Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-08-22

49,
same material as the baIustrade, and
that n Lst have been made in this coun-
try"
Just then the attendant glided from
between two heavy sillen curtains, and
with another salaan, invited them to
pass before him. Doing SO, they found
themselves in Kola's bigreception-room
Here their vision was given rare treat.
The lessee Of the old ruin had removed
the two floors above the one On which
they stood, giving a becoming altitude
to the walls, which were gracefully
draped with long flowing hangings of
different blending cloths. The ceiling
was disguised by a flny mass of white
material, as gauzy as cobwebs, behind
which shone red and yellow lights, like
signal fires in mist,
Lampkin almost uttered an exclama-
ton Of delight, but the impressive man
ner Of the attendant and Hendricks
rnwonted silence checked the impulse.
The servant gave them seats with their
backs to the door through which they
had entered, and then he stood still in
the center of the room, his head bowed,
his turban held in front of him.
After a moment the mellow-toned
bell, which they had heard before, and
which was suspended somewhere
among the lights overhead, struck three
times slowly Then white light blazed
up and Kola was seen in a hitherto dark
alcoye. He wore his gray gown and
close-ftting cowl, and was seen to be
pacing back and forth. Without seem
ing conscious of their presence so near
him, he picked up an unlighted electric
bulb and turned the button. Then
holding the light in his right hand, he
approached a black tripod over which
lay a red cloth. lie lifted the cloth, and
a big polished crystal sphere was .eN-
posed to view. 1t was about ten inches
in diameter and as clear as diamond.
Rejecting the dull, sensuous lights over
head, and the brightrays of the electric
bulb, it was certainly marvellous sight.
Still Kola seemed unconscious of
their proximity. From the walls near
him the smoke Of incense began to rise,
rosy light pervaded the room, and soft,
seductive music was heard somewhere
above.
Kola held the electric bulb over the
crystal and began to gaze into its
depths, uttering in sing-song tones
words Of strange tongue.
Lampl1in heard the detective take a
deep, impatient breath, and then his
voice Jared harshly through the room.
.sOh, / say, Kola!' he demonstrated.
II came out here the other day and had
to sit and watch you go through this
sort Of thing till I was obliged to leave.
For the sake Of
Kola turned furiously, his features
working wildly. Holding up his hand,
he said:
.sYou must be patient, Mr.. Hendricks.
You are as ignorant as an infant of the
Importance Of what I am doing. You
laugh at what you don't understand,
but you don't know all that there is to
be known. Right this minute I am
reading for you, and seeing what your
untutored eyes will never see. / knew
you were coming. I saw it here touch
ing the crystal. Il know what you
don't know about the case you are
working Oh. IF your eye were only
trained you could see it now in the crys-
tai..''
Pardon me- said Hendricks, that is
what / come to see you about. | am
about to the end Of my resources, and
something must be DONE
'Wait!" Kola turned to the crystal
The music changed to weird air like
Chinese funeral chant. After a pause
of several minutes he looked up.
''The other night I was reading the
crystal. l saw big hotel. A man was
murdered; his body was shipped off
somewhere in a trunk; its ashes were re
turned by express and placed in an urr
together with a severed hand. The
young man, who had murdered his
rival, went to his rooms-his studio;
there he remained a week and then he
FRO BE Continued