A FANTASTIC FA NTA N TA sa T tp I 1 C STORY 05 3 T to 00 R 1 Y U by L M it D copyrighted c byg ate d 1903 1902 a bj bi the gaea authors tam I 1 F pi b bishing company why dont you write stories eva you are such a capital hand to make up a story that chasn t an atom of truth in it and tell tt it in a most convincing manner anner thank you for the compliment eva replied I 1 might be tempted to try it it if I 1 really though I 1 could sell them the fact is she continued people are too willing to listen to a bit of scandal are too anxious to find out something detrimental to their friends and will believe any kind of a story which furnishes fuel tor for the fire of gossip why eva werner do you think I 1 would believe evil stories told of my f 45 friends I 1 would not care to hear i them no matter how well they were told you are only human ed eva 14 and the best of us may be tempted s and tall fall by the way did you hear that will wilkins is on the verge of failures 7 yes jack said yesterday that his friends were afraid he would lose the remaining bit of property prop propel eity ty he owns it seems strange that a man of his age and experience mho ho has had so much te f money to use cannot make a success of some of his ventures tai for a few moments there was sil ence then ava said very quietly did you ever hear that will came by his f money in a very lecul ar manner that a negro woman a beautiful mu latto who had been his grandfather grandfathers a slave and had been educated by him held control of the property during the i life of will wills s father after the death of mr wilkins senior will was obliged to care for the neg ess until she died in order to get possession of 1 the money I 1 have never heard any such non i sense replied mrs rhodes I 1 have always supposed that will s father left 3 him the money but I 1 did not know he has been such a kind friend to us since we moved here that I 1 would not like to believe any ill of him well there are truths stranger than fiction eva continued have you never heard that she cast a spell over him conjured the colored folks call it because during her last sick ness he angered her it seems that he was very anxious to marry but could not do so because he had no money and the last night of her life as be he sat by her bedside she said to him it will not be long will before be gone and than you can have the money to do with as you I 1 please q 1 why don t you write stories eva whether be he had been drinking or was weary with watching and nursing no one knows but he snapped out it seems like a thousand years and I 1 am tired of waiting at that the savage blood long dor mant in her veins began to boll and white to the lips with coming death she said so you want me to die eh 7 well just remember will wilkins that like the rest of my race I 1 believe in conjuring listen to me met you shall have the money but ill luck will follow it every time you make an in vestment it will fail fall and I 1 will always be at your elbow these words en on she fell back on her ph ow and in ill a few moments had breathed her last will received the money and as you know failure has followed all ol 01 his investments did you ever notice a way he has of glancing behind him as if looking for some onea asked eva why yes replied mrs rhodes come to think of it I 1 have but I 1 never heard this story before and I 1 do not believe in the power to con jure although I 1 know many southern ers do especially the negroes well said eva rising I 1 must be going As this happened many years ago I 1 trust you will not repeat it for 1 I 1 7 well mr will what d d you want of me we are very intimate friends of the family and it might make trouble you may surely rely on me I 1 shall never repeat it to any one A week passed during which time eva and mrs rhodes did not chance to meet but eva received a letter from mr wilkins asking her to call at his office she went to the offic office and was surprised to find mrs rhodes and her husband there quickly dl ill vining the meaning of her summons she hastily saluted them then turning to mr wilkins she asked well mr will what did you want of me he looked steadily at her for a in moment 0 and then said miss eva it if ou oti cannot proe the truth of the story you told mrs rhodes last week 1 I shall make trouble for you eva not a bit abashed by his se vere I 1 hardly understand what you mean mrs rhodes faith fully promised never liever to repeat the story I 1 told her mrs rhodes turned crimson and in her confusion stammered why I 1 1 I 0 you you eva said indignantly are nearly as incapable of truth as you gave me credit for being will you please repeat all that was said before I 1 told the story with some stammering and hesitate ing mrs rhodes repeated what had been sal sat I 1 up to the time of telling the story then eva said I 1 nver naver told you it was true I 1 merely ed it if you bad had ever heard such a story about mr wilkins you admitted after I 1 told it that you never had neither had I 1 and I 1 ma made de it up to prove to ou on the truth of my belet let that we are too willing to believe any story about our friends it if it is well told there was no harm in the story I 1 tola told you if it you had kept your promise I 1 shall surely turn my at englon to writing if you who know that I 1 revel in fiction can swallow such an outrageous story about a friend if my stories are accepted by publishers as readily as by you my fortune Is made and I 1 thank you tor for it turning to mr wilkins she said 1 I beg your pardon mr will and hope you nil mill forgive me for having drawn you into this for I 1 surely meant no harm but wished merely to prove rove my theory that a jit ot of gossip is s always relished I 1 A aaa i