The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1917-08-18
CHAPTER XII-Continued

Ill
Smith, especially in this later incar-
nation which had SO radically changed
him, believed as little in the psychic as
any hardheaded young business icono-
claSt of an agnoStic century could. But
on this particular evening when he
was smoking his after-dinner pipe on
the fiagstoned porch with Corona for
his companion, there were phenomena
apparently unexplainable on any pure
ly material hypothesis.
II am sure | 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
pened to you since we met you in the
High Line offices this morning
mamma and l." was the way in which
one of the phenomena was made to oc-
eur; and Smith started so nervously
that he dropped his pipe.
you can be the most unexpected
person, when you try he laughed but
the laugh scarcely rang true. "What
makes you think that anything has
happened?"
uOu tlluh-I hlltW. llke SIHdli
seeress went on with calm assurance.
you've been telling us in all sorts of
dumb ways that you've had an upset
ting shock Of some kind; and / don't
believe it's another lawsuit. Am !
right, so far?"
81 believe you are a witch, and it's
mighty good thing you didn't live in
the Salem period" he rejoined. "They
would have hanged you to a dead
moral certainty"
Then there was something" she
queried; adding jubilantly: II knew
itr
"Go on" said the one to whom it had
happened; "go on and tell me the rest
of it."
"Oh, that isn't fair; even a profess
sional clairvoyant has to be told the
color of her eyes and hair
"Wha-what" the ejaculation was
fairly Jared out of him and for the
moment he fancied he could feel 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 woman
was adorable in the exact degree IN
which she could afford to be visibl!
transparent; yes, you said AFFORD, anC
I've been holding it against you. NO"
I'm going to pay you back. You are
the TRANSPARENT one, this time. 1ot
have as good as admitted that the nap
pening' thing isn't man; 'wha-Wnat
always means that, you know; SO i
must he q woman. Is it the Miss Rlch
lander YOU were telling me about NO
long ago"
There are times when any mer'
man may be shocked into telling tn
truth. and Smith had come face to rae
with one of them. 1T is" he SAID.
"She is in Brewster
ayas She came this evening.
"And you ran away? That was nor
ribly unkind, don't you thlnk-aite
she had come so far?'
"Hold on" he broke in. Don't let
20 so fast. / didn't ask ner u coms
And. besides, she didn't come 10 Sc
ue."
"Did she tell you thatT
81 have taken precious GOOD car
<bat she shouldn't have the chance.
COW her name-and her fathers
rho hotel register; and just about tna
%in,s remembered that l could pro1
wi, oot bite to eat out here.
.you are queer! All men are htti
oueer. I think-always excepting col,
nel-daddy. Don't you want 10 see hei
sIndeed, I don't!' "a.
"Not even for old times sahe'
"No. not even for old times san
rva given you the wrong impressio
completely, If you think the.e ~
ohI,aation on my part. 1t might nav
ar,sted ON to the other things III ~
,;,rse Of time. simply because neitne
Of us might have known any ~
than to let 1t drift. But tha' "''
back number, now.
"Just the same, her coming siio'Ae
you" sohe
IL. and then: "Have you 1orso'.s
what 7 told you about the circurlstan''
nnder which I left homer
"Oh," she murmured, and as oh'
before there was little gasp ~
with the word. Ihen'
she wouldn't or,dn,
"No," he answered; "she "ou'uA
but her father would. mar,
$50 her father wanted her TO ina''
the other man, did her
smiths laugh was an easihs
,+roins "You've pumped me ory'
returned. the sardonic humor reaSse'
ing itself. w tho driy
vow II was high time that an inte
ruption of some sort was sn breaking al
brought stillings with him to the o lOuh
ing end of the porch, business Ss. con-. ,
enee began which gave Miss Corona o1Ot :
excuse to disappear, and wnle !. :
connted easily for the remainder OF q
evening.