The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-14

into the strong light tie shadowy figure
disappeared. She went on home, much dis
turbed. feeling an uncomfortable inward
conviction that the shadowy follower had
been Carpenter trying to communicate
something 10 her: but trying 20 convince
creature Of the shady type lodging up out
of the shadows and then lodging back into
them. The next morning Charlie Brown
Did you get home safe" he asked. So
licltously.
Did any one follow you just after you
left us?"
Why, l thought some one did"
did you know who IL was?"
did you see him; did you know hin
Yes, we saw him-and-we knew him.
II was Carpenter"
Tell me Just what you saw"
Carpenter started up out of the shadow.
just where there was nobody the moment
before, and followed you. Barbara and 1
saw him. We were afraid TO call 10 you.
thinking il would scare you to death IL
you turned and met him face TO face. So
we followed you. but when you came into
the strong light he disa appeared We
watched YOU awhile longer. but as he didn't
come back, we concluded you were all right.
and we turned around and 1 took Barbara
home"
Later in the day Barbara came in with
the same tale.
A few weeks passed, and one evening
Faith went 10 see a girl friend a few
squares away. She stayed later than she
intended, and was annoyed TO find she must
walk home alone at about 9 O'Clock. But
il was a safe and quiet corner of the town,
there was bright moonlight. and there we're
houses all the way, many of them occu-
pied by her acquaintance. So she started
home, feeling quite safe. Suddenly she
realized that she had not turned at the
first corner, as was her invariable custom,
but had passed on another square, and was
now started on a street but newly opened
and improved, with houses only at the end
where she entered IL.
How could | have done such a thing?'
she unused. why l would not have taken
this street at night if We had been two or
three girls together"
Still, the street was very short, but little
more than an ordinary square; no street
crossed it: no tree grew on il; she could
see every inch OF it's surface i'm the white
moonlight, and there was not a person IN
sight-it seemed better to go on than turn
back. Suddenly, three or four rods in
front Of her, on the white sidewalk where
she had been gazing all the time. was a man
walking with his back toward her. Ter
ribly startled. she decided at first hat IL
was wiser to go on quietly than TO betray
fear by turning back Then. with horror,
she noticed that though his feet moved
as if walking, he made no progress-he was
simply marking time. Swiftly she calcu-
lated that II che turned and ran on tiptoe
she might get enough start before he found
il out TO reach the nearest house before
he could OVertake her. Then all at once
she saw. He had not turned toward her.
nor changed his weird walk without prog
ress. but she said to herself. with the quiet
certainty with which one recognizes any
weil-known friend. WHY OF course, it's
Mr.. Carpenter" She also observed that
his feet made no sound. Then she ran with
all her might. terror OF the supernatural
winging ner feet even more than had her
fear of the real danger a moment before.
AS she fled a plteOuS cry pursued her, "Bar-
bara. Barbara. Barbara, wait for NET
using. il will be noticed. not her name, but
her chum's. She reached home almost pros
trated.
Two years passed without further MANI
festation, and she was at Barbara's home
one night. showing the family a bundle OF
old photographs-her own mementoes OF
past experiences. With them she had laid
two papers she kept in memory OF Mr.. Car
penter-a poem CTOm Taylor's on the death
of Lincoln) he had copied for her 10 read
at a celebration of Lincoln's birthday which
he arranged: the other, some notes on a
legal point he had kindly furnished her
for a story she was writing. AS she showed
the photographs she piled them on Bar
bara's mothers lap. The Carpenter papers
were I'm the middle Of the pile. Suddenly
the high pile OF photographs began sway
ing back and forth. in a mysterious and in
comprehensive fashion. Faith looked at
Mrs. Martins knees-they were perfectly
steady, yet the pile OF cards swayed back
and forth. back and forth, further and
further, till they described an arch OF at
least sixty degrees. yet not one photograph
fell. Mrs. Martin in former years had dab
bled a little In sDiritualism. and had de-
Veloped some slight mediumistic powers.
Its Mr.. Carpenter she cried in an awe
struck tone. Just then loud taps sounded
from the swaying pile of photographs.
"Oh he's trying TO talk 10 as" she cried,
"and / don't understand r~aps-Only signals
for yes and no. What few communications
L ever received were by writing"
ASK IL questions, and see II IL will an
swer." said one OF her daughters.
rs IL Mr.. Carpenter
Yes.
do you want TO talk TO Faithg'
Yes"
What do you want 20 tell here
A perfect storm Of raps followed, unin-
teliigible TO all present.
do you want 10 talk 10 me?" asked Mrs.
Martin.
No"
Just then Faith. who had been watching
Mrs. Martin with indignant suspicious OF
some trick. though she could detect none,
said: Let me hold the cards. and see IL
anything happens. took the swaying rap
ping Pile into her own hands. when they IN
stantly settled down inert and lifeleSs.
There, said Mrs. Martin, angriiy.
you've spoiled the charm. We shan't learn
anything more tonight.
Well. that is all. II this were fiction
il would be easy 10 make n dramatic ending.
where Mr.. Carpenter finally succeeded in
giving his message and pointing out EVIL
dence 20 convict the murderer. but as X
is "A plain story OF bare facts. IL must be
stated that the young iady's invincible re-
pungance 60 supernatural experiences pre-
vailed, and Mr.. Carpenter apparently re-
signed all further attempts 10