Have we ever met before, Miss Waring?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think not,” Tibby said, with an emphasis that -sounded much like “I hope not,” but she did not relax -her persistent watchfulness. Surely the girl, -though handsome, was very ill-mannered. She -acted like a child who had met an interesting specimen.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_244'>244</span>“Have you had any new experiences, Mrs. Cramer?” -the man asked, again changing his position -nervously. He was evidently upon the defensive so -far as Tibby was concerned, and did not care to longer -challenge her attention.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“N—no,” said Alice. “I think I have been less -annoyed by unpleasant influences, lately,”—then, -catching Tibby’s eye,—“since you went away,” she -added.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Professor Russell gave Alice a sharp glance, as if -to determine whether any disrespect was intended by -her remark, while Tibby’s eyes danced mirthfully.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We trust,” said Mrs. Wylie, with a dignified -raising of her chin, “that as Mrs. Cramer is getting -her nerves under better control, she will not be -haunted any more by imaginary spectres.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You think them, then, a mere delusion of the -senses?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Most assuredly.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But if I should tell you that I, who am not in -the least nervous, can see forms about Mrs. Cramer, -why should she not see them?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Because they are not there. Because you make -her see them. Mr. Russell, we feel, my brother and -I, that you have done a serious wrong to Alice, and -I know if Mark were here he would not permit you -to see her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Eh? What? Not to see her? Mark must be -beside himself. Why, I am sorry. I regret very -much that—that—that—Why, bless you! how -sleepy this warm weather makes me. I have really -allowed myself to become wearied. Perhaps I ate -<span class='pageno' id='Page_245'>245</span>too hearty a dinner. Mrs. Cramer, may I trouble -you for a glass of water?” And Russell started up -and passed his hands before his eyes as if to brush -cobwebs from them. “I have been walking about in -the heat all day and it’s almost overcome me, I -reckon.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice rose to go to the well at the back of the -house, and it was several moments before she returned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Here is the water, Professor,” she said, coming -forward with a pitcher and glass upon a small tray. -“I have drawn some fresh for you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>But her words seemed wasted upon the man before -her, who was apparently deaf and blind to all -external influences. “Why, can it be he’s asleep?” -she continued, under her breath.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, I hardly think—he’d be so severe as that. I -am—much—interested—much in—the dark,” muttered -Russell. “I’m—m—m—” His chin dropped, -his eyes closed, and he sank back heavily in his -chair. Tibby arose and approached him with cat-like -tread, looking at him eagerly. She waved her -hand before his face. “Yes, you’re asleep fast -enough!” she said exultantly. The man began to -breathe with the measured rhythm of deep sleep.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mrs. Cramer, you are free from that man’s influence,” -Tibby continued, with a long sigh of conscious -relief. “I was so afraid I could not get him -under control, as he might be on his guard. But -you distracted his attention, Mrs. Wylie, and then I -got him. He was warm and tired from walking, -and a heavy dinner too, probably. Did I do the baby -<span class='pageno' id='Page_246'>246</span>act well? He probably thought I was the personification -of rustic innocence and did not fear me. Ah, -you’re asleep now, old fellow, and cannot awaken until -I give you permission. I can see Donald Bartram -coming,” she continued, looking out of the door. -She waited for him to come up, standing upon the -step of the cabin, a picture of animated life.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“For once, Mr. Bartram, you are on hand when -you are wanted.” And she courtesied to him mockingly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“For once? Rather say, always,” he replied with -assurance. “But what is it now? Whew!” as he -caught sight of the slumbering man.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Can you ask? Don’t you see it is a sleeping -beauty; and as he’s liable to wait until the Millenium -for the princess to come to awaken him, or a thousand -years, more or less, suppose we bury him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald looked from the face of the laughing girl -to the sleeping man, in amazement.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I put him to sleep,” she vouchsafed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“By all that’s good, if old Russell hasn’t met his -match!” he whispered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, you needn’t whisper, he won’t waken; and it -isn’t a lucifer-match, so don’t look surprised, but -please suggest to me what to do with him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It’s Tibby that has put him there,” said Mrs. -Wylie. “She has mesmerized the creature. Ugh! -I hope there is no danger of his wakening.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not until I waken him,” said Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Then suppose you wait until Gabriel sounds his -trumpet,” Donald suggested.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. Bartram, I am bad enough, but you are positively -<span class='pageno' id='Page_247'>247</span>wicked! To think of punishing poor Mrs. -Cramer by having such a clod as this left around to -look at.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Miss Waring, if the man is in a hypnotic sleep, -any suggestion you may make to him, he will act -upon. Why not use him as he has Esther McCleary? -Make an exhibition of him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What, make him dance? I might try. Wouldn’t -it be fun? We should have a larger audience, -though. I wonder if I can. Oh, what a joke it will -be!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly you can. He can be made to dance, -talk, make a speech—even tell the truth, perhaps. -Try it!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He said when he came in he had invited some -people here to a seance to-night,” said Mrs. Wylie. -“It is nearly time to expect them, is it not?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That’s so. Jump on your pony and go after Esther, -Mr. Bartram. How I wish Mr. Cramer were -here. It will be a joke for them to find him asleep.” -And Tibby’s eyes glowed wickedly, with yellow fire -in them.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald, nothing loth, started upon his errand.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Be sure he does not waken,” he said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Never fear! I’ll see to that,” she called after -him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Poor Alice Cramer had not spoken since the -drama began. She was frightened, yet glad in her -secret heart. She feared this man so much, it was -a satisfaction to see him harmless and sleeping, and -Mark would be home before the night was over.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, Mrs. Cramer,” cried Tibby, “just pay no attention -<span class='pageno' id='Page_248'>248</span>to him. I’ll make him go and lay in the corner, -if he is in your way.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, no!” cried Alice, frightened at her daring. -“Let him remain where he is. You’re sure you can -bring him out when you please?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, indeed!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice stepped about softly, as if in fear she would -wake him, while she arranged the furniture in the -room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sorry he arranged for a seance here to-night,” -she whispered. “Mark will be angry.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But <em>he</em> isn’t to have one. Don’t you see. It’s <em>I</em> -that will have the seance, and he is to dance at it. -Oh, you wicked man, I have heard enough about -you! Are you not wicked? Answer me!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I am wicked,” came from the lips of the -slumberer.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby clapped her hands with delight.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I can see Sol Garrett coming now,” Alice said, -going to the door.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Dear me! What will they say?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They’ll say Satan is outwitted,” said Mrs. Wylie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, I am sure I hope it is all right,” Alice replied, -with a sigh.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Before Mr. Garrett reached the house, Donald -galloped up from the opposite direction and threw -himself from the horse.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How is it, have you got him fast?” he asked, -hurrying in.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, but where is Esther?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald frowned.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_249'>249</span>“She is either not at home or would not see me,” -he said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And her mother?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Was nursing a headache and would not see me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, then they will not be here. I am so sorry,” -murmured Tibby. “Esther ought to see him act the -clown’s part.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Jenkinson soon arrived, with Auntie Dearborn -and the Pemberton twins. Sol Garrett waited -to come in with Lissa Bartram, and three or four -others soon followed them. They all started back -at the sight of the sleeping Professor, and looked at -one another inquiringly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Too much spirits,” said Tibby audaciously.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, you don’t say? Has he been drinking?” -queried Auntie Dearborn in a loud whisper.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, he’s overcome by spirits, but not of that -kind,” Donald said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A stronger spirit than his own controls him,” -added Mrs. Wylie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Strong spirits are always dangerous,” giggled -Tibby in an aside to Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Weak ones are more so,” he replied in the same -tone.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The company were soon seated about the room, -looking curiously at the slumbering medium.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Then Donald explained to them that his sleep was -an unnatural one, induced by Miss Waring, who had, -like the Professor, hypnotic powers.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We propose to prove to you that much that this -man has taught is fallacy,” he said. “That which -he has claimed to be spirit manifestation is much of -<span class='pageno' id='Page_250'>250</span>it only hypnotic suggestion.” Then at a signal from -him Tibby came forward.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, Professor!” she said with authority. -“You are asleep, very sound asleep, are you not? -You cannot open your eyes if you try to, can you?” -The man made an evident vain effort to do so.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Now, put out your arm.” The subject obeyed. -“Put it down.” Again he obeyed her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He is all right,” said Donald, biting his mustache -nervously. “He will dance if you tell him to.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, these people have come here to see you -dance, Professor. You know you are a dancing -master and can perform in a wonderful manner. -Mr. Bartram will whistle a jig for you. Now begin!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald gave Tibby a humorous grimace, but he -struck up a lively tune, and the Professor, springing -to his feet with the agility of a youth, kept time with -him in a most ludicrous manner. He flourished, -kicked, double-shuffled and pirouetted in the manner -of a professional stage minstrel.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That will do now! You are tired,” said Tibby, -after the man had continued his exhibition until his -audience was convulsed with laughter.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You see,” said Donald, “it was not spirits, but -hypnotism, that made Miss McCleary entertain us -by waltzing.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That is true, is it not, Professor?” Tibby asked.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” he nodded, “it is true.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, I swan!” said Solomon Garrett. “If this -don’t beat all creation! Has that man been foolin’ us -all this time, or is he dancin’ with spirits himself.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_251'>251</span>“He is controlled by this lady here. There is -nothing supernatural about it,” replied Donald. “She -controls him, as he has us, many times, making us -see and believe what had no existence. Miss Waring -will make him see things not here.” He looked -at Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Professor, Mark Cramer is standing over you -with a horse-whip. Look out, he is going to strike -you!” The man showed signs of terror, and shrank -away from the supposed antagonist. “You had better -strike back.” He doubled up his fist and struck -back with energy. “There, you have hit him, he is -down.” The Professor glared at the floor, smiling -with the air of a conquering pugilist.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Here is a piece of candy for him,” said Donald, -handing Tibby a piece of balsam-weed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, here, Professor, you are fond of sweets. -Eat this.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The Professor took the stick and bit it, smacking -his lips, and chewing it with apparent relish.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What is it?” asked Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Candy,” he responded.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, it’s poison,” she said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Immediately his face was distorted and he strove -to eject it from his mouth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There, it is all right. You know you have been -deceiving these people and now you are going to -make a speech and tell them the truth. Tell them -how you tricked them,” continued Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My friends,” said Russell, “I will now undertake -to explain to you all that has seemed to you mysterious -and supernatural. I am a mind-reader and a -<span class='pageno' id='Page_252'>252</span>hypnotist. I sometimes figure as a spirit-medium. I -have the power of going into a trance, when my -senses no longer control my mind, and then I can see -through time and space; and what has seemed to -you unaccountable except by spirit agency is simply -the result of natural forces not yet well understood.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That is true,” said a voice at the door, and the -spectators turned to see Mark Cramer entering the -room. Tibby gave him a meaning look and put her -fingers to her lips.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have deceived you and worked harm among -you,” the Professor went on; “and not only here, -but in many other parts of the country. I am planning -more mischief still. Esther McCleary is in my -power—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Stop! You have said enough!” cried Tibby, -alarmed at his words.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I’ve said enough,” he repeated.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Shall I awaken him?” Tibby asked, turning to -Mark.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“So you’ve really hypnotized the villain. Good -girl!” cried Mark, and his hand was extended to her -in friendly appreciation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, he’s been dancing, and giving himself away -badly,” said Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Are you all satisfied that he is a fraud and a villain?” -asked Mark, looking about him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We have his own word that he is,” replied Sol -Garrett.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, his dancing was too funny,” giggled the -Pemberton twins.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t know what to think of it, but I believe -<span class='pageno' id='Page_253'>253</span>the Professor will explain it when he comes out of -his trance,” said Mrs. Jenkinson. “I am sure he -has been under control.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Under Miss Waring’s control,” said Mark, with -a frown. “Can it be that you will yet ascribe this -to spirit agency?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He was controlled by a dancing master,” said -the twins.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mark, I wish you would send him away,” whispered -Alice; “I am so tired.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You may as well awaken him,” Mark said. -“These people are bound to be deceived.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Awake!” cried Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>For a moment the Professor’s face became convulsed, -he struggled desperately, then fell prone -upon the floor. Donald and Solomon Garrett assisted -him to his feet, and for a few moments he -stood staring and glaring about him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What are you doing here, sir, when I forbade -you the house?” cried Mark. “Get out of here at -once, and never let me see your face in this part of -the country again, if you value your miserable life!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The man glared at Mark in impotent rage.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Come, go! I know all your iniquity and I swear -I’ll have a mob after you before another night if -you’re in this vicinity!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark spoke with angry vehemence.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I go, but your wife will follow me,” Russell said, -turning and fixing his eyes upon Alice Cramer. -Mark saw her totter forward, and catching her in -one arm he drew a revolver from his belt and levelled -it at the Professor’s head.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_254'>254</span>“Will you go?” he hissed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Professor Russell did not stop long to question -the muzzle of a revolver, and sprang out into the -night. The neighbors, too, frightened by Mark’s -savagery, made short adieux and went home.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice was nearly unconscious from her fright, and -Mark bore her to a couch.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I should like to have kicked that hound into the -middle of next week!” he muttered. “Heaven -knows what he has done to my poor Alice.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I hope it’s not I who have harmed Mrs. Cramer,” -faltered Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, no, child! Not you! You have done good -work. I wish I had been here earlier.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby lifted Mrs. Cramer’s white face in her arms -and whispered softly to her. “He has gone, and -will never harm nor frighten you again.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mark did not kill him?” she questioned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, only frightened him away. Mark is here.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You will not let him come again,” she said, looking -with appealing eyes into Tibby’s face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Never!” said Tibby with finality.</p> - -<p class='c005'>With a sigh of relief she sank back upon her pillow, -and after a time, Tibby, believing her asleep, -stole softly away.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’ve been a brute to frighten Alice so,” Mark -said as Tibby came out.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, it was Russell that frightened her. I wish -before I wakened him I had driven him out and told -him not to stop going,” Tibby replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We would have a second edition of the Wandering -Jew,” Mark responded.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_255'>255</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXVI<br> <span class='large'>ESTHER’S DISAPPEARANCE</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The shock of Professor Russell’s last visit and -forced departure prostrated Alice Cramer, and in the -days that followed, a little life that should have -brightened Mark’s home opened its eyes to shut them -too quickly, and went away into the unknown from -whence it came, leaving desolation and sorrow behind -it. But this bereavement was swallowed up in -the anxiety for the mother, who for many days -seemed about to follow her child.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At the same time another calamity befell the community, -a tragedy that touched all hearts. This was -nothing less than the sudden and unaccountable disappearance -of Esther McCleary upon the night Russell -had been driven from Mark’s house.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Where she went or how, no one could determine. -She had gone to her room at the usual hour of retiring. -In the morning she was gone, leaving no -word or trace of her going. Her mother refused to -believe that any harm could have befallen her, and -would have kept the matter secret; but the poor -father at last dared to think for himself, and notified -the neighbors.</p> - -<p class='c005'>With their help he searched the canon and the -weed-covered tracts of the prairies to find, perchance, -her body, while Donald went to the nearest railway -<span class='pageno' id='Page_256'>256</span>stations to learn if she had been seen to depart by -any of them, but to no avail.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Whether she had, in the depth of her despair, -taken her own life; whether, to free herself from the -noxious presence of Russell, she had disguised herself -and fled to parts unknown; whether she had -been spirited away by some of his familiar spectres, -or whether, in his complete obsession of her, the unprincipled -scoundrel had abducted her, could not be -learned. She was gone, and the unfortunate mother -had leisure to inquire of her own conscience, how far -she had been to blame for this tragedy in her home.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Professor Russell had not been seen in the neighborhood -again, and during Alice’s convalescence the -unfortunate events occurring during her illness, as -well as those preceding it, were rarely alluded to, and -her friends were delighted to find her apparently happier -and brighter than formerly. Lissa, too, had -largely recovered her normal condition, owing chiefly -to Tibby’s influence, and the world looked brighter -to some of the actors in this part of it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The exposure of the deception practised upon -them, added to the mysterious disappearance of -Esther upon the same night of Russell’s departure, -staggered the belief of many of his converts, and no -seances were held in the neighborhood.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The weeks wore away, and yet Mrs. Wylie remained -at her brother’s home. She felt as if Alice -really needed the companionship of Tibby and herself. -In the early autumn Mr. Wylie was going to -New York on business and would call for her, and -together they would go East. The sojourn had been -<span class='pageno' id='Page_257'>257</span>a pleasant one for Mrs. Wylie, despite the tragedies -enacted, the excitement, and the absence of the fashionable -circle of her friends. Her little boy had -grown brown and stout-limbed in his liberty, and -she herself was rested and happy. The long letters -from her husband, which came with unfailing regularity, -filled with news and anecdotes of the life in -which he lived, helped to break the monotony of -rural life, and as September approached and she began -to look forward to his coming, the little estrangements -were forgotten and Nellie Wylie dwelt -fondly upon her husband’s perfections as she talked -of him to her sister-in-law.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You cannot think, Alice, what a wonderful business -man Horace is,” she said as they sat in the little -doorway of the house one beautiful September evening -watching the sun sink behind the fringe of cotton-wood -trees in the distant west. “If he were to -fail in business to-day he would be on sound footing -to-morrow. He seems to know instinctively what to -do. I need never have any fear for the future, having -him to rely on.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He has been very kind to allow you to stay with -us so long. He must be very lonely without his family,” -Alice replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, though he is with his sister a great deal, and -she is—Forgive me, dear, I was about to say she -was one of those dreadful spiritists. But really she -is fanatical in her beliefs and goes to such lengths -in it. That is the one regret I have for being away. -I don’t like her influence over Horace. But forgive -me, Alice, I beg of you. Though I hope now you -<span class='pageno' id='Page_258'>258</span>feel the same as I do about it, I know I should not -have introduced the subject.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“On the contrary, I am very glad you have done -so. I want to tell you that since Professor Russell -went away I have seen fewer visions and thought -less upon the subject. I am really much less nervous -than when you came, and yet I cannot entirely rid -myself of those—spirit presences. If the evil ones -have been driven away, there are kind ones who -come to me in my dreams. I believe Tibby exorcised -the evil ones who made life such a torture to me, -and I cannot tell you how thankful I am that you -came here this summer and brought me deliverance. -But for this I should have been lying there with my -baby, or been in the mad-house. I am sure of it. -But I see Mark coming. I must run and see if tea is -made for him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, sister mine,” Mark said, springing from -his horse and throwing the reins over its neck. -“When do you expect to hear from Horace?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“To-day, now! Give me the letter quick!” she -cried, holding out her hands to him. “Ah, a telegram. -He must have started, then.” And she hastily -tore open the envelope. “Yes, it is from Johnson, -his partner, and says, ‘Wylie started on No. 5, to-night, -for the East.’ Oh, isn’t that grand! He will -be here in a few days.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You have been somewhat lonely here in the -wilds, I suspect, little sister; but we shall regret -your going.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And I shall miss you all very much, wherever I -am; but I suppose Horace will be willing to stop -<span class='pageno' id='Page_259'>259</span>only a very short time, so we can be here but a few -days longer. Let me see, this is the eighth. He -should be here by the twelfth, should he not? Robbie, -come here, dear. Papa is coming. Do you -hear?” And Nellie Wylie caught up the little fellow -and kissed him in the exuberance of her delight.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am glad you will leave Alice in so much better -health, mentally and physically, than she was when -you came,” Mark said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and better than all, with that man banished -from this place.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_260'>260</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXVII<br> <span class='large'>A LEGAL DOCUMENT IS RECEIVED</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“He will be here to-day! Surely, Horace will be -here to-day,” Nellie Wylie repeated to herself as the -hours crept slowly on and the time arrived when, by -her reckoning, her husband should have reached -C——.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark had driven out to meet him, and the little -woman scanned again and again the broad bosom -of the plain for a sight of the returning carriage. -The grass was dry and golden in the sunlight and -her eyes ached from the reflected brightness as, -shading them with her hand, she stood for the fiftieth -time before the cabin door and sought to trace -the slender thread of roadway.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Alice, I am sure there is some one coming,” she -cried at last, as a brown speck became visible against -the horizon. Alice came and looked over her shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is only Jackson, the mail-carrier, I am afraid,” -Alice replied. “You know, dearie, Mark would be -detained for a little time, while Jackson has hastened -directly here. You must not look too much upon -Horace’s coming to-night, for the train may have -been delayed or many things may have happened to -detain him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The letter-box was fastened at the roadside nearly -opposite Mark’s house, but seeing Alice in the doorway, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_261'>261</span>Jackson threw his package of mail to her and -galloped on to the next post.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Here is a letter for you, dear,” said Alice as she -sorted out the mail and came slowly up to the waiting -sister.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A letter? And from Horace, too! He must -have written before he started.” And her bright -eyes glanced eagerly over the sheet she had hurriedly -opened. “Oh, merciful Heaven!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The cry startled Alice, and she turned to see Elinor -stagger as if stricken by a blow and then sink in -a limp and helpless heap upon the ground.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, Elinor! Nellie! What is it?” cried Alice, -running to her and lifting the poor fallen head in -her arms. “My poor Nellie! Is it bad news? Tell -me!” she implored, while she rubbed the pulseless -wrists and tried to arouse her to consciousness.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mamma, mamma!” cried little Robbie, frantic -with alarm, trying to open her eyes with his little -brown fingers. “Mamma! Is she dead?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, Robbie, not dead. Oh, my child!” cried -Alice; “if Mark would only come!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Uncle Mark is coming,” cried Robbie, and Alice -lifted her head with a silent prayer of thanksgiving -as she heard the sound of horses’ footsteps over the -soft earth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How glad I am you’ve come!” she sobbed, as a -few moments later he reached her side. “What can -have happened to poor Nellie? Some dreadful news, -I’m afraid.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark lifted the letter, which still remained in her -nerveless fingers. An enclosure fell from it to the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_262'>262</span>ground. He picked it up and hastily looked it over. -It was evidently a legal document, and as he read the -first line his face grew pale with surprise and anger.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Great Scott! What is this! Oh, my poor little -girl!” And the great-hearted Mark Cramer turned -away his head and groaned aloud. He turned to see -Elinor staring at him with rigid eyes, full of wonder.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What has happened, Mark—Alice? Oh, I know, -I know!” and again the blue eyes were covered with -the heavy eyelids. Then Mark lifted her in his -arms, and bearing her as lightly as though she were -a child, he carried her into the cabin and laid her -upon a couch.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Poor child, poor child!” he muttered. “It is her -only chance of forgetfulness. It would be better -almost if she never wakened.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mark Cramer, will you tell me what has happened?” -cried Alice, who had followed him in and -now stood holding Robbie’s hand, her eyes dilated -and expectant. Mark hesitated, but finally said -through closed teeth:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That paper is a copy of a bill of divorcement -from Nellie.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A divorce? I don’t understand!” Alice caught -her breath.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, that knave of a Wylie has divorced this -poor girl! God only knows for what or why he has -done so. But, by the eternal powers, I’ll know why! -That man shall answer to me for this!” Mark’s eyes -blazed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hush, Mark! You are excited and know not -what you are saying. There must be some mistake. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_263'>263</span>It is probably only a joke. He has written Elinor -every day, kind, affectionate letters, and I think he -was to have come to-day, may be here in a few -hours. He is only playing a practical joke upon -her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If so, he shall pay dearly for his joke!” Mark -exclaimed. “Ah, my poor little sister! My poor -Elinor!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t, Mark! Think of Robbie hearing you! -There is surely some mistake.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It’s a mistake he shall rue,” he groaned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>But Mark’s anger gave way to fear as hour after -hour went by and Elinor only awoke from one -swoon to go into another. Mark paced the floor, distracted -with anxiety.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Poor Nellie, I dread the hour when she shall -finally awaken. Heaven is merciful to her in thus -keeping her unconscious,” he repeated again and -again. “What can have made the change in Horace -Wylie? I should have supposed him too proud a -man to have entered a divorce court, even if their -life had been unpleasant. And I have always believed -them to be congenial and happy. Surely my -poor little sister loved him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid, Mark, there is another woman in -the case,” Alice said with conviction. “Depend upon -it, no man could do such a cold-blooded, cruel act -as this unless his affections were enchained by some -other charmer who has usurped his wife’s place in -his heart.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hush! she hears you,” Mark whispered, as a -faint moan came from the couch and he saw the blue -<span class='pageno' id='Page_264'>264</span>eyes slowly unclosed to be fixed with painful directness -upon him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What is it, dear; can I do anything for you?” he -asked, going to her and stroking her curl-fringed -forehead with his hand.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Where is Tibby,” she murmured.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Sure enough, where is Tibby? Alice, is it not -time for Tibby to be home? Where did she go?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“She went over to Nathan’s this morning, and has -not yet returned. Shall I go after her?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Elinor shook her head and looked with stony, unseeing, -fixed eyes at the farthest corner of the ceiling. -How pinched and drawn the white face looked, that -had bloomed so rosily a few hours before.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A moan again escaped her white lips. Alice -sighed in sympathy.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t, Nellie! Think of Robbie. Poor Robbie, -he wants to speak to you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mamma, I love you,” Robbie said, softly patting -her cheek with his little brown palm. “What makes -you sick, mamma?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Robbie, Robbie, dear, dear Robbie! O God! -O God! It cannot be!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>And again her eyes closed and she was still.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is better, anything is better than that awful -stare,” Mark said, bowing his head. At last, as -evening approached, Tibby was seen coming slowly -along over the gray plain, swinging her hat in her -hand and laughing with Donald, who accompanied -her. Alice looked at the flushed face of the happy -girl, so radiant, so hopeful, so roseate, and her heart -sank at the thought of her meeting with the crushed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_265'>265</span>broken lily who lay upon the couch behind her. And -she slipped quietly out of the door to meet Tibby and -prepare her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She put up her hand, enjoining quiet, as Tibby -swung her hat in salutation.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby, dear,” Alice said as the twain came to her -side, “Mrs. Wylie has received bad news, and is -quite overcome by it. She asked for you and I -think you may be able to comfort her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby’s face blanched a little, and the laughing -lips were sobered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I will go in at once. Good-by, Mr. Bartram. -I’ll leave you to Mrs. Cramer’s care.” And she flitted -away.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We’re in great trouble, Donald. Mark will explain -to you at another time,” Alice said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You have my sympathy, whatever it may be,” -the young man replied gravely. “If I can be a help -in any way, command me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Thank you, Donald, we are always sure of that.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>He lifted his hat.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You may bring Lissa over to-morrow. Perhaps -the skein of mystery may be untangled by that time -and more explainable,” she said as he turned away.</p> - -<p class='c005'>With the coming of Tibby the stony stare of Elinor’s -eyes was washed away by blessed tears, and -with her head upon Tibby’s breast she wept long -and silently, while Tibby soothed her with whispered -words. Then after a time the sobs became less frequent, -and to the relief of all, Elinor slept.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Thank God for this! and thank you, Tibby, -also!” Mark ejaculated. “I feared her mind would -<span class='pageno' id='Page_266'>266</span>give away to the shock. But this sleep will restore -her. What a blessing is sleep. This world would be -a mad-house of maniacs without it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Mr. Cramer; but may I not now know -what this all means?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark handed Tibby the document which had -wrought the ruin. She read it through with corrugated -brow, and then sat thoughtfully with it in her -hand.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Can you understand the cause for this, Tibby?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>She shook her head.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, unless—I do not know, but there was a -woman on the boat with us when we went to Santa -Barbara, whom Mr. Wylie seemed to admire and -who appeared completely infatuated with him. So -much so as to cause remark. I did not tell Mrs. -Wylie, but I overheard people talking of her. She -was in some way one of his kind, that is, she believed -in spiritism and he seemed to enjoy her society.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mrs. Wylie did not like her because she had been -at the hotel in the mountains when we were there, -and the ladies had been somewhat scandalized by her -behavior. But of course it seems incredible that she -should have been able to cause trouble. I should not -think of her, only at the time I felt such an instinctive -dislike for her, and fear, as if she was dangerous.” -Tibby spoke with evident reluctance. “I am -afraid I tried to punish her sometimes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Punish her? How?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, I made her upset her coffee, spill her soup, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_267'>267</span>and do other awkward things. I am glad now that -I did them; that is, if she is to blame—for this.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I see you feel convinced that she is,” Mark said. -“And I am inclined to trust your intuition.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby’s care of Mrs. Wylie was untiring, and -when another day had come and the grief-tortured -woman could control herself sufficiently to talk of -her trouble, Mark sought from her to learn something -more of the cause of it; but any suggestion of -the idea that Horace had been beguiled by another -woman met with indignant protest from Elinor.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, no, no; there is nothing of the kind! Horace -has always been devoted to me. I think he must -be insane. I can account for this in no other way. -I am sure his belief in spiritism has in some way -been the primary cause of the trouble. It does unbalance -the mind, we know,” she faltered. “We -never had any disagreement except over that.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” Mark said, “I am willing to believe that -anything may come from embracing that creed. -But what does he write you, Elinor?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Here is the letter. Read it and interpret it if -you can. I have read it several times with no further -enlightenment,” she replied sadly.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-l c003'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘My dear Elinor:</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c005'>“‘I fear this letter may prove a surprise to you, -and a shock. I hardly know how to make you understand -the reason why I have taken this step. It -seems to be a necessary one. But I have not taken -it without due reflection. I am convinced our marriage -has not been the soul-marriage, which is the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_268'>268</span>only true one, and that our tastes and requirements -are so dissimilar, it is better that we should go separate -ways. I am willing to provide abundantly for -all your needs and for Robbie. You will, of course, -desire to keep him with you at least until he is old -enough to be sent away to school. I have placed -with my attorney a sum of money which shall be -paid to you regularly each month, sufficient, I am -sure, for all your requirements, and I shall be glad -to supplement it if at any time you desire more.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Is there anything here at home which you -would especially desire me to send you? I imagine -you will prefer to make Forest City your permanent -home, and I would suggest that you keep Tibby with -you as long as possible. Your harp and piano I have -already had boxed awaiting your order. And now, -dear Nellie, I hope you will accept this trial in the -right spirit, believing it for the best, as I do. It has -been a trial, also, to me, I assure you, but it has -seemed a duty, if not an actual necessity.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-r'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“‘Very affectionately yours,</div> - <div class='line in16'>“‘<span class='sc'>Horace Wylie</span>.’</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>“The man is certainly insane, or—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Infatuated with some other woman,” interrupted -Alice as Mark hesitated.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I will never believe that,” said Elinor pathetically. -“I shall write to him. Yes, I must write to -him. This seems so unreal, I am constantly feeling -as though I should awaken and find it but a painful -dream.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_269'>269</span>“Yes, write to him by all means, and learn, if possible, -the cause of this change of heart.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’ve been wondering where I should address him. -You know his partner wired me that he had started -for New York. You don’t think he could have gone -through east, already?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I will go to town to-day and telegraph Johnson,” -Mark responded.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He did so, and received this reply:</p> - -<p class='c011'>“Wylie left San Francisco for New York, the -eighth instant, in company with his wife.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>“‘Oh, my prophetic soul!’” quoted Alice, when -she heard it, and Tibby nodded assent.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I know it is that woman of the boat. My instincts -did not deceive me,” she said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>How Elinor lived through the next fortnight she -could never have told. She remained as one stunned, -and unable to talk to any one. She would lie on the -couch for hours and not move, or sit under the canopy -of the doorway, her hands lying listlessly in her -lap, her sad eyes staring pathetically into space. -When spoken to she would arouse herself with a -start, and look at her friends with so pitiful an expression -in her blue eyes that they would turn away -to hide their tears of sympathy. She ate only when -urged to do so, and slept only when forced to do so -by Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If we could only interest her in something,” -Alice said over and over, for she scarcely even noticed -little Robbie.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_270'>270</span>At last Lissa came in one day, bringing her herbarium -of Nebraska flowers.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“This was a God-send to me,” she said, “when I -was brooding over my sorrow. Perhaps I can interest -Mrs. Wylie in it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, how much you have done with it,” cried -Tibby, “since the time when you and I made our -first botanical excursion together.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You drew my attention from the dead to the living, -growing things about me, Tibby, dear, and I -can never thank you enough,” Lissa replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Wonderful as it may seem, Mrs. Wylie did allow -herself to become interested in the bright descriptions -which Lissa gave her of the native wild flowers -of the State, and promised to go with her in the -afternoon to gather autumn specimens, and thus the -first step was taken in distracting her mind from her -grief.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_271'>271</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXVIII<br> <span class='large'>HORACE WYLIE’S PHILOSOPHY</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Let us now make a flying trip to the Pacific slope -and go back to that hour of parting at San Francisco -to learn more of the motives that prompted the tragedy -in Elinor Wylie’s life.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Passenger train No. 9, eastward bound, pulled -slowly out of the great depot building of the Oakland -Mole, and the hurrying and excited throng of -people pressed forward, jostling elbows and crowding -one another after the manner of travelers, who -sometimes leave their politeness and good breeding -behind them when they take up their valises.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The coaches were fast becoming filled, when a -gentleman entered one of them, accompanied by a -child and two ladies, one a pretty blonde, whom he -helped to a seat and bent over in tender leave-taking.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Good-by, Nellie! Write me when you get -through, or better, wire me from Denver, so I may -know all is well. Tibby is with you, so I need not -worry if the trains run right.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The little lady smiled through tear-moistened eyelids -as she replied, and kissing her again, and the -child, and shaking hands with her companion, he -sprang from the train as it began to move.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Horace Wylie stood watching the long line of -coaches as they moved away from him, biting the -ends of his mustache in an absent, absorbed inattention, -then turned slowly back within the gates, a -strange mixture of emotions controlling him.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_272'>272</span>The inward monitor, conscience, was not yet -stifled, and it was holding a mental mirror before his -vision. He caught a flitting glimpse of his real self, -stripped of all the sophistries and delusions under -which he loved to hide. Was he not a traitor, double-dyed? -For a moment he felt an impulse to rush -after the departing train and seek to stop it in its -flight. A vision of his wife, looking trim and attractive -in her fashionable costume, remained and -upbraided him with her trusting blue eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It was but a moment, however. Another face superseded -it—a dark, brilliant face, with passionate -southern eyes, and red, full lips; a face more sensuous, -more bewilderingly intoxicating to him in its -voluptuous beauty and piquancy.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Horace Wylie shrugged his shoulders and shook -himself as if to shake off the oppression of self-reproach. -He had made his decision and would -abide by it. After all, what mattered it? He had -but one life to live. It was right to get all the enjoyment -out of it within his reach.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He had not confessed to himself before why he -had been so willing, and more than willing, that his -wife should make a visit of three months at her old -home. It had been her wish to go, and he had magnanimously -granted her permission. Thus he told -himself. But he knew he concealed, under a pretense -of self-denial, the secret joy he felt that her -own voluntary act should lend aid to the furtherance -of his half-formed designs. He had not told the -better part of himself what these designs were. It -is doubtful whether at this time he had faced the fact -<span class='pageno' id='Page_273'>273</span>that they were designs at all. They were mere desires. -At least they were vague, shadowy, evanescent -creations, taking form from his desires, and developing -slowly in the secret, dark chambers of his -bosom.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He felt now, rather than thought consciously, that -the barrier which had restrained the current of his -impulses was washed away and he might sink in the -lethal waters or be drifted away from prudence and -engulfed in the maelstrom of pleasure. He could -not say <em>vice</em>, but a guilty consciousness oppressed -him now as he stood upon the platform watching the -last curling waves of smoke float backward.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Wylie boasted of being a man of progressive -ideas, a modern philosopher, who had outgrown the -old-fogyism of the past generation and arisen to a -plane where he could sit and lay down laws unto -himself—mark out a plan of life for this world and -the hereafter. He was well-read in modern sciences -and a student of mental philosophy. He confessed -himself infidel in that he denied the Divine origin of -the Scriptures, laughed at what he called the pretty -fables that bound the conscience of the orthodox -Christian, and felt himself superior in his latter-day -wisdom. He claimed to be a free-thinker and a liberalist, -who read Huxley and venerated Ingersoll, -but had adopted a modern creed more in accordance -with modern requirements. He confessed to a decided -leaning toward spiritism. In fact, if his ideas -were really expressed, he believed a man had a right -to do about as he pleased in this world, despite moral -and civil law. Not that he would have confessed -<span class='pageno' id='Page_274'>274</span>as much to himself. That was another of his self-delusions. -But he had outgrown in theory, with the -fables taught him in his youth, his boyish code of -morality. He had also outgrown, so he believed, -his love for his wife, whom he had married many -years ago, when he was but twenty-one, a mere boy, -incapable of judging or choosing wisely. So he argued -with the better self. Not that he found serious -fault with her. He secretly wished he might do so, -but she had been faithful to him, he believed, and upheld -the family honor; was pretty, stylish, domestic, -social, and a kind mother to his son. All this he was -forced to acknowledge. But she was one ideaed, -commonplace, he told himself, and she was not his -<em>spiritual affinity</em>. Ah, there was a reason furnished -by his lately adopted creed. She was not his affinity.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He could remember a time when she was all in all -to him. But he had outgrown that time too. Of -course he loved his boy, and if,—if certain imaginings -and fancies should materialize,—well, he -needn’t consult his better self about that yet.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hello, have you fallen asleep, watching that train -off?” A friendly hand slapped him upon the shoulder.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Wylie started as though his thoughts were patent -to all observers.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I—I have just sent off Elinor and the boy,” he -said with confusion.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, that is—shall I say fortunate or unfortunate? -Fortunate for them perhaps—bad for you. -And you were following them with your mind. Are -they to remain away long?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Three months. They will go to the Atlantic -<span class='pageno' id='Page_275'>275</span>coast before they return.” Wylie spoke with an effort.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And what will you do while they are gone? -Board at the club, I suppose.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, at the Bohemian. I am at the office all day, -and most of the nights, so shall have little time to -miss my family.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I see. Well, come to the club oftener, when -you can get away. By the way, have you attended -any of Mrs. Mount’s receptions lately?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I go often. They are enjoyable, which is -saying much.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Wylie spoke with enthusiasm. His companion -shrugged his shoulders suggestively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suppose that depends whether you are in sympathy -or not with the very liberal ideas discussed -there.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Are you not in sympathy?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t like some of the people who go there.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did you ever find a society every individual of -which you deemed companionable?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Possibly not, but I have reference to two or -three conspicuous persons who are notorious for -their immorality.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“To whom do you refer? Not Mr. Falkner?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Mr. Falkner for one. He is much married -and divorced.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sure all was legal, so far as I know. He -separated from number one, and was again married. -When number two ran away and left him, he obtained -a second divorce, and—married again.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Wylie’s companion looked at him with curious -eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_276'>276</span>“I am surprised that you approve of him. From -his conduct last evening I should judge there will be -a chance for a third divorce. I cannot like the man.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“His conduct? How?” Wylie inquired, shifting -his weight from one foot to the other, nervously. -His companion gave him a scrutinizing look.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“With Mrs. Hartner,” he replied in a dry tone.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Horace Wylie winced, but he said in a tone of affected -indifference, “I consider Mrs. Hartner a -lady.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes? Do you know where her husband is?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is rumored that he has been hired to leave the -country.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“For what reason?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“To enable her to get a divorce.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“So? Well, it’s none of my affairs,” and Wylie -laughed a mirthless laugh.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Nor mine, but if I were interested in the lady I -should keep her away from Mrs. Mount’s. Ta, ta, -Wylie. This is my corner.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Young Holden sauntered around it slowly, out of -sight.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Confound the fellow! Why did he say that to -me? It can’t be that he suspects—but no, that is impossible. -There is something confoundedly disreputable -about a divorce, that’s a fact. But this double -life is risky, especially with such a keen-witted wife -as Elinor, and Berenice is so determined, and insists—well, -time enough to think of this later. It’s a -relief to know that Elinor is where she need not hear -all the gossip of the clubs.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_277'>277</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXIX<br> <span class='large'>DRIFTING</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class='lg-container-b c013'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'>“Now Autumn’s fire burns slowly along the woods,</div> - <div class='line'>And day by day the dead leaves fall and melt,</div> - <div class='line'>And night by night the monitor blast</div> - <div class='line'>Wails in the keyhole, telling how it passed</div> - <div class='line'>O’er empty fields, or upland solitudes,</div> - <div class='line'>Or grim wide nave; and now the power is felt</div> - <div class='line'>Of melancholy, tenderer in its moods</div> - <div class='line'>Than any joy indulgent Summer dealt.”</div> - <div class='line in46'>—Allingham.</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>The autumnal days were nearly gone, and occasionally -was felt the sharp tooth of the biting wind -as it swept over the open prairie and drove the Westerner -into his cabin, with a tingling warning in his -ears that winter was soon to come. Then again the -sun would shine brightly and the soft graces and -tints of Indian summer would brighten the landscape.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The weeks had brought a degree of calmness and -resignation to Elinor Wylie, and to Tibby varied experiences. -For some reason, though Donald Bartram -spent most of his spare time with her, she preferred -not to be recognized as the object of his affections. -Poor Esther McCleary’s disappearance -was too recent, and although nothing definite had -been known as to Donald’s interest in her, the gossips -of the neighborhood had been pleased to couple -their names together.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It was not certain that Esther was dead. She -might purposely have hidden herself from Professor -<span class='pageno' id='Page_278'>278</span>Russell, and if so might return at any time, now that -the man came no more to the community.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It ill became Donald to give so much time to this -fair enchantress who deserved so little consideration -from him. Of all the provoking, undisciplined -minxes, Tibby appeared the worst. Alice and Nellie -wondered daily at his forbearance, and commented -on Tibby’s behavior.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As for Donald himself, he was drifting with the -tide of events, and the pastime pleased him too well -to care to interrupt it by very serious thoughts or -determinations. Tibby was interesting. He enjoyed -her society. That was sufficient.</p> - -<p class='c005'>To-day he had claimed Tibby for a ride to the -post, and as they came cantering slowly along the -soft gray turf, Tibby with her riding-hat tipped back -from her wide, smooth forehead, her feline eyes half -closed from the sun’s bright rays, her dark hair partly -escaped from comb and pin, and fluttering in -curled rings about her face, her red lips half parted -above the white teeth, she looked to the man a disheveled -Hebe, too adorable, too incomprehensible to -withstand.</p> - -<p class='c005'>His eyes flashed with a new resolution as he rode -up close by her side.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Miss Tibby, were you never serious in your life,” -he asked, bending toward her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The girl slackened her horse’s pace and looked -over and past him reflectively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, once,” she said at last, as if she had taken -time to review her life from the beginning.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I should like to know when it was.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_279'>279</span>“Well, I will tell you, though it is a very impertinent -question for you to ask, and I feel under no -obligation to answer it. It was when I lived in the -country and had an attack of quinsy. I couldn’t -speak for three whole days, and the village doctor -diagnosed my case as diphtheria. I expected to die, -of course, and I really felt quite serious and anxious, -I must confess.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You had reason to, if you could not talk,” Donald -replied in a dry tone.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“So I thought. When one can neither talk nor -breathe, one has time for serious reflection. Now, -please, Mr. Bartram, don’t say anything about -the delight of my friends under the circumstances, -for I think I have heard something of the kind before. -I wrote notes to them.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That must have been delightful.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“For them or me?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Both. Miss Waring, why are you so unlike -other girls?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby opened her eyes to their widest extent.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You alarm me, Mr. Bartram,” she said. “How -am I different? I’ll wager two bits that I know. -It’s these freckles on the side of my nose.” She -turned her head toward him with a bewitching air of -candor. “I don’t mind them, indeed I don’t. Besides, -they are not there all the time, only since I -came here and rode about in the sun and wind so -much.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid you are incorrigible. You know very -well that’s not what I mean.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, isn’t it?” ruefully. “Perhaps you wouldn’t -<span class='pageno' id='Page_280'>280</span>mind telling me how I am at fault. I don’t want to -be told. I—am very sensitive, as sensitive as a—a -nettle, so please do let me down easy, that’s a good -fellow,” she said in a wheedling tone.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are not sensitive. You don’t care what any -one says or thinks of you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t I? Then I must be desperately wicked. -My mother used to say that Don’t Care represented -total depravity.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is evident you do not care what I think of -you,” Donald said, looking straight before him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. Bartram, your discernment is wonderful; -or is it intuition? Whichever it is, you arrive at -correct conclusions. What did you kill when you -went hunting last week? Lovely little birds, whose -song has been wantonly stilled forever?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed, no. I am not so wicked as to kill song -birds, not even though heartless women delight to -decorate their hats with their dead bodies.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ugh, I do not,” said Tibby, with a shudder. “I -don’t even like women who are thoughtless enough -to wear them. They are as bad as the Indians who -love to dangle scalp-locks from their belts.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Granted it is thoughtlessness rather than carelessness, -why do you not make it your business to do -missionary work among your fashionable sisters and -help save the birds.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The girl shook her head slowly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I haven’t enough influence. I do use what I -have. But it does no good. Woman’s vanity is -such that she will sacrifice even the lives of innocent -little birds for the sake of adding to her finery. O, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_281'>281</span>I am really disgusted with my sex when I think of -it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why not use the other power you have and make -women see this as you do?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby looked at Donald thoughtfully.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’ll do it. When I get back to—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Civilization, you mean. Why not say it? I shall -not be offended.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The first service I attend in church I’ll make -every woman feel the weight of the poor bird upon -her hat, if possible. It shall be the heaviest sin upon -her conscience. She shall feel the ‘Thou shalt not -kill.’ But you have not told me what you did kill.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Nothing except prairie chickens and a gray -wolf.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Are there wolves here?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not right here, perhaps, but not many miles -away. You may see them in the gray of the morning -standing on the top of the sandhills, apparently taking -a survey of the country.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘The gray wolf like a sentinel stands,’” quoted -Tibby. “Do you know I don’t like to think of hunting -or killing anything and I think the reason so -many accidents happen to hunters is because the spirits -of the victims come back to play mischief with -the guns.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If you really believe that, you are a spiritist, are -you not?” Donald asked absently as he looked at -the glowing face before him. “It is a fact there are -a great many accidents among hunters.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, guns are discharged unaccountably. If we -may believe the Eastern religions that our souls are -<span class='pageno' id='Page_282'>282</span>reclothed in the form of animals, why may not one -of these freed spirits avenge itself; that is, if it be -permitted to drift about in ether and overlook us?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Or if there is an animal’s heaven. You know -Professor Russell saw the spirit of my cat.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“So I heard. It must have been a spirituelle cat.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You look very pretty with your hat tilted in that -way,” Donald said irrelevantly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Thank you, but such a remark is entirely foreign -to the subject under discussion and in very bad -taste,” replied Tibby, with a pout of her red lips. -“To punish you, I shall not speak to you for a long -time.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Won’t you,” he answered dreamily, his eyes -partly closed against the half-veiled sun.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Most assuredly not,” she answered with a finality -that should have been convincing. Then as she -did not speak they rode on for some time, silently -gazing, as their horses walked slowly, at the beauty -of the wonderful farm-lit expanse before them, the -gray fields, the dotted river wold, the sand hills in -the distance, the adobe dwellings and the adjacent -stacks, all silently touched by the golden glory of -the setting sun.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I like this gray landscape,” Tibby said, breaking -the harmony of silence. “Its very monotony is -restful. A symphony in gray and gold. A light -gray sky, a darker ground, and a girdle of gray hills -against the horizon. The whole sun-tipped. Even -the river is hidden to-day, usually shining in evidence.</p> - -<div class='lg-container-b c012'> - <div class='linegroup'> - <div class='group'> - <div class='line'><span class='pageno' id='Page_283'>283</span>“‘The day was dying and with feeble hands</div> - <div class='line in2'>Caressed the mountain tops. The vales between</div> - <div class='line'>Darkened. The river in the meadow lands</div> - <div class='line in2'>Sheathed itself as a sword and was not seen,’”</div> - </div> - </div> -</div> - -<p class='c014'>quoted Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Say rather, ‘Twilight gray had in her sober livery -all things clad,’” responded Tibby. “See, the -sun has disappeared.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I have an idea,” began Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“All your own,” asked Tibby gravely, while she -whipped the tall weeds by the roadside with her -riding-whip.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No,” Donald replied pleasantly; “it is borrowed.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You don’t care then to pass it on.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again they rode for several rods in silence, while -Tibby, with wicked insistence, punished the balsam-weeds -and kept her face turned from her companion.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Miss Tibby.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tabitha, if you please.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Miss Waring.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, you are improving.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Is this our last ride?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I hope not,” she replied, looking about her in -feigned alarm. “You are not expecting the day of -judgment?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why not? We know not the day nor the -hour—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O dear! What have I done now, that you -should talk like judge, jury, and executioner all in -one?”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_284'>284</span>“I am a pretty good judge.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Of what? Live-stock?” Tibby replied pertly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I should not presume to judge the dead.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Have you enjoyed your wild sojourn here, Miss -Waring?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Extravagantly! There are some marplots, of -course,” she added, looking at Donald and smiling -wickedly. “But I really have enjoyed the summer.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It’s a pity this fine weather cannot always last.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I never did enjoy a croaker!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am a weather prophet. This fine day is the -herald of a storm. We shall have few such before -the winter will be upon us.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sorry. Tempest and I have been such good -comrades, have we not, old boy?” Tibby patted the -horse’s neck with her gauntleted hand.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You have kind words for everything except me,” -Donald said accusingly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby laughed a ringing, merry laugh, and turned -toward Donald with shining, challenging eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The poor little man, was I unkind to him? I -really didn’t know it. What shall I say that is -kind?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That you love me and will become my wife.” It -was an unsuitable time and place for such a demand, -and Donald realized it when the words had escaped -his tongue. He had not intended to say as much at -this time, and he execrated himself for his folly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Again Tibby’s large eyes opened to their widest -extent, rebellion and reproach in their depths.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, you foolish, wicked man! How you have -<span class='pageno' id='Page_285'>285</span>disappointed me! Where is Esther McCleary? O, -you shifting weather-vane!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t, Miss Tibby. Why should you ask me of -Esther? You surely do not think me responsible for -her abduction. Esther was to me as to you, a friend. -I never professed to love her, or any other woman -save you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are mad! You don’t know your own -mind!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’m afraid you do not, Tibby. Listen to me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hush! I command you!” Then, with a laugh, -she touched her horse with her riding-whip. “Race -for me then!” And she was off like a rocket.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald accepted the challenge. Madly they flew -along over the gray sward, Tibby several yards in -advance, her mellow laugh ringing back to him as -the two mustangs, evidently enjoying the fun, settled -down to their fastest paces, needing no urging. -But urge as he might, Donald could not gain the -advantage Tibby had taken at the outset, and for -four miles they rode thus, until flushed, panting and -defiant, Tibby drew rein at Mark’s doorway, and -reached her hands to Mark himself to take her down -from the horse.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, what foolishness now? I’m afraid you’ve -been racing,” he said, noticing the heaving flanks of -the horses.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” Tibby explained, with a note of contempt -in her voice, “that presumptuous young man thought -he could catch me. I hope he realizes his folly.” -And she shot a triumphant glance at Donald, who -<span class='pageno' id='Page_286'>286</span>had dismounted and stood by his horse’s head. He -smiled serenely.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, when you are carried on the back of a Tempest,” -he replied. “Besides, we didn’t start fair.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, the beaten ones always complain of a poor -start, don’t they, Mr. Cramer? I shall always ride -Tempest. I can never give him up, never!—for anything -but a cyclone,” she added, with another swift -glance at Donald. Mark laughed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You’ll have to take him with you when you go, -I reckon,” he said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You dear man! And you dear horse, not to -stumble and betray me! What more can I ask for -in this life?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald stood looking thoughtfully at Tibby for -a moment while she stroked and patted her pony, -then, reaching out his hand for the bridle, he led the -horses to the stable, while Tibby, provoked at Donald’s -calm acceptance of defeat, went slowly into the -house.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I do wish I could make him angry just once,” she -said to herself. “He is so exasperatingly cool and -self-controlled, I can do nothing with him. He -must think me the most undisciplined girl extant. -But I beat him in the race. What should I have done -if I had not?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Meanwhile, Donald called himself unflattering -names for so far forgetting time and place in his -wooing, but smiled as he thought, “She has challenged -me to race for her, and I shall win at last. -The race is to the one with the best staying qualities, -and I shall not know when I am beaten. She is -worth racing for.”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_287'>287</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXX<br> <span class='large'>THE COMING OF THE STORM</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Winter was slow in claiming sovereignty over Nebraska -in the year of which we write, and coquetted -with summer through all the weeks of November -and December. Such snows as had come were light -and short-lived, and the winds had been less furious -and threatening than usual at this season of the year.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald and Tibby had enjoyed many rides over -the gray plains and river wold, and were apparently -the best of friends, notwithstanding Donald’s premature -declaration. But their camaraderie was far -from sweethearting. It looked as if Tibby had decided -to put their acquaintance on the I’ll-be-a-sister-to-you -footing.</p> - -<p class='c005'>To a less determined man than Donald this might -have been disheartening, but he had firm faith in the -efficacy of persistence, and though he never annoyed -Tibby with declarations of love, he made her ever -conscious of him as the considerate, attentive lover.</p> - -<p class='c005'>As for Tibby, she badgered, cajoled, teased, and -tried his temper and patience in the manner for -which girls have been noted since the world began. -Why it is that the average girl delights in such actions -has never been satisfactorily explained, the parallel -of such conduct being found only in the cat -playing with the live mouse.</p> - -<p class='c005'>With Tibby the feline nature seemed fully developed, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_288'>288</span>and she toyed with the victim in her claws -most exasperatingly. Never consciously had she -given Donald reason to think, or flatter himself, that -she cared for him except as a good comrade with -whom to pass the winter and summer of her sojourn -in this western land.</p> - -<p class='c005'>But when Tibby behaved worst there lurked a -smile of conscious power in the unrevealed depths of -Donald’s gray eyes, much to the girl’s vexation and -discomfiture, while he remained outwardly unruffled. -He had entered the race to win, and his nature was -buoyant and strong. Why need he be discouraged? -Physically strong, handsome, and athletic, he was -possessed of average ability, enjoyed a good income, -and his future looked promising. Why should he -fail? Thus he reasoned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A fortuitous chain of events had thrown Donald -into Tibby’s society and kept him in close communication -with her until he felt that he knew her better, -appreciated more her real worth, of nature and character, -than any one else about her. She had challenged -him to win her. He would make it the business -of his life to do so.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie’s change of plans had aided him in -keeping Tibby in the community, though had she -gone away he doubtless would have followed her. -The bereaved woman shrank from meeting her society -friends in Forest City, and to go to the Pacific -Slope was to put her in proximity to her recreant -husband, and—sadder to contemplate—his newly -wedded wife. And Elinor had listened to her -brother’s persuasions to spend the winter in their -<span class='pageno' id='Page_289'>289</span>home. Thus, much to Donald’s satisfaction, Tibby -had remained to be his daily companion in this isolated -region. The world, with its modern pleasures, -seemed far away from them. He need fear -no competitor while she remained here. For this -reason Donald could bide his time, free from anxious -disquietude.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How lovely the air is this morning,” cried Tibby -one day in early January as she stepped from the -door of Mark’s home and looked across the farm-lit -plains to the brightening glory of the winter sun in -a sky of cloud-fleeced blue. The low-lying ridge of -hills skirting the eastern horizon gave the effect of -a mural and fortress-crowned landscape, and Tibby’s -eyes glowed with pleasure as she gazed about her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You should not brave, bare-headed, even the winter’s -mildness,” said Donald, who had come over -early to bring a message from Lissa.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Since when were you called Dr. Bartram?” asked -Tibby mockingly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I was only prescribing the ounce of prevention,” -returned Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, the cure comes later, I suspect.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid it will have to, for one so careless as -you are inclined to be.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“This is a lovely day for a ride. I am going to -ride Tempest over to Anna Falkner’s,” Tibby continued, -ignoring his remark.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Better not go so far. This bright morning is a -weather breeder. I can feel snow in the air.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. Bartram, the role of mentor does not become -you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_290'>290</span>“Think not? How am I as a weather prophet?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Worse and worse! One could have no faith in -your predictions.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not until they have been proven correct, perhaps.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby,” said Elinor Wylie, interrupting them, -“hadn’t you better come in and make an angel-food -cake this morning? Alice is busy and the girl -doesn’t know how.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly, there’s nothing I like to do so well,” -responded Tibby cheerfully, springing up the steps -and starting toward the kitchen.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Sha’n’t I come too?” asked Donald. “I want to -learn to cook; besides, you don’t know how useful -I can make myself.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Do you hear that, Mrs. Wylie? The audacity of -the man! As chief cook I am queen of the kitchen -and no intruder dare enter its precincts.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Without invitation, of course. But I expect to -be invited.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, you do? The conceit of some people is unbearable. -Well, if you will be upon your good behavior -I’ll not be inhospitable. But see that you -don’t talk too much and make me spoil the cake. -What do you expect to do to help me?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, stone raisins, and build fires, and—and—look -at you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Stone raisins? We don’t use them in this kind of -cake, you ignorant fellow.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Donald sat down by the stove and watched the -girl as she broke the eggs and separated the yolks -<span class='pageno' id='Page_291'>291</span>from the white, and dexterously whipped the latter -to a snowy froth; then sifted the flour.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Whew! What a lot of eggs you use!” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The whites of eleven only, and I’ll make a gold -cake of the yolks. That’s economy.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, I understand.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“As you do the magic of Hermann. You -wouldn’t know how to make this if you watched me -make a dozen, I am sure.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The whites of eleven eggs,” began Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, and one glass of flour sifted five times, with -a teaspoonful of cream of tartar.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But cream of tartar is sour, and cakes should be -sweet, shouldn’t they?” questioned Donald.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby looked at him with an expression of pitying -contempt.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I told you, you couldn’t understand it. It’s beyond -your comprehension.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Try me and see! What else do you put in this -wonderful compound? Sugar, of course?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, one and one-half cups of sugar and a teaspoonful -of flavoring. That’s all.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, that’s easy to remember,” said Donald, repeating -it glibly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Good boy! You’ll do with good tuition. Then -you must <em>beat</em>, not <em>stir</em>, the sugar and flour and -beaten eggs together in this way. See?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” answered Donald, noting with admiring -eyes the movements of the rounded wrists as she -exemplified her instructions.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And now you must put the batter into a bright -<span class='pageno' id='Page_292'>292</span>cake pan, perfectly dry, and bake fifty minutes in a -slow oven.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But how can I tell whether the oven is slow or -quick?” he asked.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That is something beyond your comprehension. -One of the things out of your reach, you know.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, I see! I confess I have my limitations. But -what is the name of this snowy creation? Didn’t I -hear Mrs. Wylie speak of angels?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly! This is angel’s food.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah! Food for angels, or made by them? -Which?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Neither. It is of the earth, earthy. Even you -can safely eat it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>But Donald was watching the graceful contour of -the dimpled elbow beneath the uprolled sleeve, and -did not for a moment respond to her retort.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes—ah—what is it?” he asked, recalling himself.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby’s pink chin was elevated. “Shakespeare -never repeats,” she said sententiously.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But you are not Shakespeare.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, I’m nearly the same thing. I’m bakin’,” -she said with a giggle.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, you’re too bad! Such a pun as that is atrocious! -Bacon? Oh!” And Donald sank back in -his chair and made a feint of fanning himself. “I’m -struck all in a heap.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, when young men are so impolite one feels -like throwing puns, or any handy weapon, at their -heads. I may take the rolling pin next,” said Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Really, Miss Tibby, I beg your pardon for my -<span class='pageno' id='Page_293'>293</span>inattention, but the fact is, I was following a train -of thought which was—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Composed of empty cars,” put in Tibby.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I assure you, heavily freighted.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed!” with an exasperating lifting of the -brows. “No doubt you were reflecting upon your -past misdeeds.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I was thinking of you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Then your thoughts were not worth questioning. -Your train was surely overloaded. To punish you, I -shall bid you adieu, and go to get ready for my ride,” -replied Tibby, with a severe tightening of her pretty -lips, as she went over to the sink and began to wash -the dusting of flour from her arms and hands.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suppose you do not intend to invite me to ride -with you,” Donald remarked tentatively.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, indeed. You might take cold. And besides -you prophesied a storm.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If you should be caught out in a blizzard I might -be of some help to you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby turned and faced him, her mischievous, -glowing eyes holding his.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You?” she said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, even I.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But if I don’t want you along?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I shall meekly stay at home, of course. But it -strikes me you are extremely unkind.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not to myself. Besides, I do not want you to -run into danger. See?” She gave him a sidelong -glance from the corner of her eyes. “Mr. Bartram, -I am going to ride and meditate all by myself to-day.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_294'>294</span>“If I withdrew to a safe distance couldn’t you -meditate at home?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald looked through half-closed lids at the -mocking eyes and pouting lips before him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There is nothing like a canter over the prairies to -aid one’s meditation.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wish I could persuade you to stay at home to-day. -You are certainly taking a great risk in going, -at least in going so far.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is my risk. No one else need worry about it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You are of too much value to your friends to expect -their unconcern in what affects you so seriously. -Even I am anxious, you see,” continued Donald, -speaking quietly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Even you? Of all persons in the world least interested, -or ought to be. Since when have you become -responsible for my actions?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Since I learned to care for you more than all -others.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Mr. Bartram, you are melodramatic. I shall not -listen to you any longer,” said Tibby, a flush dyeing -her cheeks as she gathered up the discarded apron -and hung it up.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Will you not shorten your ride and come home -before the storm?” Donald asked persistently.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I shall not measure the length of my rides by -your tape measure,” retorted Tibby, tossing her head, -while the crimson spot on her cheek deepened; -“neither shall I let you accompany me, even if you -rode behind me. Your presence would mar all my -pleasure.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby felt the tactless impertinence of her words, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_295'>295</span>and her eyes fell beneath the gray ones fixed questioningly -upon her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That’s pretty severe, if you mean it,” Donald replied, -speaking with great deliberation. “Thank you -for your frank manner of telling truths, however. It -is good of you. One would rather be hit straight in -the forehead than in the back. Is it George Eliot -that says, ‘Truth has rough flavors if we bite it -through’?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why don’t you get angry with me?” Tibby tapped -the floor impatiently with the toe of her boot.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Because you are trying to make me so, and besides, -it isn’t my year to be angry,” he said with a -drawl, his gray eyes still upon her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, you insufferable prig!” exclaimed the girl -desperately. “As if the man ever lived who didn’t -get angry. Tell me, were you never angry?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I think so—once,” he drawled. “Yes, now -I reflect upon the matter, I remember I was once, -but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. I’d rather not -repeat it, even to please you, Miss Tibby.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The girl turned from him petulantly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I think it would please me very much,” she said. -“Such even tempers are abominable. Good-by!” -And Tibby backed out of the room, waving her hand -dramatically toward him. “Dryden tells us to ‘Beware -the fury of a patient man,’ and I will run before -your wrath breaks forth.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Is Tibby more perverse than usual this morning?” -Alice asked as Donald buttoned up his coat -preparatory to departure.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, in tempting Providence by riding to the fort -<span class='pageno' id='Page_296'>296</span>this morning. If I am not very much mistaken, we -are to have a small blizzard before night.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O! I hope not,” sighed Mrs. Wylie. “I have -never experienced one, but Alice has been telling me -of blizzards, and of people perishing in them not far -from their own doors. I cannot realize such a thing -possible.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Wait until you’ve seen one,” said Donald soberly. -He shook his head as he stepped out of doors. “Tell -that wilful girl to take no chances,” he said, turning -back. “There’s surely a storm coming. She will not -listen to me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t forget, Mrs. Cramer, to take my cake from -the oven in fifteen minutes,” Tibby said a little later, -entering the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why do you go when there is a storm coming?” -inquired Mrs. Wylie.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Who says there is a storm coming? No one but -Donald, and he is a croaker. I’m not afraid. Tempest -will be a match for any storm that ever blew.” -And a few moments afterwards Tibby tripped gaily -down the path to the horse’s stable, her riding-skirt -thrown over her arm, and her whole figure alert with -joyous anticipation. As she emerged upon the back -of her favorite horse and swept past the pedestrian, -Donald, she called out saucily:</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Isn’t a Tempest more in evidence to-day than a -blizzard, Mr. Bartram?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald waved his hand at her, and she was gone, -her low, rich laugh coming back to him in the moist -air.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Before Donald reached Nathan’s the sky had begun -<span class='pageno' id='Page_297'>297</span>to be flecked with clouds, light and fleecy, that -seemed to speed swiftly high in the air. Then he felt -drops of rain that seemed to come out of the somewhere. -At intervals the sun would shine brightly -and warm. As the hours wore away Donald’s anxiety -increased.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa looked out at three o’clock, to see the sky -overcast with clouds, and large scattering flakes of -snow floating about in the chill air. At the same -moment Donald rode up from the stables on the -back of his favorite horse, Duke, a large, powerful -animal, of great intelligence and endurance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am going over to Mark’s, Lissa,” he cried, “to -see if Tibby has returned. Within a half hour it -will be impossible to see a rod ahead of one. If that -wilful girl should attempt to start back in the face of -the storm, as she is almost sure to do, she can never -get home alone. Don’t go out of doors yourself. -I’ve made all secure at the stables. If Tibby has returned -I shall be back in a few moments. If not, -I shall go to meet her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Lissa’s face paled.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I know the danger, Donald. I hope, oh, I hope -you’ll find her all right at Mark’s!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald was already far down the road, when the -wind, suddenly veering, swept the house with such -a shock Lissa was glad to close the door and draw -up to the great stove for warmth.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A few moments later Donald was at Mark’s door, -and the swift-falling snowflakes were already obscuring -the landscape when he rapped with his riding-whip -and met the startled face of Mrs. Cramer.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_298'>298</span>“Has Miss Waring returned?” he asked anxiously, -searching Alice’s countenance.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, and I am becoming worried about her. -She would be sure to start home when she saw the -storm coming up.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, I am going to try to find her. The wind -is rising fast. Can you lend me a couple of -blankets?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice flew to an adjoining room, and quickly returned -with a bright woolen parcel, which Donald -strapped to his saddle securely, while a wild gust of -wind swept past him and struggled and tugged with -him for their possession.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why are you carrying your rifle?” Alice asked, -noting his strange accoutrement.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I will tell you,” said Donald, again seating himself -firmly in the saddle. “Have you a gun here?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, certainly.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And you know how to use it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Most assuredly.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Then you must help me to find my way. I want -you to fire it every time you hear the report of my -rifle. Do you understand?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Don. Do you think the danger is so great?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, we are in for a furious storm. Now remember, -answer all my signals, and—if you should -not hear from me for a time, keep firing every few -moments anyway.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Don. Heaven help you to find Tibby and -bring her home safely to us!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>A moment later Donald was lost to view in the -whirling, swirling masses of snow that filled the air, -<span class='pageno' id='Page_299'>299</span>and Alice, taking down the heaviest gun from the -wall, examined it carefully, and loaded it with a -charge of powder.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What are you doing with that gun, Alice?” asked -Mrs. Wylie, who, hearing the sound of voices, had -risen from her couch and now came into the room.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am going to answer Donald’s signals to guide -him through the storm.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie’s eyes opened wide with alarm.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But why has Donald gone out in it?” she questioned, -looking from the window into the impenetrable, -snow-filled air.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“To find Tibby, Elinor.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie sank down in a chair and pressed her -hands to her side, while her lips grew white.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why—Alice, do you suppose Tibby can be out in -this terrible storm? I have been sleeping and did -not realize it was upon us until the gusts struck the -house and I heard you talking with some one—Donald, -was it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I hope, Elinor, that Tibby has not started out in -this, but if she has she may lose her way and freeze -if some one does not find her. I have been very uneasy -about her for some time.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, how dreadful, dreadful!” And as Mrs. Wylie -continued to gaze out into the opaque snow-world -about her she began to realize for the first time what -a western blizzard might mean. “Why did I not -have sense enough to keep that child at home?” she -moaned. “I shall never forgive myself if she is lost.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We should both of us have seconded Donald’s -caution, I’m afraid,” replied Alice. “I am not so -<span class='pageno' id='Page_300'>300</span>weather-wise as he, yet I should have known what -such a morning in midwinter portended here. Tibby -delights in teasing Donald, and of course would not -heed his warning; but she would have listened to -us had we been persistent.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I don’t know. I’m afraid I am the one who always -listens to her. I don’t see why she treats Don -so,” Mrs. Wylie said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t you? I think I do. It is because she cares -for him, and will not acknowledge it, even to herself. -But do look at the storm, Elinor. Is it not terrifying? -Where does all this snow come from? The -ground is already heavily sheeted with it. And listen -to the wind. How it wails and shrieks, buffets -and pounds. We are fortunate in being safely -housed, Elinor.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But if Tibby is out in it! Oh, I cannot bear the -thought!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hark! there is the report of Donald’s rifle. I -must answer it.” And Alice sprang to the window, -and raising it a little way, put forth the heavy gun -and discharged it, its detonation bringing an answering -shriek from Mrs. Wylie.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_301'>301</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXXI<br> <span class='large'>CAUGHT IN A BLIZZARD</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>Tibby had foolishly dallied in her home-coming. -Even after mounting her horse she sat in the saddle -and indulged in the prolonged exchanges of good-bys -so common to young girls, until the blackening -sky and threatening flakes of snow admonished her, -forcibly, to return in haste.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tempest, glad to have permission to go at last, -sped over the ground with wonderful strides, covering -the first half of the journey in a short space of -time; but as the wind arose and the soft flakes gave -way to hard, rice-like, cutting kernels of snow that -beat in his face, he became staggered in his pace, and -finally, as the storm in all its fury bore down upon -them, both horse and rider lost all knowledge of distance -and location, their only effort being to keep -the road. Tibby, blinded by the storm, and forced -to ride with her head bent forward and down, felt -her faithful beast stop and whirl half around as a -furious blast, chill as the arctic snows, struck them. -The icy flakes cut into her flesh like splinters of steel -as she lifted her face to look about her. She could -see nothing except the whirling deluge of white enveloping -her. She was lost, lost.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O Tempest, good Tempest!” she wailed, “can -you see the path no longer? Will not your instincts -guide you home? Try again, Tempest! Alas, I -<span class='pageno' id='Page_302'>302</span>know not which way to turn you! But go, Tempest, -go! We shall freeze if we stay here. Go!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>But the horse, buffeted by the driving storm in his -face, would move forward only a few paces, then -turn his head and stop, bewildered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O my God, what shall I do?” she moaned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The cold was creeping up her limbs and benumbing -her. She felt that she must die there, and so -near home. She thought she must have traversed -nearly the distance, if they had kept the road. Ah, -if they had kept the road. She was in doubt as to -that. The horse, cowering and baffled, had turned -around. She turned him back, facing the storm, and -with hand and voice she urged him forward. For -several moments he plunged into the opaque snow-world -before them, then again blinded, baffled, and -storm-beaten, the faithful animal stopped, and bowed -his head to the fury of the elements.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby lost courage, and laying her face on the -poor beast’s neck, sobbed in despair. Oh! why had -she been so wilful and neglectful of Donald’s warning? -He had been anxious about her, and tried to -save her, but she had in her silly pride and egotism -ignored him and his counsel, and now she must die. -How cold she was. Her breath came in short, hard -pants. The wind seemed to take it from her and -carry it away. It seemed to her that the elements -sported with life, and the wind, with demoniac -shrieks of frenzy and laughter, pounded and pommeled -and bruised her as she lay upon the neck of -the trembling, cowering beast which had borne her -so gallantly that morning.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_303'>303</span>“O Tempest, Tempest, we are surely lost, lost!” -she wailed. “God has let loose all his furies upon -us; no where on the bleak, cold, storm-driven and -storm-beaten prairie is there shelter for us. If a -stable were but a rod away we could not find it. We -must die, must die, good horse! Die—i—i—i—ie!” -Her chattering teeth would scarcely permit the words -to pass.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby tried to pray, but the words would not form -themselves. She could only think of her child’s -prayer of “Now I lay me down to sleep,” and she -remembered reading once of a man who, upon the -neck of a maddened bull, thus prayed, and in a hysterical -revulsion of emotion she laughed,—laughed -and shrieked with the shrieking wind, in hysterical -gasps,—laughed even in the face of death. Then, -chill and trembling, she felt as if the hand of the -grim reaper was upon her, and she lay motionless -upon the neck of the horse, half unconscious.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Suddenly she was startled by a sound—the crack -of a rifle not far distant. The horse started and -lifted its head, then whirled around again in the direction -of the sound. She felt the quiver of the animal -beneath her, and with an effort roused herself. -There was hope in that sound. Some one was near.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Go, Tempest, go!” she cried. “There is some -one near! Some one is looking for us!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The horse, as if understanding the meaning of the -rifle-shot, was already plunging forward, and Tibby -clung sobbing, in convulsive reaction, to his neck.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She tried to shout, but the howling wind drowned -even her powerful and far-reaching voice. It was -<span class='pageno' id='Page_304'>304</span>blowing fearfully now. Each gust nearly tore her -from the saddle by its violence, benumbed as she was -by the cold. Again the friendly rifle-crack sounded -its peal of deliverance in her ears. And farther -away she heard, more faintly, a second sound, like -an echo, respond.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“They are searching for us, and it must be—Donald!” -she thought. Good Donald, whom she had -treated so illy! If she ever lived through this terrible -time—but how cold it was. She must not die -now, so near, almost within sound of his voice. The -horse, animated by the nearness of the deliverer, was -struggling ahead, not swiftly, but desperately, in the -persistent, whirling phalanx of snow. Again, a third -time, the friendly rifle spoke, and its tone rang sweetest -music to the nearly paralyzed and helpless girl. -She felt her faithful horse turn, guided by the sound; -she felt his heaving flank, against which her feet -were placed for warmth, sway, as he pressed onward, -and then she heard him neigh, loud and -strong. Good creature! She tried to pat his neck -with her numb fingers. His voice was stronger than -hers. Hark! Is that an answering neigh borne -to her? She cannot shout, for her voice is spent; -but Tempest, good Tempest, is calling for her. She -clings with desperate grip to his mane. Is that a -voice coming out of the darkness of the snow-world? -A roar, deeper than the roar of the storm, sounds in -her ears, and she feels herself sinking, sinking, down, -down.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby, Tibby!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>She hears a voice at her side and Donald is clasping -<span class='pageno' id='Page_305'>305</span>her and enveloping her in something woolen and -warm. She tries to reach to him her poor frozen -hands as she sobs “Don, Don!” and then in a thankfulness -too deep for words she snuggles down in the -warm folds of the blanket and again drops her head -upon the neck of her noble horse.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“That is right, keep your head down! I will lead -Tempest,” she hears Donald say, shouting in his -strong voice to her, and again Tibby realizes they -are yet in the clutches of the merciless blizzard; but -her fear is gone, for Donald is with her and will save -her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Now don’t be frightened. I must discharge the -gun to get my direction,” he shouts again when he -has tucked her comfortably in the blankets. Tibby -hears the detonation answered by a fainter sound at -their left.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We are all right, child. Alice is signaling us. -Try and hold out a little longer.” And Tibby feels -the motion of the horse as it sways beneath her, and -is dimly conscious of a sense of warmth and relief -unutterable. And she forgets the storm, the danger, -the oppression of death which was upon her, and -sinks away into a half-sleeping state, from which she -is aroused only when, at the door of Mark’s home, -Donald lifts her from the saddle and carries her into -shelter somewhere. She hears, as though far away, -the repeated echoes of the rifle; she hears murmured -words of encouragement from her rescuer, and then -she opens her eyes in bewildered uncertainty as to -her surroundings and feels that she has awakened -from a harassing dream to find herself safely at -<span class='pageno' id='Page_306'>306</span>home, and with a sigh of relief she lays her head -more heavily upon Donald’s shoulder and sinks away -to sleep again.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Not until afterwards did she realize the struggle -Donald had undergone while bringing her home. -Not until the neighbors had gathered about her, days -later, and commented on the terrible severity and destruction -of the storm, which had lasted three days -and brought death and sorrow to many homes. -Then Tibby heard of those who but a stone’s-throw -from their own doors had perished; of others who, -like herself, had been lost and wandered about to finally -lie down and die; of horses and cattle, in large -numbers, frozen to death; of a whole school of children -who, headed by the teacher, had tried to make -their way through the impenetrable snow and fallen -to be gathered in the icy embrace of the blizzard, and -delivered into the arms of Death.</p> - -<p class='c005'>And as Tibby reflected upon her narrow escape -from the grim harvester, she turned in horror from -her wilful self, as she stood with the light of recent -experiences upon her. How nearly fatal had been -that foolish ride across the prairie which she had -wilfully persisted in taking in the face of better counsel. -But for Donald, whom she had snubbed and -abominably ill-treated, she would have perished. -Ah, she was punished, and yet she would not be willing -to owe so much to any other man. Donald had -been forced to remain at Mark’s until the storm lessened -in its severity, but he had gone away before -Tibby had fully recovered from her lethargy. He -had aided in caring for her frost-bitten ears and -<span class='pageno' id='Page_307'>307</span>hands, but he had not returned to make inquiry concerning -her since then. Tibby was becoming restless -at his continued absence. Was he thoroughly disgusted -with her behavior that day of the storm? she -questioned.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Could any one have been more exasperating and -unladylike? Yes, she merited his contempt—and he -had saved her life, saved her from such a terrible -death. Ah, if she could blot out the memory of that -morning. How she despised herself, her foolish, -egotistical self. He would be divine if he ever forgave -her. She had tried to make him angry, and -how she had been punished. She had even mocked at -him when he paid her the highest compliment a man -can pay a woman. Why had she acted thus? Why -must a woman always be false to herself?</p> - -<p class='c005'>Thus, bitterly, Tibby cogitated, and scourged herself, -and shed tears of contrition. But the second -week went by and still Donald came not to see her. -Tibby became hysterical. She was wildly mirthful -and hilarious at times, and again her eyes showed -signs of weeping.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Wylie became anxious concerning her protege, -fearing she was ill. Tibby ate little, and was in -every way capricious, and unlike her strong, forceful -self. “The shock of her dangerous ride has unnerved -her,” Mrs. Wylie reiterated. She believed -she ought to consult a physician, but as the nearest -one was twenty-five miles away she put off doing so, -hoping for an improvement in her child.</p> - -<p class='c005'>At last Tibby could stand the uncertainty no longer. -She must know if she was forgiven and reestablish -<span class='pageno' id='Page_308'>308</span>the friendship between them, and thank -Donald for preserving her life.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She resolved to interrogate Mrs. Cramer, and act -upon her advice.</p> - -<p class='c005'>For some reason she felt less reluctant to advise -with her than with Mrs. Wylie. She found her hostess -putting on her wraps preparatory to going out.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My dear Mrs. Cramer,” she said coaxingly, “I -want to see Donald Bartram, and thank him for rescuing -me. I was too ill to do so when he was here, -and besides I did not know the magnitude of the risk -he ran. Do you think it would be proper for me to -send him a note, asking him to call?” There was a -touch of anxiety in Tibby’s tone.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, certainly,” replied Alice. “We are not at -all conventional here. Besides, the straightforward -way is always the best, I think.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I hope so,” responded Tibby soberly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, you write your note, and I will take it over -to him now. Mrs. Wylie and I are going over to -Lissa’s.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Here it is, I have written it beforehand,” Tibby -returned, a flush of carmine vividly emphasizing her -embarrassment. “I would rather you did not—that -is—Mrs. Wylie need not know of it—at least not -now,” she stammered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Certainly not. I’ll give it to Donald myself.” -And Alice took the gingerly proffered note and slipped -it into her pocket.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is all right, dear,” she smiled cheerily, in answer -to the pathetic questioning of Tibby’s eyes, and -she tripped away blithely, happy at the thought that -<span class='pageno' id='Page_309'>309</span>she had made a discovery which would aid in adjusting -matters to her liking.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice awaited her opportunity to place the missive -in Donald’s hand, unobserved by any one else, and -was pleased to see the start he gave as he looked at it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice Cramer, like every other womanly woman, -was a born matchmaker, and this evidence of contrition -on the part of Tibby filled her benevolent -heart with delight. This submissive, questioning air -of the girl was so unlike her usual imperious manner -that Alice augured much from it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You will go, Don?” she whispered when he again -approached her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, if you think best.” He met her eyes with -an inquiring look.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Alice nodded.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Now?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald set out across the fields toward Mark’s -home with some reluctance. He knew he had, by -rescuing Tibby, put her, in a sense, under obligation -to him, and he dreaded to meet her upon such a footing. -He had remained away from her, resolved that -until the remembrance of that struggle in the storm -had become less vivid, he would never force his attentions -upon her; would never annoy her with -words of love.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“If she really cares for me she will be conscious -of it in time, and I shall know it,” he reflected. “I -will not trade upon the service I have done her. I -want her <em>love</em>, not her <em>gratitude</em>.” And he set his -<span class='pageno' id='Page_310'>310</span>lips firmly in the resolution not to be betrayed into -a renewal of his suit until a more fitting season.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Donald found Tibby sitting dejectedly by the -stove, her feet upon the fender and her dimpled chin -resting upon her pink, upturned palm, while her -eyes studied intently the red coals before her. This -was the picture of which he caught a glimpse through -the low window as he approached the door. At the -sound of his footsteps she sprang up and came forward -to meet him, the scarlet flame of the fire blazing -in cheek and lip.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is so nice of you to come,” she said, giving him -her hand in welcome. “You have been so shy of receiving -thanks that you have remained away an age.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am glad if it has seemed an age to you,” he answered, -smiling. “One likes to have his absence noticed.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I didn’t realize how much—how very much I am -indebted to you,” she began shyly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t, please, Miss Tibby. You know there is no -question of debts or credits between friends. I am -thankful God gave me strength and direction to find -you. It is a serious thing to battle with the elements -in the West, Miss Waring.” Donald spoke gently -and soberly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I realize it now. Can you ever forgive me for -my dreadful talk that morning?” Tibby’s lip quivered -slightly and she dropped her eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, was it dreadful? I don’t remember it to -have been so.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And my wilfulness in going against your—advice?” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_311'>311</span>she continued, resolved to finish her confession.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, that was nothing strange. One could not expect -an Eastern born-and-bred maiden to be weather-wise -on the prairies or realize the kind of storms we -have here until she had some experience with them.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But she might have sense enough to take some -one else’s word for it,” Tibby replied, tapping the -floor with her foot.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, Miss Tibby, I’m afraid we all like to experience -for ourselves. We don’t relish excitements -second-hand, nor always have faith in the words of -others.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well,—I—hope I’m forgiven,” Tibby faltered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Indeed, yes, if there was anything to forgive. I -didn’t think there was. In fact, I am sure there was -nothing of the kind. However, it must be pleasant -to exercise the divine function and have no room in -one’s heart to remember a wrong. How pleasant -this fire is. Nature makes recompense for all the -cold and storm outside by giving us the blessing of -fire.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes,” absently replied Tibby, twirling her handkerchief -about her finger, and gazing before her in -abstraction.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am afraid you are thinking, Miss Tibby,” Donald -said, after an interval of silence, in which both -had studied the fire.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby turned and looked at him with challenging -eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Would you know of what I am thinking?” she -asked.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_312'>312</span>“If I might dare ask so much, yes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I was wondering what one should do who has -done what she regrets.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Undo it, if she can,” Donald replied, speaking -lightly. “What is it you do when you are sewing? -Pull out the wrong stitches and do it all over again, -do you not?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I wonder if you could or would help me in the -undoing.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Most assuredly, if I can.” Donald saw a roseate -flame, deeper than that in the stove, blaze in her -cheeks.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Tibby put her two hands to her forehead and -shaded her eyes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But you don’t,” she said.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Don’t what? I do not understand you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You don’t help me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But you must first tell me how.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“O, you are bound to make me go down in the -dust before you,” she said. “You will not—help -me. Suppose you unravel the work, back to—to—that -time—when you—asked me to be your wife,” -she whispered.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby, Tibby, darling, do not jest with me!” -Donald took the pink fingers in his, and the downcast -eyes were uncovered save by the dark lashes. -“Look at me, Tibby, and tell me—if I ask you the -same question again, what will you say?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Donald, if you can bear to take such a wilful, -good-for-nothing girl as I have been.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Tibby, dear, it is love I want, not gratitude. If -it is because I saved your life—”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_313'>313</span>“Indeed, indeed, Donald, it is because—I—I love -you, have always loved you,—ever since—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Since when, sweetheart?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Since I found you were the one man I could not -control,” she whispered.</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_314'>314</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXXII<br> <span class='large'>A SURPRISE</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>At Boxwell Hall a large audience sat expectantly -waiting the appearance of Mrs. Lucien.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Among the members present there were five with -whom our readers are familiar. The lights were yet -turned low, and there was the usual buzz and hum -of low-voiced conversation which even those afflicted -with superstitious awe could not repress.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I had some trouble to persuade Major Walden -to come,” said Nathan in an aside to his wife. “He -has such a horror of this sort of thing, he flatly refused -at first; but when I asked him as a personal -favor to meet you, he consented.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sure he can’t denounce Mrs. Lucien, if she -is as Elinor describes her,” said Lissa. “I have -really begun to like her, just from the description. -Ah, I wonder if she is coming now. What a perfectly -seraphic face.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Lucien was clothed in a soft, clinging gown -of white wool, from which her pure, oval face arose -in statuesque grace and beauty.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The dark waves of her hair were brushed back -from the rounded forehead and gleamed in shining -ripples to her neck as the glare of the foot-lights fell -upon her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What a striking face! A painter might have -made a model of her for a Madonna. She is grace -<span class='pageno' id='Page_315'>315</span>personified,” whispered Alice. “I can think of nothing -but a statue of one of the graces.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Doesn’t she look more like a painting of St. Cecilia?” -Mark replied.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, she does look like her. She is about to -speak.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The chairman of the psychical club led her forward -and briefly introduced her as Madame Lucien, -who would give exhibitions of psychometric reading -and slate-writing. Mrs. Lucien bowed slightly for -a moment to the vociferous clapping of hands which -greeted her, and then spoke in a low, sympathetic -voice, which thrilled her hearers.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Dear Friends: I do not come to you to-night -with any gift or knowledge of my own winning. -For some inscrutable reason it has been given me to -read that which my physical eyes cannot discern. By -some psychic telepathy, or telegraphy, which is as -mysterious to me as to any one here, I am made the -bearer of messages and permitted to see and describe -to you that which is not visible to our mortal eyes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>She turned toward the gentleman by whom she -had been presented, who now bound a handkerchief -tightly over her eyes, and addressing the audience, -requested that while Madame Lucien was passing -under control an usher would gather up from the -audience such articles as they would like to submit to -the medium for psychic reading and identification.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Handkerchiefs, gloves, pocket knives, etcetera, -were being collected, and Nathan was about to detach -a charm from his watchguard with which to -<span class='pageno' id='Page_316'>316</span>test her powers, when he chanced to glance up at -Major Walden.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He was startled. The scene at the office seemed -about to be reenacted. The Major’s face was livid -and distorted.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What is the matter?” Nathan asked with alarm.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You—you—knew of this!” Walden hissed, with -a desperate effort at self-control.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Knew of what? Great Heavens, Major, what do -you mean?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I can’t stay here. I will not!” He arose to his -feet, and Nathan, taking his arm, led him to the open -air.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You’re a villain, sir! I wouldn’t have treated an -enemy as you have me. And I thought you my -friend and trusted you. O Nathan, Nathan, how -could you have done it? Why didn’t you tell me?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Major Walden, I don’t understand what I have -done that was wrong. ’Pon my honor I don’t!” said -Nathan stoutly. “You knew it was a spirit—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did you ask me to that place to-night? Tell -me!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I certainly did, but I did not suppose it could be -so offensive to you.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You asked me there to see her?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Her? Whom? My wife? I asked you to meet -my wife, and Mrs. Wylie, and—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And her, the woman that—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Good God!” cried Nathan, a light breaking in -upon him. “You don’t mean that Mrs. Lucien is—”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“My lost wife, Agnes! Yes.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh! my poor friend, forgive me. I never -<span class='pageno' id='Page_317'>317</span>dreamed of such a thing. Believe me, Major, I am -innocent of any such plot as this. Mrs. Lucien is -an entire stranger to me. I only knew of her through -Mrs. Wylie’s friendship for her, and she knows -nothing of her past history. We have been blind instruments -in the hands of Providence, Major. Why -should it have happened?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“God knows, or the Devil. I’d rather have seen -Agnes in her coffin, Bartram. That villain Teasdale -must be with her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Impossible! Did he not tell you otherwise? -Don’t, Major, lay that crime upon her in your excitement. -Surely, surely she is blameless and good. -Her face shows that.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Aye! Her face is the face of an angel. O -Agnes, Agnes! Nathan, I’m beset by a thousand -furies and fiends of torture. What shall I do? I -want to see her and talk with her. I must, now, -now—that I’ve seen her at all.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan was perplexed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You might call at her hotel and see her in the -morning,” he ventured to suggest.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, I’ll see her to-night. I’ll be here at the door -when this infernal business is over, and I will see -and speak to her. I want to lift the weight from -my conscience, if possible, and I <em>will</em> speak to her.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, think of the shock to her. My friend, is it -best?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Best? Perdition take me! I don’t know what -is best. Leave me! Go back into the hall and tell -your friends I am sick—vertigo—jimjams—anything. -But leave me to think.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_318'>318</span>“But,” began Nathan, loth to leave him by himself -in his excited condition.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Go in! I can’t be spoken to now. Go back into -the hall. Will you?” he exclaimed vehemently.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Nathan turned away slowly and reentered the -building, beset with many misgivings. What might -not this irascible and tortured man do if left alone?</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mrs. Lucien had begun her reading. She held in -her hand a knife which had been submitted to her for -test.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sure the person to whom this knife belongs -is one of very orderly habits, or was. The present -owner has not had it very long. I can see the -woman to whom it formerly belonged. She has auburn -hair, and is rather below the medium height. -She is laughing, and says she won the knife on a -philopena.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Is this true?” asked the chairman, taking the -knife from Mrs. Lucien and holding it up.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is true,” responded a man from the audience. -“I am acquainted with the knife’s history.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Suddenly an idea presented itself to Nathan, upon -which he immediately acted.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He picked up one of the Major’s gloves which, in -his agitation, he had withdrawn and left behind him, -and motioning to an usher, asked him to place it -upon the table for Madame Lucien’s reading. Then -he awaited results with eager curiosity.</p> - -<p class='c005'>One after another the articles were taken up and -read.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“This brings me face to face with an aged -<span class='pageno' id='Page_319'>319</span>woman,” she said, as a thimble was presented. “She -calls ‘Annette, Annette.’”</p> - -<p class='c005'>A woman across the aisle from Nathan began to -sob. He noticed the tawdry showiness of her attire, -and read in her face a pathetic history as she stood -up to reclaim the thimble. “It was my mother’s,” -she sobbed, as she dropped back into her seat.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Then Madame Lucien’s fingers lifted the glove -Nathan had sent to her.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I am sure the owner of this glove is a person of -very positive character,” she began. “He will combat -any irrational belief, or one not proven to his -satisfaction. I can feel a chill of opposition. I—I—can—” -Mrs. Lucien began to breathe in gasps. Her -hands shook. Nathan was frightened at the spasm -of agony which swept her face. She dropped the -glove and stretched out her hands helplessly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The manager came forward and assisted her from -the platform, amid a buzz of excitement in the audience, -returning in a few moments to announce that -Madame Lucien had been affected by the heat of the -room and would be unable to continue the reading, -but he would introduce in her place the trance medium -Mr. Eugene Potts, who was both clairvoyant -and audient.</p> - -<p class='c005'>While this scene was transpiring in Boxwell Hall, -Major Walden was hurrying down the street as -though driven by a legion of furies. He felt that -he must get away or do that for which he might be -sorry. On, on he walked, heeding not his direction -or whereabouts. He was fleeing from her and from -this nightmare of horror which beset him. And the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_320'>320</span>vision before his eyes of the pale, spirituelle face of -his lost one kept pace with him. He could not escape -it.</p> - -<p class='c005'>An hour later he had turned his steps homeward. -He had walked away the uncontrollable emotion -which had possessed him at the sight of Agnes, and -a calmer spirit prevailed. He had decided that it -was better that he should not meet her again. He -would go to his office and write her fully, and send -her again the letter which he had sent to her Eastern -home and which had been returned to him through -the dead letter office but a few days before this. She -should know how completely he had been punished -for his lack of trust in her, and should forgive him, -if her sweet, forgiving nature could do so.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The people were returning from the hall. He -stepped into the shadow of a doorway and waited for -the crowd to pass by and the street to become once -more deserted. He realized he scanned each face -and figure closely. Was he hoping to see her? No, -it were better that he did not; he had settled that -question, but now, in the struggle with himself.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The street lamps flamed and flickered, casting -weird shadows on the darkened buildings of the business -street where he stood. Ahead of him, as he -again started forward, he saw a solitary individual -stop under a light and take a letter from his pocket, -which, leaning against the lamp-post, he began to -read. Something in his figure and attitude arrested -Major Walden’s attention. He looked at him -searchingly as he approached him. At the moment -<span class='pageno' id='Page_321'>321</span>the man, hearing his footsteps, turned his face from -the letter toward him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>A flame of angry fire shot from the Major’s brain -to each prescient nerve and muscle of his being. -With a spring he was upon the man, his hand upon -his throat.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, ha! You miserable, white-livered abomination! -It is well I have found you now,—now, when -your victim is here in this city,—you fiend-ambassador -of Satan! Killing is too good for you!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The attack was so sudden the victim had no chance -to cry out, and sank to the ground, with no show of -resistance, the Major’s hand in a death-grip upon his -throat, shutting off breath from his lungs.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Take that—and that—and that!” cried Walden, -raining the blows with his clenched fist upon the -other’s face and shoulders. “I shall kill you! do you -hear?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>The victim struggled, his eyes, protruding from -their sockets, pleaded for mercy, and his speechless -tongue hung swollen from his lips. Voices were -heard approaching him, but the infuriated and frenzied -man did not heed them. The higher man had, -for the time, been lost in the maddened animal.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“You snake! It is a joy to throttle you, to see -your lying tongue palsied! Your forked tongue that -has stung with its venom God’s best and purest. A -thousand deaths could not pay for the ruin you have -made, you viper!” and the Major’s eyes, red with -passion and fury, glared into the terrified ones beneath -him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It is a fearful thing to see a man, made in the -<span class='pageno' id='Page_322'>322</span>image of God, unchain the passions of his soul and -allow them to control him. Major Walden was, for -the time, a madman.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Hold on, what’s the matter here?” cried a voice, -and a hand grasped the collar of the would-be murderer.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I should think the fellow was holding on with a -vengeance,” said another voice. “Come, let up that -fellow, or you’ll be an assassin.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Releasing his hand from his victim’s throat, Major -Walden wrenched himself free from the intruder’s -clutch, and planting his foot upon the prostrate -man, turned defiantly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Is it murder to kill a reptile—a miserable, venomous -viper?” he hissed.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Good God! It is the Major. Have you gone -mad, friend? What does this mean?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It means that I’ve nearly or quite squeezed the -life out of that villain Teasdale. I’ll assure you I -shall not let him go till I’ve finished him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Markham! O Markham!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Agnes!” he faltered, as he heard the tones of her -voice, so pathetic in its intensity.</p> - -<p class='c005'>She stood before him, her hands clasped, her pale -face agonized with fear and supplication.</p> - -<p class='c005'>It was a scene for a painter. The gladiatorial attitude -of the Major, the frightened faces of Lissa, Elinor, -and Alice, with Nathan and Mark standing at -either side as rescuers.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the -Lord,’” feebly quoted Agnes.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The Major’s hands fell. He took his foot from -<span class='pageno' id='Page_323'>323</span>Teasdale’s body as the man began to breathe and -struggle to rise.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark bent forward to assist him, then started -back in disgust.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It’s that contemptible hound Russell,” he said, -with a gesture of abhorrence. “Lie where you are, -sir, you travesty upon man, until we see about this! -Lie still, or, by the powers, I’ll finish you myself!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Get him out of my sight, or I’ll not answer for -the results!” the Major cried in a hoarse voice. -“There is all of murder in my heart, and my conscience -would not trouble me more than if I had -killed a snake.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The lock-up’s the place for him. He’s unfit to -run loose,” said Mark.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I’m sorry to be found in such company, Captain -Cramer, but Nathan will explain to you my cause of -provocation,” Walden continued. “And this letter -will explain to you,” turning to Mrs. Lucien.</p> - -<p class='c005'>He took a letter from his pocket with a dead letter -stamp upon it, and handed it to her. “This has but -recently been returned to me from Washington.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Wait! He shall explain,” cried Nathan, catching -the battered and bleeding Teasdale, or Russell, by -the collar and jerking him forward.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Here, you knave, explain to these ladies that -those letters you wrote and sent were but forgeries, -fabricated and secreted by you or your emissaries, to -work ruin and unhappiness.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Russell gulped and gasped in an effort to speak.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Speak! Out with it! Tell the truth!” Mark -commanded savagely.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_324'>324</span>“I admit it,” he groaned at last. “I wrote the letters -and bribed a servant to hide them in a desk at -the Major’s house when his wife was away from -home, in the hope that he might find them and believe -that she was false to him. She knew nothing -of them, nor did she ever receive a letter from me.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Oh, wretched man! How could you conceive of -such infamy!” murmured Agnes, turning away her -pallid face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It is to be hoped you will receive a just reward -for your wickedness,” said Mrs. Wylie, who in the -light of this scene could unravel all the mysteries -that had so long puzzled her with regard to Mrs. Lucien’s -past history.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He shall receive it if there is any justice in this -land of ours,” said Mark. “This is not the only -crime he has to answer for. What could have been -your object in this case, you dog?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Revenge!” Russell uttered the word with an evil -sneer.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Can you ever forgive me, Agnes?” Major Walden -had turned from Russell and was looking at Agnes -beseechingly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“As I hope to be forgiven, Markham,” she replied -solemnly.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Thank you. It is more than I have a right to -expect. I—” His voice broke in its utterance, and -he turned away to recover his self-control.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And now what shall we do with this fellow?” -asked Nathan. “Turn him over to the police?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He certainly should not be allowed to go about -leaving in his wake the slimy trail of the serpent,” -<span class='pageno' id='Page_325'>325</span>responded Mark. “I’ll swear out a warrant charging -him with abducting Esther McCleary.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“There are reasons,” said Major Walden, “why it -might be unpleasant to bring my affair into court. -However, I am ready to testify against him if -needed.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>Mark turned again toward Russell, but to his consternation -and astonishment the man had vanished. -Before the eyes of six persons he had managed to -glide away unobserved. They looked up and down -the streets, peered into stairways, and searched alleys, -but he was not to be found. He had disappeared -as suddenly and entirely as though the -ground had opened and swallowed him.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A guard of his imps must have snatched him -away,” said Nathan as the men came back from -their search to the place they had left the women.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Perhaps he assumed his natural form and slithered -away on the ground to his den,” said Walden.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I imagine the fellow must have hypnotized us,” -Mark replied. “I can’t account for his getting away -without being seen by some of us by any other hypothesis. -But let us believe it is good riddance. -He’ll not be apt to trouble any of us again. I should -like to have had him reveal Esther’s whereabouts, -however.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“It’s a pity he’s at large to ruin other homes,” -Mrs. Wylie murmured. “But if God permits him -to live, I suppose we may.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Markham!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Agnes!” The Major turned toward his former -wife and stood with bowed head and dejected countenance.</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_326'>326</span>“I must ask you a question which has been upon -my lips since I met you, but which I am almost—afraid -to ask. Is Freddie alive?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, Agnes, yes. He is with me. I will send -him to you at once. Oh, my God!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What is it? Is he ill? Is anything wrong concerning -him, my precious boy?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, he is well,” he groaned. “Freddie is well, -and bright and good. You may well be proud of -him.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Thank God, oh, thank God!” She put her handkerchief -to her eyes and sobbed for very joy. The -other women wept with her. Finally, while her -moistened eyes shone with the happiness of the moment, -she said tremulously: “I have news for you, -Markham. I want to tell you what perhaps I should -not have kept from you, that God sent me solace for -the loss of my children. A little girl was born to -me soon after the death of my darlings. She is with -me here at the hotel. Do you care to see her, your -child, the little Dolores?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, only—Good God, I cannot!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Markham, I do not understand you. Have you -aught against me now?” Agnes Walden said, raising -her eyes, now filled with doubt and questioning, to -search his face.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, no; Heaven knows I have not, but—some -one tell her. I cannot.” Major Walden turned -from her and walked forward several paces, his face -set and drawn.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“He has another family, another wife,” said Lissa -softly. “God pity both him and you!”</p> - -<div class='chapter'> - <span class='pageno' id='Page_327'>327</span> - <h2 class='c007'>CHAPTER XXXIII<br> <span class='large'>CONCLUSION</span></h2> -</div> - -<p class='c011'>It is radiant summer-time and the June roses are -making the air sweet with fragrance. June breezes -are fanning alike the flower-crowned prairie of the -West and the crowded thoroughfares of the Eastern -cities.</p> - -<p class='c005'>The electric current has bridged distances and -connected the breath-note of Chicago with that of -New York. By it we can listen to the voices of our -friends, across the mighty expanse of the continent. -We can even store up their words and songs and reecho -them at will. A strange force is this invisible -current of which we are now learning the Alpha. -What its ultimate possibilities are, who shall determine? -With it the opposing forces of nature are -made subservient and the very winds can be made -messengers between physical and sentient beings.</p> - -<p class='c005'>We look at the trolley car passing our door and -wonder at the power that propels it. Little by little -we are opening our souls to the reception of beliefs -in the invisible powers of nature.</p> - -<p class='c005'>How far is it to the end? What new and marvelous -revelations shall each succeeding year bring to -us?</p> - -<p class='c011'>A reception is being held in the parlors of the -hotel where the scene of our first chapter was laid. -<span class='pageno' id='Page_328'>328</span>Forest City has become a town of metropolitan proportions -and its citizens are among the most progressive -people of these twentieth century days.</p> - -<p class='c005'>Among the guests filling the parlors are several -whose names are household words throughout our -land.</p> - -<p class='c005'>“A strange case,” says one, “that reported of -double identity. A Welshman half of the time and -an Englishman the other half, and the two wholly -unacquainted with each other.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Did you hear,” inquires another, “of the psychic -experience of Dr. Seba?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“No, what was it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, as I heard it, the Doctor was out one day at -the farther end of Grande Avenue, and on his way -home, when he felt an impelling force direct him to -go to a certain house. It was a place which he had -never before visited, and he could not account for the -power which moved him. However, he yielded to -the influence, and arrived just in time to save the life -of a lady taken with hemorrhage from the lungs. -He prescribed for her, wondering that no one expressed -any surprise at seeing him there, and did -not know until he reached his down-town office that -a telephone message directing him to that same place -awaited him, having been received by his clerk after -he had left the office.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“How do you account for it?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Telepathy. The message was taken to him by a -mental current, no more mysterious nor wonderful -than that which propels that electric fan there. All -the mechanism of the world is governed by unchanging -<span class='pageno' id='Page_329'>329</span>law. Thought transference, hypnotism, clairaudience -and clairvoyance are undoubtedly governed -by laws which, when understood, may appear simple. -Science is a divine revelation, and some genius will -be given the key by which its mysteries shall be deciphered. -Tesla’s discoveries are opening the door -to a before-closed world of knowledge. The Roentgen -ray has proven supposed opaque bodies transparent. -Who among us would not have denied a few -years ago the possibility of such a thing? And then -think of wireless telegraphy, another wonderful discovery.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Of course you have read Hudson’s explanation of -psychic phenomena?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes; his idea of subjective mind explains much -of the before-unexplained, so-called spirit manifestations, -at least to my satisfaction; but there is much -more that I would like to understand. It will be -some time, I imagine, before we shall equal the Hindoos -in the knowledge of psychic forces. I confess, -when I read of some of their performances, I am -ready to believe it supernatural.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“True, but think how much is no longer mysterious -which, a few years ago, was deemed supernatural!”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes, we are a progressive people. For one thing, -Doctor, mental therapeutics has done much to prevent -the mortality from drug-poisoning. Don’t you -think so?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ahem! Well, yes, perhaps it has. The great -trouble is, when a person is given a glimmering of -a great truth he immediately jumps at conclusions -<span class='pageno' id='Page_330'>330</span>and carries the idea beyond the bounds of common -sense. I am Rosicrucian enough to believe that nature -has given an antidote to every ill human flesh -is heir to, and that every leaf and flower that grows -has its beneficent uses if we were wise enough to -understand them. I don’t deny that the mind has -much to do with the condition of the body, but I believe -even mind influence has its limitations. Of -course, nervous and hysterical people are most susceptible -to it, and oftentimes diseases exist only in -the mind.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What do you think of hypnotism as a factor in -healing, Doctor?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Well, the French have been experimenting somewhat -with that. It is even a more dangerous agent -to use than electricity. Hypnotism may be dangerous -even if self-imposed. For one thing, I believe -it is enervating to the will, and a person controlled -by the will of another may be evilly influenced. -Again, what is insanity but the loss of control of -the will over the subjective mind. Each time a -person yields himself to the control of another or -suffers himself to be put in the condition called -trance, is he not approaching the borderland of insanity?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“I suppose, generally speaking, a sound nervous -organization is not susceptible to hypnotic influence.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Not as susceptible as the more frail, disturbed -ones.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Doctor, it is a great thing to control delirium -and render a subject insensible to pain, even during -a surgical operation.”</p> - -<p class='c005'><span class='pageno' id='Page_331'>331</span>“Yes, if it can be done. I am told that it has been -done, and may serve with a certain class of subjects; -but it will not reset a broken arm nor remove a cancer. -I have not much use for it.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Beware, Doctor, we have not learned all its possibilities -yet. By the way, that Major Walden and -his wife are a fine couple.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes; did you ever hear that they had been twice -married?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Twice married? No; how was that?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Why, it seems that a rascally spirit-medium separated -them ten or fifteen years ago, and the Major -married again. Fortunately, or unfortunately as the -case may be, number two was smashed up in a railway -wreck and the story turned out in the orthodox -fashion. She herself used to be a clairvoyant or -something of the kind.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“What, not that pretty woman he has with him -now?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“The same. I heard her myself once, out in Denver.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ugh! That is incredible. She is the last one I -should think of connecting with the idea of spirit-mediumship. -She looks as innocent as an angel.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Ah, my friend, see what prejudice will do. She -is as innocent as one, in my opinion. She was merely -self-deceived as to the source of her power, and not -understanding it, supposed it supernatural. It is a -wonder it had not either killed her or made her insane, -for even self-imposed hypnotism, as I said before, -seems to weaken and wear both the mental and -physical beings, and where one escapes injury, many -<span class='pageno' id='Page_332'>332</span>suffer from it. But we all hug our delusions. The -more monstrous, the dearer they are to us.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“And yet, as you have already stated, what may -appear false to us in one generation may prove to be -truth in the next.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“Yes; but remember the hunter after Truth took -from his breast the shuttle of Imagination and -wound on it the thread of his wishes, and so wove -his net to entrap Truth. What we must do is to -hunt for Truth with a different net, one in which -credulity and desire have no place.”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“But, Doctor, who shall determine when we have -complied with the requirements? May each generation -pass away, holding but a feather from Truth’s -wing in his hand? Shall we believe in nothing of -which a shadow of doubt remains in our minds? -What creed—what <em>ism</em> can bear the test?”</p> - -<p class='c005'>“We read, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ -We are also told that Truth is the work of God, -falsehood the work of man. If any belief bear evil -fruit, shall we not reject it? According to Froude, -‘The practical <em>effect</em> of a belief is the real test of its -soundness.’ Let us apply that test to modern beliefs. -Wherever we find misery, wretchedness, or demoralization -concomitant or subsequent, let us reject the -creed or belief as false and dangerous.”</p> - -<p class='c011'>We have been told to learn of the philosophers -always to look for natural causes in all extraordinary -events; and when such natural causes are wanting, -recur to God.</p> -<div class='pbb'> - <hr class='pb c004'> -</div> -<div class='tnotes x-ebookmaker'> - -<div class='chapter ph2'> - -<div class='nf-center-c0'> -<div class='nf-center c001'> - <div>TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES</div> - </div> -</div> - -</div> - - <ol class='ol_1 c003'> - <li>Silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling. - - </li> - <li>Retained archaic, non-standard, and uncertain spellings as printed. - </li> - </ol> - -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TIBBY ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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