Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-09-06
CHAPTER XIV.

it. There was a three-Quarter bed
in white enamel, a bureau ditto. an
arm chair. and a door ajar, that dis
closed the bath room. The little suite
fairly dazzled with its eieanness and
its whiteness. II there is anything in
contrast, it was q wonderful setting
for bloody crime.
The room offered only one hiding
place Mrs. Gunsdorf knelt, fiattened
herself to, the floor and crawled un-
der the bed.
As always. an Grating crowd fol
loweSEelestia to her car, or, as on the
present occasion, surrounded her to f.
Beside Professor SdIliter. she walked
among them. talking with gentle per
suasion 10 those nearest her. When
she mounted the steps of her car they
cheered her to the echo. She had TO
show herself several times and make
little speeches before they finally dis
persed and went about their business.
Tommy Barclay alone remained He
mounted the steps of the car and
knocked on the glass Of the door. Pro
fessor Stilliter opened it.
Gould / see Celestia a minute?"
I'm afraid not She's dead tired.
But Celestia had heard Tommy S
voice and came out of her stateroom.
where she had gone to lie down.
I'm not too tired" she called. and
I'd like to see him"
But only for a minute" cautioned
Professor Stilllter, and then, with
seeming reluctance, he withdrew and
closed behind the door of the passage
that led past the staterooms to the
dining-room end of the car But the
professor went no farther. Having
closed the door, he applied his ear to
hole that he had bored in it for just
such occasions as this, and listened
"I'm sorry" Celestia was saying
that / had to steal your audience
away from you. 1t would have been
more sportsmanlike to let you finish
speaking and then to have tried to
steal their hearts and minds away
from you. Wouldn't it?"
YES" said Tommy, slowly, Il think
it would, Miss-Amesbury."
Behind his door Professor StlliteI
started as If someone had stuck q
knife in him.
why Miss Amesbury?" asked Ce
lestia.
Because it's your real name.
knew you when you were a baby. VIZ
were great friends. Then you wen
away. My father said you had gone
to heaven-so you had, but only to {
place that you were taught to believe
was heaven. Then you came to eartl
land I've recognized you. wonder
/ didn't before. But do now. There's
no mistake possible"
What utter nonsense are you VI
TO now?"
Sometimes little girls wear sock
and chubby brown legs The littl
Amesbury girl had little round mol,
just under her left knee"
so have l." said Celestia, what o
it?"
why this man Stilliter," sait
Tommy, who kidnapped you when yol
were a kiddie, has taught you to think
by mental suggestion, that you ar
what you think you are, instead of jus
a lovely girl Of flesh and blood lik
the rest of US"
She shook her head and murmure
something about nonsense" but ther
was something so earnest and COZ
vincing in the young mans voice an
manner that what he said could no
but shock and distract her.
I'm sure you believe this, Tommy
but it's quite out of the question. re
member my heavenly home as IL
had left it yesterday"
"You remember a mental condition
not a physical reality"
There was a short pause. Ther
What you've said ought not to bottle
me at all" said Celestia. Il don
know why you say it, or why you thin
it's true, but please don't argue wit
me about it now. I'm so tired that L
almost like to believe it myself"
Professor Stilliter pricked up hi
ears at that, for he knew very we
wanting to believe a thing lives nez
door to believing it. If Celestia coul
be made to believe what Tommy ha
told her, her influence would be at a
end. She would have to be got rid o
| The professor trembled. The triumvi
ate would be for putting her unde
| ground. So would he; but he would b
| for putting her, not in the grave, bI
I back in those vast caverns whenc
she came, and where he, who ha
| power over her, could visit her at hi
convenience.
He wanted the woman more tha
the triumph OF that cause in whose il
terest he had trained her so painstal
ingly for so many years.
Let her believe. He might be vii
ing to help convince her. He WASH
sure.
If" said Tommy, Il can show 70
their cave-if can find it-then woul
you believer"
4 don't know" said Celestia. "Pl
so tired. Please don't talk to me abou
it now" Then she smiled at him an
said Its a wonderful invention
though Find the cave first and the
talk to me-"
"Celestia-don't you want to b,
lever"
Then Professor Stilliter heard
sound that almost made him foam G
the mouth. "She does want to believe,
he thought, "and the win and her u.s.
4 F,,lr,a~c r-sIi he 80 ovad or1 cF,o M