The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-01-06

answered the doctor. slowly: but she's
getting along nicely. She'll have to be
kept quiet for a few days"
was looking at Swain curiously. He
was rubbing his head preplexedly, as
though trying to bring some confused
memory &c the surface of his mind.
II seem to remember" he said, that
Miss Vaughan tainted, and, that
picked her up" Then he stopped and
stared at us. "Is her father dead?"
ded slightly at Human, and he nod
ded slightly. took 1t for assurance
| that Swain might be questioned. God
frey, who had gone indoors to get some
cigars came back with a handful All
Of US, including Swain, lighted up.
Now, Swain, ! began, 7 want you
i nights happenings. Both Mr.. Godfrey
and DR.. Human are in my confidence
and you may speak freely before them.
want them to hear your story, be-
cause l want their advice"
There was a quicker of perplexity on
SWANS face.
I've been trying, ever since woke
| up the morning, to straighten out by
| remembrance Of last night" he began,
slowly; but haven't succeeded very
well. At least, everything seems to
stop right in the middle"
US " what you S do remember em%
Maybe it will grow clearer as
you recall 1t, or maybe we can fill
in the gaps. Begin at the moment you
| went over the wall. We know every
thing that happened up to that time.
You remember that clearly, don't your"
oh. yes" said Swain. Il remember
all that" and he settled back in his
chair. We'll. after / went down the
| ladder, l found myself in a clump OF
shrubbery. and beyond that was a path.
l knew that the arbor where ! was tc
meet Miss Vaughan was in the corner
or the grounds at the back next to Mr..
Godfrey's place, so l turned back along
| the wall. leaving the path. which curved
away from IL. 1t was very dark under
the trees. and / had to go slowly for
fear Of running into one Of them. But
| l finally found the arbor. 1 struck a
match to assure myself that 1t was
; empty. and then sat down to wait.
Once or twice I fancied heard some
| one moving outside. but it was only
the wind among the trees, 1 guess. for
1t was fully half an hour later before
i Miss Vaughan came"
| / could see how his hand was trem-
! bling on the arm of his chair. and he
paused a moment to collect himself.
What Miss Vaughan told me-" he
went on. at last. and saw that Of the
details OF the meeting he did not intend
/ to speak, convinced me that her ia
Their was quite mad-much worse than
I had suspected. knew, OF course. that
| he was student Of the supernatural.
but since the coming of this yogi - 1"
This what? Human interrupted.
"A yogi" Swain answered. turning
toward him. is as nearly as / can
make out, a sort of high priest of Hin
| duism. He knows all its secrets. and Is
| supposed to be able TO do all sorts of
| supernatural things. This fellow who
lived with Mr.. Vaughan is a yogi. Mr..
Vaughan was his disciple
Where did the yogi come from"
Godfrey asked.
Il don't know. 1 don't think Mr..
Vaughan knows. He arrived, with his
attendant, about six months ago; and
since then things have gone from bad
| to worse. There has been crystal gaZ-
ing and star worship and necromancy
| of all sorts. / confess didn't under
stand very much of it," he added. 1T
was all so wild and weird; but 1t ended
not only in Mr.. Vaughan becoming
| convert 10 whatever religion Ii Is the
! yogi practices, but in a determination
that his daughter should become a
! priestess OF the cult. 1t was from that
| she wished me to help her to escape.
He stopped and again rubbed his head
slowly.
"As 1 tell It," he went on. at last, "it
| sounds absurd and unbelievable; but,
| as she told IL. there in the darkness
with those strange rustlings around us.
| 1t sent the chills up and down my
| spine. Perhaps those Orientals do
know more about the supernatural than
we give them credit for; at any rate,
| 1 know that Miss Vaughan had been
| impressed with the yogfs power. 1t fas-
! cinated and at the same time Mortified
her. She said he had a hideous snake.
cobra. which he petted as she would
pet a kitten. :"
His voice broke again. and he wiped
| the perspiration from his forehead. /
myself felt decidedly nervous. Godfrey
| TIRES away his cigar. which had brok-
en- in his fingers.
"At any rate" Swain went on. II was
| so upset by what she told me that l
| could think of nothing to do except to
beg her to come away with me at once.
| remembered my promise to you. Mr..
| Lester, but / was sure you would ap-
prove. I told her about you-that 1t
| was into your hands the letter had fall
| en-. She said she had seen you looking
| at her from a tree and had known at a
/ glance that she could trust you. You
| didn't tell me YOU were in a tree" he
| added.
Yes" said awkwardly, Il was just
| taking a little ook over the landscape.
| Rather foolish of me, wasn't it?"
We'll, it was mighty fortunate. any
way. She had written the letter. but
she had no idea how she was going to
get It to me-"
| You mean she couldn't go out when
she wanted TOT" demanded Godfrey.