Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-04-19
6bat 6QTrible Na3.
BY w. e. NORRIS.

DIN out III you are tired Miss Den
ham,"
"It is not worth disputing about" re-
piled Laura, leaving the room.
She returned almost Immediately
with her bonnet on.
Il am ready when you are" she said
to the count.
She was drawing on her gloves, one
OF which she had a momentary dificul-
ty In buttoning. Turning suddenly
to Everard, who was watching her with
mef' she asked, and held out her wrist
to him.
why are you doing this?' he whis-
pered, as he obeyed her.
Because" she replied. With
which unsatisfactory answer she moved
away, followed by Souratkin.
Everard was greatly annoyed, and
did not care who knew it. who and
what is that fellow" he asked, a sec
ond before the door had closed.
Hush exclaimed Mrs. Patterson,
holding up her finger warningly. Then
she beckoned to her questioner to draw
nearer, and answered in a low, solemn
voice, Sometimes / think he Is the
devilr'
MY dear lady" returned Everard,
impatiently, you must excuse my say
ing that that is very great nonsense.
How can any man be the devil? /
suppose what you mean Is that he Is
a s~piritualist, or some charlatan of that
kind. He evidently wishes to convey
that impression"
"He does not wish to convey the i'm
preston that he Is a c%harlatan," said
Mrs. Patterson, smiling family. IF
you will sit down / will tell you what
he Is, so far as l know. But l do not
know much"
II shall be glad to hear what you
know"
"Well-but first let me ask you q
question. 1t is rather an unusual one,
but perhaps you will pardon an old
woman for thinking more about her
niece's happiness than about etiquette.
Am l wrong in fancying that you take
a special interest in herr"
$50 special an interest, Mrs. Patter-
son, that / would ask her to be my
wife tomorrow If l thought there was
a chance of her accepting me-"
"That was what 1 imagined; and
glad and thankful shall / be if
she ever does accept you. But
think you must not ask
her tomorrow, nor ever the next
day. Now / will tell you about that
terrible a We met him first some
years ago, during Mr.. Denham's life
time. Mr.. Denham was q great gam
bier, and so Is the count; so that they
Were drawn together in that way, and
he used TO OH often to the house. I
was immensely interested in him, be-
cause he told me more about the I'M
seen world than l had ever been able
to learn from books, and because
though that is comparatively small mat
ter-he has the gift of second sight in
a remarkable degree. Perhaps you
don't believe in second sight, but / can
give you instances"
"Some other time, Mrs. Patterson, If
you don't mind. And was Miss Den
ham as much interested in this man as
you wereY"
"No. she always disliked him, al
though he took a great deal of trouble
to ingratiate him.lelf with her. She
even doubted his powers, poor child!
One evening when he was telling lis
how he had imposed his will upon diff
ferent people, she very foolishly defied
him to make her do anything that she
did not choose to do. Not five minutes
afterward she got up from her chair,
crossed the room and kissed him on the
forehead. He laughed and asked her
whether she was convinced now. Was
it not horrible Of himT'
Her father kicked him out Of the
house, I suppose" exclaimed Everard,
Indignantly.
"Oh, no; Mr.. Denham was not that
kind of a man. Besides, Count Sourat-
kin did what he liked with him. For
some reason or other, he chose to pre-
vent Laura from playing in public,
though both she ard her father wished
that she should do so. Mr.. Denham
was very much vexed about 1t, yet he
gave in. And ever since that day poor
Laura has been completely in that ter
rible mans power. She has fought and
struggled, but 1t has always been use
less"
81 should have thought you might
have helped a little. In what way does
he propose to use his power over Miss
Derham? Does he wish her to marry
him?"
"Ah, that I can't Tell. He has never
said so, but when she came into her
little fortune we feared that that might
be his aim; for he Is extravagant, and I
! believe he Is poor. And he is utterly
: INSCRIPTIONS. You see, we have gained
nothing by running away from him and
concealing our address"
1T is possible to discover addresses
without supernatural aid. This man
may be a humbug, or he may really
have some such power as he claims.
Either way, I presume that his iniu-
ence owe Miss Denham only exists
when he Is with her."
81 cannot say for certain, but 1t is
undoubtedly less when he Is absent"
"Very well; / will take care that he
shall be absent from her henceforth
and forever"
CHAPTER Nv.