The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1936-11-06
He exploded the whole fakel"

II know he did," Mrs. Breeding
assented; but she added with incon-
sequent and maddeningly logical
stubbornness: "And of course I
don't believe in them-in mediums.
But the fact that Houdini could do
such things by trickery doesn't
grove that others couldn't do them
by spiritualism does it, Ned? 1
mean, just because l can tip a chair
over with my hands doesn't prove
that you can't tip it over by just
looking at it'll"
He said harshly, feeling himself
accused, a sudden clutch at his
throat: 81, Myra? Nonsense! I
don't pretend to any psychic pow
ers!"
"Of course not!" she cried. 81
didn't mean you. 1 meant-any-
one" And she added: "Profes-
sor Carlisle says there are so many
things which couldn't happen, and
didn't happen-and yet they did
happen!"
'Tosh!" he protested.
'Well, anyway" she declared, 81
wish this poltergeist, or whatever it
was, would put my statuette back
together again."
Doctor Breeding did not like this
conversation. 1t struck too close
home. He turned into their own
drive with deep relief.
At the door of her dressing-room
Mrs. Breeding kissed him good
night. CHOW, don't worry about that
poor man who was killed, Ned, "
she insisted.
He smiled ruefully, and he said:
Fl know it's absurd, butt do feel
responsible. I think I'll check up,
find out whether his family is left
in straits"
She said fondly: "You'd carry
all the worlds burdens on your
shoulders if you could. Good night. l"
Till she slept she could hear him
moving about in his room next to
hers. He had, in fact, no inclination
for sleep. In pajamas and dress
ing-gown, he sat for while trying
to read, but the book failed to hold
him It was of course absurd to
suppose that his own wish could
have caused that mans death; and
yet Doctor Breeding was disturbed.
There were emotions which poisoned
mans soul and his body too; could
it be possible that hate and anger
might sometimes be like deadly
shafts projected into the world?
He himself was almost immune
to these passions; he prided him.
self on this fact, and he thought re-
gretfully of his anger of while
ago. So, seeing the cause of it, he
remembered Nancy, and the prob
lem she, presented. There was a
new kindness in Doctor Breeding
tonight. Of course, he decided, if
Nancy truly loved Dan, he would not
want her to marry Terrell; yet she
might be led to weigh the one man
against the other, might make for
herself the wise and sensible choice.
It occurred to him inconsequent-
ly that if Nancy married Dan, Mary
Ann would become like a member of
the family; and that prospect had
attractions. But his thoughts in
the end returned to the dead man,
and to the broken statuette; and he
remembered at last what Mrs.
Breeding had said about this abb
surdity of poltergeists. 1t was an
absurdity; and yet he wished sud-
Genly to be informed on the subject.
and with this purpose in minG he
went downstairs to select as the
only ready source of information a
volume of the encyclopedia.
Nancy came home while he was
there, met him in the lower hall.
She exclaimed: 'Why, Father! Still
Iup?"
He put his arm around her, proud
ly kissed her. She was beautiful.
straight, slender, young and strong.
81 wasn't sleepy, Nancy" he con-
fessed. "Came down to get book. "
She looked at the volume under
his arm. "The encyclopedia! That
will put you to sleep, certainly"
'Theater tonight?" he asked.
eyes," she agreed. "With Judith
Plank" ......