The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-06-02
SELECT STORY.
DOUBTFUL AOQUAINTANOEs.
A SEASIDE STORY.

at is very remarkable" said my un-
Gle, as Mr.. Gregory left the room.
1T is very mysterious" said Lily,
with strong emphasis on the adverb.
"To me" observed an elderly lady
boarder, sit appears to be something
worse than mysterious; and, without
making any assertions, | would at least
caution you, my dear, against any
closer intimacy with one who seems no
often to be possessed of information in
manner of which there is no conceiv
able natural explanation
1T reminds me most said the Rev.
Mr. Briggs, "of certain cases, undoubt.
edly well authenticated, in which the
existence Of the so-called second sight
has been demonstrated in very singu
lar manner"
And added my uncle, "slthough
many of the professors of Spiritualism
have been proved impostors, it by no
means follows that all"
Eyes, yes" broke in our lady friend,
"but we all know that people once had
dealings with familiar spirits, and l
never could find any proof that this
kind of thing has ever ceased, and,
therefore, as l said before, l very
strongly caution you
"Hush!" cried several voices. "Here
he comes"
Ny uncle, my cousin Lilly and Iwere
staying at a boarding house at the sea-
side and among a somewhat numerous
company was certain Mr.. Gregory.
We had made his acquaintance on the
night of our arrival in rather comical
manner. He was passing our room
just as Lily was calling to me in tone
of woeful despair that she had broken
the key in the lock and could not get
out. Through the key hole he had
| volunteered his services as an amateur
lock picker, and released us from our
Imprisonment.
This introduction had serve quite as
well as much more formal one would
have done to inaugurate what promised
to be pleasant seaside acquaintance.
Now, on first sight, he certainly pre-
sented very little appearance of being
suspicious or dangerous character.
He was a young man of some 25 years
of age, with a bright, frank expression,
and a CLEAN of mischief in his eyes.
He was exceedingly intelligent and
we'll informed, and though rather retir-
ing in the mixed company of our es.
tablishment, could, we discovered, sing
well, read well and talk well. Withou,
intruding himself upon us, he had made
himself very agreeable to us two girls
and we had surmsed that he was q
young professional man suffering from
over.work, who had come down to re
cruit his health. But we are Otter
warned against Judging from appear
ances, and had during the past few
days manifested very Iemarkabl,
power of clairvoyance or second sight
or whatever else you like to call it
which had created great sensation
among us.
On the previous day, for instance
my uncle had met a gentleman at tn,
station, and had brought him home t.
dinner. We saw them walking slowl,
up the garden together in conversation
and Lily had exclaimed:
"Who on earth is this''
| Mr.. Gregory looked and said:
"lIis name ID Smith, and he is return
ing TO town by the midnight train"
"You know him :" | said.
"Never saw him in my life before,
was the answer.
| Sure enough, his name proved to b,
Smith, and he returned to town tha
night after a long private interview
with my uncle; nor had he, as he tol'
US in answer to our inquiries, ever seel
or heard of Mr., Gregory before.
| On Saturday morning alo the Rev
Mr.. Briggs, taking walk on the beach
meditating on his Sunday text, ha'
encountered Mr., Gregory, who volun
teered information as to the said tex,
with chapter and verse all correct, 4
the petrifaction Of the reverned gentle
man.
On another occasion, when our elder
| ly lady friend mentioned that she ha
been out making a small purchase, Nj
Gregory informed us soto voce that
bottle of hair-wash constituted tn
purchase in question. This commur
ication was very unfortunately ovel
heard. Its correctness was not at tn
time definitely established, but it wa
shortly after this that she first pre-
lpounded her own particular theory o
the subject, which she put forwar
with renewed confidence in the conveI
sation given above, after a fresh di
lplay of the unholy phenomenon, as sh
called it, This was the occasion ther
of Mr.. Briggs had been seen comm
up the walk in great glee with pare
under his arm,
"What has he got there9" said son
one.
"All the works of Josephus for lei
lpence," replied Mr.. Gregory.