Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-06
head. oil the logic in the world WON'T

S'O AOSAS Al VllO wVH b
change her? She is determined that
she has hydrophobia, and that devilish
p%lanchettc has so turned her head that
she Won't listen to any sense. The
doctSr told her that he was sure that
the dog wasn't mad, but it didn't affect
her a part, Gle. She said maybe he
hadn't gone mad enough. yet for his
Drain to show it, but he had gone mad
enough to give the disease to other
people, and she had it. She would say
a piece of the sleeve had b'own on to
the mil, If We tried to reason with her.
No, Rem; l tell you We shall have to
try another dodge. You'll help me,
WON'T you? Aud / know you know
how to write with planchette."
'Rather." said I. grinning, for /
saw that he was in the secret of those
hints of Uncle Eldred's regarding the
circus and like follies.
went home with Basil. and spent
the afternoon in his Don When l
returned to our house in the even
ing, Basil went in and saw mother.
She came out to me flushed and ex-
cited, and kissed me tenderly, say
ing:
do you think you can do it, Rem?
Oh, be careful, my boy"
'tI'M try, mail answered, feeling
rather shaky and solemn. Then a
great basin Of beef tea was given to
me as a pretext for going. and l was
sent Eel to Aunt ELIAS. She did
NOT see general visitors now, but 1 had
always been a favorite. and Lyde took
ne into her mothers room. 1t was
SO dimly lighted that l could only dis
tinguish the outlines of the bed and a
table near it on which were sheets of
paper and a planchettc. Aunt Eliza
lay on the bed, looking very much
as usual; but poor Lyde, who stood
beside her, had cried herself to a
shadow.
us it you, Rem" said Aunt Eliza.
in her old, kind voice. which made a
lump come into my throat. ..l'm
glad you've come. I have wondered
why you didn't come sometimes. I
wanted to see you again. And I'm
feeling very comfortable this evening,
tell your ma. To-morrow's your BIRTH
day. isn't it? 1 had Aunt Susannah
bake a p~ound-cake for vol. And
here's a little box with something in it
for tomorrow. l just got it ready.
You needn't be afraid, dearie. 1 won't
hurt you now"
ooh, [ amt afraid" I suffered, my
heart beating like a trip-hammer. 1
took the box and went back to Lyde.
She touched my hand a second. As
she did so she slipped the end of a
ho%rse-hair into my palm. The other
end l knew was on the planchette. I
stood a little distance from the table,
with my hands behind me.
Lyde went to the other side of the
bed. All at once she uttered a loud
exclamation: MA, do look! What's
the matter with Planchette?"
UP and down the table careened the
instrument of mystery. 1t must be
confessed that its movements were
awkward. but then in a single after
noon n a not learn all the posi-
bilities of a horse-hair motor.
Aunt Eliza was not critical; the weird
gyrations impressed her Instantly.
''Give it to me " she said, sit wants to
write"
But Planchette declined fatty to
write, bobbing out of her reach the in
slant she rested her fingers on the
board.
"Let me try" said Lydc. Whereupon
~Planchette vau' ted clean off the table
and tell at my feat.
Its Rem" said my aunt. solemnly.
Il always said that it wrote better for
him and Tim than for anybody else.
There wasn't the leastdifficulty in read
ing their messages. Don't you re-
member how plain that one about the
circus was? Try it, Rem"
lput the thing on the table. 1t was
quiet enough now (good reason WHY.
| laid my hands on 1t with the queerest
feeling Of the minglipg of comedy and
tragedy in the scene. Its writing"
l announced presently; you'll have to
open the blinds to read, though. As
Lyde opened the blind of the window
behind the bed. I could see Basil Ferris
pacing his fast bays in his beachwagon
up and down the street.
This is the message which Planchette
wrote and Lyde read out loud:
DEAR EL1zA:-1 am your brother Dan. Ell.
sages which you have had: You have been
deceived by false spirits. You have not got
hydrophobia, not u bit OF it. The dog did
Hot. Dlte you. lou IOTe your urn on the nail
in the fence. There is u piece OF the dress on
the nail now. Go and see. Brace up! you
won't die"
Lyde's voice tremDled so that she
hardly could pronounce the words, and
Aunt Eliza sat up in bed %clutching the
c%overlet, her face paler than it was the
day that she told me she:was b item.
Fetch me the dress waist" she
gasped-'the one L had on-you
know"
'.It's right in the closet, ma" said
Lyde.
When it was brought my aunt looked
at the rent in the sleeve carefully l,e-
fore she turned to me and said: s.I'm
very much obliged, brother Dan. Ill
go. Is there anything more?"
1 kept my finger tips on the plan
Ghetto board for full five minutes, but
it was quite motionless.
Aunt Eliza dres a long sigh. "Well,
Dan, tell Eldred l thank him. He al.
ways was right. Remington, run out,
honey. You look as white as a sheet.
Tell Aunt Susannah to give you a glass
of wine. And. Lyde, help me get up
and dress myself; I'm going to look at
thai fence"
I was not particularly surprised a lit
tie later. as we all three sailed into the
street. to see Basil's bays trotting to.
ward the reddeninp west whero tha sun