Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-11-03

spread across the floor in a pale band. For short space he stood uncertain, then his hesitation was brought to an end.
 Please sit down." said low, soft voice.
 For a further moment he stood un- decided. The voice sounded so unex- pectedly near. In the quiet and dark ness of the place it seemed to possess a disproportionate weight, almost the weight of familiar thing. Then with a sudden, unanalyzed touch of relief, he located the impression. It was the similarity to Lady BramfelPs sweet, slow tones that had stirred his mind. With sense of satisfaction he drew the chair forward and sat down.
 Then for the first time he saw that on the other side of the gauge partition and below it by few inches was a small table of polished wood, on which stood an open book. a crystal ball and a gold dish filled with ink. These were arranged on the side of the table near est to him, the farther side being out of his range of vision. An amused in terest touched him as he made his posi- ton more comfortable. Whoever this woman was, she had an eye for stage management, she knew how to mar shal her effects. He found himself waiting with some curiosity for the next injunction from behind the cur tain.
 ''The art of crystal gazing began the sweet, slow voice after pause, lis one of the oldest known arts" Loder sat forward. The thought of Lady Bramfell mingled disconcertingly with some other thought more distant and less easy to secure.
 ITO obtain the best results,' went on the seer, the subject lays his un- covered hands outspread npou a smooth surface" It was evident that the invisible priestess was reading from the open book, for when the word surface was reached there was slight stir that indicated the changing of position, and when the voice came again it was in a different tone.
 Please lay your hands, palms down. ward, upon the table,"
 Loder smiled to himself in the dark ness. He pictryed Chilcote with his nerves and his impatience going through this ordeal; then in good hu- mored silence he leaned forward and obeyed the command. His hands rested on the smooth surface of the table in the bar of light from the un- seen lamp.
 There was second in which the seer was silent; then he fancied that she raised her head.
 You must take of your rings" she said smoothly. Any metal interferes with the sympathetic current"
 At any other time Loder would havo but the request so casually and graciously made sent all possib!l-
 
 ity of irony far into the background. The thought of, Chilcote and of the one flaw in their otherwise fawless scheme rose to his mind. Instinctively he half withdrew his hands.
 Where is the sympathetic currents" he asked quietly. His thoughts were busy with the question of whether he would or would not be justified in beating an undignified retreat.
 Between you and ne, of course" said the voice softly. It sounded lam guid, but very rational. The idea of retreat seemed suddenly theatrical. In this world of low voices and shaded lights people never adopted extreme measures-no occasion made a scene practicable or even allowable. He leaned back slowly. while he summed up the situation. If by any unlucky chance this woman knew Chilcote to have adopted jervelry and had seen the designs of his rings the sight of his own scared finger would suggest question and comment. If. on the other hand, he left the pavilion with out excuse or if without apparent req son he refused to remove the rings, he opened up a new difficulty. a fresh road to curiosity. It came upon him with unu-:ial quickness-the obstasAs to and the need for a speedy declsi~a. He glanced round the tent: then un- he straightened his shoui-