The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-01


4 Maud, who was always sclf-posscssed
/ when she saw men stammcring. IT'S 4
Il great privilege to get SO near to the 4
truth ms you bring us. Mr. Bott.",t y,
The prophet had no answer ready. he &
merely flushed sin In spots, ana some
now arrivals called him away.
a1'hc room was now pretty we'll filled
with the unmstakablc crowd which al
ways attend such meetings. They were K
mostly artisans, Of more Intellectual am
bition than their fellows, whose love or
the marvellous was not held In control
by any educated Judgment. They had h
long, serious faces, and every man Of
Z them wore long hnir and soft hat.
Their women were generally sad brokcn-
spirited drudges, to whom this kind OF
show was like an opera or a ball There
were two or three shame faced believers
of the better class, who &scoffed n little
but trcthbltd in secret, and n few ayowed Z
skeptics. young clerks on a mild spree
ready for fun II any should present
itself. i53
Botr stepped inside the railing by mo
] closet, and placing his hands upon ~.
addressed the assembly. He did not
know what peculiar shape the tnnfesta-
q tons Of the evening might take. They
were In search OF TRUTH NIL truth was
good. They hoped for visitors from tho
unseen speers; he could promise nothing.
In this very room the spirits OF the de-
parted had walked and talked with their
( friends y perhaps they might do It again;
!, he knew not. How they mingled in the
earth-life he did mot pretend 10
say; perhaps they ina teriailzed 4
through the mcjun,; perhaps they
dematcrialized material from tho audi
cnce which they rcrnaterIalizcd In visible
~ forms; us to that. the opinion Of an (
other--hc said with d spa cious ma gnan- 4
u imity--was was as good tsas his III lie /
would now request two Of the audience
y to astep up and tie him. One Of the long
I haired ,ruminant men stood up. and q !
n young fellow. amid much nudgings and
Il giggling among the scorners, vas also
forced from his chair. They came for
ward the believer With "a bils!ness-like
3Snir, which showed practice, and the
Z young skeptic blushlng and fill1Fat! ease. Z
{ Bot took a chal Inside the curtain, and
I showed them how to #tie him. They
4 bound him hand and the y bel lever
testified That tie binding was solid, and
the skeptic wcnt53to his seat. playfullyA
q stepping upon the toes of his scoffing
1 friends. The curtain was lowered, and
4 tho lamp was turned down. q sl 81.
VI In II few moments, a scuffling sound
4 was heard In the closet and Bolts Goa q
Z came flying out into the room. The be-
.4'llever pulled back the curtain, and Bolts
~, ,,titaiiT - IN 3 i,st lS IIis coat was
II Ia aver his shoulders. ana almost as
& soon as the curtain was lowered u he .
j yelled for light, and was disclosed sitting
ga. 4 gain y m sci,rtain went dow n ramid
Si.-h5s5o a IA tisfaction from, The admIrineA
audience, and a choking voice, which
tried hard not to sound like Botts,!'
2 cried out from the closet: Turn down
Il the light; we, want more power The
4 hardly q spark illuminedi the Visible
DARKNESS. and suddenly a fiery hand ap-
pcarnd III theT }apertrrc Of the closet,
s,n,l,, onsni 9, y nd shutting Its long fin
arc q \! II, ~ III ss
A"5half dozen voices n1urmrred: "a
shirt hand" but sam sieeny whispered
to Maud Then are Bolts knuckes,
4 a. coin >, THO. hand vas Withdrawn and
n DihorrIbIc face too,s lis place-a pallid
norn.e.iii,a .S,nas,t a with lambent fire
J, snortinr On the narrow forehead and tie
high !. cheek bones 1t stayed oriy an
Instant. but sam said. That's the way
Bot Swill8look in E ---' Il
a..Hush!', said Maud who was grow
Ing too nervous to smile, for fear OF
lnIrhinp Or CRYING ta Es
B H. 4 so,nd VI sobbing came from a seat
"a ma right of them. IA poor woman
had ,ocory,Ized me face as that OF her
n mh = In :, died In IL a:.ny, and
n "a wing tha most baleful In fet-
$onces from liz fiery ndiuncts. q.
I 4 ,,onnnt later Bott came out OF tho
tc,asot n,o,,chjnn % low hat his head
,'as =. al - va feet q from the ground,
IIalhad = shoot orolind his neck, cover
10 Me ,r,nie nerson and a white T.p3
over Ills head. conccalir,g most OF his
face. In this constrained nttitued he
hoped about the clear space In front
OF the audience with good deal Of Z
dexterity, talking baby talk a In n shrill
!. falsetto. "Howdy, rappn! Howdy mam-S
ma! Itty Tudie$ tum admit 333 ss55ss b
a rough man and woman, between
ioy and grief, i were \ half hystercal.
4 They talked to the toad like mounte- .
a bank In the most cndearing tones, cvl-t
dently believing 1t was their dead badly.
toddling before them, Two or three
times the same horrible imposture was
7 .repeated, Bott never made his ans
n pearnnce without. somebody recognizing
him as a dear departed friend. Tho