Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1914-09-30

OTOW as II IN Concentration OF CAOu&n6.
Marjorie Blair felt an unholy desire to
laugh. She glanced at Professor Kent
and to her surprise found him exhibit
ing every evidence Of discomposure
Stupid of me-" he muttered in apol-
ogy. 'Gets on ones nerves, you know.
Awesome and all that sort Of thing
fussing with the stars
Fear nothing" said Jax. 1.-THE star
forces respond to the master Will of
him who comprehends them. Madam.
the date, year, month and day Of your
birth, If you pleasey
March Is. $780," replied Mrs Blair.
Propelled by an unseen force. celes-
tal globe mounted on a nickeled stand
ard, rolled forth. The starmaster
spun 1t with a practised hand. Slowly
and more slowly it turned until, as it
came to stop, ray of light, mysteri-
ously appearing, focused on a constel-
lation.
"Yonder is your STAR" declared the
astrOlogist. "See how the aural light
seeks it,
"Oh, say" murmured he Of the
monocle. Weird, you know! Quite
gets on ones nerves. Quite
"Sh-h-h-h!' -reproved Preston Jax
"Silence is the fitting medium of the
higher stellar mysteries. Madam, your
life is a pathway between happiness
and grief. Loss, like speeding comet,
has crossed it here. Happiness, like
the soft moon glow, has beamed upon
it, and will again beam. in fuller eff
fu1gence'
With beautifully modulated intona-
tons he proceeded, while one of his
visitors regarded him with awe struck
reverence, and the other waited with
patience-but unimpressed, so the ora
tor felt, by his gifts. His voice sank.
by deep toned gradations into silence
The ray winked out. Then the woman
spoke.
''Is it possible for your stars to guide
me to an object which 1 have lost?'
Nothing is hidden from the stars
declared their master. ''You seek jew
els, MADAME" (Kent had let this much
out, as if by accident, in the mornings
conversational
Eyes,
"Your birth stone is the bloodstone
Unhappy, indeed, would be the omen
If you lost one Of those gems" Gle
was fishing and came forward toward
her almost brushing Kent)
"But l say" cried Kent in apparent
~ uncomfortable agitation; ''did your
stars tell you that she had lost some
jewelry? Tell me, is that how you
knew?"
In his eagerness he caught at the
astrologer's arm, the right one and his
long fingers, gathering in the ample
folds of the gown, pressed nervOusly
upon the wrist. Preston -JaX WINGED
away. All the excited vapidity passed
from Kent's speech at once.
''The jewels which this lady has
lost" he said very quietly, "are a set
Of unique rose topazes. I thought-in
fact, l felt that you could, with or
without the aid Of your stars, help her
to recover them"
Blackness, instant and impenetrable,
was the answer to this. Kent raised
his voice the merest trif1e.
unless you wish to be arrested I
advise you not to leave this place. Not
by either exit"
ARRESTED on what charger" came
half chokingly out Of the darkness.
'"Theft''
IT didn't take them"
Murder, them
"My Godr' So abtect was the terror
and misery in the cry that Kent felt
sorry for the wretch. Then, with a
pcerta1n logged bitterness, II don't care
what you know; didn't kill her,
'9That is very likely true" replied
Kent soothingly. But it is what 1
must know in detail. Find your foot
lever and turn on the light
The two visitors could hear the as
trologer grope heavily. AS the light
flashed on they saw, with shock, that
he was on all tours It was as if
Kent's word had felled him. Instant
~ he was up, however, and said:
What am up against? How did
you find me?'
Thrusting his hand in his pocket the
scientist brought out little patch Of
black cloth, with a single star skill
fully embroidered on it
wild blackberry has long thorns
and sharp" he said. 'You left this
latter on Hawkill cliffs"
At the name the mans chin muscle
throbbed with his effort to hold his
teeth steady against chattering.
what do you wantY
"A fair exchange. My name Is Ches-
ter Kent"
The starmastef's chin worked con-
vulstvely. The Kent that broke up
| the Oo-oedinated Sptritism C1rcae?"
Yea"
TITS all bargaining with the devil, !"
observed Preston Jax grtmly. whats
the exchangeT
| II do not believe that you are guilty
Of murder Tell me the whole story
| plainly and straight. and I'll clear you
in so far as I can believe you limo
cent"
| For the first time the Seer's chin was