Year: 1878

York, as all depended upon his business
arrangements. AS it was, how could l
do or say anything to prevent his going
where both his domestic and his bust
ness relations called him


Thinking about it as real communi-
cation from present but unseen friend,
l at last said aloud, as to one within
hearing


%No, Annie, can do nothing, and
will burn this letter, so that it shall not
trouble me any more"


A distinct whisper, apparently just
by my ear, answered:


-" You'll be sorry if you do. Startled,
] looked about the room - behind the
sofa, under the bed, back of the window
curtains-though 1 knew as we'll before
as l did afterward that there was no one
in the room. The occupants of the
room next to mine had been snoring for
the last hour, and the halls had long
been perfectly quiet.


Needless of the whispered warning,
persisted in my purpose. The grate-fre
was nearly out, but there were live Goals
enough to light the paper and watched
it while it was consumed to ashes.


The next morning went out, as
usual, spending the day in tedious de-
tails of business that would not arrange
itself satisfactorily, and happily forget
ting the burned letter until it was re-
called, as entered the house late in the
] off lxyf flo ;.rl, of h.
rier's latest budget waiting its several
claimants on the shelf of the hat-rack.
Three letters were for me, and one of
them was directed in the strange-famil-
lar hand, and mailed in the city that
morning.


In the evening my cousin was to take
Mrs. Murray and me the Academy of
Design so put the letter, unopened,
into my pocket, and resolutely forgot it
until had locked myself into my room
for the night. Then L opened it. The
contents were the same as before, only
that this time the missive opened with
a tender reproach for my unbelief, and
the address of the " medium" was placed
below his name.


Again sat down and thought it all
over, coming to the same conclusion as
before. Even supposing,I reasoned that
this is genuine communication from
Annie, she is mistaken in imagining
that 1 can do anything to save G-'s
life upon such vague information as
this. If she knows as much of the fu-
ture as she here processes to do, she
must know much more than has here
been told, and if she could write what
she has written, she can write more
If that medium" thinks I'm going to
him to make inquiries, he's mistaken.
The communication either is or is not
from Annie. If it is, she must remem-
Der that L always detested hints and
oracular utterances, and know that L
shall wait till she gives me proof of her
power to foretell future events. If it is
not from herself, the whole thing is
despicable unworthy of thought. But
who, l reasoned again, could have
either the information necessary to en-
able him even so far to personate Annie
or the motive to induce him to do it p
Certainly, no one that knew.


So went to bed with the resolvethat
as l could know nothing, 1 would
think no more about it "a resolution
easier to make than to adhere to.


The next morning my first thought
was how should ispose of the com
munication. Plainly, it was of no use
to lock it up, and as little to burn it.
would carry it with me. If lost it in
crossing the lower part of Broadway
that would surely be the last of this
copy, and perhaps the discouraged wri
ter would not try it again. So, crossing
hurriedly in the neighborhood of th'
Herald" Office, drew out my pocket
handkerchief, and with an emotion o
relief felt that the uncanny little mis-
sive had fallen upon the mud-covereC
pavement amid thick k-coming hoofs anC
, wheels. But had congratulated my
self too quickly. A gentleman wh'
crossed the street just after me saw i
fall, and in the mistaken kindness o
his heart, followed half block to re
store the document. I'm afraid h,
thought my acknowledgements yer,
ungracious, yet tried my best to dis
semble.


/ Two more efforts to rid myself of tn
/ letter met with no better success. Ther
/ was nothing for it but to fetch the mud
10 haa aI~ aA Lo