The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-10-09

country Tor his health lie had been
shown 10 bis room Of 10 o'clock the
night previous, but his bed had not
been occupied aud nothing had been
learned Of him since.
81 saw the young man when calling
on your mother yesterday" interrupt
ed the doctor, "and did not like his
looks There was certainly some
thing wrong with his mind or his CON
science, aud he may have been an im-
poster"
"That is not possible. know him
At once from Bob's frequent deeorip-
tons You will be wise 70 leave him
out OF your calculations But there
is one thing that may help in this
search When one OF the men vas
trying to secure my wrists I bit him
in the hand and am confident I left q
mark.
AS the doctor walked to the barn
for his horse be found under the
bushes q handkerchief that had evil
dently been used as a mask, for It was
knotted at the corners aud Sits had
been cut for the eyes There we're no
initials or other distinguishing marks,
but he pushed it In his pocket and
was soon hurrying homeWard almost
as fast as he had dashed over the same
road few hours before. His haste
was due to the fact that late the night
previous he had dressed the hand OF q
man who represented that it had been
bitten in a fight A circus had been
showing there, and this fellow said be
was q canvsssman. The doctor at
once telegraphed the shrewdest detec-
tive in the state to meet him at the
town where the show next appeared.
There was no trouble in finding the
wounded man, but the evidence was
overwhelming that his injury was re-
ceived inst as he said it was. The Of
fcer then went to the Molten home,
and for days sought in vain for some
clue. Then he went on fruitless
search for young Writ, and after
months of work abandoned the case as
a hopeless one. Bob came home and
acted with the doctor, to whom he
took a great liking, but at length
yielded to Encouragement
All at once the young friends OF the
doctor who had called at his office
we're surprised to find him a votary OF
| spirituAlism. He talked persistently
OF the wonderful phenomena proving
individual spirit presence and commu-
nication; of q modern mediumship
having communion with the departed,
lifting the mist Of obscurity 10 expose
alike the motives and hidden deeds oil
men. When the doctor went so far as
to arrange for o seance there was
general suspicion that his mental,
powers had succumbed to some weak
ening influence, but curiosity was
sufficient to secure as large an
attendance as he be desired, HG
insisted on the presence OF Bph
his surly man of all work
for whom the black drapings ant
darkened room had fascination al
we'll as terror. After there had beer
softened strains of music, weird sounds
as Of passing wings and unaccountabl'
rappings; the doctor had q pretended
conversation with the shades OF de
parted relatives and then notified Epl
: that his former master from Alabama
wanted to talk with him. With chat
tering teeth Eph stood UP to receiv'
clammy hand in his and then wen
down upon his knees.
In deep voice the "spiritua
s presence" recalled some OF the mem
l cries Of other days and then in tearfu
tones said: "But, Epb, you've gon
wrong since we parted. You're
+ thief and a murderer.
? ''Not dat, not dat 1t was Johnso
+ done kill ole Tom when he tried t.
stop us. 1t was dat rapscallion John
son dat got me into it Use gwine t
s TESS it all, an get forgibness.
d And he did, even to where th
: plumber and johnson we're to be fount
n Then the doctor ceased to be spirit
+ ualist and told his story. Examihin