Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-10-17
THE SECOND HALE

was called. the country seat Of the
squire of the parish.
II have been fighting your battles
all day." began Mrs. Sitwell, the
hostess, when seated ut dinner next TO
Jack.
"Was it necessary? 1 should have
thought myself too insignificant"
They were talking at lunch Of your
some one said that the skill might
prove ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS you played
cards for instance"
"A charitable imputation; with
whom did it originate?"
"Sir Lewis Mallaby."
please point him out TO me-"
He was shown n grave. scowling face
upon the right of the hostess-a face
like mask, the surface rough and
wrinkled, through which the eyes
shone with baleful light, like corpse
candles in n sepulchre.
Jack let his companion chatter on.
II was his habit to get all the infor-
nation possible about any company in
which he found himself, for his own
purpose as clairvoyant, and when
Mrs. Sitwell Jagged be piled her with
artless questions, and led her on from
one person to another, making mental
notes to serve him hereafter 1t is
thus by careful and laborious prep.
arations that many of the strange and
seemingly mysterious feats Of the
clairvoyant conjuror are performed.
When the whole party were assem-
bled in the drawing-room after dinner
"A chorus of voices, headed by that Of
tho hostess, summoned Jack to his
work. There appeared to be only one
dissentient, Sir Lewis Mallaby, who
not only did not trouble himself to
back up the invitation, but when the
performance was actually begun was
at no pains TO conceal his contempt
and disgust.
The conjuror made the conventional
plum pudding in hat, fired wedding
rings into quartcrn leaves, did all
manner of card tricks, knife tricks,
pistol tricks, and juggIed on conscien-
iiously right through his repcrtory.
There was never smile on Sir Lewis
face; he sneered Enthusiastically. Final
ly, with an ostentation that savored of
rudeness, he took out his watch. great
gold repeater, looked at it, anu un-
mistakably yawned.
Jack hungcrcd for that watch di-
rectly he saw it. Perhaps through it
he might make its owner uncomforta-
BILE, if only for a moment. But how
TO get it into his hands? He asked
for watch. A dozen were offered.
No. none of these would dot must
be good watch--a repeater.
Sir Lewis Mallaby's was the only
one in the room, aud he at first dis
tinctly refused to lend it. But SD
many earnest entreaties were addessed
To him, the hostess leading the attack,
that he could not in common courtesy
continue TO refuse.
With something like a growl he
took his watch of the chain aud
handed it to Jack Newbiggin.
A curious. old-fashioncd watch il
was, which would have gladdened the
heart of watch collector-all jewelcd
and enameled, adorned with crest and
inscription-an heirloom, which had
probably been in the Mallaby family
for wears Jack looked it over curi.
ously. medltauvciy; then, suddenly
raising his eyes. he stared intently in
to Sir Lewis Malaby's face and al
most rs quickly dropped them again.
"Tlis is far too valuable" he said,
courteously "too much of treasure
to be risked in any conjuring trick.
An ordinary modern watch l might
replace, but not work of art like
this"
And he handed it back to Sir Lewis,
who received it with ill-concealed sat
isfaction. He was rs much pleased,
probably, at Jacks expression of pos
siblc failure in the proposed trick as
at the recovery of his property.
Another watch, however. was pound
ed into jelly aud brought out whole
from a cabinet in an adjoining room.
''Oh, but it is too prcposterous," Sir
Lewis Mallaby was heard to say. quite
angrily. The continued applause pro-
fonndly disgusted him. ..rhis is the
mercst charlatanism. II must be put
an end to. 1t is the commonest inn
posture. These are things which he
has coached up in advance. Let him
be tried with something which upon
the face of it he cannot have learned
beforehand by artificial means"
''Try him, Sir Lewis, try him your
self cried several voices.
II scarcely like TO lend myself to
such folly or encourage so piiiablc an
exhibition"
But he seemed to be conscious that
further protest would be in Jacks fa-
vor; SD he said, "Can YOU tell what
have i'm this pocket?" He touched the
left breast of his coat.
"A pocketbook."
bah! Every one carries "A pocket
book in his pocket
but do you?" asked several of the
bystanders, all of whom were grow
ing deeply interested in this strange
Sir Lewis Mailaby confessed that he
did and produced it-an ordinary mo-
rocco leather purse and pockctbook.
all In one.
"Are you prepared to go on?" said
the baronet. haughtily TO Jack.
Certainly"
"what does this pocEctbook con-
tainP"
Evidence"
Evidence of what?"
"Of facts that must. sooner or laler,
come to light"
"What ridiculous nonsense! ! give
you my word this vockctbook con-
tains nothing - absolutely nothing
but a bank Of England note for 100
pounds"
s.Stay!' said Jack Ncwbiggin. fac
ing him abruptly aud speaking in a
voice of thunder. 1T is not so--you
know tit Is only tho halfln
And as he spoke he took the pocket
book from the hands of the really |
stupefied baronet and exhibited for in |
spcction--th half of Bank OF Eng
land note for 100 pounds.
There was much applause at this
harmless aud successful dcnoucment |
OF what threatened at one stage 10
lead to alteration. perhaps to quar-. |
rel. But Jack Ncwbiggin was not sat |
isiied.
'.As you havo dared mo to do my
worst, said ho ''listen now to what |
have to sav. Not only did know that !