Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-19


years, if remember remarked.
But | didn't know him then"
Connie countered. Now that | do, I
want to hear it again-how you met
him, and about his theories of life,
and all of it. Go on" She turned
half toward me and prepared to lis.
ten.
Ana so as the panorama of the
mountains unrolled on either side and
the train crawled up toward the west,
| told her again of how | had first
gone to see the strange person whom
we now called friend; how | had
gone to interview him for the Record
long before Bryce and organized our
detective bureau, and found him dwell
ing In the magnificent quarters which
he had made for himself twenty
stories up in the air on top of the
Urania building. where his garden of
flowers and vines and shrubs doomed
the year around under its sheltering
roof of greenyellow glass. and where
Semi Dual pursued his strange studies
in the application of universal laws.
AT the end Comics eyes were glow.
ing.
Hes sort of modern magician,
isn't he, boy?' she remarked in an
awed little voice. "And yet there
must be something in these studies of
his. Look how he found the rubies. .
| nodded. | knew to what she re-
ferred. 1t was too recent to have
faded in the least in my mind In fact,
1t was an episode of our present trip.
This, in reality, was our honey
moon, upon which we had come as the
guests of Semi Dual. He had sug-
gested it quite as surprise to us at
our wedding, and taken us first down
the coast to New Orleans, then up the
Mississippi by steamer, and now on
west toward the ultimate destination
OF 'Goldfield. where dwelt his friend
and partner, John Curzon, manager
of their Jointly owned mines.
On the steamer a theft OF some
beautiful gems had occurred, and Dual
bad recovered them in his own pecul-
lar way. This was in the week be-
fore.
II prefer. to call him modern
metaphy stefan, however. Connie
said. Magician is hardly the word,
because, after all, Semi uses only
natural forces in gaining his results.
In fact, he says there is no such thing
as a supernatural force. but that
what we so regard are but higher
manifestations OF natural law
honestly believe that Dual knows
more about the subliminal self, sub,
conscious analysis, chirography, as
trology, telepathy. suggestion, and
pure psychism than any other living
man"
Connie moved slightly.
what a fearful power a man like
that could WELD if he wished she
murmured..
Either for good or evil" | follow
ed the suggested thought but Dual
only uses il for good Connie, tell
you, he is the most wonderful person
ever knew. With the ability to do
anything he wishes, he uses his
mighty power only to help others.
There are times whcn'I have actually
felt a sense Of yeneration for him.
ed to sense something beyond the
mere man-life. as though he were al
most godlike in his calm defense of
right and Justice
My wife's hand fell on my own,
Don't" she whispered You
make me feel strange. Little as |
know him, | have felt that same thing
in his presence. He has done some
wonderful things of which you have
told me. He sent you to Goldfeld
once to find a man nobody knew was
alive, do YOU remember"
smiled. Rather. 1t was there |
met girl Dual and | afterwards
went half around the world to save
from danger
Alice Parton said Connie.
"Nce Sheldon" | amended. "She
was single at that time, the daughter
of old Colonel McDonahue Sheldon,
who had succeeded in getting his
brother mixed up in a bad mess
through trying to put over II stock
deal. | want YOU to meet them when
we get to Goldfield The colonel is Il
character believe me-
what you'd call crooked isn't
he?" said Connie.
chucked Il don't know" I told
her "The fact of the matter is, |
like him. He's a very neryy old goat,
and when Dual pinned him down, he
stood the .gaff like a solder--neyer
whimpcred, and offered to pay or
stand the shot In any way, Said hec
had enough of the devious path. and
was going to stick to the straight and
narrow. don't know if you can call
a man like that crooked or not. |
know he's run straight ever since, and
he certainly loves his girl and her
baby
CTo BE Continued