Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-11-12

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CHAPTER XII
A Critical Moment
Two days later, and in the middle Of
the afternoon, Resale was again In
Miss Estfillas room suffering from In
cipient control" Her eyes stared,
her limbs twitched.
Sorry" said Resale. on her en-
trance. ~but I've got It again-an' I
can't beat it Do you mind II l lock
the door3 I wouldn't be disturbed for
. farm-don't know what It would do
to met" She pumped down into a
chair, giving yawn which shook her
whole body. Gradually she relaxed.
With one heaying sigh she settled
back. Her eyes closed; she fell a.
into sleep. And presently she was
babhlfng A1st in the baritone Of Doctor
Carver and than in the liquid accents
Of Laughdng-Eyes.
Let me omit the prelimfnaTfes. They
dealt opU with trivial thinu-such
little affairs Of the house AZ occurred
to the mind Of Rosalie Le Grange,
working In flashes under her sleeping
exterior. She had growled and bah
bled for I'VE minutes before Laughing-
Eyes announced suddenly:
1.-THE lady u sick-ths pretty Lady.
Spirit wants to talk to the lady. Pref.
ty spirit I feel like great big queen
was here-Vic-vlc-vl The
voice Of Laughing-Eyes stopped. This
was device Of Rosalie'a She want
cd to listen. Miss Estrilla had been
breathing regularly. Now. ON the men
ton Of that name. her breath caught
The voice Of Roealie, her whole facial
expression. her mannee--H one can
attribute manner to q woman who
appears to sleep-underwent an alb
rupt change. The voice deepened; the
lines of her face fell; It was Doctor
Carver who spoke.
Victoria Is not strong" said the
voice; II sense that she brings conso-
lation. She says that things are bad:
but they wfll be better BY and by. It
Is . motherb influence. Miguel"
here Resale stopped; and again she
noted the irregular breathing from the
couch. It was an eternal quarter-min.
ute before she spoke again: this time
the voice was mans, but lighter ana.
higher than that Of Doctor Carver:
and It spoke Spanish.
Il AMI mate, hijita mia!" Il said.
and died away. A silence again. che
IL gone" said the voice Of Doctor
Carver. "A spirit wants the young
woman who lives below this room"
The seance dsifted away into series
Of imaginary messages for Miss Hard
ing. But once again Miguel hoated
into the talk. dropped word or two
Of easily.pronounced Spanish. hoated
out again. Presently Doctor Carver
came no more; the babblinss Of
Laughing-Eyes became disconnected
rmonosyllables, and died ont altogether.
lRosalie lay ~ though asleep.
She lay for Ave minutes: she lay
for ten minutes. Wont she ever wake
me up?" thought Resale.
Miss Estrilla moved now and then:
now and then her breathing caught.
And suddenly-she was not breathing
at all. Resale steeled herself for the
shock Of cold water. II that were to
be the awakening. The shock came
but In another form.
II am going to kill you!" said the
voice of Miss Estrilla In Spanish: II
am pointing pistol at your head!
Come to meat .pnce-or shall fret"
Thirty years in the profession which
deals with decetts both minute and
lmonstrous. thirty years Of emotions
simulated, had given Rosalie one great
practical talent-control Of mind,
muscle and nerve. Il had given her.
too, a courage born Of self.confidence,
of the well-grounded faith that che
could master any situation. Her i'm.
pulse, under sudden shock Of sur.
prise, was to continue naturally and
easily. Just what she had been doing.
That tided her over the moment of
,crisis. Her eyes remained closed. her
color changed not, her breath came %
regularly and evenly as before. There
succeeded the critical moment when
the control Of instinct was gone and
the less dependable control Of reason
ireasserted itself. That was hardest
OF all. She must remember to keep
Iher breathing regular, and her limbs
composed; above all-and this ID
feat possible only to an actor Of parts
ior q professional medfum-to keep the
color In her face. She accomplished
this by the simple device Of sinking
her chin close against her collar. It
was easier - the moments passed.
Nothing had happened, nor was there
ANY movement on the couch. It be.
came certain that this was . test.
iRosalis waited Her left foot was fall.
ing asleep.
It came as she had expected-the
second test. Clearly and distinctly,
Miss Estrilla said In English:
You are . fraud. am pointing q
revolver at your head. Wake and
hold up your hands or ! will shoot
you'll"
Resale Numbered on in seeming;
and this time 1t needed no effort Of
the will. But the foot sent thou.
sand tiny wrinkles Of pain and dis.