The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1900-03-08

call the heSn., You use the crude term
of wornout medieval philosophy. An
astral body may produce at times a
faint impression on the eye, but it
stands to reason it must be exact"
1t occurred to me at this point that
Simcox needed fresh air. had never
before heard any one talk in this glib,
matter of fact way about astral bodies.
Either Simcox was crazy or there was
something uncanny about him, in spite
Of his brisk, happy, everyday manner.
"Oh, you're surprised, are youY' he
said, chuckling to himself. 81 might
have guessed that a man who talks
about knowing people in the flesh
would be. Let's have practical dem.
onstration.''
"Good heavensv' l exclaimed. "You
don't mean to tell me that you are go
ing to raise the ghost of this old Span.
iard?'
81 don't raise ghosts" Simcox an
swered, with some Impotence. cor be-
Heve in them. But if you are going to
get fidgety, and as this is a public
place, let's go to my rooms.
"Take one more good look at the pic
ture before you co." he said, land pay
particular attention to the chin, mus
tache and eyes. ] want you to see If
I'm not right in my criticism"
When we got to his rooms and had
seated myself as comfortably as my
nervous state of mind would allow.
Simcox busted himself rummaging III
the drawers Of a roll top writing desk.
st don't need any very elaborate ap.
paratus, you see," he said, but there
is one thing somewhere in these draw
ers, if / can only find it, that ought to
help a good deal. Ah here it is"
He produced what / at first took tn
be a glass paperweight. On closer Ill
spection it turned out to be Japanese
crystal ball, very clear AMI eXqaisitely
rounded, but not mounted on any cary
ed stand, like most Of those | have
seen.
"Just hold this, will your he said. =.
took the crystal in my hand.
"You had better sit here" he said,
with your back to the window.
want the light to come over your shout
DER
ought to say that i'll that window
frame there was no curtain Of any
kind, only a brown holland window
blind, which was rolled up. In front
of me as l sat with my back to the
light was nothing but an open carpeted
space. Indeed baroness was the most
obvious characteristic of SimcoX s
room. 1t was more like Il lawyers of.
fee than a private sitting room.
"Now. l am going to stand behind
you, if you don't mind" he said and
acted accordingly.
held the crystal in my lap with both
hands and looked intently at it. Once
l could not resist the temptation tC
look behind me and see what he was
doing. He was standing with arms
extended, waving his hands about.
"Neyer mind me-" he said. :"Yor
keep your eyes fixed on that crystal"
After that l kept my eyes on the
crystal constantly. Presently a mist
seemed to shut out the point of light
on which l was gazing. 1t was q
white mist at first, but turned to &
dark brown. Out of the mist present
ly came the gray glimmer of ,armor
then above the armor l could make
| out flesh tints; then the curling chest
nut hair, the peaked beard and the
mustache. The face was more clearly
defined Than it was in the portrait
had been looking at.
"Now," said Simcox, speaking from
| behind me, twas 1 right? Isn't the
chin much more humane than Velas
quez made itY'
EYES," l answered. "And the mus
tache is smaller and the hair closer
cropped. But it is a wonderful like
ness on the whole"
at u.s." said Simcox. "And now yol
know what an astral body is. Let's gt
and have some oysters"
| The whole thing was gone. was
looking at the crystal ball once more
So we went out and got some oysters.
Some months later Simcox himself
was gone. But got by mail a mark
ed copy of small scientific pamphlet
| 1t was printed in England. The mark
ed passage was a terse statement Of
"Case 10-Mr. X, New York, U. s. A.
The essential facts of the foregoing
story were given in half a page Of
print was "Mr. X" ..~
| "Clarence," | said next time l me-
that interesting person, "who thu
deuce is SimcoxY'
"Simcox? Didn't you know? L
| seems that Simcox is a big man. Sim