The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-23
FIFTY CENTS WORTH OF SPOOK.
Meeting of an Experimental In Spiritual
Ism with Pink WiId Rose.

ism with Pink wild Rose.
Wallbritch was not. properly speaking. q
Spiritualist. II you accept the definition which
describes n Spirituaist rs man who will be-
ieve nothing but what no secs. but who be-
levrs h" -ces n great many things which other
people believe he docs not-particulary ghosts.
Wallbr.t II had attended none OF those seauces
whore the lights are turned low and your dead
relatives return to tell you in lugubrious tones
that thoy are happy. He had not even assisted
at slate writings. to be encouraged. ut 81 a
slate, to go on and Investigate this great
truth" His spiritualism had been derived
from books and conversation. the conversation
OF II friend who had sat down to countless tn-
bic rappiuEs. who was on speaking terms with
the spirit Of q dead Egyptian princess. and who
quoted her as authority for the assurance:
There is no death: life sets to rise on fairer
shores a!ar'
This WAS to be wallbrltch's first experiment
In spirtualiSm: and In order that he might
come to it with an unprejudiced perception he
had said nothing to his experienced friend.
He had seen an advertisement IN the evening
paper among the personals: Monsieur Va
reau. magnetic healer; Madame Nareau, clair
voyant: Cora. aged II. the only living child
medium. Stanccs begin at x o'clock nightly.
"a - stree" And now in the last light OF a
July day. he was walking down the rows OF
unspirltual boarding houses hat made up the
crowded street. looking for the number where
the dead would walk that night
Number ~ was in no way distinguished from
its fellows. 1t was the sixth part of n compan-
ionahle row. neither stunned nor solitary as
he had expected. For a haunted house it was
unmysteriously close upon the sidewalk. The
steps had been newly scrubbed. The doorhell
was a common crockcry knob. He rang it tho
II. oIy hn In IN
gutter did not heed him. Evidently they did
not know What hair; lifting siSht he was to
soc. He felt II nervous dread that his entrance
should be So dsrcsarded by the world, Ii he
"Mr. ware Harea"," re said to the dumpy woman
in the doorway; is he in 2"
" I'm his wife. she answered.
He hand"d her the adyrrtis"ment which he
h hn St" %m ns GSms s Sh@ snG
in manner OF defiance. shut the door behind
G T r"co .S "' Tor acc so nv" tom toadnG
house rnror with the usual faded carpet
swept ,hrcndbarc; the familiar DECORATION on
the mNntclpcce-a silent parlor clock. pre-
served beneath its dome OF glass and ranked
with Gnndy, vases; the much unregistered
finally the unmistakahlc boarding house odur--
tho sti sad utor Of humanity" lie felt
lie haI taken a seat shyly by the door, for
the room held q half dozen people chatting III
in comi?rtah,o CARPET slippers as Nj $ar"aI,
little Italian woman and another French
man Win 4 Nnndyks heHra, w'rn evidently
IN his native tongue With them WAS ii sunkrn-
eyed young woman. dark c9mIi"NIon"I and
unhapplly garmcnt"d in odds and ends OF
colorcd cloth, who was saying nothing. An
uunotahlr and un'orcigu gentleman was all
dressed as Mr. Ward.
WaIIhrich turned from his examination OF
that COMPANY tn ind Nine. NarrAu; seated
upon piano stool. talking loudly Of the mani
fcstations she had seen. Her language was
s!irshod \ laburer with swollen cheek, evi-
IDENTITY stranger, listened bIankly. \ little
woman in "A black street dress and bonnet was
neryously attentive. Wabritch heard with u
polite rr"dulity.
Through the omen windows there came the
warm air Of tho streets and the nigh voices OF
the children. In one corner II tn" room rel
pnper screen hal been hung, and miniature
c0ni oil lamp stood unlghted on u Shct beside
IT. DaROnally across the room curtainCd re-
cess ha! hr"n prepared FOR Il" medium. Tn"
hung across the double doors leading into tho
next room. Before these latter curtains stood
mysterious ch ST of drawers against which
Nine. Narcau was leaning, seated on her piano
| furmanrc should begin. with strange tales Of
ghOstIv vistatlunS.
9TH" worst az il is" she warned Wallhritch
people thar haven mad' no study Of spirit
ualiSm wants to start from nothing right To
! stancrs They don't devriuu to II. an then IL
! the spirits don't como to them they don't ho-
| licVc in II
| Wallbrltch felt his rrvrrrure for the shcetcd
! dead turn to an inward tick 10 Of amusement at
| Madamc's ungralnmaicR familiarity with
We amt got much n n circle hereto-Gight,"
| she aroluEi2ed. 81 don't know what We'll get.
| We can promise nothing, lut Wen do the best
W" can, DO amy of tn" strangers want TO ex-
Monsieur shutlied over to h" curtained re-