Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1911-03-01
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With sudden yearning that seemed
to be beyond her control, she leaned
her body against him. Her warm
breath was on his face; her arm found
its way around him and held him con-
vulsively.
"Oh," she whispered, Il can't bear to
have you go. Don't forget me-please
don't forget me-
Il shall never forget you, and what
you have done for me-" he answered
gravely
You will come back and see me
sometime?"
Il will come back. And l should like
to bring friend, who will have even
more cause to thank you than have I"
"a friend?" A tinge of apprehension
colored the question: ga woman?"
Yes"
The soft curves of her body we're
quickly withdrawn from him.
"Oh," she whispered, Il don't believe
want to see her"
For a moment she stood motionless.
Then she said:
"No," he answered, II am not"
Her lips brushed his forehead, and
he was alone. Cropping with one hand,
he assured himself that the panel re
manned open. All in black, he awaited
the signal
And now strange manifestations be-
gan In the room without. There were
INT
coming apparently from all quarters
Invisible fingers swept gently across
the strings of guitar Then came the
soft clangor of gong-once, twice,
three times.
Orme slipped through the panel, into
the cabinet. Keeping close to the wall,
he moved to the left and worked out
into the room. The rappings were now
louder than before-loud and continu-
Gus enough to cover any slight sound
he might made. A little gasp came
from the circle as he went out into the
room. At first he thought that he had
been seen. To his eyes, fresh from
complete darkness, the room seemed
moderately light; but the gas was lit
tie more than a tiny blue dot.
AS he took a step forward he saw
why the circle had gasped. Through
the curtains Of the cabinet came the
semblance of tenuous wrath in long,
trailing robes of white. 1t was almost
formless, its outlines seeming to melt
into the gloom.
Advancing a little way into the cir
Gle, it shrank back as though timorous,
then wavered. From the circle came a
woman's voice-anxious, eager, strain
ing with heart break-"Oh, my sister,"
The figure turned toward her, slowly
extended it's arms, and glided back to
the curtains, where it stood as though
waiting.
The sobbing woman arose from her
chair and fastened toward the wrath
Agnes" she whispered imploringly
Wont you speak to me, Agnes?"
The ghostly figure shook it's head.
Are you happy, Agnes? Tell me-
Oh, don't go until you have told me"
The figure nodded mutely, and with
a final slow gesture, waved the woman
back to her seat.
Meantime Orme cast his eyes over
the circle. Dimly he saw faces, some
stolid, some agitated; and there, at the
farther end were the two Japanese, i'll
tent as children on these wonders.
Their sparkling eyes were directed to
the cabinet.
The apparition had disappeared be-
he DIT
a fresh gasp of wonder, as the figure
of a little child stepped out into the
room. 1t did not go far from the cab
met, and it alternately advanced and
retreated, turning this way and that,
as though looking for some one.
at wants its mother!" exclaimed
one of the women in the circle. 'Is
your mother here, little one?"
The child stared at the speaker, then
withdrew to the curtains.
"They will begin to talk after
while" explained the woman-"when
the control gets stronger. l always
feel so tender for these little lost
spirits that come back to hunt for their
loved ones"
Orme moved swiftly around the cir
cle He passed so close to the Japa-
nese that he could have touched them.
The felt slippers made his steps noise
less; the thick rug absorbed the shock
of his weight.
He passed through the hangings of
the doorway to the next room. There
he had no gaslight; the window
shades, however, were not drawn so
closely but that little daylight en-
tered. He removed the robe and
stuffed it under the old sofa at one
side. His hat, as Madam Ala had said,
was there, and he put it on and went
to the hall door. The circle had begun
to sing another hymn. Orme got into
the hall, shut the door silently, and
hurried down the stairs, the long