St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-08-02
MISCELLANY.
STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF A
LADY.
EdInund YnfeR

it over afterwards, l. remember tnaC he
had a narrow and retreating forehead
| never can quite make up my mind
whether what my fellow-traveller told
me was the absolute truth whether
his confidence was caused by the nat
ural warming of his soul for human
sympathy, or whether, to use an
Americanism, he was merely "flling
me up"
1t was not only my fellow travellers
retreating forehead, but the nature OF
his travelling literature, that caused me
to look upon him as something other
than an intellectual giant. In the first
place he was reading "Isis Unveiled -
the proceedings of the Psychical So
ciety" was there too, and fat book in
very large type was labelled "Frag-
ments and Remains of Madam By
He was good enough to offer to lend
me one of his books and like an ass,
gave a snort of indignation and waved
it off.
81 have no sympathy with such
things" said.
ga sceptic, l perceive" said he po-
litely.
81 look upon the whole thing, sir" |
replied, Gas bosh and humbug, misera-
BILE trash, wretched balderdash I'M
worthy of notice." And then / glared
at him.
tried to silence the little man in
deep mourning by looking as much
like the GorgOn Medusa as possible.
Far from being turned to stone he
simply began to sit on the backs of his
hands, than which nothing is more un-
dignified and irritating.
al was like you once" he said with
1 was a scOffer once but
have been bitterly punished-in fact,
my incredulity was the cause of my
and he pointed in SOL
emn manner to the deep black hat
band he wore.
When | looked up at his hat-band L
saw the mans name printed in little
gold letters upon his travelling bag,
which lay on the rack above his head
"Mr. Augustus Boobyer."
When had heard that name befOreP
Of course it came back to me in flash.
BOobyer! that was the man who ran
off with little Hetty Starely OF the
theatre.
1 am not a theatrical man, but | saw
Miss Stareley in the celebrated ballet
of "The Swallows" and very pretty
indeed she looked with her big eyes,
her curly black hair and her dot of a
She was pretty. plump little
till she married BOObyer
when she became a nine days wonder.
Then she left the stage, disappeared
from the photographers windows, and
nobody ever heard any more of Miss
Hetty Stareley.
'It's not SO very long ago." he be-
gan, "that it was my privilege to lead
20 the altar an exceedingly lovely girl.
worshipped the very ground she trod
lpon, sir. My wife was so excessively
good looking as to attract considerable
attention wherever we went. L was
proud of it at first, but after awhile it
began to pail. My wife, sir, was a
young, inexperienced girl, and she felt
t bitterly. Mine was a runaway
natch," he went on, "and it made
amount of noise at the
ime. I live at Neutrality-suspicious. to
he Camp, unfortunately for me, and
when we returned from our honey
noon the Volunteer Camp was in full
wing. 1t seemed to me that when
hey we're not actually engaged in drill
IT shooting for prizes, the greater por-
ion of the Volunteers occupied their
ime in walking up and down in front
# my house in order to catch a glimpse
f my beautiful wife. Pm not exag-
,erating-not the least bit. At last,
however, it became unbearable to both
f us. We determined to seek soil
ude, and found it at Herne Bay.
"Herne Bay is the most solitary
lace | know. 1t is frequented by per-
ons of limited means with large fami-
les. There is a pier mile long. We
'assed a delightful fortnight at Herne
Say; but it was dull-terrible dull.
We were both feeling rather bored,
ghen | made an acquaintance while L
vas fishing for bass with rod from
he pier-head. l used to fish there the
reater part of the afternoon. l never
aught anything; but at place like
Ierne Bay one must do something.
Ie was very decent young fellow
nd took a great interest in my fishing.
f l had known at the time who he
vas, perhaps I shouldn't have been
ute so ready to foregather with him.
he fact is, he was a professional con-
lrer but he was most gentlemanly |
Dung fellow and decidedly cookbook
ng. He talked about spiritualism he
7as an advanced thinker, and l, from
he lofty pinnacle of my ignorance,
DOked down upon the whole thing as
Dosh, humbug and balderdash.'
Here, still sitting on his hands, he
miled impertinently at me.
"Monsieur Kardec flor that was his
nancy tried to convince
lie, but in vain. Our stay at Herne
lay was drawing to a close. Pm go
1g to give little seance here tOmOr-
Dw night said Monsieur Kardec. Il
hall be greatly pleased if you would
ONE and look at the wonders the spir-
IS will perform. Don't humiliate me
Y offering to pay at the door. Here
re a couple of tickets
81 was about to decline, but my wife
ave me one appealing look from those
reat eyes of hers, which did not ap
cal in vain. 'We'll come with pleas
re- said l, and l thought no more
bout it.
GAS we walked home we stopped to
cad one of the posters. 1t was the or
mary programme-spirit rapping,
bought reading, clairvOyance, and
hen followed a rather extraordinary
tatement: Monsieur Kardec, after
art the first, will give an illustration
modern conuring and prestidigita-
on, without apparatus or accomplices.
he whole will conclude with the mys-
sriOus disappearance of lady select
d from the audience We both rath
r looked forward to the entertainment
) break to the dull monotOny of our
ally round at Herne Bay.
"Punctual to the time, we presented
lrselves at the assembly rooms, and
ere the sole occupants of what were
,rmed the reserved fauteuils,' which
ere two rows of ordinary cane-bot-
IN, ol,nirn dnnjf fhinE fhora ruaro |