The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-03
.ICTUDIES IN
- SUPERSTITION
The Flinders Cup.

~ PierSon niNersity.
Ne shared with the faculty a dislike
Ter the fhnder~eS - for new and ostsnta
ticus rich. who by an irresistible hid Tor
the old Mayance homestead on Meridian
Hill had put final stop IN Miss TabItha
Mayancr's avowsd intention 10 deviss
this desirable property on her death tn
the Incorporated President aud Fellows
Then. too. Fred Flinders. the only son. a
freshman. had shown the impudence of
a common understanding sine" the doctor
IN pursuit nf the Jain idol hsd borrowed
his motor car 10y actually winking at him
whenever they Inc, and cutting hia lee
lures without the shadow ~ an excuse.
Besides and bryond ih,s there vas
the inner influence 81 the doctors in
vestigation into supcrstitions. His ardor
was progressive. II had been leading him
on insensibly from impsrsonal deductions.
where he was at home. 20 personal eK-
perimentations. where he vas abroad.
In the wider aspect his moral view
seemed lost He waa coming 20 ignore
fine distinctions between right and wrong.
He was justifying the end by the means.
The test was ruling without regard for
human laws Was il any wonder. then.
that when the opportunity came TO try
the Flinders cup he should have acted
"a he did without a thought OF young
Fred Finders really vital interests in
the matter
" was tall. soldierly Jim Lance. the
detective sergeant. who frat brought the
superstition 81 the Flinders cup to the
doctors attention.
In accordance with our little arrange.
ment. Doctor he said. one night. I
came to you just a. soon az the queerness
developed.
BE definite. Lance interposed Or.
Blore Vague words are wasted words.
and my time il valuable.
Whereupon thu detective made his
repor, a. Il standing before the desk.
The F1inderses. Il seemed. had a. their
most precious possession q black and
green poTorlain cup, upon which the
safety and indeed the very existence oI
the family was said 90 depend should
the cup break. then the family would be-
come extinct
shortly after their occupancy Of the
Mayance house this cup was stolen
Then letters kept coming. Logging. de-
mauding money for its return; threaten
ing its destruction unless the money wag
paid This money. each time. Was duly
paid: placed. without watch OF guard. in
the nook in the stone wall designated for
the purpose: hut the cup was not returned
Instead fresh. more Insistent demands
KEEP, coming until the magnate himself
was raging his wife was ILL., his niece
Miss Helen about was unable to sleep.
tho who's. household IN a word. agtat~d
and unset With the exception Of the
hop~ful Fr~d. who despite the fact that
his life was thus hanging In the balance
hilariously pursued the uneven tenor Of
his ways
To Lance had been assigned thu deli
cate task ~ recovering the Gun intact
THIS he had 50 far accom- plishsd that he
he had not only found out the thieves hut
had forsgathsred with them in a way
They were a precious trio, evidently
and Horace and Hubert Blount. his grown
up and rundown sons. They were
hihulously and rtotously occupying a
cottage on the Shore road not ten miles
from town. spending the money more
freely than they got il in the certainty
OF getting more
Lance had appealed to them a. q rusty
sport. resting up at nearby tavern under
the name ~ Eagles. He had shared
their reyelry; he had even managed tn
search the closet where they kept Their
liquor and "igars. and hence the strong
est safest place IN the shack ~ a hous~
On the tor shelf vas the shsgreen case
IN which the Gun had always been kept.
bu' II was empty. The cup vas not
therS
"Quesr start. Doctor he said. tn
come ~ the end u q rope only 10 find
nothing hanging on u
But already the doctor had turned 20
his ancient tOme~ with . yAWn. I don't
SO why you brought all tilis n me. Lance.
he said The Flinderse~ are a Tnush
room growth from Pittshurg. Their