Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-10-07

/ London acquaIntarces-no more-ot the
sort we meet here and there and every
where during the season, who cares for
us, and we for them, as much as fol
South Sea Islanders, but whom we gree
with rapturous effusion when we NEE
them in strange place. Jack knew tht
lady whom he escorted in to dinner as Z
gossipy dame, who, when his back wa.
turned, made as much sport of him as o.
her other friends.
II have been fighting your battles all
day" began Mrs Sitwcll.
WAS it necessary; should have
thought myself too insignificant "
They were talking at lunch of your
wonderful knack in conjuring, and some
one said that the skill might prove in
convenient-when YOU played cards, for
instance"
a charitable imputation! With
whom did it originate:' =
"Sir Lewis Mallaby.'
please point him out to me
He was shown a grave, scowling face
upon the right of the hostcss--a face
like a mask, its surface rough and wrink
led. through which the eyes shone out
with baleful light, ike corpse candles in
Scpulcher.
Pleasant creature. Id rather not
NEE, him alone on dark night.
"ic has a terrible character, certainly.
Turned his wife out of doors because
she would not give him an heir 1t is
this want of children to inherit his title
and estate which preys upon his mind,
they say, and makes him SO morose and
melancholy.
Jack let his companion chatter on. Il
was his habit to get all the information
possible about any company in which he
found himself, for his own purpose As
clairyoyant; and when Mrs Sitwell
tagged he piled her with artless questions,
and led her on from one person to anoth-
cr, making mental notes to serve him
hereafter. 1t Is thus, by careful and la
boriouS preparation. that many of the
strange and seemingly mysterious fcats
of the clairvoyant conJuror are performed.
When the whole party was assembled
in the drawing room after dinner a cho-
rus Of voices headed by that Of the host
css summoned Jack to his work. There
appeared TO be only one diSscnticnt-Sir
Lewis Mallaby-who not only did not
trouble himself to back up the invitation,
but when the performance was actually
begun was at no pains to conceal his
contempt and disgust.
The conjurer made the conventional
plum pudding in hat, fired wedding
rings into quartern loayes, did al manner
Of card tricks, knife tricks, pistol tricks
and jugglcd ON conscientiously right
through his repertoire. There never was
a smile on Sir Lcwis's face; he sneercd
unmistakaby. Finally, with an ostcn-
tAtion that ,avorcd of rudenc>s, he took
out his watch, great gold repeater,
looked at il, and unmistakably yawued.
Jack hungcrcd for that watch directly
he saw it. Perhaps through it he might
make It's over uncomfortable, if only for
a moment. But how TO get it into his
hands He asked for a watch, dozen
were offered. No. none of these would
DO. 1t must be a gold watch, repeater.
Sir Lewis Mallaby's was the only one in
the room. and he at first distinctly refused
TO lend it. But 50 many earnest entreat-
les were addressed to him, the hostess
leading the attack, that he could not IN
common courtesy continue 10 refuse.
With something ike a growl he took his
watch off the chain and handed 1t to
Jack Ncwbiggin.
\ curious, old fashioned watch it was,
which would have gladdcncd the heart OF
a watch-collcctor-all jewelled and en-
amclcd, adorned with crest and in>crip-
tion-an heirloom which had probably
been in the Mallaby family for years.
Jack looked it over curiously, meditatiye-
Is. then suddenly raising his eyes, he
stared intently into Sir Lewis Mallaby 5
face, and almost as quickly dropped
them again.
This is far too valuable, he said
courtcously, "too much Of treasure to
be risked in any conjuring trick; an or
dinary modern watch might replace,
but not a work of art ike this
And he handed it back to Sir Lewis,
who received it with ill-concealed salts
faction. He was as much pleased, prob
ably, at Jacks expression of possible
failure in the proposed trick as at the re-
coycry of his property.
Another watch, however, was pound
ed up into a jelly, and brought out whole
from a cabinet in an adjoining room
and this trick successfully accomplished,
Jack Newbiggin who was now complete
~ on his mettle, passed on to higher
flights. He had spent the vacation OF
the year previous in France as the pupil
of a wizard of European fame, and had
mastered many of the strange feats
which are usually attributed to clairyoy-
ance. There is something especially un-
canny about these tricks, and Jack 5
reputation rapidly increased with this
new exhibition of his powers. Thanks
to his cross-examination of Mrs. Sitwell
at dinner, he was in possession of many
facts connected with the company, al
though mostly strangers to him; and
some of his hits were so palpably happy
that he raised shouts of surprise, followed
by that terrified hush which not uncom-
monty succeeds the display Of seemingly