Middletown transcript., 1901-07-06
A Lost Recruit
BY GILBERT ,ST1NHOPE.

SAT in my dark little study and
S wondered how l should break to
III Flfrida the news of her lovers
nerfidy. 1 grieved for the pain
a. which knew it would cause her,
for loved the girl. But pity for
+bo individual was soon lost in rejoicing
for the good of the Cause. This glorious
creature would be rescued from the
;cnol,la lot of commonplace wifehood
ard motherhood, and would be free to
devote her energies to the enlightenment
If mankind by the spread OF our
doctrines.
When | first set eyes on Elfrida Stan
ford in the select ladies' boarding house
in Brompton in which her guardian had
nlaced her, 1 thought to myself at once,
what an apostle for the Cause! And
set mvself to win her for it. There was
unite a competition for her good graces
among the older residents there, but for
tunately she seemed to take to me rather
than to that pompous and vulgar Mrs.
CLYDE that husband-hunting Mrs. Van
Decl,en. the fast little grass widow from
India, or the starched and vinegary old
Miss stackerdale, who all said such un-
kind things about one another. | was in
rather feeble health at the time, and
perhaps this drew her towards me, for
she has good heart, I will say that for
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 foreign schools and
having no relations in London, save the
crusty old bachelor uncle, who took no
more trouble about her than he could
help. So l got her to come to some OF
our lectures and meetings, where her
pretty face and winning manners insured
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 lack of ambition to cult
| vate her psychic force and distaste FOL
some of our manifestations, which
could not but deplore.
Still I hoped that time would memo
these deficiencies, when an unforseeT
event threatened to deprive me Of ny
most promising disciple.
Threatened, say, but hope th'
danger is now over, and that when L tel
Elfrida what l have learned about Laur
ence Drummond, her love will be turned
to scorn and loathing.
How I regret having applied to hin
for advice and thus thrown him in ne
way, but he was highly recommends
to me, and he looked honest-yes, h
really did, though I know him now to b
deceitful and double-faced.
1t all came about through poor Mis-
Stackerdale, who developed seriou
maladv and died in our boarding house
Elfrida was very kind to her, and 81
persuaded me to help her in lookln
after the poor old lady. And when sh
died, we found tfia! sac lad maize ne'
will and left her little fortune betwee
us.
What a godsend for the Cause,
thought. But then the trouble Degal
Her relations disputed the will and a
cused us of exercising undue influence
and we had to go to law about it, and
was advised to put the matter INTO NJ
Drummond's hands.
/ noticed that he preferred to get h
information from Elfrida rather tha
from me but he said she had a cle'
head for business and was not SO muc
absorbed with the supernatural as l.
l noticed, too, that the dear girl w
growing brighter and, if possible, pre-
tier every day.
But never suspected anything uni
one day when | pushed open the drawn
room door, which looked shut but -"
not. and stood there transfiXed with
tonishment to see those two standli
facing one another at the further end
the room.
He held her two hands clasped II II
and there was a light on both their Iac
such as one does not see more Tran On
in lifetime.
They neither saw nor heard me, al
as slipped out again | heard him sa
"Elfridar' and she gave sort Of hapl
sob. and there followed sound VINO
significance could not mistake. ..
I went up thoughtfully to my oV
room. Was this to be the end OF all y
dreams of the work that Elfrida mig
accomplish for the Cause? Was broa
shouldered, dark-haired young man mo
to her than the enlightenment OF ma
kind?
1t seemed so indeed, when ElIrl
| CdIll0 up pICSCiibiy w VII
gagement, with fine flush on her che
certainly, but without any real penlten
: for her backsliding For her maria
/ with him meant desertion OF the Oau
for which he had no sympathy.
denounced our doctrines as vague
dreamy, and the manifestations W
which we seek to impress the vulgar
even characterized as frauds
But I did not give up all hope
knew very little about MIR. Laure
Drummond. Further investigations mi
bring to light some grave obstacle 70
most undesirable union.
Perhaps I ought to have reliea
the higher intelligence in the spirl'
world to obtain the information
sired. But was hurried and anxlf
and resorted to mundane measures.