Connecticut western news., 1873-12-05

As the stars from the mountain tops be, s.,=. AS the pearl in the depths of the sea
 From the portionless ring that would wear it.. MARK TUFTS. .. Ten years ago, I was spending the summer in Epping-a quiet, pleasant country town in New England.
 One morning in the middle of July I was evolving plan of action as I stood by the window in the office of my friend Wynn, whose guest I then was. While l stood there an individual en- tered the office, whom in spite of null hilarious disguises, such as dyed hair and whiskers, false teeth, and an as- sumed name, at once recognized as my own fellow-townsman, and as arrant 8 scoundrel as it had ever been my lot to encounter. He had an air of much pretension, wore large seal ring, a showy breast-pin, and several crossings of heavy gold chain, over a bright patterned vest, all of which. decorative trumpery served the purpose.of varaish to 8 very ugly picture, hightening the distinctness. of every bad point. 3' His errand, to obtain the use .of. the town hall for the delivery of Q lecture on ami 'mal magnetism, being speedily accom- plished, he took his leave.
 "Wynn, said I, as the door closed upon him, :" do you, remember Mark Tufts, who was convicted of burglary in Charleston, and who afterward es- oaped from the State Prison ?'
 "Yes," answered Wynn; "and ! could not think of whom this man re- minds me; yes,. it is of Mark Tufts.'
 "It s,Tufts himself, ,ns .Lreplied. |. sfI recognized him before he had uttered three sentences. I came across the room just now to look for the scar of a wound on the left cheek, given him by a companion in 8 drunken broil. The mark is there., And I know that the little finger and the first joint from the one next 1t are missing from the hand he ayers to have been hurt in recent railroad accident"
 :, "Pierson E. Lefingwell," was elab- orately engraved on the card with which he had introduced himself. I looked from the window. ;. the man had crossed the street and was standing on the piazza of the Epping House. Presently he entered, and shortly after
 
 dressed woman and young girl in the appearance of the latter I remarked nothing except peahaps extreme fragil- ity.
 A programme indicated that at the close of the lecture some interesting demonstrations would be exhibited. Mrs. and Miss Louise Lefingwell, it was stated, were both mediums, and the former gifted with remarkable powers of reading the future.
 We decided at once to "assist" at this prelection. The mans extreme villainy and audacity made him inter- esting. Indeed, so entire had been the popular conviction, in the trial to which have referred, of the mans deliberate, vindictive malice, that there had been felt very general disappointment that his sentence was not more severe.
 Not very large audience, of course, was to be expected in place like Ripping; but it was pretty fair turn out-several hundreds-and they were mostly collected before Mrs. Lefing- we'll and the young lady made their appearance. On platform at one side of the hall were placed table with lights and several chairs. MT. Lefing- well came in, arranged these, withdrew again, and soon returned conducting his assistants. The woman seated her self in a bustling, important way, ar ranging and rearranging her dress. The girl took her place quietly, without raising her eyes, until the falling of a window, which had not been properly fastened; then she lifted them mo. ment, with. startled, expectant look. observed the group closely, for I had begun to grow interested in them.
 The lecture was tissue of trashy plagiarism, through which what the man would be at was not clearly percep tible. It was evident, however, that he had himself sort of grotesque faith in what he was trying to say kind o1 trembling belief involved in his diabol ism. And this suggested to me plar for the solution of query which had entered my mind how far, namely, that slight young girl, sitting there with al air of such utter abstraction, was { voluntary accomplice of Mr. and Mrs lefingwe1l. That hey were vel matched admitted scarcely doubt.
 Not so the girl claimed by the Lief fingwells as their daughter. She looked at most fourteen, and might be yea, or two younger. Her face was too pale but the features were exquisite in out line the brow low, with shadowy chest nut hair the eyes, blue, were so larg and fringed with such thick, lonl lashes, that they seemed to make hal her face. There was an occasional sligh compression of the under lip tha showed her to be ill at ease. She wor no ornaments.
 Of course do not pretend in an
 way to account for the phenomena ar about to describe. No theory that eve came in my way has seemed to me t
 bear adequate credentials. In most in stances, too, which have been relate
 to me, I have felt myself compelled t
 doubt facts and references. I will giv an unvarnished statement of occul rences, premiAing only that I had pre-
 viously, and precisely when had foun
 myself in mood similar to that whic
 I have described as particularly belong ing to me on this day, been able to e1
 ext the influence to which have bee
 gwen the epithets magnetic, odic an
 the like, over some very refractory sut iects. a
 At the close of MT. Lefingwell'
 declamatory farrago, he came to tn front of the platform and proposed, fo the more satisfactory demonstration ( his science, to experiment. on any on or several among his auditors wh might solicit proof in their own persons A middle-aged man of solid aspect an
 a boy of sixteen presented themselves
 Directing them to be seated in chai, | on the right of the stapinp and of