Mexico Missouri message., 1917-08-30
Copyright by Chas. ScribnOr's Soma
CHAPTER xiI-continued.
IL

him, believed rs little In the psychic as
nny hardheaded young business iconO-
tcIast Of an ngnostic century could. But
Iou this particular evening when he
was smoking his after-dinner pipe on
che flagstoned porch with Corona for
his companion, there were phenomena
apparently unexplalnsble on any pure
ty material hypothesis.
IL am sure l have much less than
half of the curiosity that women are
said to have, but, really, do want to
know what dreadful thing has hap
GScned to you since we met you in the
High Line Offices this morning
mamma and l." was the way In which
cur; and Smith started so nervously
chat he dropped his pipe
''You can be the most unexpected
person, when you try" he laughed, but
the laugh scarcely rang true. "What
guakes you think TINT anything has
h1ppenedT
II don't think-I know" the small
-seeress went on with calm assurance.
you've been telling us In all sorts of
aumh ways that you've had an upset
rfng shock of some kind; and don't
believe it's another lawsuit. Am
right, so far7"
Il believe you are a witch, and it's a
mighty good thing you didn't live in
.dle Salem period" he rejoined. "They
would have hanged yoa to a dead
moral certainty"
gThnn fhnra xvoc syprna4btpu9D eh
queried; adding, JubIlantIy: ~ knew
dtT"
Go on" said the one to whom 1t had
happened; "go on and tell me the rest
1f It."
''Oh, that isn't fair; even a profess
atonnl clairvOyant has TO be told the
color OF her eyes and hair"
~'Wha-whati" the ejaculation was
fairly Jared out of him and for the
moment he fancied he could feel a cool
breeze blowing up the back of his neck.
The clairvoyant who did not claim to
be professional was laughing softly.
you told me once that a woman
vYTtB adorable in the exact degree in
y1Saich she could afford 10 be visibly
transparent; yes, you Siiid afford and
Eve been holding IL against you. Now
Am going to pay you back. You are
che transparent one, this time. You
Iaave as good as admitted that the hap
pening' thing isn't n man; 'wha-what
always means that, you know; so 1t
ttnust be a woman. Is it the Miss Rich
isander you were telling me about not
XOHg agO?"
There are times when any mere
Tunh may be shocked into telling the
truth, and Smith had cOme face to face
with one of them. cit is" he said.
"She is in BrewsterT'
Yes. She came this evening"
"And you ran away? That was hor-
rtbiy unkind, don't you tllnk-after
asfle had come SO fart"
gold on" he broke In. "DcR't let's
~ 50 fast. 1 didn't ask her to come.
and, besides, she didn't come to see
rae."
8 did she tell you that7'
80 have taken precious good care
'S1lat she shouldn't have the chance. /
saw her name-and her Eather's-on
Che hotel register; and Sast shout that
tfDe remembered that could prob
ably get bite to cat out here"
''You are qHeCri All men are little
9aAev. think--always excepting colo
-uet-daddy. Don't yOu want to see herr
Indeed, dOn'tT''
Not even for old flraes' salEe?"
@-So; not even for old times sake.
i've given yOH the wrong impression
ESynspleteIy, II yau think there is any
atjtIgation on my part. II might have
,Irffted on to the other things in the
,s,ourse OF time, simply because neither
M us might have known any better
SiAsn TO let it drift Hut that's all a
esElck number, now"
~I,lSt the same. hcr coming shocked
yuu."
1T certainly lid" he confessed sober
sy; and then: ''IiaYe you forgotten
~;5lat told you about the circumstances
sruder which left homer"
"Oh!" she murmuresi, sRd as once
HefoFe there WAS n Ettie gasp to go
SgtCh the word. TheRs ''She wouldn't
she wouldn't"
''NO." he answered; "she wouldn't
.kut her father would"
$50 her father wanted her to marry
ftIae Sther man. did heF'
smiths laugh wus an casing OF
STRAINS. "y0a've p1ntped Ule dry" he
sreturned. the sardeAic AIElnor reassert
fEns Itself.
q motNTcar was eoHIins up the drive
cvSy. II was Mga eiIpse that an inter
suesion OF some sort was breaking in
md when tie colanei appeared aht
far0asht Stillings With htn 10 the lOung
sEng end OF the porch, = business cOslfor
ssnce began which gnye Hiss corois hG
sEcsIse t0 disappesT, and which zc
a,Sunted easi far the zasAnio aar ~ tis'
aJsNittE-