Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1889-11-02

hism was at this time attracting her at
tention, and, as Rush was much more
liberal minded than Archie, she enjoyed
discussing this Oriental religion with
him.
Rush really cared little more for it
than did Archie, but it was something
to divert his mind Had he dreamt for
a moment what hold it was getting
upon Bessie, he would have politely but
firmly declined to discuss the subject.
He supposed that she took it up as he
did, as an Intellectual amusement; but
with her it was a more serious matter.
To the intense disgust of Archie she re.
newed her acquaintance with Nine
Parapoff, and continued to attend to her
seances She did not ask Archie to ac
company her any more, for she knew
that he would try to argue her out Of go
ing, and as she had made up her mind
to 60 the argument could only have
ended unpleasantly. She got hold Of
young married woman with a taste fol
the unnatural, and the two visited the
very remote and dingy apartments Of the
High Priestess of Buddha and listened
to her twaddle with credulous ears.
As Archie was really in love with Bes-
sic. should explain that she was not his
cousin nor any blood relation to him;
had she been should have taken no in
terest in his sentiment for her. She was
Mrs Archers daughter, but she had
been adopted, when she was years old,
by Mr. Archer, when he married her
brought up to regard her as his own
cousin, but his feeling towards her had
been Of a warmer than cousinly nature
for good many years. She liked him
more in the cousinly way, and always
turned the conversation with skillful
stroke when she thought he was going
to express other than the sentiments of
a cousin towards her. Since her devo-
ton to Buddha there had been little cool
ness between them. He could not toler
ate any such nonsense, and the thought
Of the class Of people to whom Bessie
was turning for esoteric information al
most maddened him. Buddhism was
only another name for spiritualism, he
argued. The latter was burned out
volcano from which its devotees were
trying to throw out imitation lava to de-
ceive the credulous That Bessie Archer
should be one of the deceived he consid-
cred degrading thing. Let the vicious
and the vulgar run after such absurdi-
ties, If they will, but heaven forbid that
a refined young lady should find any at
fractions in this tomfoolery" was his re-
dection.
my dear Bessie" he said to her ''if
this Parapoff was what you say. she
would be sitting in golden temple, deal
ing out her words of wisdom at thou
sand dollars a word There is nothing
that men would better like to know than
what the future has in store for them. If
they believed that they could be inform
ed with truth. they would pay any
amount of money; for it would save
them countless sums. People are credu.
lous enough. in all conscience, and ii
they had the slightest encouragement to
believe in these soothsayers they would
make theirs the most profitable profess
sion in the world rather than the most
i'll paid They would be living in palaces
instead of in dirty rooms on back streets,
and their patrons would be the rich and
great rather than poor deluded servant
girls"
"But they are not all poor deluded
servant girls who consult Nine. Para
poff. Some very intelligent men and
women visit her rooms, among them
your cousin Bessie.Archer, who does not
put herself in the class you mention"
with the deluded, dear child, but
not with the servant girls You can't
show me an intelligent man or woman
who seriously consults Nine. Parapof
The very fact that one consults her dis
proves his intelligence"
"You are so prejudiced, Archie Till
inghast, that if Nine. Parapof predicted
something to you and it came true, you
would say it was all chance" exclaimed
Bessie, Indignantly.
II am quite sure should, Bessie, and
I am equally sure that it would be-" re-
piled Archie.
"You are a very unsympathetic and
narrow minded young man." said Bessie,
rising to leave the room, land shall
never again speak to you on this subject,
| find Mr.. Hurlstono much more liberal
II am sorry to hear that; l had thought
better of Hurlstone." And Archie opened
the door for his cousin to pass out Of the
room. He was genuinely distressed; and
well he might be-for when a crotchet
Of this sort takes possession of an idle
persons brain it is hard to uproot it. He
felt sure that Bessie would become thor
oughly disgusted in time, but when? lie
wondered if it could be possible tina,
Rush was encouraging her in this non
sense. No, he could not believe that;
but it began to dawn upon his mind thai
Rush might have taken his advice about
the prima donna (he hadn't seen him
with her Of late) and been devoting him
self to Bessie. He turned pale at the
thought, for it was plain that Bessie liked