The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-12-27

started out professionally" His
shrewd blue eyes twinkled good ma
turedly at my momentary confusion.
That was what you wanted to know,
wasn't it?"
THAT is an answer to question l
framed mentally" l admitted.
That was easy. Nearly everyone
who shakes hands with me notices
my wrists and wonders about it, just
as you almost invariably wonder as
to whether man with an empty
sleeve lost his arm in battle or had
It torn off by machinery. So. you see.
| was taking no chances. There are
two others at the table who asked the
same question" He indicated the
suspected pair, who admitted the cor
rectness of the statement. "The other
gentlemen weren't curious about it,
simply because they didn't look at my
wrists, but kept their eyes on my face
while we were shaking hands. That's
elementary thought reading"
| ITS mostly like that, isn't it,"
The man with the scar, a nasty
smile lifting the corners of his mouth,
was regarding Bassett with evil in
tensity. Our guest, turning his head,
| glanced at the stranger with languid
interest. Hicks seemed to be the only
member of the circle who kept his
wits about him.
"You remembered our appointment,
l see. I'll be glad to have you join
US. DR.. Bassett, this is Mr.-Mr.-"
He hesitated.
"Tremaine," prompted the man with
the scar.
"Mr. Tremaine," repeated Hicks.
I The doctor bowed.
| "Draw up chair and join u.s." con-
tinued Hicks, with unruffled courtesy.
moved over and made room for
him.
"No," said Bassett, facing Tremaine,
Thought reading is not quite so easy
as that"
"But you claim to be supernatural
in these mental matters. For instance,
l have heard that you pretend to be
able to tell what is recorded in mans
mind. I've been interested in that
sort of thing for years. I've visited
every clairvoyant and mystic in Eu-
rope and Australia, and have yet to
find one of them who can tell me any
thing their tools haven't learned from
my hat, or from the contents Of my
coat pockets, or from what they were
able to deduce from the character OF
my replies to them in clever pump
ing process. They all work the same
old game, and I've seen so much OF II
that regard any serious claims in
that direction as serious claptrap. It's
all ballyrot!.'
Tremaine's audacity was paralyz-
ing, and there was an ominous silence
when he paused had been watching
Bassett, and thought vaguely of those
powerful wrists. But there was nc
movement of the fingers, no change In
the easy poise of his body in the wick
err chair. caught metallic CLEAN ir
the pleasant blue eyes as the lids mar.
rowed a trife. That was all. Hicks
as usual, saved the situation. He
seemed to think it good joke.
"See whats reputation you get Doc
when you join the Mystic Sons of Ole
Mahatma. But honestly, Tremaine
our friend the doctor, here, has all tht
. rest of the crystal gazing, card-read
ing, palms studying, turbaned, punk
burning old pagans Theoretically seal
ed in a granite chamber under Noun
Arrarat. He's seventh son of sew
enth son, and his earliest famous an
cestor was Mustapha the Great, orig
inator and patentee of the celebrated
mysteries of the Arabian Nights"
Even Termaine relaxed little a
!. that.
: GO on, Doc, give the gentlemen
: little demonstration of the rea
thing"
Bassett looked about the little circle
Conditions" he remarked after
. pause, "are hardly favorable to a salts
factory test. Mr.-ah-Termaine ha
! injected sharply antagostic elemen
:, into what may have been distinct,
!, sympathetic atmosphere, and l douh
: il should be able to obtain any re
: sults-at the moment-with him as
: subject. / don't mind mild spoke
! skepticism; but where one has to com
: bat so well defined and aggressiv
disbelief as his am inclined to b
: doubtful of satisfactory results. /.
). Every likely" growled Termaine.
: suppose now you'll pick subject fror
+ among these gentlemen, and in dom
SO will be careful to choose one whoi
, YOU think will be sympathic enoug
to play into your hands. Would 20
u mind letting me select your victim
: subject or whatever you call It?
le The doctor could not well ignoi
.. the challenge and refuse to accept I
IS terms; but he hesitated for the ira
! ton OF a second before yielding. 9TH;
l. will be quite satisfactory to me-.
p said finally. make your own choice
i Termaine studied the faces OF tho'
y about him for what seemed to be
long time before choosing. "Suppo
Is YOU try the gentlemen on the Cons
" Generals left"
"Alling," said Hicks to. the m;
,e Tremaine had indicated, you see
r to be selected"
Of Aliing. who represented a big e
~ port firm in Honghong, had con
to aboard at Yokohama He was a We
ut biond-haired chap of forty or ther
We abouts. with a peculiarly frank al
winning personality, who had be
made a member of our little crowd
I'd soon as he came aboard, and was
H. favorite with all of US; though we 9
We not know as much of him as we
NJ .ko..% %ha Othera who had been