The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-03-31


| Laugh at you? Good Heavens!
| What do you take me for?1 he ex-
claimed, hurt.
Have ! said or done anything to
make you think that | could be SO
unkind, so unfeeling, and especially
toward you, for whom. since the first
| moment ! received you into my
charge, / have felt the deepest In
terest, the~utmost
He stopped himself, or he might
have said too much; but his eager
face and earnest manner touched her.
Then you will not think me very
foolish?"
TRY me, he said.
| She looked at him doubtfu1ly for
one moment Then she said: "Mr.
Denstone, l. have known you very
short time, indeed, but I am singu-
larly friendless, and you have been
so good to me, it makes me venture
on more, perhaps, than I ought.
Anything in the world that have,
or that l can do, is at your service, !"
he said, quickly
Thank you" she answered, a
sweet face Then I will tell you the
strange, terrible secret that over
! shadows me not only with it's own
weight, but with the most dire fore
| bodings." She paused a moment as
| if to shake off some feeling of OPP
preston, drew a long breath, and
went on. did you by chance ever
hear of Aymar? Jacques Aymar, of
Crole?"
"No, do not think / ever heard of
him; but stay, cannot be quite sure.
You do not mean the man who was
expert with the divining rod? | re-
member reading about him once, ages
ago. If l remember right, his power
had this popularity, that in his hands
the rod was not only efficacious in
the ordinary way of discovering the
existence of water in any place, or
minerals, but he pretended that it
also enabled him to point out those
who had committed crimes, and to
detect criminals MY father was at
one time very much interested in
mesmerism and all mysteries of that
sort, and he got together curious
information respecting Jacques Ay-
mar, who, after all, l believe turned
out to be an imposter. Can it be
that man you mean?n
you think he was an imposter?"
she asked very eagerly.
Il cannot say; it is impossible to
Judge" he said, astonishede at her
eagerness. II think mediums, and
such people, are sometimes in the
position of finding their .s..tural gifts
fail them, and then they have re-
course to imposture to hide the fact.
1t may have been so with Aymar."
4 II do not believe it was imposture,
she said, nervously, twisting her
hands together. But Heaven knows
how gladly would think so if only
could You are astonished; but
perhaps you will better understand
my interest in him when tell you
that my mothers name was Jacque-
line Aymar, and that in may cases in
our family, and l very greatly fear in
my own, the faculty has proved her.
editary. "
1.-THE use Of the divining rod?"
cried Arthur rs it possible that you
can really believe such nonsense?
Please forgive me for saying so"
II told you that you would mock
me-! she said, sinking back in her
scat With Sc DETECTED an air that Ar
thur felt the greatest compunction
for having spoken so hastily
81 beg your pardon he exclaimed,
earnestly. Indeed, the ca of laugh
ing at you never entered my head for
a moment; hut, oh! dear Mademoi-
selle Rigaud, do allow me most
strongly to warn you against allow
ing such an idea to gain possession
of your mind; it might prove most
dangerous to your whole future hap
piness and peace"
1T has already proved so," she
said, seriously.
II suppose there is no mistake"
said Arthur; shat it is a fact that
your mother was descended from
Jacques Aymar? 1t must be difficult
to ascertain it really, for, after all,
his notoriety was only local.. and
Crole was an obscure little place.
"There is no proof, but the fact of
the similarity of name is singular.
Jacques Aymar was from the Midi,
my grandfather was Nantais; but
and this is the thing that frightens
me-the power has existed more or
less in one or two members of the
family, and l myself have had singu-
lar proof that possess, at all events
in some degree, this hateful power"
To be Continued.