Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-26

there are certain difficulties about bribery
that did not then exist, and besides we
have no statesman like Pitt"
4" I'm e7ct, you have no statesman like
Pitt. Yet il you pleased, you might
have Pitt himself"
why, good heavens, the man is
dead and buried these eighty years"
"Just so. The respectable Pitt has
long been a corpse, but his spirit--where
is that? You might yourself be Pitt p"
II become second Pitt My dear
sir, you fatter me too much, or else you
are laughing at me-"
al never laugh, nor do | wish to fat.
ter" The black eyes looked at me
searchingly, aud his tongue took more
foreign accent as he rapidly proceeded !:
Listen, my friend, will explain what
mean. You who are 30 intelligent and
widely instructed you ut any rate can
not be unaware of problem that has en-
gagged the minds of many men in every
generation. Ever since the world began
attempts have been made TO bridge over
the gulf that lies between the living and
the dead, to form some means OF com
munication by which the living intelIi-
gence can be put on rapport with the
spirits of the departed. To-day that sys-
tenn OF communication has been brought
by some men TO pitch OF almost abso-
lutte perfection.
"Ah you mean spirit-rapping and
ghostly hands made of kid gloves and
saw-dust. But that is all humbug, you
know
GAS you say, my friend, in your ex-
pressive language, that is all bumbug,
but | do not mean that at all. Ispeak
not of the vulgar charlatan, the misera-
BILE impostor who calls himself Spiritual
ist, and has so little esprit as to descend
TO such wretched tricks The art that /
speak Of is known TO but very few, and
by those few it is kept an inviolable Sc
cret if / speak of it TO you it is because
you are an honorable English gentle
man, of an intelligence that is rare, and
possessing rarer qualities for profiting by
such knowledge. 1 will tell you my own
story, but first look me in the face and
tell me if you can believe me, for | can
not speak TO one whose mind harbors dis
trust.
You may imagine L was considerably
staggered by such an address. Neverthe-
less / did turn my eyes, almost unwilling
ly, to meet his. What did those eyes of
his not express They seemed at once
to entreat me, TO command. to menace.
An age seemed to pass and / was still
fxedly staring. Then a kind of mist
came between us my strength suddenly
deserted me, and had | not clutched at a
rail | should have fallen to the ground
With a violent effort wrenched my gaze
from his / did not wish to answer, and
yet / answered him in spite of myself,
and my own voice seemed TO me far
away and strange as it stammered out the
words:
81 shall believe YOU"
"You can believe? II is well, then.
Had you been in the habit of reading
the Greek papers you would have heard
of the name of Robert Macairidis. You
would have heard Of his scheme of reyo-
luton that would have possessed Greece
again of all that she has ever lost of his
great speech before the Assembly that
brought to life once again the old Hell
lenic patriotism Of the cowardice of
trucking Government, and the
shameful exile of the patriot him
self. Yes | was that Robert Macairidis,
and yet it was not |. 1t was the
voice of Macairidis that thrilled the AS
sembly and smote shrilly on their deaf
ears, but the spirit and words that
pierced their duh hearts and made them
once again Hellens and heroes, they were
the words and spirit of Demosthenes
was Robert Macairidis, but 1 was De-
mosthenes also. / tell you that had it
not been for those miserable towards of
ministers who bounded me from the
country, Greece to-day would have been
a European power and | should have
been the greatest man in Greece ; /, who
had at my call all the eloquence and the
wisdom of the ages. l failed, for those
that should have followed me feared me
too much and thrust me out. They have
lost me now forever. for to them | will
never return"
Was the man mad ? 1t was impossible
to look i'll his face and think so. Wild
though his words were his eyes seemed
to force conviction on me though his
voice quivered with passionate excite
ment there was no eagerness in their
steady, intense gaze. He paused for
moment and then went on more calmly
Such as | was then ! could make !
YOU now. | could give you the power
Of learning all the secrets. of possessing |
all the wisdom that now lies hidden in !
the grave. Think what that means and !
what that power might do for YOU.
There would be conditions ; though | |
want no reward, for | would do it freely |
for you as my friend, still ] should re-
Quire secrecy on your part and obedience |
to my orders for short time. At |
present | will say no more. You have |
told me that You are going to London IN
4 few days time also go there shortly. |
Here is my address, but if you wish to
see me, so there soon. And now, az
reUOtr."
l dropped into the nearest seat and |
ried TO collect my scattered ideas | do |
not think that even for a moment | |
doubted the truth of what | had heard.
have never been of a very skeptical
urn of mind, and it would have taken
wen a stranger tale than that to have
,haken my faith in Macairidis, who
moreover appealed to me as Greek
md patriot SO possessed was | by my
bind belief that it was not the strange
less of the tale that occupied my mind,
mt the dazzling prospect Of all that |
night become should l acquire such
powers. might be a greater orator
han Burke; | might be a greater
,oet than-whoever is the great
.st poet don't read poetry
myself | might write history or even
dictionary ; bnt above all what magnif
ent letters l might write to the Times.
have often written to the editor before,
nut now there would be no more talk of
rant of space when the spirits inspired
ny pen. | would sign myself Junius
unior-delightful ALTERATION. Thomas
luncheon had been made famous by one
ind OF spirit, Junius Junior should be
lade famous by another. Still, though
I'd not distrust Macairidis, l felt that l
las afraid of him a; he seemed to have
cduired some kind of uncanny influence
yer me. Even now that he was gone l
-as dimly conscious of his will still
.oxI,;oo, ia mo and uaq hauntad hv tba |