San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-10-06

through and there they were.
Finally young Tom, who had
heard his fathers call for assis.
lance, peered into the dark room.
By the uncertain light Of the can
die those two heads, rising above
the flooring, looked like veritable
ghosts breaking out OF their
graves. Young Tom Rife made for
the civilized street as fast as his
legs would carry him and sum-
moned four or five neighbors to
apture the weird heads whom
he believed to be responsible for
his fathers cries for help. Final.
ly the old custodian and his fright.
ened visitors were released from
their trying situation, and since
no visitors had been shown into
that unsafe chamber.
That was the place that Pat
Bergin deemed best suited for the
seance, at least from the stand
point from which he regarded it,
and into it he led his spiritualistic
friends, all the while picturing to
his mind the fun that he was to
have out Of the affair.
"Mr. Bergin," the woman said
seriously.
The officer stopped short. The
woman looked him squarely in
the face. She could read Pat Ber-
gin through and through. She
seemed to know every thought
that was being revolved in his
mind.
"Mr. Bergin," she contin ued
"you are not sincere in what you
are doing. We are serious in this
matter. 1t is to us what your re-
ligion is to you, and we are relying
upon your honor to aid US rather
than hinder US in this meeting"
These words touched Officer
Bergin. An appeal to his honor
naturally would, and in his most
bland manner he assured
the lady that he would try to
think and act the best he knew
how to help make the seance a
success.
They succeeded in entering the
room. without any cavern or
other mishap, table was placed
in the chamber and four seats
were set around it. Then Officer
Bergin got large stone behind
which he was told to put the can
die, so that the light in the room
would not be too glaring for spirit
manifestations.
When all was ready the four
actors took their seats. On the
right of him sat the woman and
on the left, the woman's husband
while the son took seat opposite
to him. All hats were removed
and the four joined hands.
Scan you sing solemn music
or chants?" the woman inquired.
Pat had been on the police
force so long, including Sunday,
that he had forgotten how to
chant.
"Well, IL you =don't know the
words" the woman said, "just
hum the melody with US, and you
will readily pick up the words"
Pat Bergin promised, and the
three strangers sung in low tone
some familiar song.
That was too much for officer
Bergin. When he was on board OF
a man-of-war the sailors would
sing a comic parody on that song,
and try as he would to seriously
hum with them the melody, that
parody would continually flash
uppermost in his mind.
Then the woman suddenly stop
ped.
"Mr. Bergin," she said, half
vexed, "your mind is not on the
subject. 1 ask you to please be
serious, otherwise you keep us
from doing anything at all. II
this melody prevents you from
folIwing us why let US change it."
The melody was changed and
the officer then followed the new
words as faithfully and sincerely
as he could.
"Then there was a rap here"
said Pat, "and a rap there. The
first thing / knew, there was a
rapping all around the room. 1
began to look around for the
ghosts.
"Then the old table began to
raise up on two legs. 1 pressed
on it with all my might to hold it
down. Thinks 1, surely, 1 can
hold this thing down against these
three. Then the next thing l
knew, that old table stood on one
leg. All my pressing down on it
was nothing. Still L saw no
ghosts. Not single one.
"Finally the old table came
down on its all tours with whack.
The singing stopped and the
woman quietly arose and stepped
behind me. l was growing leery
by this time sure enough, and /