Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1907-09-26

Cdu1c III very HduQy dL ulSuL Qur1Q
the seances. Everybody was sur.
prised at tn marvellous information
she displayed, derived directly from
tn sperrits, stoo, everybody 'cept me.
Il c'dn't help GRIMM up my sleeve
SEEM tn hull town gapin' an takin'
on about Mrs. Halicarnassa's wonder
full powers. Then suddenly it CURED
to me-'Oakley,' says to myself, you
amt havin' half tn fun you ought to
be havin''
4 9TH very next day I drew Mrs.
Halicarnassa to one side an put tn
matter clearly before her.
Mrs. H. says, know you want
to make first class job of your Sc.
ances, an to do that properly you
ought to have real hot tips on tn peo.
pie in this here town-an, acc'rate
idee of their mindworks an habits of
thought an livin'. To get that you
need some one like me that's lived
with these people all his life an
knows 'em like book.
Now eff you're agreeable I'm will
in to let you in on tn ground floor
respectin' some of our leadin' citizens
Then you can tell 'em all about them
selves jest as plain as eff you cd read
their thoughts an give 'em some good
advice 49,
Now l will say this fer Mrs. H..
she was highly sensible woman. She
GRABBED a-holt of that idee with
celebrity.
First, I up an told her about Abel
Mapes. l told her how Abel used to
go barefoot to school when he was a
boy, how he went into tn grocery
business an sold poor stuff at starva-
ton prices durin' tn civil war, how
he bought little land from time to
time till he got a-holt of half tn town.
ship, how he foreclosed mortgages
shown no more mercy than a ma
chine, an in short. how he was as fine
specimen of tn tightward an skin
flint as you cd find in a million.
She jest hung on my words. When
l got through she had as good an idee
of Abel Mapes' character as if she'd
had to live with him fer forty years
Il took pticklar pains to attend the
seances that night. Abel had been at.
tendin' right along night after night
an it was safe bet he'd be on hand
made up my mind was goin' to see
some fun.
when tn seances got nicely under
way Mrs. H. sprung her little sur
prise.
'Ah, feel strange sperrit movin
out O. the Darkness she moaned most
ghostlike. All me, ah me, it's tn
sperrit of woman. She cries aloud
to me: My home is gone, my heart
is broke; what shall / do?"
Mrs. H. moaned louder an louder
when she got that far. I set right
next to Abel Mapes, an he was g
starin' at her as eff his eyed pop Out
of his head.
'Th' sperrit cries Abe Mapes. Abe
Mapes,' Mrs. H. moaned; EFF Abe
Mapes be present let him harken te
tn voice from the dead Yes-no-
yes, it leaves a message for him: You
are sellin' your soul fer tn almighty
dollar. Every dollar you lay your
hands on you put right out of circula
tion. Eff you would retain tn respect
Of your fellow men. cease to seek fol
sordid gain
MRS. H. certainly did herself proud
She expressed tn message most poe
try like. without imparin' its forceful
ness.
Everybody in tn room was lookin
| at Abel Mapes by this time, an he jes1
skunk an covered in his seat He
looked more ashamed than any mar
| l ever see.
II nearly bust out laughin' to sec
him. It was certainly good joke
but my mirth was sobered an tenn
pered by tn thought that tn old skin
flint was jest a-gettin' a good lesson
one he'd needed a long time an hat
seemed in fair way never to get shor
of tn Judgment Day"
Uncle Oak paused and chuckled a
the recollection. Joe Gish was listen
ing with astonished interest. His
cousin, Si Cornelium, was laughin:
unrestrainedly
"O-ho, so that was how she come tt
know SO much about folks 'rouni
here, eh?" Mr. Gish commented. "Hy
guy, well I'll be darned!"
| And he did not seem to be able K