Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-01-13


already nterfered, II seems reasonable to
suppose that they had some motive which
could not be Otherwise than benevolent to
this household. Let us wait in patience
| and Faith"
! al ,et ms have Faith" said Cicely But
| Mr.. Brudenel grOaned audibly.
Tom and Sihyl, when the others separat-
ed after breakfast, remained in the break
! fast room
"Let us have Faith" said Tom, derisive-
", Yes, perhaps, that is all we Shall
| hear, Dodo, dear Let us consider"
"You will expose him, Tom"
81 can certainly testify as to certain
| things that | have en- You see, your
father wrote letters of introduction and
! recommendation for the three persons to
whose order he made out the cheques
! Suppose he is asked why he wrote those
| letters suppose he says he does not know
I in that case your father will look-shall
we say simple. Suppose he Is asked
why he sold ont the shares and replies
that he does nor remember he will, again
present-Shai we Gay "a simple appear
ance. Suppose he is asked why he drew
those cheques"
"But, Tom, you can always prove that
this man worked upon him"
81 don't know. There is no precedent in
law, ! am afraid, of one man being work
! ed upon by another. What can | prove,
Dodo ?" he added gloomily. II begin to
fear the worst | ion't like his looks For
the first time since he came here, he looks
guilty, | don't like it"
Are we to lose everything, Tom ?"
"Notif can help it. Perhaps we shall
| he able to show cause for an inquiry. We
might get an injunCtion-but for what
reason suppose these perfectly unknown
persons each draw a cheque payable to
Herr Paulus or bearer or to NO. 1911 or
bearer'-how can we do anything We
cannot find these men"
"You thought you knew them"
81 believe do. But how to prove it
Dodo dear, it is possible that we shall
lose our little all despite the fuss that our
friend made over it. And yet 1t can't be.
Until this morning thought one had only
TO look in his face"
"Tom, men always think that good
looks must cover good heart"
with girls am sure they do. That is,
looks like yours, Dodo."
Mr.. Brudenel sat in his studio expecting
Paul. He had pictured to him in hope
full moments, Il beautiful scene. HIS
wards' fortunes would be given back TO
him, and he would convey them magnlh-
Gently to their rightful owners with a
speech about the advantages otsecuring
friends able to interpoSe in times OF dan
ger aud to avert wreck and ruin. He liked
to make up little speeches beforehand, 50
as to be always equal to the occasion; but
these little speeches were always thrown
away Thus is man Knocked of Fate.
Paul came not. Then Mr. Brudenel be-
gan to think that the expected Message
might come to him directly, without the
presence of Paul. and he composed him
self, sitting upright in his wooden chair
not the low leather chair by the ire. Pres
emily he should glide insensibly INTO that
attitude of miad when the outer world he
comes unseen, uuheard and unregarded,
and the soul is independent of the BODY
and can fly whittier she please ard space
aud time no longer have any meaning.
When Paul stood over him and looked III
his face and com manded him to yield up
his soul to the influence Of those who call
ed, he felt instantly rs tired man feels
when he lays his head upon the pillow.
His limbs became motiopless; he felt
them no longer. A kind OF sleep rose up
ward to his brain and set free his soul
Now. he thought, he would induce that
semblance of sleep without the aid OF
Paul. Nothing would he easier
Strange to say, after five minutes of in
tense exercise, wi h the Will resolutely
| bent, he discovered that no progress at all
| had been made. Worse than that, he was
becoming fidgetty; his feet refused to stay
| still his legs kicked involuntarlly; his
! fingers twitched he was awake ali over.
He gave himself another five minutes
| The result left no room at all for DOUBT
he could not, therefore, go in quest of any
message because you cannot, yet, lug a
/ lump of bones md fl Ssh all the way TO
Abyssinia and back in morning.
Then he tried another method. He arose
and solemnly called aloud =
"Izak I'm Menelek ~
| The quiet room echoed his words, but
| there came no answer.
az Ibu Menelek Master Hear ~
The master may have heard, but he
made no reply.
A third time Mr.. Brudenel called
LEAK Ibn Menelek Come :"
He sat down and waited for an answer.
Perhaps the Master was asleep; perhaps
he was walking.
Mr.. Baudenel waited for quarter of an
hour, concentrating his mind, with all
| the force of which he was capable, upon
the Master So the prophets of Baal In
the slopes of Carmel called all day long
and hacked their flesh with knives to
| please their god. But no answer came,
and presently those prophets were taken
to the side Of the stream and done to death
But to the end, | am sure, they believed
profoundly.
There came no answer, no voice faint
and far-off such as called him when Paul
was present
Then Mr.. Brudenel-always ready to
fall away from faith-sat down In despair
He was deserted His new friends had de-
old friends. Emmanuel Chicks spirits
would not have failed him even though
they might bring no comfort. Lavinla's
spirits might have told him things irrele
want and trivial, but they would not have
heard him call upon them in silence. The
busts OF his former Observation-Disclosures
Magnus, Paracelsus, Roger Bacon, Dee
Lily, Mesmer, Homeland the rest frown
ed upon him from their places above the
book shelves. The books themselves
whose outside he had been wont to admire
the acquisition of which had cost him such
mighty sums, frowned upon him and
threatened him. He had deserted his ole
Friends he had turned out of the house
the old spirits whom he had formerly en-
tertained He had gone over to new
party and what had he got tor it ,
Then DEVIL think IL may have beer
one OF Lavinia's hooking spirits whisper
ed in his ear, ''if they have done so muct
to you they may do more. You know tina
it was not you yourself who wrote thos'
letters and signed those cheques, though
they are in your handwriting. The powe
that initiated your handwriting can do
mere. Nay, it may even personate yor
| 10 rit.