The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-07-16

tho'ugh, perhaps. not for our good. /
nave seen some strange things done
that way-I have done one or two
things myself which could not be ex-
explained by natural causes-but-I
am always frightened, y breaking off
with little tremulous indrawn
breath. :
"she has only just come up to
Simla," remarked nv companion.
dlvlnlngmy unspoken thoughts. "She
lsstaying at Glenarm. Gienarm has
always been the seat OF Spiritualistic
learning. No, don't know her at all.
don't even know who she is"
IN the mean time Mrs. Jerome had
been pursuaded to exercise her gift for
our amusement, and had left the
room while it was discussed what she
should be asked to do. -,
DO you think she could be swilled'
to take cigarette out of this case
and light it?' asked one, "Or blow out
the candles on the piano?n said an
other; and more suggestions were
made, all of which were impatientlv
set aside by short materialistic-
looking man who had before expressed
his utter want OF faith in all such
"Ot course she. could do that, or
anything else of the same sort. A lit
tie ordinary intelligence, combined
with an unconscious accumulation or
relaxation OF pressure from the per-
son who is supposed to influence her
will, is sure to produce the desired
result. 'Wilp her to do something
perfectly impossible, and she will still
DO blow out candles or light cigarettes
That is my argument"
Glow do you propose to prove it,"
asked our host.
Every easily, indeed. Let us will
her to find the thief among u.s.
There was a general hutter of
dissent
II don't feel easy in my conscience"
laugh he'd Mrs. Fame. "Childish peccadil-
loes in reference to illegal sweets and
unauthorized pots of lam rise up
against me and convict me-"
"And some OF us have stolen hearts,"
murmured, with quick side glance
"Ihen let 1t be a murderer. suppose
none OF us can object to that on
personal grounds" rejoined the dis
believer so testify that, without further
demur, the proposition was agreed to
by some OF us with unconcealed i'll
humor, by all unwillingly, for it is
always more interesting to have our
senses Initiated by the idea that we are
In the presence of some mysterious
power than to witness dead faileure.
Every one was airing different opin-
ions or relating past experiences, and
there was quite a'babel ofsound, when
a voice peremptorily requested silence
and at the same moment Mrs. Jerome
stepped forward and stood in the
center of the room. She would not
allow her eyes to be bandaged. She
simply closed them, apparently giving
herself up to the firm clasp OF the man
who was to assist her, and who, L after
ward learned, was her husband. So
slim and trail she looked that 1T SEEM
ed, without the support OF his strong
hands around her throat, she
must have fallen, for her
face was white as death,
and she was trembling so violently
that even the most careless was i'm
pressed, s9eing that she believed in
her own power. She was in a long
white gown OF picturesque, but not the
most fashionable, make, unrelieved by
any color; and her hair of a reddish
taken was almost straight, but so
wlry in texture that 1T stood like an
aureole around her brow, when, with
harassed gesture, she passed her
fingers through it as though per-
picked and at a loss how to act. Was
she waiting for the inspiration that
could not possibly come? For the
first time it struck me that they were
treating her unfairly and with scant
courtesy, she being so evidently in
earnest and so anxious to succeed.
! Yet her husband had not objected to
her being put to the test. He appear
ed to have full confidence in the out
come, and her eventual triumph over
those who had doubted the sincerity
OF her professions.
BY merest chance, at that moment
my glance lighted on Mr. Greyle, the
man who had so interested me at
dinner. His face was turned away
from me, but his attitude struck me
as strange in the extreme, although
familiar. l was sure l had seen him
standing so before; as now, seemingte
DILL LIN tIOA1l OoSCA NSlI1Oll, 1llS 11llSclS
tightly clenched as they hung closely
to his sides, his head thrown back as
if in forced defiance of some danger.
Suddenly I remembered how and
where we had met. 1t was three years
ago, up here, in the rainy season, when
Simla gaieties had come to stand
still for a few short days on account
OF the tragic death OF young and
very beautiful girl. She had fallen over
a steep place while walking round
Jakko. Either the earth, loosened by
the heavy rain, had given way beneath
her feet, O: she had incautiously lent
over to see something on the hillside.
twas not discovered how the &C
cident befel, but this young man, who
was known to have been desperately
in love with her, was the first to pass
and discover what had happened.
The shock had almost turned his
brain, and for long time he lived in
retirement, avoiding all notice, and
able to bear no reference to the affair.
1t was at that time had seen him
and this accounted for his gravity
and repressed excitability, for it takes