Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-10-07
Chapter XII

There is no explaining Nora's state
of mind. She understood it least of
all herself. She felt as though her
faculties were literally tossed back
and forth between the doubts assail-
| ing her and the tempting vista pre-
scented to her mental and spiritual
eyes.
Rosalie's triumph, too. had shocked
her without question. 1t connoted
personal qualification, ambition, some
thing altogether at variance with
occurred
To admit for a moment that the
message might be true, that Roger
still lived, even though in another
plane another life, another atmos-
phere, to think that Roger might be
permitted to survive at all, flooded
Nora's heart with grateful tender
ness. And her dear young father
that he would have to come to com
fort her. Before the infinite posi-
bility not only of survival, but of
communication thus opened up, she
fairly gaSped in aWed wonder. The
bare possibility dWarfed all else.
With H6E own leeIlHS VI
humility, Rosalie's personal triumph
seemed very much out of keeping.
Perhaps, though, it was also natural.
1t could not but mean a tremendous
thing to thus serve as channel OF
communication between the living
world and the dead; The power 1t
gave was, even as Rosalie had said,
unlimited, Even in Nora's mothers
day as trumpet medium, she had the
guidance of more than one poor
grieving soul quite within her hands.
Ed and his wife would often talk
ing, half in contemptTous pity, never
strong enough, however, to cause
them to relinquish their profitable
fraud.
There it was again-a fraud! 1t
was a fraud in that former instance.
Why not in this experience?
Rosalie was involved in both mes
sages that had come to Nora, but
not in either case could she possibly
have known. Or could she? Over
and over again the same weary tread
hope, doubt-over
and over again.
Nora kept at it all night long, rose
early in the morning and went to
her office without seeing Rosalie.
But for her feeling of responsible
tty in Rogers death it is likely that
that fine flavor of youth, that tanta-
l1ZlnS TASTE, never IOTSOlIen anu yet
so difficult to recall. would have come
back to Nora without undue delay.
She realized this as she walked to
her place of business, breathing in
the fresh spring morning air. 49,
Despite her night of tossing to and
fro, mere physical vitality asserted
itself in her appearance. She felt
her cheeks glowing. her arm in
voluntarily swaying with her long
swing step. After while she began
to feel an appetite-and stepped into
cafeteria for breakfast.
Usually the two girls had their
morning meal together. Already Nora
felt a tWinge of regret at hurrying
off. In countless ways Rosa1ie had
helped her, and definite, practical acts
of friendship they were. To sudden
ly resent a natural exaltation was
unfair.
AS her irritation vanished, Nora
promised herself to call up Resale
and see that she was not offended.
1t was a lovely morning, the break
fast was so good, the sun SO bright,
the skies so blue-life was still very
fair. In reaction from her keen suf-
fering, Nora felt almost more than a
f1utter of happiness within her. She
did good work at the office and even
stopped at noon to chat with one of
the young statesmen, thing she had
avoided ever since her sorrow.
After office hours, she stopped in
at a movie show where the orchestra
played a two-step which had been
Rogers favorite. Nora's feet beat
time. She hummed the air of in
voluntarily going home.