Evening star., 1899-10-14

Throws Himself n Bouquet.
Then. young man." said he earnestly.
prepare yourself to receive the greatest
insight into occultism the world has ever
known. Place the questions there on this
little stone Bible. which is relic of pre-
historic times"
But. professor protested, you prom
ised to tell my name and the name of my
sweetheart"
BE patient yet little while, my son, and
you shall hear them both.'
Then the professor gave me an exhibition
hadn't counted on seeing. 1t was bit of
legerdemain. When l placed the paper
he picked it up and placed it on his fore
head. then his hand gradually waved
through space and he dropped my questions
behind the picture. which, as 1 have already
stated, was on the table directly between
US.
He substituted a piece of paper SINH
larly folded. which he had palmed in his
right hand. and then brought it forward
and placed 1t again on the little stone
Bible. Then with his left hand grasping
mine. he opened the list of questions that
/ had prepared with his right hand behind
the picture, and while pretending to be
communing with the spirits was reading
my questions and memorizing them.
1t was a simple and withal a bungling
piece of humbuggery. While he was look
ing al my questions he insisted every now
and then upon the intense concentration
of my thought upon the questions in hand
If there are degrees of humbugs the pro-
fessOr is really entitled to the rank of great
exalted ruler. He is a prince: his partner
a princess; but of her I will speak later.
The Thinking Part.
After the professor had committed my
questions to memory he carefully refolded
them with his right hand. and l shifted my
position so that 1 could see him do it, and
m he MAJ do fnyx-
gestures and substituted them for the coun-
terfeit bundle on the little stone Bible.
This concluded, he took my hand in his
again and started in to do a thinking part
This is where the professor eXcels. He is
wonderful thinker He thought among
other things that he was fooling me- and l
jollied him along, looked mysterious, and
trembled audibly. and waited for deyelop-
mentS- Long and earnestly he thought and
save deep groan which ESCAPED his lips
at intervals, there was not sound Then
without word of warning. he reached out
into space as If feeling for the two dol
lars or mine. and commenced with groan:
on. young man. beware, You are sur
rounded by enemies. understand They
are crossing your path night and day, you
understand. Beware of themI You will
never succeed in your undertaking. Oh,
Asker. and, opening his eyes, looking di-
rectly al me, he said, that is your name
O. O. Asker. Don't be deceived. you un-
derstand. Let no occult science blind YOU
l should say beware young man. Zadie
loves you. and you will be so happy with
her. should say she will if you are rid
OF this awful influence you understand. l
should say you don't know that I know
You are a clerk, and that you were born
February p, 1878. Terrible things Be
fore God, I hesitate, understand to tell
you l should say beware of a blonde man.
for he is threatening your sweetheart and
your happiness. But Zadie won't marry
him If you marry, Mr.. Asker you will be
happy in loving family of five" CTh's
ne said, turning away from me. Then he
continuedO There is mineral on your
farm. 1t IS gold" He said this Just as
James ONeill does when he exclafms "The
world is mine" in Monte Cristo" "Yes."
he said, there is gold on your farm and in
paying quantities"
l was beginning to feel quite rich, when
he broke up my dream by saying:
Yes. there IS gold in paying quantities
on your farm. and you Will be wealthy
but not until this evil influence which is
lowering around is dispelled Cast out the
devils. you understand. Shame this blonde
man, but let me help you
A superb PIeader.
He was certainly a coaxing man and his
pleading was superb. Through the entire
interview he spoke In a rich Hibernian
brogue. But that made no matter in view
of the important things he was telling me.
Yes. l will let you help me-" I an
swered. There is a blonde Young man and
l am certain he has been the cause of all
my misfortune"
Give me $50" the professor said, land
l will work off the magic spell. I will
twine around your neck a magnetic charm
wound by me in the sight of the stars by
occult influence. and I will give you one,
two, yes, even three, for like your conf
dence. and each charm will be stronger
than the other, and every one guaranteed
tc ward off the influence which this blonde
man is exerting over you"
l was getting excited. My fingers twitch-
lH no r-lN -srr
moved about If in restIessness and he
seized the opportunity to strengthen his
game.
ATTEND to this before 1t Is too late. and
before the winter is done Zadie will be
yours, your fortune made, and the exami-
nation passed
81 don't care anything about the exami-
nation, professor, if l only get Zadie and
the fortune on the farm" I said reassur-
fngly.
Then the professor brought me back to
earth again by asking for that two dollars
l fumbled in my pockets and brought forth
the money. How he smiled when he saw
the color Of that long green. He tried to
look disinterested, but the interest he mani
tested when | counted over my little pile
was most entertaining. But I wanted my
moneys worth, and while 1 had heard
things that l had never dreamed of before
l entered the little room l wanted to know
something else. I asked him If he would
answer me just a few more questions, and
as he hadn't received the two dollars he
consented. The professor ought to be
branded as an antt-expansionist, to begin
with, for when I asked him about the war
in the Philippines he assured me 1t would
be fifteen years before the war closed and
that in the spirit world he could see the
Germans giving "Aggipulco q think he
meant Aguinaldo) smokeless powder, and
thousands of brave American boys perish
ing. The professor told me he had been all
over the Philippines, and knew the country
well, and when 1 said it must be unpleas-
ant there to have only two seasons he re-
piled:
''Oh. no; you get used to 1t. You know
they only have winter and summer there"
Comes Nearer Home.
thought 1 would get little nearer home
and then 1 asked him who would be the
next governor of Maryland He closed his
eyes, reached out into space, and then
asked me who running. I said Perry
Carson and ex-senator German. He an
swered Immediately that Perry Carson
would win. oh, IL was wonderful I sug-
gested that he tell me which boat would
win the yacht race, and he said that was
other business, because I could make
money out of that, and the spirits wouldn't
permit any such information. Then, be-
sides, the boats weren't sailing, and he
couldn't tell anything unless 1t was actual
" taking Dlaca