The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-01-15

venture 10 50 slurflngly lnterrOSate me
regarding my belief"
"Have you ever investigator asked
Mr.. Dingwhif, compromisingly.
81 have" said Mr.. Hunchley, with a
naughty air and an assuring glance at
Mrs. Dingwhiff, whose pale face lighted
up with actual radiance; II have investi-
gated" said Mr.. Hunehley; "and, more
over, my dear sir, l may say thai my
self was once as skeptieal as you dare to
be at this minute-why, do you know"
he broke off abruptly with a turn of awe,
beneath which the ladies sat with clasped
hands and parted lips, while Mr.. Ding
Whit writhed uneasily-"do you know,
my dear Mr.. Dingwhiffthat even as you
sit sneering there, your little home may
be thronged with far more guests
then you see clustered here about your
hearthT'
"Ah, yes, indeed" murmured Mrs.
Dingwhiff, quaveringly.
"Proye it'll" said Mr.. Dingwhiff, with
scrutinizing glance around the ceiling.
"Why, do you know" continued the
impressive Mr.. Hunchley, bringing his
index finger to bear upon the now very
serious face of Mr.. Dingwhiff," do you
know that, even at this very moment,
the latent forces of the medium may be
working within your own psychological
anatomy, if l may dare couple the gross
expression with the purely spiritual.
How do you know, l say. but at this
very moment it remains within your
power to summon and control the unseen
spirits lowering about US even as we
speakw .
"How do you know / amt no medi-
UNI? Is that what you mean?" gasped
Mr.. Dingwhif, with a shudder.
"How do you know that you are not
a medium?' repeated Mr.. Hunchley,
| with most solemn deliberation.
Chow do know itp' said Mr.. Ding
Whit, recklessly. why, Il know 1 amt"
"Prove it!'' said Mr.. Hunchley, with
an air and irony most thoroughly metal
lie. .r ...'
"How prove itg' queried Mr.. Ding
Whit, with hoarse whisper.
"By trial now and here" replied
Mr. Hunchley, rising. "Here is "a table
here, too, and enough non-contending
persons to form a circle. Will you make
the test, Mr.. Dingwhif2 Dare you make
the testW w .+t
Mrs. Dingwhiff had mechanically
cleared the table, and the lady visitors,
from sheer force of habit, we're already
arranged in such respective positions ais
left vacancies at either hand for the ad-
mission of the gentlemen. ......
"Dare you make the test| repeated
Mr.. Hunchley to the still irresolute Mr.
Dingwhiff :. &c.,.
"Dare you make the test?" said Mr..
Wray. laying down his book and seat
ing himself in latitude most alien to Miss
Miller's chair.
"He daresn't make the test!' said Miss
Miller almost savageiy.
"ThaJ settles itP' said Mr.. Dingwhiff,
doggedly, as he anchored with jar that
shook the room. ..
CHOW, Percy" said his dear wife, op
posite, crest your fingers on the table
like this-barely the tips of your fingers
see? and don't bear down like that
why, look at the man! You'll tilt the
table overp'
'I amt a-bearin' down." said Mr.
Dingwhiff CTS you a-tiltin' the tablt
upW ..,.. .-..
"Why, Percy, you know-just lool
at you! There it goes agin!" ...
"Oh, come now, Myrtle, amt it your
said Mr.. Dingwhiff; and then the tabl'
again dipped violently.
! SIT amt me, and you know it ain'1
me. And if it amt you," continued
Mrs. Dingwhiff turning trift
pale about the corners of her mouth, I'll
it amt you, it's the spirits"
"Ah, hail." said Miss Miller, cheerily
: "it's the spirits!" ~
"Don't believe it." said Mr.. Dingwhiff
brazenly, although the table at this juno
, ture made terrific lounge at Mis-
Miller, carrying her from her seat. -
"Any peculiar sensations, Mr.. Ding
whif'p' queried Mr.. Hunchley, with deeE
concern. -g w.
"Nothin' PARTICULAR said Mr.. Ding
Z Whit, with a painful swallow; "kind O
feel a-buzzin' inside-somepin' like {
: battery o some kind. Listen therep
r Rat4at-tat went the table. ~
"Oh, he's fetched emp said the littl'
/ widow, with an admiring glance upol
: the flushed face and perspiring brow o
: Mr.. Dir rgwhiff "Ask them what the.
(; want. Mr.. Dingwhif-ask them wha
9 they wantW .a',.;
5 "Ask 'em which one Of 'em it is, first.
r suggested MI. Wray. ''j..t.
And then Miss Miller, glibly adopting
:, the alphabetical order of interrogation
9 at last brought out the name. ed .
a esprit of Sandy Briggs is pr esent
t anybody know Sandy Briggs%' u
h SSandy BriggsY' exclaimed Mrs
e Dingwhiff, with emotion. "Oh. Percy
: it's Sandy Briggs!' You knew Sand
: Briggs, didn't you, Percy"
' "Little fellow fused to clerk in Tho
t mas livery stableT' asked Mr.. Dingwhif
n pantingly. yI . - -.
: eyes, yes, Percy!" cried Mrs Ding
t Whit.
n 'Kindo bow-legged, and wore eros
:, horrad nants and red-fhroat whiskerS2 2