The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1903-02-25
SW AMI
SPRAGGE
by Evan MACPHERSON

Copyright. 1903, bp the
S. $. Mcclure Company

! or occult duck. You'll find him Mt the
Grand Circular l got 1t privately"
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 happen to be near
the ladies' entrance of quite different
hotel that afternoon Mt an hour when
he had good reason to believe that
Miss Olive Parker would be going in
to get cup of tea. He was not in
terested in wandering swamls.
Nevertheless he stuck to his assign
ment and was presently at the clerk s
desk at the Grand Circular, trying to
form Il plan of interviewing n travel
ing swami of retiring disposition. The
name on the register was In very mat
ter of fact writing: John Lyndon
Spragge. Liverpool. England"
Nothing mysterious about this fell
low, I'll wager common, everyday
British drummer And in ten minutes
| from now Olive will
Did Wlckham say these thoughts
aloud or only think them? OF that
he never made sure. But stocky
man. dressed in tweeds. tapped him
on the elbow from behind
Looking at my autograph, slr?"
| Wickham started and turned. rs
this Mr.. Spraggei'
The man in tweeds smiled pleas
antly.
I'm reporter" said Wlckham.
$50 l thought
"Thcn you have guessed what l
want TO see you aboutW fairly
good diplomatic stroke, considering
| how hard It was for Wick ham to
keep his mind from wandering to the
other hotel
Mr. Spragge smiled oddly. "Oh,
don't know about guessed Suppose
we go up to my room."
AS they walked up one flight Of car
peted stairs together he tried TO guess
Spragge's age. and that puzzled him.
He studied the red and brown cheeks
and neck, and they puzzled him, too.
for he thought an occult person should
look much less like an eater Of thick
| beefsteaks.
as this your first visit to American
Yes. but you didn't come here to
ask me that"
Although this remark did not neces-
sarily imply preternatural intuition,
Wickham began to feel little creepy.
Il suppose you-you travel for pleas
ure."
| Nv hi tsNn Antn t.tv th6s
| Embellishments room, on the second floor.
YES" he said; II do--that and other
things" Then, closing the door behind
him, he added. and perhaps Sprngge
is not my only name"
Wickham gasped and turned to stare
at him Are you clalrvoyantT
II might be, or | might be mahat-
ma or anything else that would inter
est your readers. and you might be a
reporter for the Express If you were
not In fact the representative of the
Morning Star. What can l do In par
| tlcular to obligc you at present"
Wickham had forgotten all about
Miss Parker. "Well-er-do you really
possess these wonderful powersi'
(Which? Bilocation2 Levltation2
Perhaps"
"Then, If you don't mind. perhaps
you might
The stOcky man broke In with glee-
full laugh, throwing his head back In
the chair. "If you should see me, for
instance, float up to the ceiling, chair
and all, what good would that doi'
~ thought you occultlsts wanted to
convince the public"
"And you are one of the public's pairs
OF eyesi But If | did give you an ex-
hibition like that Spragge stopped
tantalizingly and looked Mt the report.
er.
Wickham sat on the very edge of his
chair in breathless expectation Of
something miraculous.
"If l did anything of that kind. you'd
have two columns about II In the Morn
ing Star. wouldn't your
II should think So" said Wickham,
relaxing into n more comfortable Mt.
titude.
The Englishman laughed again.
well. perhaps your editor might let
1t get into print, but much more likely
he would say you were drunk"
There was u pause, Wickham turn
ing over In his mind the probabilities
of this hypothetical case. II n reporter
was to be accused OF seeing double
when he reported this kind of thing.
what was the use of sending him to
interview n magiciani He began to
think he had better let the interview
go at that Then he remembered Olive
Parker again and nervousy pulled out
his watch.
At this the other man smiled and
shook his head. '1'm afraid you're too
late. Besides, the young lady has
changed her mind and gone to q
friends house"
Wickhams jaw dropped, and the
stare in which his face was set was
rs of one who saw n specter.
Tint evening the city editor cross
examined Wickham. for the city editor
WAS confident there was good news
matter In this swami affair.
you say he admits that Spragge
isn't his real nameT
yes, Ia a sort of way"
wen, WDat lS MS real name
"He didn't tell me that He's q ma
giclan all right. He knew l was look
ing at his name in the hotel register
when my back was turned to him"
HIN! Is that alp
"He knew / was n Star man without
my telling him"
"Wickham, IL you think 1t would
Z take O mahatma TO find that out
What elseT'
Wickham turned red and stammered.
1t was borne In upon him that the final
proof OF Spragges preternatural pow
ers was much too delicately personal
TO be mentioned to the city editor. AS
for putting It into print. that was I'M
thinkable.
The city editor sighed in weary dis
appointment, looked all around the
room and shifted
Wickham went to his desk feeling
that all his rosy prospects of Journal
16ttC advancement were fading. hut