Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-07-16
CHAPTER XIV
John Talks.


next afternoon at the special and
= plaintive request of Miss Estrilla
Resale LIE Grange reached at last
the very kernel of the matter.
She brought John"
She had prepared, by a special and
subsidiary line of play, for this vital
move. She had been cultivating Con-
stance Hanska. With arts all her
own, Rosalie broke through the re-
serves of that distressed widow. From
discussion of the murder, Rosalie led
her on to details of her married life.
From that, she lured Constance into
deeper condolences, which involved
the personal peculiarities of the late
Captain Hanska, such as his way of
speaking, the quality of his voice, and
his methods with women. When
Resale settled down to the fifth
seance, she had in her mind a picture
of John II. Hanska which was good
enough for any of her purposes.
The preliminaries were over;
Laughing Eyes had gone her babbling
way back to the land of spirit; Doctor
Carver held control
"A spirit has been trying to com
municate, but he is a new spirit and
not yet strong. He says that the
lady's sickness is not of the body. It
Is of the mind. He also is not happy
yet. John was his name on the flesh
planet is hard-we over here must
make an effort-it is a strain on us as
on the medium-I get an H." In
the ensuing silence, Miss Estrilla gave
one hard sob.
The silence lasted for half a minute.
Resale strained and struggled as
though tumult were going on
within. Then came a mans voice,
higher and softer than that of Doctor
Carver.
Il am John, Margaret. l can not
stay long. l am not strong-they tell
us over here-that we must forgive
even as we are forgiven Butt will
come again"
"Oh, John-I am trying to forgive
OH do you understand-wait---'
gasped Miss Estrilla.
But John spoke no more.
He may grow stronger after a
time" said the voice of Doctor Car
yer, IF this poor earth vessel
through which we speak, does not
break" So he finished the pertinent
part Of that session.
The seances were coming every day
now. Miss Estrilla wished it: and
Resale granted her request with an
appearance of indulgent reluctance.
The next day, John intruded again.
This time, it appeared, he had
grown strong enough to speak con-
secutively.
Il have not full power yet. But 1t
Is coming. I grow stronger. But the
shock in my breast-I feel it," That
was something of a venture Rosalie
waited to see what reply it would
draw.
The reply came, quick and puz-
zling:
Did that come first, then? Oh,
surely you didn't feel that?" asked
Miss Estrilla as though in a fever
of anxiety.
Rosalie, thinking like lightning,
felt herself for the moment at her
wits ends. Upon the answer to that
cryptic question everything might
depend. 1t We're best, she concluded,
to humor Miss Estrilla; to give her
what she wanted, but to make the
wording vague. She let her body
heave, as though John were retaining
his control with difficulty.
NO" said the voice." that was
not first. 1t had come already. But,
somehow knew
"Oh. thank God" cried Miss
Estrilla.
John departed on this. Doctor
Carver and Laughing-Eyes spread
clouds of mist, intellectual but rosy.
They went; Rosalie entered that ap-
parent sleep with which she con-
cluded her frances AS she lay