Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-05-12
CHAPTER XIX.

The next morning after the visit to
Kola Hendricks reached his Office be-
fore his office boy. The first thing he
did was to look through the Herald for
his advertisement.
It was there, word for word as he had
written it. Now he told himself that
there was nothing to do but to hope for
reply to it. He busted himself writ
ing letters until nine o'clock, and then
DIR. Lampkin hurried in.
Good morning." he said. 81 couldn't
go to work to-day with all this uncer-
tainty on my mind, so came right here
to await developments"
"Glad you came" said Hendricks, cor
daily, as he bent again over his desk.
When he had laid his pen aside Lamp
kin said:
"I hardly slept wink last night.
couldn't get that wonderful perform
ance of Kola's out of my head. It is in
advance of anything I ever heard of.
Hendricks laughed and recounted
what had occurred between him and
his mother on his arrival at home.
''Ah, a trick, after ALL" cried the doc
tor, and then his face hardened under
an afterthought, ''but you certainly
cord.'
That's the point that kept me awake
last night" confessed Hendricks, dryly.
For moment both men were silent,
then Lampkin said:
There is only one way in which he
could have done it,"
"How is that?" asked Hendricks,
deeply interested.
'Kola had the Bible ready, and when
he told you to select some article at
home noticed that he gazed steadily
in to your eyes. Through telepathy and
hypnotism combined he must have i'm
pressed the idea of the book on your
mind"
But he opposed me in that, he"
'That was only for effect. The whole
thing was most skillfully done. He
suggested the Bible to you hypnotical-
ly, and forced you to demand that and
nothing else"
''Can that sort of thing be done?"
''In the east it is considered mere
child's play"
Hendricks stared at his friend for a
moment, then he brought his hand
down on his desk with a resounding
blow.
by Jove! that makes three!" he ejac-
ulated.
Three what?" asked the doctor.
Three similarities between Kola and
Count Ban tinni."
81 don't follow you" said Lampkin.
leaning forward eagerly.
''By Jove! it makes four" cried Hen
bricks, his eyes sparkling. Listen. As
he lay there last night and grew whittier
and whittier, remarked little indent ia
ton on each side of his nose, which
must have been made by pair of pinch
nose glasses. Now, as Kola never, to
my knowledge, wore glasses, and as
Bantinni was never seen without them,
that similarity occurred to me. Next
my glance wandered to his long finger
nails, and their grewsome points, and
Bantinni popped into my head again.
Then what should enter my mind but
that it was Kola himself who had often
used that foreign idiom, contained in
the letter to Miss Huntington. And now
we know that Kola is a hypnotist OF rare
ability, and so is Bantinni."
An exclamation of wonder escaped
the doctors lips.
do you really think Kola and Ban
tinni are identical?"
''Oh. no." laughed the detective. IF
did I should act atonce. The similari-
ties are there, but they may mean moth
ing at all"
At this iuncture the door opened, and
Sergt. Denham entered His whole
manner was that of a man who had sud-
denly met with great disappointment.
Good morning, Capt. Hendricks"
said he, respectfully, and he made a
careless sign of greeting to DIR. Lamp
kin. szsssss
.'oh. it's Capt. Hendricks, eh?'' said
the detective. lightly. what has come
over the spirit of your dream. my boy? ?"