The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-07-28
:...:....:...:...,
THE CRYSTAL GAzER
BY GEORGE D. sHRAkE.

(Copyright)
Glenville was all astir. 81 Hooyer's
horse was stolen.
That was something awful.
Everybody was terrified.
It happened some time between
nine o'clock Wednesday night and five
O'Clock Thursday morning. At six
!. every one of the 300 inhabitants knew
Of it. They simply did not know what
10 make of It.
The like amt been heard OF fol
40 years." said Alec Humbert, the vii
iage philosopher and presager-also
the authoritative bureau for informa
ton concerning anything that Glen
vile might want to know.
What put them entirely agog was
the fact that there was nobody tc
blame, or even to suspect There haG
been no strangers In town since the
preceding Saturday night, when 6
travelling doctor sold medicine from 6
blackboard. These fellows came often
Almost every week one would come
around and tell the Chenille people
that they were all sick, and then sell
them something that would cure al
ailments. If they did not chance tt
get sick. they could work it into g
lather and use 1t to shave.
Sure enough. there were two
strange men in town, but they had
been there since the day before, and
were there yet. 1t could not be they
Their business was to inspect tele
phone wires. They had a horse OF
their own.
All through the next day the GOSSIP
continued Saturday morning things
we're b q deplorable state Nine
horses we're reported MISSING Every
one at the livery barn. Including the
wireinspectors' horse, had been
taken. Never in the history OF Glen
vile had such a thing happened
Nobody worked that day. Women
men and children stood around the
streets. their faces wearing a serious
expression.
One of the two trains that stopped
daily at GlenviIle brought another
medicine man. Even he was ques
toned about seeing horses. He smiled
and said he was not travelling on
horse-cars.
After putting up at the hotel, he
came out In the streets to look over
his prospects. He was a little fellow
rather old, had steel-gray eyes, q few
gray hairs, and walked lame. He soon
struck up an acquaintance with Alec
Humbert. and many OF the others. He
was very sorry that they had had
such hard luck, for it surely would
hurt his business.
Occasionally" he said, Il tell for
tunes and read minds; but not often
I used to do more of it"
Il wish you could do like a woman
I saw once" said Alec Humbert.
What did she do?" asked the doc
| tor.
Alec then explained how woman
he once saw In a vaudeville show
could tell people whom she had never
seen what their names were, how ole
they were, what their occupation was
or could even tell them where any
thing was that had been lost
There was now quite a Grove
round Alec and the doctor, all o.
whom had heard Alec tell about the
vaudeville show. Some believed, while
others discredited It.
MY wife and / did that too," sait
the doctor What did she look like
do you remember? Maybe it was her.
"A very little woman" answered
Alec. quite interested. at was at Con
norville that saw her."
Must have been her." exclaimed
the doctor. I'VE played together
showing on alternate nights. But
you see. she couldn't stand it. She lost
her mind, and finally died. Then
quit that business and went to selling
medicine"
The doctors medicine did not e.
very fast The people were too scared
to buy medicine. He then started tell
ing some OF the little girls, fortunes
and springing jokes. This, Of course
had cheering effect. Some Of then
forgot their serious thoughts
How bout that tellin' where
things are?" asked 81 Hoover. the frs,
victim of the theft.
Il told you," answered the doctor
that / could do that, but didn't like
to. II will drive a man insane if hi
does much OF IT. But l won't minC
once"
One of the wire-inspectors ther
stepped up and told how he had los
his watch. He thought 1t dropped
from his pocket when he was on some
pole. The doctor had him come up OF
the platform, then extracted a crysta
from his satchel Taking the inspec
tors hand. he began staring into thu
crystal.
TT appears to me-" began the doc
tor, mumbling, that there Is a plac,
! right close here where the telephone
wires cross the road. There is 1
green house there. l think l see you
watch lying in the grass near the frs
pole"
The inspector, with 81 Hoover and ,
couple more at his heels, started to
ward the green house. The balanc,
of the audience listened to talk tn,
doctor gave them about his medicine
which," he said, is my real bust
ness
It was not long before the watch
seekers came back, all excited and oh
sessed with enthusiasm. The inspec
tor found his watch right where h
| onfhor % a..
others found n.
Alec Humbert Immediately steppe,
up and said:
That's just the way she did," Thel
he asked: Cant you do the sam
with horsesr'
The doctor replied that he could
but would not. He did not dare. HI
already felt the effect of his othel
reading. II he had thought they were
going to demand it, he wished he hat
skipped Glenville and gone to the
next town.
Alec Humbert and 81 Hoover wer'
holding consultation. Presently s
stepped up to the platform and said
Get my horse, and there's Is dol
lars In It for you
The doctor did not like to do It
He could not get It. he said. for h
vas crippled. and could not walk yer!
we'll. He did not care 80 much abou
the reward. It would be the favo
that he would be doing for Chenille
He would try. however, to locate II
81 Hoover was then ordered to thu
platform, and the doctor went through
the same maneuvers. 1t appeared t
him that there was a sort Of vale.
around Glenvilie somewhere that wa
rather remote. II could not b
reached by road. He could see
horse fhara the thief nrnhahlY wait