The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-06-04
EDening Story
The Fakir and the Floor.
BY r. RAY BAKER.


Lou Alberts had the ouija craze. q
Bill Blackjack was non-believer.
AS her psychic Investigations" as
she called them, became more intense
and earnest, his geod-natured soothing
developed into ardent contempt, and
/ finally reached the stage of inteler-
ance.
Leave that board alone or it will
drive you insane he admcnished.
well, let me tell you. Bill Black
| lock-" she said, the stand you are
taking simply shows you up as a mar
row minded materialist. You're de-
nouncing something you haven't even
tried. I dare you to put ouija to a
| test"
She brought the board from its
place in the corner and brandished II
before him chalengingly.
Bill and Lou were to be married
within six weeks, but he was unable
| to discuss the coming event with her
lowing to the psychic Investigations.
1t had come to the point where Lou
had to give up either ou1Ja or BIZ.
"I'l tell you what" he said. Well
| test Ouija, and if he fails you must
drop him and--forever keep silence
about him. If he meets the test I'll
accept him and therein be no more
| disa greements.
This seemed fair enough, and Lou
fagreed. They drew up chairs and
placed the board on their laps and
| their hands on the indicator.
Bill asked his age and the board
answered twenty-seven, which was
| correct. He questioned it regarding
his vocation and Ouiia truthfully an
swered Mining engineer" He put
other questions and the replies were
accurate.
Now are you convinced" Lou
asked triumphantly as they paused.
! mo" he said. 1.-The answers to all
| Questions were known by one of us.
| our subconscious personalities have
been moving the indicator, that's all.
| The whole things a farce. You must
abandon this crazy hobby"
! Bill took the board and with PEN
| ell wrote in big letters across the face
of it, "Ouija is faker."
| The termination of the heated argu-
ment that ensued was a definite break
| in relations. and Bill flounced from
the house with a diamond ring clutch
| ed in his fie+ and a grim, determined,
desperate look on his countenance-
| Bill was stubborn, but no more SO
| than Lou. He remained away. and
| she let him.
| II can't live in the same town with
her" Bill finally decided, and forth
with sent a letter of acceptance in
regard to some work in the southwest.
| About the same time Louis father
was ordered by this doctor to a diff
| ferent climate. and Mr.. Alberts, his
wife and two daughters shortly after
started on a trip across the continent.
I Bill did not know that Lou had left
| the city, and Lou was unaware of his
departure. They loved each other,
! their souls cried out for each other,
but both were too stubborn to sur
render.
IF Ouija is a spirit of good he must
have felt bad about the separation he
had brought about. If he is evil he
grinned with malevolent satisfaction.
/, Broad river was justifying its name.
Spring torrents had swollen the
stream to twice it's width, and the
work of expansion accompanied by a
work of devastation, went on. 1t
wvenched houses from their founda-
tions, it obliterated abandoned mines
! and some that had not been aban-
doned. 1t ate its way into mountains
and tore huge chunks from their sides.
A shack standing against a noun
tain wall withstood all the greedy as
| sau1ts of the torrent. The shack was
marooned, with the mountain wall at
its back and water on the other sides,
| but there was a plentiful supply of
/ provisions and the three men who had
their temporary abode there felt little
unea sinesS over their welfare.
| They knew they could leave should
the occasion arise, for close by the
i cabin was large and powerful mo-
] torboat which they could launch and
in spite of all the currents that might
assail the craft. However, the men
were there for purpose and had nc
intention of leaving until their object
was accomplished.
One day Bill was interrupted in a
game of solitaire by one of his COM
panions who stood before him hold
ing a familiar looking board.
4 Here's something queer said the
man. 81 found this thing washed ur
by the river. It's MESA ge for help
but it's strange one"
Bill seized the board with feeling
something akin to evaporation. He
turned the board over and his eyes
widened as he read a message that
had been laboriously carved in the
5; back with a knife. 1t read:
Help; out of provisions; water a
cabin door; still rising; marooned or
Pegg's Point
There's the message for help said
the man who had brought the board
'but look at this" And he reversed
the board. and with a finger pointed
cut another message which had once
been written with a pencil, altho the
water had washed off all traces OF
lead and left only a scrawlinS depres-
sion in the wood.
"Ouija is a faker." We're the words
that were only family visible
Bill hurled the playing cards to the
floor and upset the table
I Launch the boat" he directed. He
was leader of the party and the Others
ebeyed without question.
Soon the motorboat was blowing up
stream The current was strong. but
the four-cylinder engine drove the
craft along in spite of all resistance
Three miles they went, and a sheet
tfluttering from the roof of a cabin at
tracted the attention of the voya gers
They steered the boat toward this hab-
itation, the lever part of which was
immersed. The boat crept up beside
the shack and Bill was the first te
istep from it into the cabin. In water