The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1902-11-26


was undoubtedly worthy Of substantial!
assistance, if it could be rendered with
out offense. Her situation was GER
tainly most lamentablc 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 it. The fact is that my part
ner had been playing the role Of the
good Samaritan in many towns that we
had visited, and mostly to the unde'
serving, I am afraid.
We decided that I should call upon
Miss Vaughn, and so I asked Burnham
to secure her permission; but he told
me very promptly that he did not care
to undertake the errand.
eI couldn't lie to her." said he. "She'o
have to know the object of your visit
here, and then she wouldn't see you"
Incidentally I learned during this
conversation that Miss Vaughn was an
intellectual prodigy, having been the
youngest girl ever graduated from
Smith college Indeed, she would prob
ably not have been admitted to that
institution if her age had been correct
ly stated, but 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 I really don't see how she's going
to live till we can find her position"
After leaving Burnham's room went
at once alone to the Eustis residence,
which must have been considered quite
a grand house in its day. A despondent
old woman answered my ring and ad-
mitted me into a chilling, gloomy at
mosphere and eventually into q small
room at the rear Of the hall. It had
the look Of neglect, as if it had not been
used in some weeks. Ny eye was at
tracted by small table unlike the
other furniture and awkwardly placed
near a window. It 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.
I thought that knew why this table
was there. Clearly Miss Vaughn's psy-
chic messages were written with pen
Gil. 1 was disSeased. 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. I began to regret
having sought an interview with Miss
Vaughn, and my mind was DETECTED
from her to the unknown man whom
Dr.. Whiting had mentioned. A strong
inward conviction that that man was
the true psychic, worth O thousand
Dorothy Vaughns to the cause Of sci.
ence, arose to prominence in my con-
sciousness, and I was striving to think
Of some means by which could learn
his name when very pleasant voice
spoke my own.
turned and saw slight, girlish fg-
ure, all in black. There was the puz-
zling, childish, womanly face that tie
picture had shown, the perfectly open
innocence quantity combined with Sc
rene wisdom such as l might imagine
in an angel. Yet this serenity was
wholly intellectual. I could see that
the poor girls body was racked with
nervousness and apprehension. Lone
nness in this old. decaying house, from
which she could see no way out into
the brighter world, had told upon her.
I cannot remember that my sympathy
ever went out so suddenly and so
strongly toward any other human be-
ing.
She had seen that I was looking curl
ously at the table, and observed that