The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1914-01-22
CHAPTER XII.
A Critical Moment.

4 - AEtklGGI mVUlGULs
| Two days later, and in the middle OF
| the afternoon, Rosalie was again in
| Miss Estrillas room suffering from in
| cipient control" Her eyes stared.
Sorry" said Rosalie, on her en-
trance, "but I've got it again-an'
can't beat it. Do you mind IL I lock
| the door? / wouldn't be disturbed for
farm--don't know what it would do
to mel" She pumped down into a
chair, giving yawn which shook her
whole body. Gradually she relaxed,
With one heaving sigh she settled
back. Her eyes closed; she fell as
into sleep. And presently she was
babbling first in the baritone of Doctor
Carver and then in the liquid accents
of Laughing Eyes.
Let me omit the preliminaries. They
dealt only with trivial things-such
little affairs Of the house as occurred
to the mind of ROsalie LIE Grange,
working in flashes under her sleeping
exterior. She had growled and bah
bled for five minutes before Laughing
| Eyes announced suddenly:
1.-THE lady is sick-the pretty lady
Spirit wants to talk to the lady. Pref
ty spirit feel like great big queen
was Vic--Vic-Victoria. The
voice of Laughing.Eyes stopped. This
was device Of Rosalie's. She want.
ed to listen. Miss Estrflla had been
breathing regularly. Now, on the men.
ton of that name, her breath caught.
The voice of Resale, her whole facial
expression, her manner-if one can
attribute manner to woman who
appears to sleep--underwen an alb.
rupt change. The voice deepened; the
lines of her face fell; 1t was Doctor
Carver who spoke.
Victoria is not strong" said the
voice; IL sense that she brings conso.
lation. She says that things are bad;
but they will be better by and by. It
is a mothers influence. Miguel"
here Rosalie stopped; and again she
noted the irregular breathing from the
couch. It was an eternal Guarter-min.
ute before she spoke again: this time
the voice was mans, but lighter and
and 1t spoke Spanish.
81 ami mate, hijita mia!" n said.
and died away. A silence again. HE
is gone" said the voice of Doctor
Carver. "a spirit wants the young
woman who lives below this room"
The seance drifted away into series
Of imaginary messages for Miss Hard
ing. But once again Miguel fioated
into the talk, dropped word or two
of asily-pronounced Spanish, foated
out again. Presently Doctor Carver
came no more; the babbllngs OF
Laughing became disconnected
monosyllables, and died out altogether
Resale lay as though asleep.
She lay for five minutes; she lay
for ten minutes. Won't she ever wake
me up?" thought Rosalie.
Miss Estrilfa 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, if that were to
be the awakening. The shock came
but in another form.
81 am going to kin you!" said the
voice Of Miss Estrilla In Spanish; 81
am pointing a pistol at your head!
Come to meat once--or shall fret"
Thirty years in the profession which
deals with deceits both minute and
monstrous, thirty years Of emotions
simulated, had given Rosalie one great
practica! talent--control o: mind,
muscle and nerve. It had given her;
too. q courage born Of self-confidencel
OF the well-grounded faith that che
could master any situation. Her int
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 oil
crisis. Her eyes remained closed, her
color changed not, her breath came a.
regularly and evenly as before. There
succeeded the critical moment when
the control of instinct was gone and
the less dependable control of reason
reasserted itself. That was hardest
OF all. She must remember to keep
her breathing regular, and her limbs
composed; above all--and this is a
feat possible only to an actor of parts
OF a professional medium-to keep the
color in her face. She accomplished
this by the simple device OF sinking
her chin close against her collar. 1t
was easier as the moments passed.
Nothing had happened, nor was there
any movement on the couch. It be-
came certain that this was a test
(TO BE CONTINUED.)