The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1920-06-03
uERMITS AND
HUMBUGS
q, JESSIE E. sHERwiN

and cults came only OCCASION
isa' p,ookton. but when they did
" y s,nnd a ready high prieStess in
~ .s.ne of Miss Alice Wade. She
% .sirty, comely still, and prided
y as the object of alteration OF
widowers and bachelors, but
ger" ,.d disdained all suitors except
"a che keeps me trifing along"
% ,old his sister Ruth, las though
.,s Going 10 be young forever"
.'r.s loves youth and variety and
I,.~sut." Ruth reminded Robert
',.,ssntly. "She has plenty of mon
and enjoys spending It,
.r-,,,eripg It away, you mean," cor
,.d Slmms with some asperity.
-. was that moOn-faced prophet
~" stars. that astrological humbug
ron her over as patrOness of the
81, light of the Great Bear, He
" - N syindle her out of a cool
sGSand. ,,o -, i,o,,,-o,
IN q new exponent Of spiritistic
calls himself Professor Abou-
usmad. He has delivered q lee
an his new theory of soul cul-
- and Alice and the society OF
ra she IS secretary have gone wild
,hlQ economic and social nOstrums,
ssllms and illusiveisms.
i gut Professor Aboukar Hamad had
:, ssa Of departing from the rich
an ne had wandered into. He pro-
..,sd 10 have found in these new
.~otses mystic mediums" capable,
~, culture along psychological
,u Of aiding him in his great expert
HnS
n IS only by segregation that a
,,sstiOn from the spirits can ma
.-,l,e" he pronounced. II have dis
,,.rpd natural hermit cell over at
!, sdee of the town, and a week Of
,Fury reverie may fit me TO reveal
Aulute demonstration Of ghOstly sug-
niOn.'
ne @hermit's cell" proved to be an
,sDdOned habitation on the lonely
uumlt Of Prospect h!ii known to
uy resident. 1t had been the home,
rnther den, Of an eccentric old man
M lived all to himself. After he
"A the rumOr that he was a rich
,i,sr lead to the ransacking of the
,ae but no hidden treasure was
tuDd although the professor indi-
sted that by his magic art the same
Ight come to light.
generous purse was made up for
I'm and a wagonload of provisions
pught to the place by three assO-
ate mystics, as he termed them.
Sme marvellous developments were
EDGED by the professor as the result
4 thIs isolation. His faithful sponsors
nked learned and solemn as they
pke Of the week Of retirement and
wgie to which the professor had
srifced himself for the good of the
al
= Robert Slmms went out of his way
tevade passing the Wade home. lie
MED to his sister every evening
nInst the faddists and declared that
4 was over between himself and the
by be loved.
Why, those Infamous swindlers,
hn, used to travel about the country
ttA q cheap show, playing the clair
want and mesmerizing fakes to
rtllous audiences. / have found out
Bat he money donated for their reve.
alton racket was invested mostly in
hum and cigars, and Farmer Albin
ID me that he drove past the old
KNIT place last night and the IL
hSrious professor and his fellow
sntst were having a regular jam.
Mee"
he special committee Of the club
nai bad financed the retirement OF
u professor was In session In their
Fxten two nights later, when there
wi great commotion in the street
Sude. Then the doors were burst
sA In Mortified amazement the
aas shrank back as the professor
Sed into the room. His nose, always
@us more rubicund than ever; his
W hair was matted and in disorder.
avs followed by his three devoted
Arants' and the quartette fell
AnS one another and engaged In
~naudlin chorus Of a drinking song
ueJ staggered towards the plat.
tn.
e'eat liberalization, ladies'" pro
snesd the erudite professor. Esprit
sialo fully materialized. / will now
\" my famous address on the
s'nauon Of spectral entities"
MI here you won't" announced
"ilage marshal, coming forward