The Southern herald., 1914-05-01

THE CRYSTAL -GAZER
By GEORGE D. sHRAkE.
(Copyright.)

GAGuNlAlC was oAA esOSA@s 49,
horse was stolen.
That was something awful.
Everybody was terrified.
1t happened some time between
nine o'clock Wednesday night and fve
O'Clock Thursday morning. At six,
every one of the 300 inhabitants knew
of it, They simply did not know what
to make Of it.
THE like amt been heard of for
40 years." said Alec Humbert, the vii
lage 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 to
blame, or even to suspect. There had
been no strangers in town since the
preceding Saturday night, when
travelling doctor sold medicine from
blackboard, These fellows came often.
Almost every week one would come
around and tell the Glenville people
that they were all sick, and then sell
them something that would cure all
ailments. If they did not chance to
get sick, they could work it into a
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 horse Of
their own.
All through the next day the gossip
continued. Saturday morning things
were in deplorable state. Nine
horses were reported missing. Every
one at the livery barn, including the
wireinspectors' horse, had been
taken. Never in the history Of Glen
vile had such thing happened.
Nobody worked that day. Women,
men and children stood around the
streets, their faces wearing serious
expression.
One of the two trains that stopped
daily at Glenville 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 little fellow,
rather old, had steel-gray eyes, a 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, 81 tell for
tunes and read minds; but not often
/ used to do more of il"
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 we're, how old
they were, what their occupation was
or could even tell them where any
thing was that had been lost.
There was now quite crowt
round Alec and the doctor, all o.
whom had heard Alec tell about the
vaudeville show. Some believed, while
others discredited 1t.
my wife and l did that, too," sale
the doctor What did she look like
do you remember? Maybe 1t was her.
"A very little woman" answered
Alec, quite interested. ut was at Con
norville that l 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 los
her mind, and finally died. Then
quit that business and went to selling
medicine"
The doctors medicine did not g
very fast. The people were too scarce
to buy medicine. He then started tell
ing some of the little girls fortune
and springing jokes. This, Of course
had a cheering effect. Some Of then
forgot their serious thoughts.
: How bout that tellin' wher
things are?" asked 81 Hoover, the frs
victim Of the theft.
Il told you," answered the doctor
"that could do that, but didn't lik
to. 1t will drive a man insane If h
does much Of it. But l won't min
. once"
i One of the wire-inspectors the
stepped up and told how he had los
his watch. He thought 1t droppe
from his pocket when he was on som
pole. The doctor had him come up o
the platform, then extracted crysts
r from his satchel. Taking the inspet
; tors hand, he began staring into tn
a crystal.
0 1T appears to me-" began the do,
: tor, mumbling, that there is a plac
l right close here where the telephone
I wires cross the road. There is
. green house there. think see you
watch lying in the grass near the fri
pole"
The inspector, with 81 Hoover and
a couple more at his heels. started t
ward the green house. The balanC
!. of the audience listened to talk th
i doctor gave them about his medicin
h which" he said, "is my real bus
,Aaa"