The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-06
5llNl.M.A'Rl rs REIC,',.N
tcopyrght, 1907, reserved,

ssS5f ~. III
a orczy. nll rights reserved,
lnnskenet, at ball or at the billiards.
one and thirty or at the pass ten: HE.
might try his skillritoo at throwing
the dart. or his strength at putting ti,sc;
There IT., were n,oilntena = k x; and a.iaek-
loEera ir their tents For twopenee
s eRe dop % ayf pan SsS VIII The back
lhe planets. could play 4 game 81 t 1no
mis- OF peIitrlgone. or be coined ar,1
Ienrled. perfuned and trimmed. so as
A p1sas ssreu shlnty tbs
bang! bang!' OF the big drums. a thsa
criers proclaiming the qualities OF tiieir.
wares. the jarTing notes OF the sack.
| but and the allinan flute. the screeshy
all playink against one anotn u.s p PEE
istriving to drown the other. ana
rningltng with laughter OF the crowd
the yells OF the prentices. the babbis
Iot tho women. formed q huge volume
have been heard from one end a. = as us
country to the other. - - VIZ
!, All was noise. merriment ana
The way s Ii sea s eorne an % out q
/ fair. where the sister stra, ,n ot me
Gmber and the Mole. Join ha,ids for a
s wen.s meet nee but to part again: and
Iof Hampton Court appeared like tboas
Iof a fairy palace floating In n,Id a4h
or. perched high aloft In the shin
tmrering haze OF this hot late summers
CHAPTER II.
Tie Witch's Tent.
mere are many accounts still extant
Fair on this Cd OF October i IN az
year OF our Lord 1869. and several
lchrontciers-Renard is conspicmn,,s
among Am the latter-make mention Of
the e esen ana Which very nearly turned
cay into weird and tragic drama,
certainly the witch's tent was q
vd But what 1st,, would you7 No doubt tn.
Of mystlfication called herself .Abra,s
had tried many means OF earning. .
Iiilvellhood before he and his associate
q ! business gasnm. took to the lucratiye. yet
He was tall and gaunt. with hooked
nose and dcep-sunk eyes; he ad cuitI-
vated q long. grey beard, and could
CHI forth the powers Of Aflrrab the
Witch. with remarkably solemn. and
cultural voice.
AS for Mirrab herself, no one wa.
a ahn ,,. 10 see her. That was part Of
a
dealer In magic potions. charms and
softly be It spoken--a friend and COM
panion OF the devil. She only ap-
divining wand held lightly IN her hand
the ends Of her dark tressea alone
visible below the heavy coverins
which swathed her head.
1t was the mystery OF It all-cheap
devices at best-which from the first
had irritated the country-foik who
thronged the Fair.
she .ee tent s1 East as e gese s ss
nigh upon raised platform. to which
Few rough steps gave access, On
the right was tail Flagstaff. with
skull and cross-bones, nuttering laz-
lily In the breeze. g.
On the left a huge elm tree. With
great heavy branches oversladow-
ing the tent had been utilized TO sup
'Mirrab! the World-famed Necromc.
Sale of Magic Charms and Love.
Philtres.
Horoscope Casting and Elixir of Lfe...
.Rerched on The paat torn and asslss
With big drum and cymbals. the
Towing mantle covered with strange
h ,o Els Soo tqns by py'1 as.es s
/
strange. mysterious promises. ~
This. way. this way, my masters"
he would say with imposing solsmnt.y.
rab will envoke for you the spirits OF
Mars. OF Saturn. or OF the Moon"
: .shs ,u Will show you the Grand Grand
Now what was the Grand Grin,or-
ium. The very sound OF the words
suggested nome agency OF the devil:
no Christian man had. ever heard or
spoken of. Of the sn Gra nd Grimorium =.
blasting rod and the dIvining wand.
She Will call forth the elementary
Some people would try to laugh.
Who had ever heard Of tho clemen-
,ary spirits? Perhaps II some OF the
more enlightened town worthless hap
.pened to be nigh the BOOTH. one or
two OF them would begin .to4chaft the
And prithee. friend wizard
solemn buvgher would suggest. "pri.
thee what are the elementary spirits7.
But Abra was nothing II not ready
witted. *
expia n e' WITH lmper s aG GRAVITY
naet The he grsen Ute rv The e ass
the screecl OWL
The weird nomenclature was. enough
to make any ones hair stand on end
Even the sedate burgesses would. shake
the QSdu6 anu tSlleILIy.a 3eASe .aWd0sl
whilst their womankind would run
swiftly past the booth. nuttering q
quick Ave to the blessed Virgin or
kissing the Holy Scalpularyl hung be-
meath their kerchiefs, as their terrified
5glances met the cabaltstic signs on tho
Tho lumber country folk frankly
!spat upon the ground three times.
whenever they caught sight Of the flag.
and that is a sure way OF send the
devil about his business.
The shadows now We're beginning to
4lengthen.
The towers and cupolas OF Hampton
Court Palace were studded with gold
and gems by the slantlng rays of the
setting sun.
1t had been a glorious afternoon. and,
except in the open space Immediately
In front OF the witch's tent. the fun
of the fair had lost mono OF Its zcst
Il The witchs booth alone was solitary
], Is. weird looking beneath the
spreading branches OF the overhangins
elm. 49, III 5t & 3
The tent seemed lighted from within,
for, as the evening breeze stirred. Its
3EanEings. CLEANS Of brilliant red, MORE
glowing than tho sunset. appeared In
zlgzag streaks between Its folds.
(To Be Continued To-nlorrow.j