The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-11-18

forthwith to his old friends, who, figura-
lively rushed into his arms. They were
London acquaintances-no more-of the
sort we meet here and there and every
where during the season, who care for
US, and we for them, as much as for
South Sea Islanders, but whom we greet
with rapturous eff'usion when we meet
them In strange place. Jack knew
the lady whom he escorted In to dinner
as gossip dame, who, when his back
was turned, made as much sport of
him as of her other friends.
II have been fighting your battles all
day." began Mrs. Stwell.
" Was 1t 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
inconvenient-when you played cards,
for instance"
" A charitable imputation With
whom did II originate 7"
e Sir Lewis Mallaby."
He was shown a grave, scowling face
upon the right Of the hostess-a face like
a mask, Its surface rough and wrinkled,
through which the eyes shone out with
baleful light, like corpse candles In a
sepulchre.
Pleasant creaturei I'd rather not
meet him alone on dark night"
" He has terrible character, certain
ly. Turned his wife out of doprs because
she would not give him an heir. It Is
this want of children to inherit his title
and estates which preys upon his mind,
they say, and makes him morose and
melancholy"
Jack let his companion chatter on. 1t
was his habit to get all the information
possible about any company in which he
found himself, for his own purposes as a
clairvoyant; and when Mrs. Sitwell
tagged he piled her with artless ques-
tions, and led her on from one person to
another, making mental notes to serve
him hereafter. 1t is thus, by careful
and laborlous preparation, that many OF
the mysterious feats of the clairvoyant
conjuror are performed.
When the whole party was assembled
In the drawing-room after dinner q
chorus of voices, headed by that of the
hostess, summoned Jack to his work.
There appeared to be only one dissen-
tient-Sir Lewis Mallaby = who not
only did not trouble himself to back the
invitation, but when the performance
was actually begun was at no pains to
conceal his contempt and disgust.
The conjuror made the conventional
plum pudding in hat, fired wedding
rings into quarter loaves, did all manner
of card tricks, and juggled on conscien-
tiously right through his repertoire
There was never smile on Sir Lewis
face; he sneered unmistakably. Finally,
with an ostentation that savored with
rudeness, he took out his watch, great
gold repeater, looked at it, and unmis-
takably yawned.
Jack hungered for that watch directly
he saw 1t. Perhaps through it he might
make its owner uncomfortable, IL only
for moment. But how to get 1t into
his hands. He asked for watch; a
dozen were offered. No, none of these
would do. 1t must be a gold watch, q
repeater. Sir Lewis Mallaby's was the
only one In the room, and he at first dis
tinctly refused to lend it. But so many
earnest entreaties were addressed to him,
the hostess leading the attack, that he
could not in common courtesy continue
to refuse. With something like gYowl
he took his watch off the chain and
handed 1t to Jack Newbiggin.
A curious, old-fashioned watch 1t was,
which would gladden. the heart of a
watch collector-all jeweled and enam-
eled, adorned with crest and inscription
An heirloom, which had probably been
in the Mallaby's family for years. Jack
looked 1t over curiously, meditatively,
then suddenly raising his eyes, he stared
intently into Sir Lewis Ahallaby's face,
and almost as quickly dropped them
again.
This is far too valuable," he said,
courteously too much of treasure
to be risked in any conjuring trick; an
ordinary modern watch might replace,
but not work of art like this"
And he handed It back to Sir Lewis,
who received It with ill-concealed salts
faction. He was as much pleased, prob