The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-01-08
A Voice and a Face.

now, first let II be UNDERSTOOD lndt al
men are full of superstition.
In the second place, let it be understood
that all men think they are not supersti-
tious.
So did we. So especially did Jim Beas-
ley, the artist. at whose diggings we had
| gathered 10 help consume big Thanks
| giving turkey that his mother had sent
him all the way from Vermont.
Beasley was a skeptic in all things He
| had been born that way. Yet he was a
member OF the Society for Psychicai Re
search, and the time that he did not
put in in the art room of his newspaper
| he speit looking into hypnotism, tele-
pathy, spiritualism, and kindred sub
jects.
So it was Beasley who proposed after
| the turkey had been disposed Of and CT
gars smoked that we try some psychicai
| experiments.
II am sure we can get results" he said
Attention here viii make good subject,
1 know
"All of US were newspaper men except
| Attention. He was a young lawyer re-
Gently arrived from the East. He was
rather silent, peculiar chap, but
| thoroughly good fellow. None OF US
knew much ABOUT his past or cared to
know. Among newspaper folk man is
| taken for what he is, not what ne has
| been. Attention had a high strung, nerv-
Gus system, and this il was that made
Beasey say he would be a good sub
! ject.
We pulled a card table into the center
| of the room, turned down the gas, and sit
| ting down formed mystic circle around
the table. with hands touching. Then we
waited for the spirits to come. For half
an hour we sat in silence. Then Rogers
| leaned over TO me-
Were a pack of fools. old man." he
whispered. AS he spoke sound came
| from the piano in the corner. It was fol-
| lowed by another and still another. An
| unseen hand seemed to be passing over
| the keyboard. Each of us looked at the
| piano in blank establishment. The lid was
| closed
| This did not bother the unseen perform
] er, who was evidently looking for key
note In a moment it was found. Then
| through the room the sweet tones of wo-
mans VICE stole softly. 1t was a rich
| contralto of wide compass, and in man
ner never before heard by mortal ears it
sang Balfe's beautiful ballad, The Heart
Bowed Down.
The effect was weird beyond the telling
of words. Each of US looked like a gra-
! ven image. and no man dared look in
| the eyes of his neighbor. The song seem
ed to come from a long way off, yet
every tone was distinct, and the accom-
paniment on Beasley's piano perfect. 1t
| was sung with depth of feeling that told
| that the heart of the singer was in it.
The last verse was breathed in a pas
sion of sorrow. The wall of it is with me
still.
My God, that voice-that voice"
1t was Attention who spoke. He had
| thrown his head down on the table be-
| tween his arms, as if to shut out the
sound. Just then the dying notes of the
song suddenly changed into the strains
| of the 'Lohongrin'' Wedding March. I
| have heard it played at many a wedding,
| yet never have 1 heard its majestic
! chords rendered as ii was that night by
| invisible hands on Beasley's closed pi-
anO. In a paean of triumph it finally
ended
Silence of death fell on the room. It
| was broken by a gentle tap on the win
dow. Beasley, who alone had kept his
nerve went forward softly and threw
up the blinds.
Heavens! Look there!" ne said.
On the frosted window-pane, standing
out against the clear moonlight was the
face of a woman. 1t seemed to have been
drawn with sharp point in the film of
| the frost. Every line was perfect. 1t was
a beautiful face, with an expression of
sadness never to be forgotten. The wide
| open eyes looked straight into the room.
Beneath the picture, in woman's hand,
these words were written:
81 have come for you AGNES"
80, God-it is she-it is shey'
1t was Allenton's voice again. He had
risen from his chair and come toward the
window. In the moonlight his face was
! BLUSH white. Terror was written on ev-
! cry feature. Like one under horrid
! spell he stood for a full minute, his eyes
! looking into the eyes of the face on the
window Then, throwing up his hands
! and half gasping, half grooming, the name
"Agnes,' he tumbled 10 the floor, uncon-
! sciOus.