The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-07-28

can't) the idol can be perfectly wen
accounted for. ! painted it from
from something / happened to have
by me-"
"so!" said the Chela; evidently
this had upset his latest theory.
"You hat it still hier?"
Somewhere. was rearranging
my things the other day, and put it
on shelf out of the way"
May hat it down to examiner"
and Campion brought the idol from
its retirement, not with the best
grace in the world, for the fact was
it had been banished because he had
taken strong dislike to it.
Nebelsen carried it carefully to a
side table, and folding his arms, re-
garded it thoughtfully for some time;
then he came nearer and seemed to
be testing the air with his outspread
fingers, and finally he turned to Cam
pion in triumph
! "At last, and this time without /
doubt, hat the glew!" he cried.
you don't say SOP" said Campion
carelessly.
Nebelsen caughs him by the sleeve
and led him up to the image. II am
going to tell you thing by which
you will be much SURPRISED. All
your unluck and hart lines are by
this blacid-seemingg ross leg caused"
Campion looked at him sharply for
a moment, suspecting some hidden
meaning; but the Chela was quite in
nocent of any illustration to the Sc
cret engagement of which he had
never heard.
| Il tell you," he repeated, II hat no
longer any doubt; it radiates quite
feel it from here"
What a funny person you are,
| Nebelsen!" said Campion, laughing N
| spite of himself
II am not fonning, am quite seri-
| Gus. What, do you not beleaf?"
mot a bit. l was brought up "a
happy Christian child Nebelsen, as
our nursery verse says. l can't be-
lieve in working idol"
"As an idol-no. But may he not
hat been so saturated with the ber-
sonal magnetism of a very powerful
medium that he finally attains an
automatic gonciousness to himself?"
II should have, thought it quite
improbable.
Answer me only this. Are there
no occurrences you remember which
you can distinctly connect with that
image? I beg you to be Candid"
Campion reflected conscientiously.
"Let me see," he said. "The boy
who brought it here was run over
just at the door-boys always are get
ting run over. My fellow Bales and
I came to grief when we tried to put
it up on bracket in my room, and
there was pretty big smash, and
believe 1t fell down again with Bales
when he was taking it to be washed.
"You see," cried Nebelsen, "but
there is more to tell, is there not?"
WELL, said Campion, reluctantly,
lit did kill a dog certainly-at least
the dog upset the pedestal, and that
thing fell down and fiattened thu
poor brute. And oh, we'll, dare say
you could pick out several other CO.
medicines about as striking if you
took the trouble"
"Seferal condolences together an
inference make. I tell you, and 1 am
sure of it, that-in some way even I
do not pretend to understandable
image is imbued with force which
enables it to protect itself"
"You mean to tell me you seri-
ously believe all this bosh? Look
here; I'll settle this at once, and then
I hope you'll let me hear no more of
it. Here goes for your self-conscious
image!"
He took the idol by its conical
head and jerked it contemptuously
on to the floor. 1t bounded in three
long skips, duck and drake fashion.
across the floor, and rolled through q
large mirror which was leaning
against the wall, and the fragments
OF glass cut gaping rents in some
newly stretched canvasses and fin
ished studies behind.
Nebelsen pointed to the idol, which
was smiling amidst the debris like
sleeping infant. "You call that no
broof?" he said triumphantlyv
Campion was amused at his OBJ
stinacy. IF you are going to see
marvels in everything" he said,
why, I could make bowl do the
same thing any day; but / suppose
you would call that offended dignity,
too. Nebelsen, must cure you of
this nonsense, it's SO bad for you.
Wen try 1t again with more subtle
sort of outrage. All! think this will
do"
Nebelsen had already replaced the
image upon table, and Campion
took a tube of carmine 1hich hap
pened to be nea4, and with his thumb
drew broad smear across the idols