Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-02-21

and lifting the cuEtaln b a hung before
the entrance ofathe tent.
Loder looked at the amused, boyish
face lighted by the hanging lamp and
smiled pleasantly; then, with a shrug
OF the shoulders, he entered the pa
vilion, and the curtain fell behind him.
CHAPTER Nv.
I'm entering the pavilion Loder's
first feeling was one of an
noyed a~wkwardness at finding
~ himself in almost total dark
ness. But as his eyes grew accus-
toned to the gloom the feeling vanish
ed and the ahsurdity Of the position.
came to his mind.
The tent was small, heavily draped
with silk and smelling of musk. It
was divided into two sections by an
immoyable curtain that hung from the
roof to within a few feet of the floor.
The only furniture on Loder's side
was one low chair, and the only light
a faint radiance that, coming from
the invisible half of the pavilion,
spread across the floor in a pale band.
| For a short space he stood uncertain,
then his hesitation was brought to an
end.
'Please sit down." said a 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
9 disproportionate weight, almost the
weight Of a familiar thing. Then WITH
q sudden, unanalyzed touch Of relief,
he located the impression. 1t was the
similarity to Lady BramfelFs sweet,
slow tones that had stirred his mind.
With a 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 gauZe partition
and below it by a few inches was a
small table of polished wood, on which
stood an open book, a crystal ball and
a gold dish filed with ink. These were
arranged on the side of the table lear
est to him, the farther side being out
Of his range of vision. An amused in
terest touched him rs he made his posi-
lion more comfortable. Whoever this
woman was, she had an eye for stage
management, she knew how to mar
shall 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 a pause, "is
n 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, 1.-THE subject lays his IN
covered hands outspread upon a
smooth surface" 1t was evident that
the invisible priestess was reading
from the open book, for when the
word Surface" was reached there
was a 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 pictrSed Chilcote with his
nerves and his impatience going
through this ordeal; then in good hui
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 a second in which the
seer was silent; then he fancied that
she raised her head.
you must take off your rings" she
said smoothly. ANY metal interferes.
with the sympathetic current"
At any other time Loder would have
laughed, but the request so casually
and g%raciously made sent all POSSIBLE.
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 current?"
he asked quietly. His thoughts were
busy with the question of whether he
would or would not be justified in
beating an undignifed retreat.
T-~ --