The Springfield herald., 1913-06-27

She buried her head against that c
the man she held.
"'Henry!' she cried. 'Henry-Hen-
ry-'
There came scream. A white
light fared through the room. l ran
forth from behind the curtain. crying
for Hail.
I'm on fire' cried. 'Haji-help
me-help me-
"a curse came from the couch as
the detective jumped up.
"'You little fool!' he cried. Get
back there. you're not on fire. Get
back there-get back there!'
I'm not answered. I'm not 60
ing to do your work for you any more.
You frighten me! You make me do
things that scare me! don't like It
with that. reached to the switch
on the wall and threw on the lights.
Mrs. Charles stood before US open
mouthed, staring from the wooden
dummy in her arms, on me and then
the detective she believed to be Hail
at the strings in his hands. which
showed how he had manipulated the
working Of the dummy she believed to
have been the spirit of her husband.
had left the curtains open. The par
aphernalia Of the seance room was
laid out before her. She gasped once
or twice, her eyes opened wide and
then she allowed the dummy with its
waxen. staring countenance, to sink
from her arms.
'Trickery! she said. all this is
trickery! You've robbed me! You've
stolen everything from me making me
believe-!'
She rushed from the room and out
Of the house. We let her go. Then
we hurried into the clothes OF civili-
zation we had not worn for more than
week.
1.-The plan worked we'll, didn't it?'
the detective asked as we met down
stairs and prepared to go to the home
of Mrs. Charles to announce to her
that we had arrested the man who
had tricked her.
THAT depends l said. 'on future
developments. You know We can't
prove in court that Hail was fake.
The evidence to show that he was a
fake was concocted after he had gone.
There's only one thing to do
"'And that is-?' the detective
asked
HE got his answer an hour later.
when Mrs. Charles went with us to
the police station and faced the man
who had been imprisoned there many
days. But she did not know it. She
| believed he had just been taken there
| and the storm of her wrath descended.
| She screamed at him. She attempted
to grasp him with her clawing hands.
Historically she raved at him and he
watched her smilingly.
"Is this fool woman going to act
like this in court?' he asked me in
purest English.
Certainly answered.
Then I think I'll plead guilty and
give her her money back. She gets
on my nerves..
And" added Miss Clement. "he did.
Besides that, there were many thou
sands Of dollars that went to other
dupes, while Hail went to his old
home in Joliet And"
Pardon me-" I interrupted, but
would you mind telling me one thing?"
"What?" Miss Clement smiled in an
ticipation of the question:
What on earth that pair OF gloves
had to do with things?"
The smile turned to laugh.
Il knew you would ask that" she
said 1.-The truth of the matter is that
the gloves had nothing to do with 1t,
except in roundabout way. When 1
was talking to Miss Charles noticed
peculiar odor permeating the room.
| l had only noticed that odor once be-
fore In my life-and that was the time
when l had raided Alem Halls place
five years before and learned that 1t
was a concoction of his known as the
Spirits Of Life. with which he was
supposed to bring back persons from
the other world, that the one who
sought them might see them in their
dreams. saw right away that the odor
came from the gloves. because l had
not noticed 1t SO strongly until Miss
Charles began to wave them. Then,
as soon as found out they were her
mothers gloves l was sure of my
ground. All that was needed then was
the working out Of things. Simple,
wasn't it?"
Exceedingly so." answered.
'Whatll you have to start out the
meal on. cold consomme or"
Exactly" answered Miss Clements
|