The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1914-03-06
CHAPTER XIV.
John Talks.


In the following seance-held the
next afternoon at the special and
plaintive request of Miss Estrilla-
Rosalie LIE Grange reached at last
the very kernel of the matter.
She brought John"
She had prepared, by special and
subsidiary line Of play, for this vital
move. She had been cultivating Con-
stance Hanska With arts all her
own, Rosalie broke through the re-
serves of that distressed widow. From
discussion of the murder, Rosalie led
her on to details of her married life.
From that, she lured Constance into
deeper condolences, which involved the
personal peculiarities of the late Cap
tain Hanska, such as his way Of speak
ing, the quality of his voice, and his
methods with women. When Rosalie
settled down to the fifth seance. she
mad In her mind a picture OF John II.
Hanska which was good enough for
any of her purposes.
The preliminaries we're over; Laugh
ing-Eyes had gone her babbling way
back to the land of spirit; Doctor
Carver held control.
"A spirit has been trying to commu
nicate, but he is new spirit and not
yet strong. He says that the lady's
sickness Is not of the body. 1t is of
the mind. He also is not happy yet.
John was his name on the fiesh-plane
it is hard-we over here must make
an effort-it is strain on us as on
the medium get an H." In the en-
suing silence, Miss Estrilla gave one
hard sob.
The silence lasted for half min
ute. Rosalie strained and struggled as
though tumult were going on within.
Then came a mans voice, higher and
softer than that of Doctor Carver.
81 am John, Margaret. / can not
stay long. am not strong-they tell
us over here-that we must forgive
even as we are forgiven. Butt will
come again"
ooh, john am trying to forgive
oh, do you understand-wait-"
gasped Miss Estrilla.
But John spoke no more.
HE may grow stronger after a
time" said the voice of Doctor Carver.
"if this poor earth vessel through
which we speak does not break" So
he finished the pertinent part of that
session.
The seances were coming every day
1ctr xxy{Ch
Rosalie granted her request with an
appearance of indulgent reluctance.
The next day, John intruded again.
This time, it appeared, he had grown
strong enough to speak consecutively
81 have not full power yet. But it is
coming. l grow stronger. But the
shock in my breast feel it." That
was something of a venture. Rosalie
waited to see what reply 1t would
draw.
The reply came. quick and puzzling:
did that come first then? Or, sure
ly you didn't feel that?" asked Miss
Estrilla as though in a fever of anxi-
ETY..
Rosalie, thinking like lightning, felt
herself for the moment at her wits
ends. Upon the answer to that cryp-
tic question everything might depend.
1t were best, she concluded, to humor
Miss Estrilla; to give her what she
wanted, but to make the wording
vague. She let her body heave, as
though John were retaining his con-
troll with difficulty.
NO." said the voice. that was not
first. 1t had come already. But. some
howl knew"
ooh, thank God!" cried Miss Estrilla.
John departed on this. Doctor Car
yer and Laughing Eyes spread clouds
Of mist, intellectual but rosy. They
went; Rosalie entered that apparent
sleep with which she concluded her
frances" AS she lay there. with
nothing to do but think, this new per-
plexity revolved itself in her mind.
What meant that sudden question
did that come first?" The trail was
leading into wildernesses of which she
had never dreamed.
Rosalie held three more seances
with Miss EStriIlo hafora she roach cd