Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 775 — page 4: what you’re looking at

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

spirits have any use for money in the other world?” ** No, positively no!” was the reply to that, At the same time as he spoke he thumped vig- orously on the floor with his cane, as if summon- ing somebody from below, ‘* What are you pounding for?’ asked the de- tective. ‘*It is not I, but the spirits,” the old man an- swered earnestly, Billy looked at him in half pity and half dis- gust. He considered him only a little short of non compos, **T see you do not understand,” the old man went on, “‘lamamedium, Spirits operate on me and through meat pleasure. The rappings you heard was spiritual approval of my state- ment,” “That they have no use for money?” “Exactly, Am I right?’ The last was asked in a different tone, as if to some other person, and again the cane beat a tat- too on the floor. ‘**'You see the approval,” the old man called attention. ‘‘ They bear witness to my statement that they have no use for money in that happy land. Ha! it is a great science, young man,’ ** And you believe in it fully, of course,” “To be sure, And why should I not? I have been there, sir, actually been there, Onace I lay ina trance twenty days, while my spirit held high revel inthe halls of delight. Hal! if your blind eyes could only see!” ‘*T wish they could,” declared Billy, solemnly. ** Then I might be able to tell you what became of your money.” “Um! Yes, that is the point. What does become of my money? What use does my spirit child make of it? And why does she come so often? I cannot understand it, can’t understand ** And what do you want me to do, sir?” **T want you to find out what is done with ~ sir, since we know it cannot be taken to the lan of spirits,” Broadway Billy had to scratch his head. Here was something new in his experience? How was he to deal with such a case—to shadow shadows? Perbaps it was a hoax! But, no, that did not seem reasonable, for that would imply that the chief was a party to it. CHAPTER IV. MR. RUNDLE’S STORY, ‘*'WHAT do you think about it?” the old man asked, impatiently. ‘* That’s a open" enough question,” Billy made response. ‘‘[ suppose you want a plain an- swer,” ‘“* Certainly, Right?” hat query was addressed to the spirits. Again did the cane thump.the floor with considerable vigor. ‘I see the an approve of it,” remarked Billy, ‘‘so I will talk pretty plainly to you. I think you are being beautifully humbugged. That’s my first impression,” “Ha! Hum! You mean to say that spiritu- aJism isa humbug?” “No, I don’t say that, for I do not know enough about the merits of the faith to condemn it; but, when your spirits begin to bleed you of your substance I think it is about time to sus- pect something wrong.” “You may be right, you may be right; but, how do you account for my daughter’s coming to me from the other world once a week to get money ?” ** Are you certain it is your daughter?” ‘To be sure I am, Don’t you suppose I know my own child?” “Well, that ought to be proof enough, I suppose, Does she tell you what she wants the money for? You admit that money is of no use in Spirit Land.” ** Of no use whatever there, sir. No matorial thing or substance can passin to that mysterious country. Only the immaterial, the spiritual, can cross the border and enter there. Right?” Another tattoo of the cane on the floor in re- sponse, ** Have you asked the spirit of your daughter what use she makes of it?” Billy inquired. ** Yes, I have put that question,” the old man answered, ‘* And what did she say?” “She assured me it was made the best of use of; that it relieved distress and advanced the cause of spiritualism in many ways.” ** And her spirit is substantial enough to re- ceive this money from your hands and Tisappear with it, eh?” sir; the plainer the better, “*My son, my son, you do not understand, Broadway Billy’s Shadow Chase. You do not know even the A B C of the wonderful science yet, Even we who are aged in its practice are but children in it, as it were, Right?” Again were the spirits called upon to verify. and again did the cane thump on the floor, ne ‘“* Then it isn’t managed that way, eh?” queried illy. “No, no, no. What is spirit? Spirit is im- material 2ssence, Spirit is nothing, yet some- thing. Itis superior to everything else in the universe, Spirit is the first and the last, Spirit is everything. Right?” Some more thumpings, ** Spirit is even superior to money, eh” ** Money is a base substance, sii, It belongs to the material world, Spirits bave ‘10 ase for money,” ** And yet—” “Exactly. Spiritualism is a material thing. The world is materia], and to advance the cause the material must assist the immaterial. Don’t eg see?” ** | don’t see very clearly,” answered the young detective. ‘‘ You are drifting away from the main question, How does the spirit of your daughter manage to get away with this money when you give it to ber?’ ‘* Not so fast, young man, not so fast, I am older than you, and know what I am talking about. You say I am drifting from the main question. Not so. I was coming to it. You cannot understand; you are spiritually blind— as blind as a bat.” | **T guess you are right,” Billy thought. ** Yes, I was coming to that at once, I repeat,” the old man wenton, ‘** WhatI said was, that to advance the cause the material must assist the immaterial; and that is to be taken vice versa, of course. Do you follow me?” ‘*T understand what you say, sir.” ‘* Very well. Now, when a spirit desires to have to do with material things, how is it to be accomplished? Spirit is not matter; it is, as I said, immaterial essence, How can it act upon material things? In other words, how can the spirit of my daughter accept and take away money?” ‘There, you have come to it,” Billy admitted. ‘Yes; and now to explain. In order for spirits to make their influence felt in the world, in order to bring themselves to the observation of material beings, they must have media; plural, media ; ne wert medium, I am a medium, Do you still follow me? You see, through me spirits respond to questions Rat by that which is material; 1 am material. Now I ask: Am I right?” That last was again addressed to the spirits, and the cane thumped on the floor as before. ‘“*Sweet pertaters!” cried Billy in mind, * but this is gettin’ to be a medium singular case, and that’s a fact. I wonder when the old fellow will run down and come to the point? I shall have to take him in hand if he don’t come to business pretty shortly.” ‘* Do you begin to understand?” the old gentle- man asked, He had worked himself up toa high pitch of interest in his own ideas, by this time, and it was plain to be seen that he was a fanatic, ‘*T understand it all as far as you have gone,” answered Billy. ‘* You areslow in coming down to solid facts, however.” ‘* Yes, yes, you are right, aay x but, you raised questions that demanded a ull explana- tion in order that you might go into this case intelligently, as it were. Too bad I could not fiud a spiritualist detective.” Billy agreed with him, heartily, in mind. ** The point raised was,” the old man went on, ‘how does a spirit receive money from me and take it away, when spirit is only essence? Naw I answer: In order to Come to me in visi- ble shape, the spirit of my child must havea medium, That medium must be a living body, It come, and by the voice, the affectionate terms, and the expressed knowledge of things which only my child could know, r recognize it as her own spirit.” “Ha!” cried Billy. ‘““Now I begin to get there, as it were. The spirit comes in real flesh and blood, and takes away your ducats just as lor any one else might take them, Now, this begins to look like a case. I had my doubts about being able to cope with these beings from another realm, at first, but now that I find they come in mortal guise I guess [ will stand some chance. We are getting at the facts in the right shape, Now that I bave bad my lesson in spir- itistics, so to say, let us stick right to the mate- rial facts in the case,” ‘* Young man, I am glad the chief sent me to you '’ cried the aged spiritualist. ‘‘ You havea manner of grasping things that is gratifying. You understand so readily, take bold so prompt- ly, as it were, that I shall hope that we may yet enroll you among us of the faith, But, yow are eager to get at the material facts, as you term them, will gratify you, and | must not. impose too long on your time, either. Now, in what manner will you have me proceed? Shbalk I tell the story in my own way, or will you draw the facts in your way by asking questions? I want to please you, and at the same time do what is best,” ‘““{ understand that you simply want to know what becomes of this money; is that it?” ‘* That is it, sir, I want to satisfy myself that the judgment of my daughter in the matter is sound; also to gain, by this means, further proof that will convince the skeptic mind that our faith is all we claim for it.” ‘Exactly. And if you find that good us> has been made of the money, as you have reason to believe has been the case, then you will be satisfied; but, on the otber band, if you find that you bave been duped, bled by an artful dodger, then you want the offenders pun- ished as they deserve,” There was a moment of silence. ‘Young man,” Mr. Rundle demanded, “* how can you read my innermost thoughts? I fail to understand it. How could you guess that away down in my soul there isa doubt in this matter? Tell me, sir,” ‘“‘ Well, out West they would call it hose sense,” answered Billy. ‘‘ That is, 1 apply the rule of common sense to it, and figure it out by that rule. In the first place, if you bad no doubt you would not seek the aid of a detective in the matter,” oo It was my doubt that led me to do so, I ad- mit, “And baving a doubt, aged spiritualism is just a little shaky, especia ly as you see your pocketbook growing thinner,” ‘* No, no, no! can’t admit that—I won’t admit it, sir! My faith is all right; but I want to know what is done with my money, My daughter comes for it, that I know; but is her judgment sound? Or, perchance, is she being overru’ed by spirits of evil? I cannot tell; that is what I want to know.” * All right; that is what we will set about finding ovt, Now, for the points; you may go ahead and tell the story in your own way, keep- ing strictly to the material facts.” ‘Young man, I like you;—I like you very well indeed. I like ycur brief and blunt man- ner. I like the way in,which you hold the main point in mind, I am sure the chief knew what be was doing when he sent me to you, If it isn’t a case of old kead on young shoul- ders I’m mistaken, that’s all.” Billy was silent, giving the man full oppor- tunity to go ahead and get his story out. Mr. Rundle beat about it no longer, but came right to the matter in its material bearings, ‘““My name, as you know,” he began, “is Matthias Rundle. I live at No. — —— street, My wife has been in the other world meny poets, and | live alone with my o!d housekeeper. have one son, who is here in New York, but who is not a spiritualist. He denounces it as sheer, stupid humbuggery. But he is blind, sir; blind, blind, ‘“*T had a daughter, a dear soul, who died five years ago, She wasa believer, and one of the best mediums [ ever saw. She was the light of my declining years, and were it not that she comes t me now from the spirit world, life would be unbearable. She was once in a trance for several days, and she wrote a beautiful book about her experience in the otber Jand,” ‘* Keep to facts regarding the present case,” said Billy. ** Yes, yes; thatis so, One is so apt to wan- der into enticing pelos. Well, I am a man of some means, and having no faith in banks I keep all my money in my house, in a little, old- fashioned safe in my bedroom, My daughter knew this well enough, and in life it was open to her at any and all times, and she was as free to use it as I was myself, She was careful of it, too, and I could trust ber fully. If anything, she was a more restricting manager than I was myself.” ‘Then it is only since sbe bas been a spirit that she bas made inroads into the funds, eh?” said Billy. ‘*You say aright, my son, But, she explains it. She sees now the folly of hoarding up twat which, to-day, somewhere, is needed so badly by our fellow-creatures, and she can see cases where it will do the most good, cases which I could never know anything about. And so I have given money to her, time after time, until now j 4 i i a : ‘ bd : _ a O _ : \ . i ] / . = i | - 7 J . c= er —— > ee " - — —2 ee = ee a ere ee — —— in