The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-07-15
CHAPTER XII.
Continued,

I1oi1IoA, ouI IVAN
fortunate as to be able to remember
nothing, and the Chela appealed to
the company generally, who, from a
mean dread of being compromised as
witnesses, avoided his eye with sim
gular unanimity.
At last an deliberately disheveled
lady, with a sad smile and a low
trainante voice, said: when / was
quite a child I had a possession l
dearly, dearly loved-a poor old doll
with no legs and arms and no fea-
tures-just an ordinary ninepin it
was, but it was almost the only thing
] cared for in the world! Do you
know, I have so often wished I could
see it's poor old round head and long
neck once more!"
There was a touch of pathos about
this that touched all with any tend
ency to sentiment. The Chela him
self was charmed by the simplicity
and poetry of the request, which he
readily undertook to crafty.
For some minutes he stood with
folded arms, absorbed and silent,
with his eyes bent on one Of the open
windows. At length he came out Of
his reverie with a start: IF you
look inside the chair upon which you
are sitting, there will your long lost
ninepin be-" he said.
The lady started up with a cry of
rapture. How can I thank you!"
and then she gave a pretty little
moan of dismay. "But-inside the
chair! Oh, Mrs. Standard, may L
may l have it cut open? I'm a fool
ish wretch, I know; but I should like
to see my poor old plaything once
more!"
"Oh, my DEAR" said Mrs. Stani-
land, "how can you wait to ask? Cut
il open by all means"
1t was a large armchair, very lux
u~riously padded, and when the Gre
tonne covering was removed it re-
vealed a richly brocaded stuff, imi-
tated from an old pattern; this was
slit up with as little damage as pos
sible, and a white lining appeared
underneath, which was also cut open;
the condition of each covering prov
Ing c~onclusively that it could not
have been tempered with, for the
stitches were strong and the mater
ial still unfrayed.
The excitement reached a climax;
the floor was gradually strewn with
%horsehair, and 1eck from the disem-
boweled chair, which began to pre-
sent a limp and emaciated appear
ance; but nowhere in its recesses was
the interesting ninepin.
Il am very sorry" the Chela con-
;essed, with his first approach to con-
Slsion, "but hier among so many in
Different o. opposing individuals, ]
cannot concentrate my will power
upon a common %ninepin. If / gontin-
ue till morning light I shall do nod
Ing; nevare, v And the broder
out IN the BALCONY is gone away!"
This statement was received in
chilling silence, broken by a few dry
coughs; Mrs. Honiton, who had just
refurnished her drawing-room, de-
9tded that it was not %eXpedient to
have the Chela at her own house, and
Mrs. Standard already regretted that
she had allowed hers to be the scene
of such a iasco.
"Perhaps," suggested Babcock,
"your Mahatma might do something
for you if you ask him."
The Chela seemed struck by an
idea. Nov, listen," he said half
aloud. my Mahatma is far away N
Thibet; don't you think that if 1 write
to him and get a ledder back hier in
this room, these people will beleaf?"
Not a doubt of it," said Babcock.
3Capital notion! How will it Gomez"
at will fudder from the ceiling
down." said the Chela.
II want you all to have still pa
tience," he said, addressing the as
sembly. II am going to write to my
Mahatma in Thibet, and you shall
see the answer when it arrives, and
hear also what he has to say"
Babcock conducted him to a small
writing cabinet, where the Chela has
tily scrubbed a few lines. II shall
next place it on a magnetic current,
and it will instantly to Thibet trans
ported be-" he explained, as he
stepped out upon the balcony and
stood there, holding out his mystic
billet in the warm starlit stiffness.
In spite of themselves, the MAORI
ty were impressed by the sight of the
tall, strangely attired figure standing
silent there, and there was a murmur
Of appreciation when he re-entered,
saying quietly, ut is gone, and now,
until the ledder arrive, berhaps-some
iaty will a fiddle song sign"
Some one sang "Good-by," and
after the applause had subsidized, the
Chela said excitedly: "The ledder will
be soon hier, in anoder minute"
SHARP work to and from Thibet
in ten minutes" said Babcock.
"There is nc time and no space for
the true adept" answered Nebelsen;
but the a%nxiously awaited letter I'M
accountably declined to deliver it
self. "If somebody would again upon
the biano blay," the Chela suggested
at last. feeling himself very much in
the situation Of the priests whom
Baal S o ungratefully left in the sa-
cerdotal lurch.
But at last, when the general at
tention was despairingly directed to
the performer who was just sitting
down at the piano, a sudden excla-