The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-08-18
Eopyrisht. ia,7, ~ TIE Mcclure Newspaper
SYrdicaes.I

Noprisht tGi, - TIE Nctloro Ne"sp~Ve
syntieaesl
m. tine sss ssa s 81 Ss's.
ueyedly into the clean cool Sreezel
II October as into a marble swimming
POOL Of crystal, cleansing waters. venice
9rakes to new life In the foil OF the
year. claiming It as her spring. men
hsr lovers seek her once again to oNer
homage.
Dr.. wycherley, so ultra-rnodern IT
nany respects and so old-fashioned n
others. kept q tiny corner OF his heart
for thu old-world romanttcIsm OF Venice
even thouxh 1t were being anowed Owl
these days BY hordes Of hustling tourists
by sea-bathing week-enders. by ctnemas
penny steamboats, on the Grand Canal
and projected subway tubes Once {
war he travelled to Venice from hi'
homo on Lake Rovellasco to breathe IT
its fragrance Of poetry In stone ane
marble.
It was one October that he met al
Venice an old acquaintance in tho person
of Mira Trevor Fordyee. the mother o.
Norman Fordycs the writer and poet
Dr.. wycherley had known her when the
10y Wa frst adventuring on the oroae
seas Of literature; now he was famous
over two continents.
Mra Fordyce had greatly changed. Il
was not only that time had frosted he'
hair and drawn inenaceable lines OF
forehead and cheek: the change went ta'
deeper than that-lnto tho very roots Of
bar being.
They reclined in a gondola together
and tho red-sashed gendoller drove then
with slow, even powerful strokes oSel
the rfppainE lagoon towards the Lido. This
afternoon sun mingled its warmth witt
the freahneas Of the Adriatic breeze tc
ideal perfection
Seven years ago since we first met
hero In Venice. my dear friend. she was
saying. and there was haf-sish In hei
voice. That was tho happ!est time OF
nv HE, Why won't you scientists il
at tts 3snfh-pctntT
:.And Who y to s.y when the zenith
point II 1aAchodf
1--WE women know.
Tell your secret"
'Tndefnable. We now-whAt more car
sayT'
Science viii not rest content with such
an answer.
'.Seyen years 40 my son was strug
cling for recognition. was lighting fol
him. with him. shoulder to shoulder. W.
two againat tho world. That WaS th<
zenith Of happiness. Nov ne
famoun." Her voice sighed like tho vino
IN the leaves Of aut1mnal elms.
-He married"
when success came. he married. she
was al that I could have hoped for IL
my sons vito, Position. beauty; s~es'
nature"
And yet you hated her."
"She had taken away my only son..
At am answered" said the doctor
gently.
After pause Mr.. Fordyce continued
''She died = year ago
Then surely no came back to you"
mo-" Tho word WAS flung out with
the fire Of lonK-rcpressed emotion. mo
she keeps him atil!'
The doctor remained silent, with thu
silence OF deep sympathy.
How you draw out ones innost con-
fdencc-' puraued Mrs. FordSce. Il nnf
myself telling you things have told t
no one else"
And Why not. Perhaps It may be II
my power to advise. Is there
child to link them together"
mo child I will tell you all. She
keeps him to her by her voice-frorn the
other world. She holds him fast to hel
by whispered word 'Dearheart.' sh'
calls him still
You mean literally voice from thu
other worhT
Yes. literally. He hears her calling
him. Not In dreams. but when awake
He can think of nothing else but her
He 10 always hoping to aatabitsh com
plete communication with her. His work
his mother. HIS friends-nothing matter:
TO him nov but that ono fixed hope.
DR.. WyeherJsJ looked at her keenfy
AT seancesr' he asked.
Yes"
you helisvs in spir1tuslistlc seauces
after all the exposures OF trickery anc
fraud that have bean nader
- What does It matter what believe
Norman believes in them utterly. Moth
ing can shake his faith since he Ia,
heard his dead vito calling. 'Dearheart.
she whispera A few nights ago she
spoke to him at greater length than eve,
before: she recalled some little incident
In their honeymoon that could have only
been known TO themselves. No other
living soul could possibly have known
Of It. It puts trickery out Of the Ques-
tion. YOU see. And yet"
IT do. but I have no grounds 10 &C
on. She Is not \ professional medium
She Is helping him to establish eommu'
nication practically without fee. We have
come to Venice because she is here.'
Her name?"
"Sisnora Franchini."
The name conveyed nothing to DR.
wycherley. It was certainly no, that Of
cny well-known professional medium.
Gould I see herr" he asked.
1T might possibly he arranged. But
sho does not welcome any caSua
stranger. She might object-she might
say that your aura interfered."
l,r. Wycherley nodded. Very prob
eA%.''
Then what do you adviser,
your son must make an introduction
Snr me"
Norman Fo.dyce rad Abe eyes Of a
assaner. They held great depths o.
ln5stic. tanc!tul thought. They were