The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-01-02
fContinued.)

fContfnued.D I 1t was the mystery of 1t all--cneap devices at best--which from the first had irritated the country-folk who thronged the Fair.
 The tent itself was unlike any other even seen at East Molesey. It stooo high upon a raised, wooden platform to which few rough steps gave ac- cess On the right was tall nag ataff. with black flag emblazoned with white skull and cross-bones, flutterihs 1aziiy in the breeze
 On the left huge elm tree, with great heavy branches overshadowing < the tent, had been utilized to support placard bearing the words. sAfirrab! the worid-famed Necroman-
 cer!
 Sale of Magic Charms and Love-Phil-
 tres.
 Horoscope Casting and Elixir Of Life!
 Perched on the platform and assis tea by a number henchman, armed with big drum and cymbals, the worthy Abras in highpeaked cap and flowing mantle covered with strange devices. had all day long invited customers to his booth by uttering strange, mys- terious promises.
 ~This way, this way, my masters" < he would say with imposing solemnity. sthe worId-famous necromancer Mir rab will evoke for you the spirits of Mars. of Saturn. or of the Moon
 "She will show you the Grand Grimorium I!
 Now what was the Grand Grimorium? The very sound of the words suggested some agency of the devil; no Christian man had ever heard or spoken of the Grand Grimorium.
 s'She will show you the use of the biasting rod and the divining wand. She will call forth the elementary sniritg sn
 Some people would try to laugh. Who had ever heard of the elementary spirits? Perhaps if some of the more enlightened town worthies happened 10 be nigh the booth, one or two of them would begin to chaff the .necromancer.
 sAnd prithee, friend wizard" a solemn burgher would suggest, ssprithee what are the elementary spirits?''
 But Abra was nothing if not ready witted.
 .aThe elementary spirits" he would explain with imperturbable grsyity. "are the green butterfly. the black pulet. the queen of the hairy flies, and the screech owl"
 The weird nomenclature was enough to make anyone's hair stand on end. Even the sedate burgesses would shake their heads and silently edge away, whilst their mankind would run
  quick Ave to the blessed Virgin or kissing the Holy Scapulary hung be- meath their kerchiefs, as their terrified glances met the cabalistic signs on the black flag.
 The number country folk frankly spat upon the ground three times, whenever they caught sight of the flag. and that is sure way of sending the devil about his business.
 The shadows now were beginning to 1engthen.
 The towers and cupolas~ of Hampton Court Palace were studded with gold and gems by the slanting rays of the setting sun.
 It had been glorious afternoon and. except in the open space immediately in front of the witch's tent, the fun of the fair had lost none of its zest.
 The witch's booth alone was solitary %weird-looking beneath the spreading branches of the overhang- ing elm.
 The tent seemed lighted from with fin, for, as the evening breeze stirred its hangings. gleams of brilliant red, more growing than the sunset, ap- peared in zig-zag streaks between it's folds.
 Behind and to the right and left of tt the gentle murmur of the sister streams sounded like ghostly whisper ings of evening sprites. busy spreading their grey mantles over the distant landscape
 As the afternoon wore on, the crowd in the other parts of the Fair had grown more dense. and now among the piainer garb of the burgesses and townsfolk and the Jerkins and worsted hose of the jokels, could be seen quite Frequently silken doublet or veIvet trunk, masked face perhaps beneath plumed bonnet or the point of sword gleaming beneath the long, dark mantle denoting the Court gallant.
 Montgomery;;; R. D. Wilson. assistant Now. then, too. hooded and closely swathed forms would fit quickly through the crowd, followed by the in- quisitfve glances of the humber folk as the dainty tip of a broidered shoe or the richly wrought hem of a silken kirtle protruding below the cloak, be- trayed the lady of rank and fashion on gay adventure bent.
 Most of these yelled figures had found their way up the rough wooden steps which led to the witch's tent. The fame of Mirrah, the Soothsayer, had reached the purliens of the Palace, and Abra, the Magician, had more than once seen his lean palm crossed with gold.
 This way. noble lords! this way!" He was even now trying to draw the attention of two cloaked figures. who Add JUDI III OL the DOOLn. Two gentlemen of the Court evident ly, for Abra's quick eye had caught a glimpse of richly chased sword hilts as the wind blew the heavy, dark man. ties to one side.
 But these gentlemen were paying lit- tie heed to the worthy magician's blandishments. They were whispering excitedly to one another, whilst eag- erly scanning the crowd all round them.
 "They were ladies from the Court, swear I have seen the hem of that
 before"
 trramba" replied the other. "it
 ised well. but methinks we've lost
 of them now"
 spoke English very fuentiy, vet
 a strong. guttural intonation. t the well-known Spanish oath
 l he uttered betrayed his nation
 .rdi!" he added impatiently, q