The evening Republican., 1902-07-03
RWAMl
:SPRAGGE.

''He's some sort of fakir or swami
or occult duck. You'll find him at
the Grand Circular. l got it pri-
vately."
That was what the city editor had
said in giving him the assignment,
and yet Wickham was not keen on
it, for he had planned to be near the
ladies' entrance of quite different
hotel that afternoon at an hourwhen
he had good reason to believe that
Miss Olive Parker would be going
in to get cup of tea. He was not
interested in wandering swamis.
Nevertheless he stuck to his as
signment and was presently at the
clerks desk at the Grand Circular,
trying to form a plan of interview
ing a travelingswam of retiring dis
position The name which was on
the register was in very matter-of
fact writing; John Lyndon,
Spragge, Liverpool, England
Nothing mysterious about this
fellow. I'll wager-common, every
day British drummer. And in ten
minutes from now Olive will"--
Did Wickham say these thoughts
aloud or only think them! OF that
he never made sure. But a stocky
man, dressed in tweeds, tapped him
on the elbow from behind.
Looking at my autograph, sir?'
Wickham started and turned. rs
this Mr.. Spragge?'
The man in tweeds smiled pleas
antly.
I'm q reporter" said Wickha,n.
$50 | thought"
Then you have guessed what l
want to see you about!' A fairly
good diplomatic stroke, considering
how hard it was for Wickham to
keep his mind from wandering to
the other hotel.
Mr. Spraggo smiled oddly. "Oh,
] don't know about guessed. Sup
3 ppse we go to my room.'
! AS they walked up flight Of car
peted stairs. he tried to guess
f5pragg's age and that puzzled him.
He studied the red and brown neck
and cheeks, and they puzzled him,
too, for lie thought an occult person
should look less like an eater of
thick beetsteaks.
is this your first visit to Am ri
cu:'
Yes, but you didn't come here
to ask me that"
Although this remark did not inn
ply preternatilral intuition, Wick
ham began to feel IL little creepy.
Il suppose you you travel for
pleasure
BY this time they were entering
the Eu9lishmen's room on the sec
ond floor. Yes he said, II do
that and other things" Then clos
ing the door behind him, he added,
And perhaps srragge is not my
only name
Wickham gasped and turned to
stare at him. Are you q clair'oy-
anti
Il might be. or l might be a ma
hatma, Or anything else that would
interest, your readers, and you
might be a reporter for the Express
if you were not in fact the repre-
sentative of the Morning Sta. What
can | do in particular to oblige you
at prcsent!'
Nickham had forgotten all about
Miss Parker. "Weil -cr-do you
really possess these wonderful pow
ers!'
(which! Bilocation? Lovitation9
Perhaps"
Then if you dontmind, perhaps
you might
The stocliy man broke in with u
gleeful laugh, throwing his head
back in the chair.
"if you said see me, for instance,
float up to the ceiling, chair and all,
what good would that do"
II. thought you occulists wanted
to convince the public
And you are one of the public's
pairs of eyes! But if l did give you
un exhibition like that Sprayge
stopped tantalizingly and looked at
the reporter.
Wickham sat on the very elga of
his chair in Ereathless expectation
of something miraculous.
:'If | did anything of that kind
you'd have two columns about it in
the Morning Star, wouldn't You"
II should think so, " said Wickham
relaxing into q more comfortable
attitude.
The Englishman laughed again.
"Well, perhaps your editor nigh t
let it get into print, but murh more
likely he would say you were drunk.
There was II pause, Wickham turn
ing over in his mind the probabilities
OF this Hypothetical case. If rcpor-
ter was to be accused OF seengdouble
when he reported this kind OF thing.
what was the use sending him TO
interview amagic ian? He began to
think lie had better letthe interview
60 at that. Then he remembered
Olive Parker again and nervousIy
pnllcd out his watch.
AT this the other man smiled and
shook his head. "l'm afraid you're
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