The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-05-04
ing out" muttered Bum.

DoAdiO iduSuluSly SuSScSlcu IudL II
Bum felt so much interest in the mat
ter he might telegraph.
"To whomY' asked.
"To Professor Severn" said Donald.
"If he goes direct. he ought to be there
by 6 o'clock"
Although this suggestion seemed not
to be made seriously, was sufficiently
interested in the subject to act upon it.
Accordingly l wrote this message:
| Professor George F. Severn. Princeton.
| N. j.:
To verify what was written on the
| card. please wire me the hour of your
| arrival in Princeton.
| JOHN HARRINGTON.
There was every reason to expect
| prompt answer to this telegram. but
none came that evening or the next
day. l could not assume that such a
message would have been disregarded
by Professor Severn. The more rea-
| sonable supposition was that he had
deceived me as to his destina ton and
| that Donald's intuition had been cor
| rect Jim Bum took this view when
, informed of the facts. and he made it
| the subject of long. silent mutterings
|
noon.
| On the following day l received
call from a gentleman of very milo
aspect whose co,lntenance expressed
both timidity and perpleXity. With a
somewhat apologetic manner. yet in
the way of one demanding an eXpiana-
| ton. he laid Il telegram upon the leaf
of my desk.
May l ask whether you sent this?"
he inquired. Il have already discov-
cred that the signature is an error"
he added hastily. AT the telegraph
office in the station they told me just
| now that the given name should have
been John and not Jane. A new OPP
orator and-and some peculiarly OF
your penmanship. believe; but don't
understand the message"
"Where did you get it?' l demanded,
"Why-why," he stammered, Il am
Professor Severn"
l stared ut him incredulously.
Eyes. sir" said he. reddening, II am
Professor Severn, and l would ven
ture to suggest that such message as
this, seemingly bearing the name Of an
ance 1t happened that l had been
away from home for some days and
had just returned In such circum-
stances. sir, you can understand that
this telegram, coming into mans
home. might create a very natural
misunderstanding"
Il regret this most deeply" said
did Mrs. Severn accompany you to
Tunbridge?"
she was so good as to volunteer to
assist me in my Investigations he re-
piled. She is now at the station, ask
ing some further questions of the OPP
orator"
glanced out of the window and saw
tall woman walking rapidly up the
path in the field Even at that dis
lance | perceived the trmness of heI
aspect. certain masterful manner as
of one who is rarely contradicted.
"Have no uneasiness, Professor Sew.
ern." said l. This is a remarkable
affair, but it is susceptible Of per
fectly clear explanation"
Indeed. at the conclusion of the in
terview which followed all questions
except one had been satisfa ctorily
answered. The unanswerable question
concerned the motive which had lee
to the imposture that had been prac
ticed upon US. Granting that any per
son wished to pry into our affairs
there was nothing strange in his per
sOnating college professor who haC
an actual existence anG especially one
I who had written a book on telepathy
But why it should have been worth
while to do the thing at all was 6
riddle too deep for my comprehen
| sion.