The Press., 1892-07-07
THE TOMBSTONE.

THE LOADSTONE.
 If there was one man in college whom the rajah thoroughly and heartily de- tested, it was the captain of the boat club. He had many faults; he was very tall and powerful. and delighted in con- trasting the English physique with that of inferior races by which he meant, among others, the rajah's race. His manner was abrupt and overbearing, his laugh loud and unmusical. In fact, he grated horribly on the rajah, and it was merely the final straw, when in the ex- hilaration of a bump supper-full, as the rajah remarked in disgust, of COW and strong drink-he called that gentleman in playful chaff, ''nigger." The rajah swore melodiously in Hindoostanee, and I saw that he meant to be revenged.
 In those days therentertainment of the Nebraska Loadstone created furore. Everybody went to see her, and every body came away convinced that she pos sessed marvellous powers. Her peculiar gift-but everybody remembers the de- tails of the performance, and how the tricks were finally, one by one, exposed, so that her adherents and believers were driven from one position to another, until at last they had to fall back on one single performance out of all those that the Loadstone gave, and maintain that, on that occasion at least, something un- explained and inexplicable did really happen. It is with the events of that particular evening that am concerned. 1 think can throw some light on them.
 At first. however. there were many believers and few skeptics. The dean carefully pointed out that Plato no- where denied the existence of odic force: and the bursar, who was generally sup posed to be little better than an atheist, declared that Spencer, in one passage, i'm pliedly asserted it: even the warden. in his sermon. told us that it was better, according to Bacon, to believe two er- TOTS than refuse one truth-which was, to say the least of it, sitting on the fence. But none of these authorities shook the robust skepticism of the cap tain of the boat club. He knew con- jurer, and the conjurer had told him how it was done, and he was going to expose the Loadstone.
 "But why haven't you9" urged: ''she's been here week."
 "He will not be too hard on her at first" said the rajah, with little sheer.
 "I11 bust her up this very night" said Waterer. Il would have done it before, only was gated"
 The excuse was good, and Waterer full of boastings and self con- tidence. to gather together large num- Der of the noisy men, and make pleas ant party to ''guy'' the unhappy Load stone. staid to smoke a pipe with the rajah. ...
 ''Of course she's fraud" said he; land believe that animal really has got hold of the right explanation
 T shall go and see it., announced.
 After moments silent smoking the rajah looked up with a twinkle in his eye. ''So shall Tiff niggers are admitted.
 After hall, he and set out together for the town hall. We found the first two rows of stalls occupied by Waterer and his friends. They were all in even ing dress and had obviously dined-not selves just behind them. The room was full and the feats were most successful: each was followed by general applause, broken only by some gibes from our friends i'll front. The latter grew so pronounced that the Loadstone's mana ger at last came forward and pointedly invited one of the scofers to submit himself to experiment.
 Now was Waterer's chance. He rose in the majesty of his bulk, walked onto the platform, and said, in loud voice, as he settled himself on chair: If the lady can move me one foot from this chair I'll give her twenty-five pounds"
 The Loadstone advanced and began to paw him about in her usual fashion. Waterer. who was sober enough to have lost nothing but his shyness, was appar- ently too many for her. He was inn movable, and cries of "Now, thenl when are you going to beginY and so on, became audible. Two or three min utes passed and the Loadstone turned with gesture of despair toward her manager.
 "I can't"- she began.
 jumped to my feet. crying: Wait 8 minutel Lookr'
 For even as she spoke, there was what is scientifically called solution of con- tinuity between Waterer and his chair. Still in a sitting posture, but sitting on nothing, he was at least two inches from the wickerwork of the chair: glanced from him to the rajah. That extraordi- nary man was in deep, placid, profound slumber. logged his elbow and pinched his arm; he showed no consciousness whatever. 1 looked at the Loadstone. She was standing motionless on the stage, about yard from Waterer, with one hand outstretched toward him and her eyes fixed on his ascending figure-for Wateter was gradually, slowly, steadily mounting in his strange journey.
 He was now foot from his chair, still in sitting position-and up. up, up he was going. The wretch was white as a sheet and gasping with fright and be- wiIderment. Thunders of applause burst from the audience. It was again and again renewed: but the Loadstone did not, as was her custom, bow and smile in response. She still stood mo- tionless, and Water q still ascended.
 At last, at height of fully twenty feet from the stage, he stopped. Simul- taneously the Loadstone gave 8 loud shriek as she fell back into the arms of the manager-and the rajah awoke. nR. SCOTT'S Electric Hair Curlers, D also Electric Tooth and Hair Brushes,
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