Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-10-05

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TT Is doubtful whether
- the gift was innate.
FL For my own part,
think It came To him
20 suddenly. Indeed, I'M
IA i'll he was 80 he was a
skeptic and did not be-
- licye i'm miraculous
powers. And here, since it is the most
convenient place, must mention that
he was little man and had eyes OF
hot brown, very erect red hair, mus
tache like the German cmperors and
freckles. His name was George Nc
Whirter' FothCringay-nut the sort OF
name 10y any means to lead to any eN-
pCctatiOn of miracles-and he was clerk
at Gomshott's. He was greatly addict
ed to asscrtive argument. 1t was while
he was asserting the impoSsibility of
miracles that he had his first intima-
ton of his extraordinary powers. This
particular argument was being held in
the bar of the Long Dragon, and Tod
dy Bcamish was conducting the opposi-
ton by a monutonous but effective so
you say" that drove Mr.. Fotheringay
to the very limit of his patience.
There were present. besides these
two, very dusty cyclist Landlord
Cox and Miss Maybridge, the perfect
ly respectable and rather portly bar
maid of the Dragon. Miss Maybridge
was standing with her back to Mr..
Fotheringay, washing glasses. The
others were watching him, more or
less amused by the present Ineffective
ness of the aSsertive method. GOaded
by the Torres Nedras tactics of Mr..
Beamish, Mr.. FOtheringay determined
to make an unusual rhetorical effort,
"Looky here, Mr.. Beamsh," said Mr.
Fotheringay, "let us clearly under
stand what a miracle is. It's some
thing contrariwise to the course of
nature done by power of will, some
thing what couldn't happen without
being specially willed."
$50 you say" said Mr.. Beamish, re-
pulsing him.
Mr.. FOtheringay appealed to the cy-
clist, who had hitherto been silent
auditor, and received his assent-given
with a hesitating cough and a glance
at Mr.. BeamiSh. The landlord would
express no opinion, and Mr.. Fotherin-
gay, returning to Mr.. Beamish, received
the unexpected concession of a quail.
fed assent to his definition of a miracle,
~
gay, greatly encouraged, "here would
be miracle. That lamp, in the natural
course of nature, couldn't burn like
that upsy down, could it, Beamish?"
"You say it couldn't" said Beamish.
"And you" said Fotheringay. you
don't meaS to say-eh"
"No," said Beamish reluctantly. mo,
it couldn't"
Every WELL" said Mr.. Fotheringay,
"Then here comes some one, as it might
be, along here and stands, as it might
be, here and says to that lamp as do.
collecting all my will: Turn upsy down
without breaking and go on burning
steady and Hellor'
1t was enough to make any one say
"Hello"' The impossible, the incredi.
Bile. was visible to them ALL The lamp
hung inverted in the air, burning
quietly, with its flame pointing down.
1t was as solid, as indisputable as
ever a lamp was the prosaic, common
lamp of the Long Dragon bar.
Mr.. Fotheringay stood with an ex-
tended foretinger and the knitted
broWs of one anticipating a catastro-
phic smash. The cyclist who was sit
ting next the lamp, ducked and jump
ed across the bar Everybody jumped
more or less. Miss Maybridge turned
and screamed. For nearly three Sec
onds the lamp remained still. A faint
cry of mental distress came from Mr..
Fotheringay. Il can't keep it up" he
said, "any longer" He staggered
back, and the inverted lamp suddenly
Jared, fell against the corner Of the
bar, bounced aside smashed upon the
floor and went out.
1t was lucky it had a metal receiver,
or the whole place would have been
in a blaze. Mr., Cox was the first to
speak, and his remark, shOrn Of needless
eXcrescences, was to the effect that
Fotheringay was a fool Fotheringay
was beyond disputing even so funda-
mental proposition as that. He was
astonished beyond measure at the
thing that had occurred. The subse-
quent conversation threw absolutely
IiUht thp n CO e.,
ingay was concerned; the general opin.
ion not only followed Mr.. Cox very
closely, but very vehemently. Every
one accused Fotheringay of a silly
trick and presented him to himself as
foolish destroyer of comfort and Sc
curity. His mind was in tornado Of
perpleXity. He was himself inclined to
agree with them, and he made a re-.
markedly Intellectual opposition to the
proposal Of his departure.
He went home flushed and heated,
coat collar crumpled, eyes smarting
and ears red, He watched each of tile
ten street lamps nervously as he passed
1t. 1t was only when he found him.
self alone in his little bedroom in
Church row that he was able to graphic
seriously with his memories of the oc.
currence and ask, 'What on earth hap.
pened"
He had removed his coat and boots
and was sitting on the bed with his
hands in his pockets repeating the text
OF his defense for the seventeenth
time, 81 didn't want the COMPOUNDED
thing to upset" when it occurred to
him that at the precise moment he had
said the commanding words he had in
adVeftently Willcd the thing he said