Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-12-31

ence sometimes find myself-howev-
er, that's neither here nor there. You
asked how old she was. Shell be
eighteen next week.
IF the young lady's peculiar powers
are of interest to science" said l. sit
would seem MS If some financial ar
rangement might be made whereby
We've suggested that. but she won't
listen to it." he interrupted. 1.-THE
queer part of 1t is that Miss Vaughn
insists that she has no powers which
are not shared by all our species. She
has, though"
We had reached eurnham's lodgings
by this timc and ,hcrc we conversed
for n. II nr -, the subject
OF the e.ae!sa, y which had been
made In the case of Miss Vaughn.
They seemed TO ne to possess the
vague and unsatisfactory character
which | had learned to associate with
common fraudulent practices. The
young lady answered questions con-
corning matters of which she was sup
posed to have no knowledge, peculiar
tiles of persons whom she had not
seen. incidents in the lives of the ques-
TONERS or of their friends. 1t was not
able that she passed into no state of
trance or mesmerlc sleep. She remain
ed entirely normal, not even exhibiting
the excessive fatigue which usually
follows such manifestations. She did
show repugnance. however, and was
always more pleased when she failed
than when she succeeded. After a Sc
ries of failures she would laugh almost
Historically and display childish re-
lief and delight. Her successes de-
pressed her. The best of them, so far
as could learn, were not conclusive,
but there We're some that were hard to
explain upon any natural hypothesis.
and they must have been extremely
startling to the inquirers.
AS Burnham continued to speak be-
came less hopeful Of Miss Vaughn as
possible subject of investigation, less
interested in her as psychic, but far
more interested in her as woman.
Somehow the words of this fiery but
hopeless lover. this poor little, thin,
dark, ugly faced fellow, who had no
right to crave beautiful woman-ex-
cept that he couldn't help it-built up
before my minds eye a very charming
personality.
/ talked the matter over with Hack
EFT, and we agreed that Miss Vaughn
was undoubtedly worthy of substantial
assistance, if it could be rendered with
out offense. Her situation was GER
tainly most lamentable and involved
no fault of her own. Having heard of
this case. we could hardly "pass by
on the other side" as Hackett ex-
pressed 1t. The fact is that nv part
ner had been playing the role of the
good Samaritan in many towns that we
had visited. and mostly to the unde-
serving. l am afraid.
Vie decided that 7 sbonld call unon
Misssyauphp and so asked Rurnham
to sec,Ne her permission. Int he told
me verS nromntly that he did not care
IN undertake. the GRAND
81 conldn,t lie 10 her" said he. .She'd
b.vo IN tnor the object of your visit
here. and then she wouldn't see YOU"
Ipcidentallv learned during this
conversation tbo, Miss Vaughn was an
inte,lectu,, nrodios having been the
vounpest Girl eyer graduated from
Smith college Indeed she would prob
ably NOT have been admitted TO that
institution If her age had been correct
" stated Int her aunt had misrepre-
sented the matter to the authorities.
Her record had been exemplary, both
for scholarship and conduct.
"She might teach" said Burnham,
"but / really don't see how she's going
to live till we can find her a position"
After leaving Burnham's room went
at once alone to the Eustis residence,
which must have been considered quite
grand house in its day. A Respondent
old woman answered my ring and ad-
mitted me into a chilling, gloomy at
mosphere and eventually into small
room at the rear OF the hall. 1t had
| the look of neglect, as il 1t had not been
used in some weeks. My eye was at
tracted by small table unlike the
other furniture and awkwardly placed
near window. 1t was Uttered with
loose sheets of writing paper, which
were dusty. and some of them were
covered with scrawls In pencil as If a
child had played with them.
thought that knew why this table
was there. Clearly Miss Vaughn's psy-
chic messages We're written with PEN
Gil. was displeased. This scrawling
hand looked like the usual counterfeit.
And yet ! would have given my bond
upon the honesty of the face in the
photograph, Well, we may all be de-
ceived by face. began to regret
having sought an interview with Miss
Vaughn, and my mind was detected
from her to the unknown man whom