The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-07-25

| something IN MS manner IndL gave
me the impression that he vas not al
all surprised at what was happening
"Then you are absolutely sure it is
in his writing?" he asked.
Not trusting herself to speak, she
simply nodded.
At that moment the bell rang, and
the butler passed through the room on
his way to the door. In the second
before his return, l saw Doctor King
steal look at his slate, and, from
the startled look on his face, l knew
that he, too, had received a message
Meeting my eyes, he gave me faint
wondering smile and shook his head
doubtfully.
The man whom the butler ushered
in was the medium that BARLEY had
secured in New York. He was very
tall and thin, dressed In black. with
white, unhealthy face, shifty eyes. and
hair a bit too long.
| After he had been introduced, Bart
ley told US that we were to begin the
seance at once. The first thing to be
done was to place the medium in a
chair In the corner and tie his hands
and feet firmly. Roche was selected
| to draw the rope through the rungs
of the chair, tie his hands behind his
back, and place a gag In his mouth SO
that he could not speak. He performed
his task with the thOroughness of a
police officer trained In the work !;
and when he informed us that the
medium could neither move nor speak,
l believed him.
At Bartley's suggestion we seated
ourselves around the table. 1t was
small one, not very heavy in construc-
ton We placed our hands on Its
surface as directed, and linked them
together by hooking the thumb and
little finger Of each hand sround the
finger Of the hand next to it. We
were told that under no circumstance
were we to break this circle.
BARLEY spent some time In making
sure that we were arranged In the
proper manner. I was seated with
Currie on my left, my little finger
clasped around his thumb, and Bart
ley himself on my right He rose and
turned OF the lights. then CROPPED his
way back to my side, and a second
later his finger closed around mine.
1 confess that felt a bit like fool
as l waited there In the pitch dark
ness. What we were doing seemed
childish; yet back Of 1t all there was
such a general air Of expectancy that
1 was tense with excitement: The
great draperies had been drawn over
the windows, and not even a ray Of
light penetrated the room. Just what
1t was that we were waiting for /
did not know. Something might or
might not take place. the medium
had said. We sat in silence for a
number Of minutes, minutes that
dragged endlessly. I must confess
pleasant l had ever spent.
Someone drew a deep breath, and
thought the table had started to
move Then a silence followed, so
deep that l could not hear even my |
neighbor breathing. l felt as If I
were all alone in the darkness. Only |
the reassuring touch of the fingers on |
each side of me drew me back to |
sanity.
Suddenly, when l was least expect |
ing 1t, l felt the table under my fin
gers sway back and forth for a sec
ond, then fall back upon the floor with
a little bang. Currie breathed hard,
as If afraid; and his grasp on my |
fingers frightened. Then without
came a series of ten knocks,
as If someone were knocking
at a distant door. 1 could not tell
where they came from. They seemed
to be in the air, on the floor, every
where but on the table. One thing
was sure: they did not come from the
direction in which the medium sat
Besides, he had been tied too tightly
n his chair to have been able to
make them.
Silence again, then more raps, quick
title running raps, never very loud,
hat would start and stop a second.
hen trip away like little feet run
ling to and fro.
Are you thereY Bartley's voice
sked, hesitatingly.
Almost before his words had died
way. there came a series of loud
APPS. almost falling over each other.
Then Bartley's voice again, cool but
ow, Can you communicate with us?" ,
1 had expected that the raps would
eply at once, but instead there was
long silence. Several times BARLEY ,
epeated the question, and still no ,
nswer.
At length he asked. "Shall we try {
ONE other method?" .
Raps answered. tumbling over each ,
Their In their eagerness, and the table ;
pped so violently that 1 expected it
-ould fall over. 1t returned to- an
pright position with a bang, then =
lence again. A deep moan from the =
ERECTION of the medium startled me, b
len more means interspersed with u
CHS. u
A shrill, thin voice. ghostly and far a
yay said brOkenly "Oh-O-Oh-I-