Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-04-19
CHAPTER XNvI (Continued.)

.huddered slightly.
The cobra, too. is dead" AIDED loo
Trey. Il agree with you, Miss Vaughan.
There was a kinship between them
thouSh the cobra turned against him in
the end. How long did he sit there"
Il do not know-buti it seemed an age
to me. Finally, in despair, / had made
up my min to try to steal away, when
l heard steps in the entry. Mahbub
shipped from the divan and disappeared
behind the curtains, and then the door
opened and Senior Silva and Mr.. Les
ter entered. l saw, at once, that there
was to be another seance, and that |
could not escape, for Senior Silva sat
down facing the orner where l was. l
could only brace myself against the
wall and wait. 1t was a dreadful or
deal. But it had it's reward" she add
ed, with a smile.
And that vas" l asked.
The discovery of the glove. Senior
Silva suddenly switched on the lights,
ana l knew that the Seance was over,
but he had some difficulty in arousing
you-the trance must have been a very
deep one-and finally, leaving you ly-
ing on the divan, he went to the wall,
drew aside the hangings, and pressed
his hand against a panel. A little
door flew open, and l saw that there
was a cupboard in the wall. He filled
a glass with some liquid. pulled the
hangings into place, and went back to
you and made you drink it. 1t seemed
to do you good"
Yes" l said; lit brought me arounv
at once. And them"
And then, as soon as You went out
together, l ran to the cupboard and
looked n it. But for a l was
confused saw nothing which seemed
OF n lmpOrtance-Some bottles and
decanters and glasses, u glass tray or
two, a pile of rubber gloves. l
couldn't understand. 1 picked up one
OF the gloves and looked at it, but it
was just an ordinary glove. The
farther back, l saw some others
their finger tips We're stained with ink
and then another, lying by itself. l
looked at it, l saw the patches on the
finger tips-I saw the stains-and then
l understood. 1 do not know how L
understood, or why-it was like a flash
OF lightning, revealing everything. And
then, as l stood there, with the glove
in my hand, l heard Senior Silva re-
turning
h paused a moment. and l could
see the shiver which ran through her
at the recollection.
1T was not that l was afraid" she
said; lit was that / seemed to be lost.
| let the ~draperies fall, ran to the divan
and sat down before the sphere. /
could hin of nothing else to do. |
can still see his astonished face when
he entered and found me sitting there.
II was waiting for you,' l said, try
ing to smile. You remember L was to
have another lesson tonight
Yes. he said, and looked at me, his
we kindling.
II was trembling inwardly, for sud-
denly began to fear him: l knew THAI
L must keep my head. that | must not
yield to his will, or l would be swep
away
II thought Mr.. Lester would never
co. l said.
He came to the divan and sat down
close beside me, II looked into my
eyes.
"'Did the time really seem so long?'
he asked.
1T seemed very long l said.
He gazed at me for another mo-
ment, then rose quickly and turned off
The light.
Sit where you are he said. and l
will sit here. Fix your eyes upon the
sphere and your mind upon the Infin-
lite Mind-so shall great wisdom come
to YOU
u felt my will crumbling to pieces:
I closed my eyes and crushed the glove
within my hand. and thought of this
mans viilainy and of the part | must
play, if l We're to defeat him. His voice
went on and on. but gradually / ceased
to hear it was thinking of the glove.
of escape. of Fred :"
Yea, love is strong. l told myself,
and it giveth to the dove the wisdom
of the serpent, else how had this child
come victorious from such an ordeal.
Il do not know how long l sat there"
Miss Vaughan continued. but Senior
Silva rose suddenly with an e~xclana-
ton of Impotence and switched on the
light.
There is something wrong he said.
coming back and standing over me.
Some hostile influence is at work.
| What is ito
II do not know I said. i cannot
i lose myself as l did last night
Something holds you to earth
some chain. Perhaps it is your own
| wish.
mo. no. 1 protested. Let us try
again.
He switched off the light and sat
down facing me. and again / felt his
And again l clasped the glove. and kept
my mind upon it. thinking only Of es-
cape"
You can guess how we We're leaning
forward. listening b~reathlessly to this
| narrative. / fancied l could see her
sitting there in the darkness. with Sill
vas evil influence visihly about her.
| but held at bay by her resolute inno-
| cencc. as Christians SHE'D of Faith
turned aside the darts of Apollyon. 1t
| was. indeed. a battle of good and evil,
the more terrible because it was fought,
not with bodily weapons, but with spir-
itual ones.
"At last. Senior Silva rose again.
Miss Vaughan continued. and turned
on the lights. and l shivered when l
met his gaze.
"'Ycu are defying me- he said. very
low. But I will break you yet and he
clapped his hands softly together.
"Mahbub appeared at the inner door,.