The Argosy — page 360: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

5339 A SPIRITUALISTIC PHOTOGRAPHER HAD sold out of the army, and being decidedly invalided after a ten years’ sojourn in India and the Mauritius, my doctor, immediately after my return to England, ordered me to Bath for a course of the waters. One morning, a few weeks after my arrival, to my great delight and astonishment, I knocked up against the Colonel of my former regiment—a fine soldierly man, some twenty years my senior, but with whom I had always been on terms of intimacy. After a brief chat, he asked me where I was staying, and then invited me to take luncheon with him at the York Hotel. ‘This I gladly ac- cepted ; and, the meal over, we settled down comfortably to our cigars (at least I did; for the Colonel I cannot say quite so much). He seemed, after the first excitement of our meeting was over, to have grown restless and pre-occupied ; so much so, in fact, that at length, presuming upon my old freedom, I banteringly asked if anything were the matter. He replied to my question Dutch fashion by asking another. “Do you ever go in for spiritualism now? You took such an interest in it formerly.” : “No,” I rephed. ‘I gave it up a long time ago.” “Then you were not convinced by what you had seen and heard ? ” ‘““T really don’t quite know,” was my rejoinder. ‘‘ That there is a great deal of humbug and deception about it I am thoroughly con- vinced ; and, at the same time, that there is much that cannot be explained is almost equally certain; but where the wzveal leaves off and the veal begins is more than I can hazard an opinion upon. What do you think, Colonel ? ” ““T don’t know either,” he replied, thoughtfully. ‘‘ Perhaps you have heard of Professor X ?” (giving the name of one of the greatest advocates of the doctrine of the day. Jam writing of some ten years ago, remember). I nodded assent. “Well, he is here. I have doubts and beliefs, as you say you have, but I have been thinking the matter over a great deal lately, and have resolved to put them to the test once and for all to- day. J have made an appointment with him for four o’clock. Will you come also?” ‘“What are his terms?” I began cautiously. ' “Five guineas a sitting.” ‘“Wheugh ! quite enough to raise or settle one’s doubts for ever. However, as mine want arranging one way or the other, I’ll come.” Accordingly, a few minutes before the appointed time, we left the ECOMICLOOKS. EO im