The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-11-26
Spirit Rappes's.



| count OF the mysterious robbery which
had brought her there. Ny shum. ever
eager TO distinguish himself IN my abb
sence. obeyed the summons with the ut
! most alacrity but became slightly damp
| ed In enthusiasm whenever the suspected
! thieves were indicated. The lady, whom 1
may name Mrs. MIlwraith. had volubly
and excitedly begun to describe how she
| had had a diamond locket and gold neck
| let stolen-the whole having cost her 500
| only few weeks before-and then, when
! M'Sweeny inquired If she suspected any
one Of the theft, nearly made his hair
! stand on end by saying. with the utmost
gravity
IT don't know any one who could have
taken 1t. It must have been the spirits"
"The-the wh-at?' stammered
| MSweeny, with look OF dismay
"The spirits" calmly repeated the lady.
my husband is a spiritualist and we
have been perfectly pestered with them
ever since he made the discovery that he
! is a medium" u
And what's a Medium" asked
| MSweeny with heightened visage.
TITS one who is under the immediate
! control of spirits"
| Drunk. ye mane?" hopefully suggested
| M'Sweeny.
mo. no-in direct communication with
the spirits of the dead" said the lady,
] impatiently.
| Msweeny started up as nimbly as II he
had been touched with the brass handles
Of an electric machine.
| Hush! missis-don't spake OF them"
1 al a., hor oh
! We name. Ye shouldn't have come To me
| wild this case. I'm not the man for
/ ghosts; We should have gone TO Jamie
| MGovan, or waited till he came back
! from Glasgow It's not my line, for be-
/ twixt the both OF us, behave In them
| meself."
| Dear mor exclaimed the lady. rather
staggered, "and do you think they would
| actually bear off and keep gold locket
set with diamonds, and the necklet at
! tached?"
There's no botheration and mischief
| that they won't try" said M'Sweeny, re-
| servediy, "bnt I never heard OF them
! envying any wan OF their jewelry."
| "My husband tells me that they can
| LIT n piano weighing ten hundredweight,
| and carry Il upstairs easier than seven
men could carry Il down." pursued the
| lady, half-conyinced.
/ but did they steal the piano?" inquir-
4
"No-not that I'm aware OF. You see.
| they've the run Of all the pianos I'm the
! world and can play them without even
lifting the lids, so they have no incentive
TO stealing one"
That's me own thought exactly" said
| NJ Sweeny, gathering courage. Ghosts.
| or spirits, or whatever iye Ike 10 call
! them, Is generally honest They may give
ye something IL it's only pug ina the
| ribs in the dark or a carry through the
! clouds by the hair OF the head while ye're
! asleep but they don't steal But what
| did your husband think OF it?'
THAT is the awkward thing" said the
lady. flushing a little II dare not speak
OF il 10 him. because i bought the neck
let with money which he gave me for
| very different purposcs-charities, mis-
! sons and SO forth. That's why hesitatcd
so long about informing the police of the
! robbery Mrs Anson, q gifted lady me-
dium, who has been staying with us for
a few months. and who Is sometimes con-
trolled by the spirit OF an African, tells
| me IL has been taken by him AS a rebuke
TO me for my dishonesty to his country
men IN buying it,
"oh, indeed said Msweeny. with fresh
| interest. "anG was this lady with ye
| when the thing was stoler?
] 'Oh. yes. she Is with as still. One day
last week she was suddenly controlled
/ that is, she fell into trance-snd very
soon this tormenting negro spoke through
her and said something about jewelry.
with n great deal OF chuckllng and laugh
! inS which ! couldn't undcrEtand at the
! lime; and the same night when / went to
J the drawer in which had tho trinket
| locked. it was gone
did anybody know IL was kept there?"
said NJ Sweeny again becoming awed
Not a living soul--not even Mrs Anson.
| She krew / had bought it and what it
[ 4. a Z
| very careful 10 put 1t where no one could
get at il. The drawer was locked. and the
| jewel-case in which it lay was also lock-
| cd. found them locked. and not an arti-
| Gle disturbed, but the locket and chain
1 were gone. The marvellous thing is that
| my keys are never out of my possession.
\ and the lock on that particular drawer is
Chubb, witch l had specially fitted on
for security, and could not be picked or
| opened with any but ity own key"
| Then you don't think that some rogue
| Of a spifit-them kind that gives us
plenty OF work and fills ali the jails-had
! whispered TO this Mrs. Arson TO slip the
| things into her own pocket?"
"Oh. ridjcuIousl neverl' was the en-
phatic reply. Mrs. Arson IL a lady, and
| has more jewslry OF her own. all received
| in presents. than she has any need for
| for she is so simple minded and ignorant
that she hardly understands what jewel
~ means, alu Seluonl puts IL On
"She will be rich, suppose ?-have a
| power or money OF her ownY" inquiringly
pursued MSweeny.
We'll not a great deal. Her husband.
| l understand, had such a violent temper
that they could not agree, and he treated
her rather stinsily whom they separated; ;
but she is a dear creature, and has so
many friends that she need never want"
you said YOU were pcstercd by the
spirits?" said NJ MSweeny at last, becom-
Ing thoroughly mystihed. Have they
played any other tricks on yel or what
did they do 20 pester your
| Always ap-rapping-mostly In the
nght-tim and worst IN the wine-celisr
Mr. M'llwraith only discovered that ry
accident when he chanced 20 go down TO
the cellar at a late hour one night. and
found a perfect hurricane OF knocks going
on all over the roof, and hoor,and walls.
Some nights IL was worse than others.
and it was only after he learned 90 read
The knocks that he underEtood what Il
meant Mrs. Arson explained how a GER
tain number Of knocks meant a certain
word and then the rest was easy"