The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1871-09-09

The answer was calm.
81 should not tell you anything. /
should simply present to your own
eyes what you must believe as reality F"
Saying this, the speaker rose, and drew
from his pocket bank-note, which, l
could not help remarking to myself, he
seemed to have in very convenient rea-
diness. "Here is five dollars, " he con.
tinued, III the same placid way. 81
should Like to lay you wager, young
man, that if you agree to enter yonder
little room pointing toward a small
apartment which opened off from the
bar-room-"and will, after locking
yourself securely inside, think of any
friend OF relation who is dead, l can
cause the spirit of such person to APP
pear as you knew him in life, palpably
before your eyes. Do you accept my
wager?"
do 1 accept t2" was the quick,
scorpful answer. "IfI do not, it is by
no means because I lack the courage
to do so, but, rather, because do not
possess, just now, the amount you
name. All that [ have, at present, is
barely sufficient to pay my expenses
here for a single night and take me to
L., whittier [ am now solourning,
tomorrow morning"
There was something so fearless and
candid about the way III which these
words were spoken, that felta decided
inclination, just then, to make sum
mary use of a certain fiyedollar bank
note in my own waistcoat pocket. Re
straining myself, however, [ listened to
the response which this frank avowal
received. 1t was spoken with sheer
of by no means an agreeable character.
"Of course, [ don't doubt your cour-
age-certainly not. However, Icannot
reduce the terms of my wager"
''And you needn't do so, l here
broke in, abruptly. Then, addressing
the previous speaker, and advancing
toward him as Ispoke, Young man., 5"
| said, off you viii accept tilic bank
note from me, I will be very happy to
offer it,
The youth sprang up with a grateful
smile lighting his face
"Thanks," he said many, many
thanks. Have no fear, sir, that your
money will not be soon returned to you
when L have grown five dollars the
richer
Saying which, he thrust my bill into
bis pocket, and walked toward the
door of the little anteroom. Reaching
its threshold, he turned toward him
who had made 50 bold spiritual boast
and exclaimed:
'Now | am quite prepared for you.
Have confidence, | beg you, III the
truth of what statement [ shall make,
and rest assured that when the ghost
makes his appearance, [ VIII acknOwl-
edge his august presence, "a sceptical
laugh finishing the sentence.
4 don't doubt that you will do So
was the rather naughty reply. Then the
door of the ante-room was closed, and,
q few seconds later, We heard the sound
OF q key being turned on the other side
Of it.
Utter silence reigned for several mo-
ments. The man who had made so
strange an offer to reveal the super
natural stood gazing at the recently
closed door with an expression of col
emn dreaminess on his countenance.
Presently there came a low, rapid cry
from behind that same closed door
Every eye was turned toward ii, and on
every face there was a look Of startl Ell
amazement. At length these words
plainly reached our ears, rather gasped
than spoken:
For heavens sake, Andrew Robin
son, can it be true that you ale stand
ing here beside me ] see you as
plainly as ] ever saw you in life. You
must come from another world, and
yet-oh, mercy he comes toward me
he touches me-oh, help! help, [ am
ainting-I-I-"
Here followed The sound of heavy
fall.
simultaneously with that sound, ev-
erybody spTang from his seat ] was
the first to reach the door Of the little
room, and, spurred by an intense i'm
pulse of compassion, endeayored to
burst it open. But the stout hickory
resisted my single efforts, and [ think
1t was fully three minutes before the
united strength OF at least four of us
finally made the door yield
As soon as it had yielded, we rushed
into the room. That room was per-
fectly vacant. While we stood staring
at each other IN amazement, some one
pointed toward he rooms single WIN
dow, which Was wide open, and scarce
ly foot from the ground beneath it.
Then a suspicion Of the truth suddenly
flashed across me, and cried out,
with excited voice:
Where Is the other man See il
he has escaped. Ii 50, the two are ac-
complies, and we have al been nicely
tricked. "
But "the other man " had escaped
during the recent confusion. Quite a
prolonged search about the premises
finally brought with it the conviction
that some sort of a vehicle had re-
Gently driven away from one of the out
er gates.
There could be no doubt, we all con
Guided, that both gentlemen had
effected their flight together, and that
my five dollars lad made an unloooked
for permanent disappearance in their
scampish society.