Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-09-25
MOMENTOUS MAGIC
BY VIM. A. CALDWELL.

NhQFlp u
Iara Of blooming idiots; but then he
IA cone there to sell goods and was
.,st6y because nobody would talk bust
y. to him. II seems that sleight-of-
ssnd performer had struck the town and
'Tervbody was discussing his wonderful
iats. As soon as Clymer appeared in a
are with his sample-cases he immedi-
,tely became the target for arunning fire
4 problems in the black art how could
man tear up your silk hat right in front
# YOUR eyes and then produce the same
hst unchanged from cask which he
had Just shown you was emptyl how
ould he conjure a rabbit into a bottlel
and so on. Clymer was generally inter
sted in such things and it was conf
IDENTIFY expected that he would throw
some light on the subject, but he didn't.
He only impaired his opinions Of fakirs
and iugglers in general in a vigorous
STYLE of English that grew steadily less
| and less placid as it became necessary for
him to repeat it wherever he went.
Cymer left knot of his former pa
irons solemnly discussing the cabinet
trick, and walked down the street
towards Halpert's store.
'1fI lean I make sale to Halpert, | may
well leave the town. Halpert's got
more sense than anybody else here any
way, and if he's got the fever, then it
must be epidemic, and I'd better clear
out DRILL catch it MYSELF
This last remark was grim humor on
Clymer's part-as if he could catch any,
thing that would divert his thoughts
from a certain little note in his breast
pocket which had reached him a day or
two before he had left the city, and
which had been instrumental in keeping
him awake o'nights and worried by day
ever since. He stopped now in the shade
Of tree, put down his sample cases,
wiped his face, took out the note to pom
der it again; here is what he read:
Dear Charley-It almost breaks my heart
to write as | must. 1t is to tell you that our
acquaintance must cease. cannot give any
explanation, but believe me it has cost me
a hard struggle to write this. | can only
say forget me- can never forget y.u
AMY.
There was one place in the note where
the words ED says" had been written
and then erased, but Charley's jealous
eyes had made them out at the first read
ing.
''Who in thunder's Ed, wonder2n he
muttered to himself now, and not for the
first time
Miss Amy Layton had come some three
months previously to Mrs. Walton's
house where Clymer stopped
while in the city. His voluble landlady
had spoken in high praise of her new
Doarder to Clymer, and gave him to I'M
lerstand that she had come from a very
family which had been bro
Ken up bv the failure and death of the
ather Clymer needed no praise of the
roung lady after he once met her. The
leat trim figure and gentle manners
,layed havoc with his heart at once. He
lad made love desperately to Amy since
he had been at Mrs. Walton's, and she
lad received his advances kindly, so he
lad been correspondingly depressed
ince the receipt of the above note, which
lie found awaiting him on his return TO
he city from his previous trip, Mrs.
Walton sympathized heartily with the
roung lover, who couldn't dissemble in
his matter SO successfully as he could in
business; in fact, he made no attempt to
conceal his distress.
"All know" said his landlady, rs
hat she settled with me up to Saturday
light, and said that she was going out OF
he city. Perhaps Mrs. Bolton could give
rou some intelligence Of her (; she brought
Hiss Layton here in the first place, you
1now."
Clymer went to the elegant residence OF
Mrs. Bolton, but that lady had gone
outn. and he date of her return was I'M
certain. He moped about the city for a
Law or two and finally started out on the
Dad again with the hope of finding re-
lief by strict attention to business.
was one of the first towns
he STONED at, and he was disguised to
ind II In the demoralized state described
hove. When he entered the emporium
If the amiable Halpert, he detected that
worthy sitting on a chair with his chm
n his hands, his elbows resting on ms
xnees, aud his eyes fixed upon the noor
with strong glare.
"Got' EN- again, old MANI inquired
Jlymer, making feeble effort to be
ovial.
Halpert looked up.
"Hello, Glymer," he replied. Ivy, l
lell you; vos yust denkin' o dot magic
TELLER" ),
.sThat'Il do That'll dol" said Clymer,
as he banged his cases down on
the counter and perched himself on
tool II haven't heard of anything ex-
cept that blamed mountebank since got
here. Can't you talk business whlie,
just for changea
s.Dot's all ride, " responded the placid
Halpert. s'but yust wait leetle. dldn
use to dake no shtock in bricks myself
boot last hide some frients dock me oieI
to dot show, unit dell you 1t vas greao
Of course it was bricks; boot how does
he do 'em? how does he do emf
81 don't know how he does EN-, ana
don't care. l am disappointed IN you,
Halpert; am, for fact. said on the
way down here, if there's anybody IN
the place that's got grain of sense ieIt,
Halpert's the man; and here you are, as
loonev as the rest of 'em."
'sNow, dere's dot cabinet" went on
the stolid Halpert. HE leds YOU oxam-