“I fear more the evil spirit that shall animate your Professor, Donald,� replied Melissa, who in her Eastern home had imbibed a deep prejudice against the so-called spiritualists.
“His spirit? Mne, let me see. I believe a big Injun, Stuck-in-the-mud, or some such high-sounding name, is his especial Control; but he is not confined to one familiar. His demons are many.�
“How absurd,� laughed Lissa.
“You won’t say so after to-night. I’ll wager the best pony on the ranch you’ll be a firm convert before the evening is over. Maybe I’ll add a side-saddle, too. Eh, Lissa?�
“I’m afraid I can’t gratify you by accepting any such foolishness as that, even for the sake of the saddle, or permit you to wager upon a certainty of losing.�
“Did I ever tell you how the Professor found his wife?� Donald asked.
“No, but I suppose you’ll tell me through some celestial matrimonial agency,� she replied.
“Sure! His wife was a strongly developed medium living in London, England. One day, while in a trance, the Professor, here in the United States, was made cognizant of the existence of this lady by spirit agency, and instructed to write to her, which he did. It seems she had received a communication concerning him at about the same time and in the same manner, with the same instructions, which she also followed. The two letters reached their destinations simultaneously, and each person, with the other’s letter in hand, could summon the writer’s materialized spirit before him. In this way they communicated with each other at will, and finally the lady embarked for this country at his request. He was kept daily informed as to her whereabouts, and when she arrived at New York he was there to meet her, and they were married speedily, only one letter from each having passed between them, and yet each was well acquainted with the past history of the other.�
“Impossible! You must be very credulous, Donald, to believe such a story as that.�
“Quite convenient, wasn’t it? If the black powers would deal as kindly with me I should not long remain a bachelor. This knowing to a certainty all about the lady of one’s choice would remove the fear of flying into the dangers we know not of. One could be certain then if she did up her hair on curl-papers.� And Donald glanced significantly at Lissa’s shining ringlets.