The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-14
CHAPTER /.

CHAPTER 1.
Whenever in that reciprocity OF spe
cIous interest which women's friend
Ishlps entail, Morn Sanderson was com
| Ipelled to listen TO Resale Gates re-
Icounting OF her latest adventure In tho
Ieerie fields OF psychic research, Nora'i
lmind invariably hurked backward q
1.-The distant day when her trumpet fell
II would be twelve years ago, dating
from Nora's twdnty-hftll birthday,
since the trumpet last served as the
mystic instrument of a dubious but not
lunlucratiVe calling.
and stepfather-wore lin the profess
sion" Their modestly printed cards
"Du Lane Circle, weekly slttings,
Mondays, 20i High street, upstairs
Madame Du Lane, world famous me-
ldum Prof Du Lane noted hypnotist:l
,Reveol important family, business and
professional secrets Failure foretold de-
parted spirits summoned. Single SIT
tings, ST. Circle. 81"
MOI infreauently Nora recalled In.
cldents still further back, for. instance,
the time she begged--she could not have
been more than 2 years 'old but could
read ncely-that hen own name be also
printed on the business cards.
Little Bessie, just like / say II IN
fhe trumpet. Won't YOU, mammaP' she
Ind pleaded. wouldn't that look nice
on our cards? It's little Bessie, from
the Spirit Land Won't you, mamma
Ed Dulany and her mother had both
lhughod uproariously at Nora.s Request,
Duany was her stepfather, but not
the wicked kind one reads OF In books.
On, the contrary. he was very good-na-
Itured.
Ed wore a doctors pointed beard. but
he wasn't a doctor, although people
often called him that. and he wasn't q
professor, although people often called
him that also.
His wife, however, called him
"swoetie." except such times as he lost
money In poolrooms or at the races,
which seemed very often in Nora's rec
objection.
Iiany's accustomed effort at reproof.
Here slave away working suckers.
Just SO you can pay for making suck
Ter OF yourself"
''fts the truth, honey Thus al
ways. the good-natured Ed. I'll cut
Iout the ponies and stick to spoohng
spooks from now on. Honest 1 VIII,
honey"
,terminology rapidly explained itself as
Nora-professiohally speaking, Little
Bessie"-grew TO skill and wisdom.
Certainly she was educated In prac-
tically every detail OF the spiritualistic
business, as conducted by her parents,
when the end came, literally ana hgur-
atively. with a crash.
Reporters on n newspaper which had
been investigating seances for n month
or moro had managed to get In and
turn the trick. Little Bessie" was
into the trumpet at the very
moment II fell. Nora, dislodged from
her perch in the room adjoining. plunged
headlong to the floor.
The lights were all on, confusion
everywhere. The two young newspaI
per men who broke into the room
seemed very sorry when they picked her
up, Nora remembered. At first II waA
thought she had fractured her hip, but
Il was only bad sprain. II left n slight
still in dicated a twingt
now and then. But OF course. business
was ruined. Bad luck had struck them
anyway, and two years later Nora'i
mother died. It certainly did not oc.
cur TO either Ed or Nora TO seek con.
ISOLATION for the grief both suffered
zach according to the possibilities OF hia
nature, In those spirit reunions of
which the warm hearted, kimoned little
charlatan they mourned had been chief
She's gone, there's no use kidding
ourselves about that" Poor Eds nonol
too sturdy chin trembled In tho throesl
Of real, II evanescent, sorrow and re-
yret.
II Wish I had treated her moro like
man. wish hadn't made her work n
lamn skin game insteadSof living de-
cent like other folks"