Raspberry Jam | Page 5

but don't dip into
the other half."
"Well, it's a simple little favor, after all. I want to go out to Newark
to-morrow in the big car--"
"Newark, New Jersey?"
"Is there any other?"
"Yep; Ohio."

"Well, the New Jersey one will do me, this time. Oh, Sanford, do let me
go! A man is going to will another man--blindfolded, you know--to
find a thingumbob that he hid--nobody knows where--and he can't see a
thing, and he doesn't know anybody and the guide man is Mr.
Mortimer--don't you remember, his mother used to live in Cambridge?
she was an Emmins--well, anyway, it's the most marvelous exhibition
of thought transference, or mind-reading, that has ever been
shown--and I must go. Do let me?--please, Sanford!"
"My Lord, Aunt Abby, you've got me all mixed up! I remember the
Mortimer boy, but what's he doing blindfolded?"
"No; it's the Hanlon man who's blindfolded, and I can go with
Ferdinand--and--"
"Go with Ferdinand! Is it a servants' ball--or what?"
"No, no; oh, if you'd only listen, Sanford!"
"Well, I will, in a minute, Aunt Abby. But wait till I tell Eunice
something. You see, dear, if Hendricks does show up, I can pump him
judiciously and find out where the Meredith brothers stand. Then--"
"All right, San, I'll see that he stays. Now do settle Aunt Abby on this
crazy scheme of hers. She doesn't want to go to Newark at all--"
"I do, I do!" cried the old lady.
"Between you and me, Eunice, I believe she does want to go," and
Embury chuckled. "Where's the paper, Aunt? Let me see what it's all
about."
"'A Fair Test,'" he read aloud. "'Positive evidence for or against the
theory of thought transference. The mysterious Hanlon to perform a
seeming miracle. Sponsored by the Editor of the Newark Free Press,
assisted by the prominent citizen, James L. Mortimer, done in broad
daylight in the sight of crowds of people, tomorrow's performance will
be a revelation to doubters or a triumph indeed for those who believe in

telepathy.' H'm --h'm--but what's he going to do?"
"Read on, read on, Sanford," cried Aunt Abby, excitedly.
"'Starting from the Oberon Theatre at two o'clock, Hanlon will
undertake to find a penknife, previously hidden in a distant part of the
city, its whereabouts known only to the Editor of the Free Press and to
Mr. Mortimer. Hanlon is to be blindfolded by a committee of citizens
and is to be followed, not preceded by Mr. Mortimer, who is to will
Hanlon in the right direction, and to "guide" him merely by mental
will-power. There is to be no word spoken between these two men, no
personal contact, and no possibility of a confederate or trickery of any
sort.
"' Mr. Mortimer is not a psychic; indeed, he is not a student of the
occult or even a believer in telepathy, but he has promised to obey the
conditions laid down for him. These are merely and only that he is to
follow Hanlon, keeping a few steps behind him, and mentally will the
blindfolded man to go in the right direction to find the hidden knife."'
"Isn't it wonderful, Sanford," breathed Miss Abby, her eyes shining
with the delight of the mystery.
"Poppycock!" and Embury smiled at her as a gullible child. "You don't
mean to say, aunt, that you believe there is no trickery about this!"
"But how can there be? You know, Sanford, it's easy enough to say
'poppycock' and 'fiddle-dee-dee!' and 'gammon' and 'spinach!' But just
tell me how it's done--how it can be done by trickery? Suggest a means
however complicated or difficult--"
"Oh, of course, I can't. I'm no charlatan or prestidigitateur! But you
know as well as I do, that the thing is a trick--"
"I don't! And anyway, that isn't the point. I want to go to see it. I'm not
asking your opinion of the performance, I'm asking you to let me go.
May I?"

"No, indeed! Why, Aunt Abby, it will be a terrible crowd--a horde of
ragamuffins and ruffians. You'd be torn to pieces--"
"But I want to, Sanford," and the old lady was on the verge of tears. "I
want to see Hanlon--"
"Hanlon! Who wants to see Hanlon?"
The expected Hendricks came into the room, and shaking hands as he
talked, he repeated his question: "Who wants to see Hanlon? Because I
do, and I'll take any one here who is interested."
"Oh, you angel man!" exclaimed Aunt Abby, her face beaming. "I want
to go! Will you really take me, Alvord?"
"Sure I will! Anybody else? You want to see it, Eunice?"
"Why, I didn't, but as Sanford just read it, it sounded interesting. How
would we go?"
"I'll run you out in my touring car. It won't take