Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-09-04

supposed Alem f1aJl.
"T have brought you twice as much
money tonight the woman was say.
ing. 4 want to see him longer. I
want to talk to him about that thing
you have kept me from asking him
about-what became of him. l want
you to let him come near me and let
me hold him in my arms. Won't you
do that?' The woman's voice was pit.
eous. Won't you let me?'
"'Spirits are vague, was the gut
tural answer Of the pseudo Hail.
Spirits are vague
"'But you have promised-oh, so
many times. The spirits Of life which
you said would bring him to me In
my dreams have not done 1t. Once ]
saw him-then he fitted away. You
let me talk to him and ask him If he
loves me. Why can't you let me ask
him what want to know-about that
other woman Haji's voice seemed
queer. It was choking.
"'Tonight,' came his reply at last.
you can see him and talk to him and
hold him in your arms. The spirits
will it.
"A cry came from the woman. She
hurried into the seance room and
seated herself. I could hear her hard
breathing. could almost see her
eyes cleaning In the darkness.
Then began the seance. Strange
lights played for moment as pulled
the switches to the accompaniment of
the chanting voice Of the detective
Hail. Then all was darkness. At last
a voice broke upon the stiffness.
al have come to you. Esther. What
is 1t? What Is it?'
"The woman half sobbed.
"'Henry, where are your
"T am close to you. Close to you
"A vague figure floated through the
air, near to the waiting woman, then
disappeared in darkness. Again 1t
came forth, and this time 1t carried
with 1t an uncanny glow, showing the
dead face OF man, his bloodless lips,
his staring eyes. The woman reeled
in her chair and thrust forth her arms.
The figure vanished behind the cur
tains again.
"Once more the voice sounded. The
strange lights played again and again.
The woman was becoming hysterical.
She was screaming to Hail. begging
that he allow the spirit to come to her.
to be held In her arms. There was no
IJoH
posed, was stretched forth upon the
divan, his whole body hidden except
his arms and head His eyes were
closed. He was in trance.
Music began to play. For the last
time the figure came forth, drifted
into the air and then settled itself into
the woman's arms. She sobbed aloud.
She buried her head against that Of
the man she held.
"'Henry!' she cried. 'Henry-Hen-
ry-'
There came a scream. A white
light fared through the room. ran
forth from behind the curtain, crying
for Hail.
"Im on frs!' I 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!'
"Ill 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. l 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
a week.
"'The plan worked well, didn't itr
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 arres ted the man who
had tricked her.
"'That depends said. ON future
developments. You know we can't
prove in court that Hail was q fake
The evidence to show that he was
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 1t. 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.
ais this fool woman going to act
like this in court?' he asked me In
purest English.
"'Certainly,' I answered.
"Then l think Ill plead guilty and