Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-10-03

| w '''''''''.
7 is doubtful whether
the gift was innate.
For my own part,
VA think it came to him
HfH suddenly. Indeed, UNI
EA til he was so he was a
skeptic and did not be-
- lieve in 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 emperor's and
freckles. His name was George Nc
Whirter Fotheringay-not the sort OF
name by any means to lead to any eN-
pectation of miracles-and he was clerk
at Gomshotts. He was greatly addict
ed to assertive 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 Beamish was conducting the opposi-
| ton by q monotonous but effective 80
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 Vedras tactics of MIR.
Beamish, Mr.. Fotheringay determined
to make an unusual rhetorical effort.
"Looky here, Mr.. Beamish," said Mr.
Fotherfngay, "let us clearly under,
| stand what miracle is. It's some
thing contrariwise to the course OF
nature, done by power. I'd St open en-" without
| t55lihg specially willed."
"So 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 q hesitating cough and glance
at Mr.. Beamish. The landlord would
express no opinion, and Mr.. Eotherin-
gay, returning to Mr.. Beamish, received
the unexpected concession of quail
hed assent to his definition of a miracle.
For instance" said Mr.. Fotherin-
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 your" said Fotheringay. "Yor
don't mean to say-eh?"
NO" said Beamish reluctantly. mo
1t couldn't"
Every WE'LL" said Mr. Fotheringay
'Then here comes some one, as it nigh
be, along here and stands, us it nigh
be, here and says to that lamp, as do
collecting all my will: Turn upsy dow
without breaking and go on burning
steady and Hellow
1t was enough to make any one sa,
"Hello" The impossible, the incredi
bic, was visible to them all. The LAM
hung inverted in the air, burnin,
quietly, with its flame pointing down
1t was as solid, as indisputable u
ever lamp was, the prosaic, common
lamp Of the Long Dragon bar.
Mr.. Fotheringay stood with an ex
tended forefnger and the knitted
brows Of one anticipating 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 fain
cry of mental distress came from Mr.
Fotheringay. 81 can't keep 1t up" hi
said, ANY longer" He staggered
back, and the inverted lamp suddenly
fared, fell against the corner Of tn,
bar, bounced aside, smashed upon tn.
floor and went out.
1t was lucky 1t had a metal receiver
or the whole place would have beer
in a blaze. Mr.. Cox was the first tt
speak, and his remark, shorn of needles.
excrescences, was to the effect tina
Fotherlngay was fool. Fotheringay
was beyond disputing even SO funda
: mental proposition as that. lie wa.
astonished beyond measure at thu
thing that had occurred. The subsc
Quent conversation threw absolutely
: no light on the matter SO far as Fother
ingay was concerned; tho general opin
lon not only followed Mr.. Cox very
: closely, but very vehemently. Every
one accused Fotheringay of silly
trick and presented him to himself Il.
a foolish destroyer of comfort and Sc
l curity. His mind WAS In a tornado o.
perpleXity. He was himself inclined tt
S agree with them, and he made re
markably Intellectual opposition to thu
r proposal Of his departure.
He went home flushed and heated
coat collar crumpled, eyes smartint
and ears red. He watched each of TIL,
ten street lamps nervously as he passed
ii. 1t was only when he found him
self alone in his little bedroom 4
. Church row that he was able to grappl
seriously with his memories of the OF
currence and ask, "What on earth liar
pened?"
He had removed his coat and boot
and was sitting ON the bed with hi
hands in his pockets repeating the tex
of his defense for the seventeenth
time, II didn't want the confounde,
thing to upset." when 1t occurred t
him thut at the precise moment he ha'