Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-12-13
THE SECOND HALE

When Jack Newbiggin got back to
the parsonage he found that his host
had accepted an invitation for them
both to dine at the "Big House," as it
was called, the country seat of the
squire of the parish.
II have been fighting your battles
all day." began Mrs. Sitwell, the
hostess, when seated at dinner next to
Jack.
'Was it necessary? I should have
thought myself too insignificant"
They were talking at lunch of your
wonderful tricks in conjuring, and
some one said that the skill might
prove Observation-Disclosures you played
cards for instance"
"a charitable imputation; with
whom did it originated"
'Sir Lewis Mallaby."
''Please point him out to me-"
He was shown grave, S cowling face
upon the right of the hostess-a face
like mask, the surface rough and
wrinkled, through which the eyes
shone with a baleful light, like corpse
candles in a sepulchre.
Jack let his companion chatter on.
1t was his habit to get all the infor-
nation possible about any company in
which he found himself, for his own
purpose as a clairvoyant, and when
Mrs Sitwell tagged he piled her with
artless questions, and led her on from
one person to another, making mental
notes to serve him hereafter. It is
thus by careful and laborious prep
arations that many of the strange and
seemingly mysterious feats of the
clairVoyant conjuror are performed.
When the whole party were assem-
bled in the drawing-room after dinner
a chorus of voices, headed by that of
the hostess, summoned Jack to his
work. There appeared to be only one
dissentient, 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 con Juror made the conventional
plum pudding in hat, fired wedding
rings into quartern leaves, did all
manner of card tricks, knife tricks,
pistol tricks, and juggled on conscien-
tiously right through his repertory.
There was never a smile on Sir Lewis
face; he sneered Enthusiastically. Final
ly, with an ostentation that savored of
rudeness, he took out his watch, a great
gold repeater, looked at it, and I'M
mistakably yawned
Jack hungered for that watch di-
rectly he saw it. Perhaps through it
BILE, if only for a moment. But how
L., Ia II
for a watch. A dozen were offered.
No, none of these would dot must
be good watch-a 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 addessed
to him, the hostess leading the attack,
that he could not in common courtesy
continue to refuse.
With something like a growl he
took his watch off the chain and
handed it to Jack New biggin.
A curious, old-fashioned watch it
was, which would have gladdened the
heart of Il watch collector-all jeweled
and enameled, adorned with crest and
inscription-an heirloom, which had
probably been in the Mallaby family
for years. Jack looked it over curl
ously, meditatively; then, suddenly
raising his eyes, he stared intently in
to Sir Lewis Mallaby's face and al
most as quickly dropped them again.
This is far too valuable" he said,
courteously s'too much of treasure
to be risked in any conjuring trick.
An ordinary modern watch | might
1t,< IL NS Mt l.
this"
And he handed it back to Sir Lewis,
who received it with ill-concealed sat
isfaction. He was as much pleased,
probably, at Jacks expression of pos
sible failure in the proposed trick as
at the recovery of his property.
Another watch, however, was pound
ed into jelly and brought out whole
from cabinet in an adjoining room.
''Oh, but it is too preposterous," Sir
Lewis Mallaby was heard to say, quite
angrily. The continued applause pro-
foundly disguised him. This is the
merest charlatanism. 1t must be put
an end to. 1t is the commonest i'm
posture. These are things which he
has coached up in advance. Let him
be tried with something which upon
the face of it he cannot have learned
beforehand by artificial means"
Try him, Sir Lewis, try him your
self" cried several voices.
Il scarcely like to lend myself to
such folly or encourage so pitiable an
exhibition"
But he seemed to be conscious that
further protest would be in Jacks ia
vor: so he said, .'Can YOU tell what I
have in this pocket" He touched the
left breast of his coat.
"A pocketbook.
bah! Every one carries a pocket
book in his pocket"
''But do you?n asked several of the
bystanders, all of whom were grow
ing deeply interested in this strange
duel.
Sir Lewis Mallaby confessed that he
did and produced tan ordinary mo-