Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-07-06
A Lost Recruit
By Gilbert Stanhepe.


would cause her, for Iloved the girl. But
pity for the individual was soon lost in
rejoicing for the good of the Cause.
This glorious creature would be res
cued from the igpoble lot of common
place wifehood and motherhood, and
would be free to devote her energies
to the enlightenment of mankind by
the spread of our doctrines.
When 1 first set eyes on Elfrida STAN
ford, in the select ladies' boarding
house in Brompton in which her guard
ian had placed her, thought to my
self at once, what an apostle for the
Causel And I set myself to win her for
1T. There was quite compe tftion for
her good graces among the older resi-
dents there, but fortunately she
seemed to take to me rather than to
that pompous and vulgar Mrs. Clyde,
that misunderstanding Mrs. Van Deck
en-, the fast little grass widow from
India, or the starched and vinegary old
Miss Stackerdale, who all said such I'M
kind things about one another. i was
in rather feeble health at the time, and
perhaps this drew her towards me, for
she has a good heart, I will say that foS
her in spite of the way she has disap-
pointed me.
And so we became intimate, and
tried gradually to initiate her into
some OF the mysteries of our creed.
She was an orphan and very friendless,
having been brought up mostly in for
'eign schools and having no relations in
London, save the crusty old bachelor
uncle, who took no more trouble about
bee than he could help. So got her to
come to some of our lectures and meet
ings, where her pretty face and win
ming manners insured a warm welcome
to the new proselyte. She would not,
however, go the whole way with us;
she liked our views, she said, when
stated in broad, general terms, but
there was a lack of ambition to cult
vate her psychic force and distaste
for some of our manifestations, which
I could not but deplore.
Still hoped that time would mend
these deficiencies, when an unforeseen
event threatened to deprive me of my
most promising disciple.
Threatened, / say, but 1 hope the
danger is-Aew over, and that when I
tell Elfrida what have learned about
Laurence Drummond, her love will be
turned to scorn and loathing.
How I regret having applied to him
Tor advice and thus thrown him in her
way, but he was highly recommended
to me, and he looked honest-yes, he (.
really did, though 1 know him now to
be deceitful and double-faced.
1t all came about through poor Miss
;Stackerdale, who developed a serious
malady and died in our boarding house.
Elfrida was very kind to her, and she
persuaded me to help her in looking
after the poor old lady. And when she
died, we found that she had made a new
will and left her little fortune between
as.
What a godsend for the Cause, I
thought. But then the trouble began.
Her relations disputed the will and ac-
cused US of exercising undue influence,
and we had to go to law about it, and
was advised to put the matter into Mr..
Drummond's hands
Noticed that he preferred to get his
Information from Elfrida rather than
from me, but he said she had a clear
head for business and was not so much
absorbed with the supernatural asI.
Noticed, too, that the dear girl was
growing brighter aud, If possible, pref
tier every day.
But never suspected anything until
one day when I pushed open the draw
tng~room door, which looked shut but
was not, and stood there transfxed
with establishment to see those two
further end of the room.
He held her two hands clasped in his.
and there was light on both their
faces such as one does not see more
than once in lifetime.
They neither saw nor heard me. and
as slipped out again heard him saw:
"Elfrida!" and she gave a sort of happy
sob, and there followed sound whose
I could not mistake.
/ went up thoughtfully to my own
room. Was this to be the end of all nv
dreams OF the work that Elfrida might 1
accomplish for the Cause? Was a
'broad-shouldered, dark-haired young
man more to her than the enlighten- |
ment of mankind?
1t seemed so indeed, when Elfrida
came up presently to tell me of her en-
gagement, with fine flush on her
cheek certainly, but without any real
penitence for her backsliding. For her
marriage with him meant desertion of {
the Cause, for which he had no syn- I
pathy. He denounced our doctrines IS
vague and dreamy, and the manifesto
lions with which we seek to impress
the vulgar he even characterized as
frauds.
But did not give up all hope. We
knew very little about Mr.. Laurence
Drummond. Further Investigations
might bring to light some grave OBJ
staele to this mostundesirable union.
Perhaps I ought to have relied on
the higher intelligences in the spiritual
world to obtain the information de-
sired. But j was hurried and anxious.
and Iresorted to mundane measures.
And ] soon found the kew to the sit