Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-09-25
Chapter 7

|
ing of her latest adventure in the
eerle helds of psychic research,
Nora mind invariably harked back
ward to the distant day when her
trumpet fell.
1t would be twelve years ago. dat
ing from Nora's twenty-fifth birth
day, since the trumpet last served as
the mystic instrument of a dubious
but not unlucrative calling.
Nora's parents-that is, her mother
and stepfather-Were sin the profess
sion" Their modestly printed cards
bore this inscription:
| Du Lane Circle, weekly sit
tings, Mondays, 204 High Street,
upstairs. Madame Du Lane,
world famous medium, Prof. Du
i lane; n1te fan hypnotist Reveal
i professional secrets. Future
i foretold, departed spirits sum
i moned Single sitttngs, So. Cir
i Gle, 81.
Not infrequently, Nora recalled in
cidents still further back, for in
stance, the time she begged-she
could not have been more than sew
en- years old but could read nicely
that her own name be also printed on
| the business cards.
Little Bessie, just like 1 say it
in the trumpet. Won't you, mamma?''
she had pleaded. Wouldn't that look
nice on our cards? It's little Bessie,
from the Spirit Land. Won't you,
mammal"
Ed Dulany and her mother had
both laughed uproariously at Nora's
request.
Dulany was her step-father, but
not the wicked kind one reads of in
books. On the contrary, he was very
good-natured.
Ed wore a doctors pointed beard,
but he wasn't doctor, although peo-
, CO1o
wasn't a professor, although people
often called him that also.
His wife, however, called him
"sweetie," except such times as he
lost money in poolrooms or at the
races, which seemed very often in
I Nora's recollection.
you lazy chump," was Nine. Du-
lany's accustomed effort at reproof.
Here 1 slave away working suck
ers, just SO you can pay for making
ITS the truth, honey" Thus al
ways, the good-natured Ed. "I'll cut
out the ponies and stick to spoohng
i spooks from now on. Honest I will,
honey"
Whatever was mysterious in this
Technology rapidly explained itself
Little Bessie"-grew to skill and
wisdom. .
II DraC11Cally every ueldl1 OIL IilC SPAA
ualistic business, as conducted by
her parents, when the end came, lit
orally and fguratively, with crash
| Reporters on a newspaper when
had been investigating seances Tor a
month or more had managed to ge,
in and turn the trick. Little Bessie
was singing into the trumpet at the
very moment it fell. Nora, dislodgeo
from her perch in the room ad)oln-
ing, plunged headlong to the floor.
The lights were all on, confusion
everywhere. The Two young news.
l PAPER men who broke into the room
seemed very sorry when they picked
her IN. Nora remembered. At first 1t
was thought she had fractured h9r
Il hip, but it was only bad spraln. II
left slight weakness, stu ln6icate4f
bv a twinge now and then. But, OF
Course, business was ruined. Bad luck
had struck them anyway, ana TWO
years later Nora's mother dleo. ~ -
| certainly did not occur TO eltner r: E.o
or Nora to seek consolation for tne
fo the possibilities of his nature IN
those spirit reunions of which the
warm-hearted, kimonoed little char!aoo
ian they nourned had been ch1el
instrument. 1r,dd,n O.
o,,rsaJI,es about that" Poor Ed
none too sturdy chin trembled In the
throes of a real, if evanescent' sor-
row and regret. ,;1,a
IT wish I had treated her more IKE IKE
man. I wish | hadn't mace, mace h Of
work a damn skin game instead OIL
living decent like other folks"
Chapter II
| Eds remorse was brief of course.
When Nora had last heard from nlm'
several years since, he was d0lns
lecture course, te acfI,t SECRETS ecTets of
the east and making a very COCO on
living out of it. He had cared Tor
Nora very we'll, considering ms nm
itatfons, keeping her housed Slotn nee
and at her studies until she was
graduated from high school and able
to 60 to work as a stenographer:
Then he drifted west ITO sample out
the coast suckers. -.
And that was the end OF the ola
Morals sense of shame at the cheap
fraud which formed the background
of her childhood memories was never
dulied sufficiently to disclose even
i her innocent participation.
Her friendship with K ,osant IN na t5s
same business office. where Nora stlll
Active brains. hard work, good
looks, and good nature had won Nora
| creditable promotions. She was now
private secretary to one of the de-
Resale. too, had met with success
in a different field. At college
| Resale had been we'll educated--a
talent for leadership was evidenced
in many ways. She had majored in
psychology and she also took pains
to develop a good speakers voice.
Resale had done special writing
for the firm during the time she and
Nora worked together. This was just
before she became class leader at
the Higher Life Temple. The Higher
Life Movement. it must be admitted.
was not only ashionable-plenty OF
thinking people belonged. Certainly
Resale classed herself with the lat
More and more the mysteries of
the cult were unfolded to Resale as
one of the inner circle.
would you believe me, Nora II !.
were to tell you that there is a way
to bridge the gulf of death" she
avoided Rosalie's questioning gaze,
her mind revertfng, as always, to the
silly, deluded groups, "cinches" and
prospects" of her tawdry childhood
land to the day the trumpet fell.
But. of course, she. could not talk
of that; she sought refuge by
switching the topic. ,
I much" Then, before Rosalie could
break in, "Do you know Rogers regi-
ment will soon sail? He did not tell
me, but I know it from the way he
wrote last. He is to meet me here in
New York. Just for a short leave he
said. But I'm sure it's because he's
going across"
A surface reading of Nora Sander
sons love affair, taken at the time
Roger Mason made ready for fight
ing overseas, would have shown moth
ing dissimilar from the half million
or more ronances that flooded hearts
of young women and young men at
that highly emotional period. But ar
s t:EgsS:
4 1iLT 6