Show A A FANTASTIC STORY By I L. L M. M n. n D. D Copyrighted 19 1903 1 by TAs TA Authors Author Publishing Company L Why dont don't you write stories Eva You are such a capital hand to make makeup up a story that hasn't an atom of truth In it and tell it in a most convincing manner Thank you for tor the compliment Eva Eva replied I might be tempted to try It if I 1 really though r T co could ld sel them The fact is she continued people are too willing to listen to a abit abit abit bit of scandal are too anxious to find out something detrimental to their friends and will wUl believe believe- any kind ofa of ofa a a story which furnishes fuel fuel- fuel for for the fire of gossip Why Eva Werner do you think I would believe evil stories told of my friends I would not care to hear them no matter how well they were told You are only human replied Eva and the best of us may be tempted and fall By the way did you you ou hear that Will WUl Wilkins is on the verge of failure Yes Jack said yesterday that his friends were afraid he would lose the remaining bit of property he owns It I ll t I III I 1 f r J Why dont don't you write stories Eva seems strange that thata a man of his ag age e and experience who has had so much money money to use cannot make a success of of some of his ventures I For a few moments there was silence sll- sll il ence then Eva said very quietly quietly Did you ever hear that Will WUl came camp by hi his s money in a very peculiar manner that a a a- negro woman woman woman-a a beautiful mulatto mu mu- latto who latto-who who had been his grandfathers grandfather's slave and had been educated by him I held control of the property during the life of Wills Will's father After the death of Mr Wilkins senior senior- Will WUl was obliged to care for the until she died In order to get possession of the money I have never heard any such nonsense nonsense nonsense non non- sense replied Mrs Rhodes I have always supposed that Wills Will's father left him the money but I 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 0 of him Well there are truths stranger than fiction Eva continued Have you never heard that she cast a a spell over him him conjured conjured the colored folks call it because It-because because during her last sick- sick sickness ne ness nes s he angered her It seems that he was was' very anxious' anxious to marry but could not do so because he had no noI I money and the last night of Her ner life as he sat by her bedside she said to him It will not be long Will before Ill I'll be gone and then you can have havethe havethe havethe the money money- to do with as you please Whether he had been drinking or was weary with watching and nursing noone no noone noone one knows but h he hg snapped out It seems like a d years and I am tired of waiting At that the savage blood long dormant dormant dormant dor dor- mant in her veins her veins began to boil boll and white to the lips with coming death she said So you want me to die eh Well just remember Will Wilkins that like the rest of of my rac race I believe believe be be- lieve in conjuring Listen to me You shall have the money but ill luck will follow it every time you make an Investment investment Investment In in- vestment it will wUl fail and I will always be at yo your r elbow These words words spoken en she fell back on her and in ina a few moments had breathed her l last last st st. Will WUl received the money and ag aa as you know fail failure re has followed all of his investments Did you ever notice a way way he has of glancing behind him as as if looking for some one asked Eva Why yes y es replied Mrs irs Rhodes come come t to think of It I have but I heard heard heard- this thia story before and and and 1 I Ido do not bel believe eve in the he power power to conjure con con- o jure although I know many southern era do especially the negroes Well said Eva rising I must be going As this happened many ye years years rs ago I trust you will not repeat it for r f li fl 7 I J J we are very Intimate friends of the family and It 11 make trouble You Yau may surely rely on I me me-l me I shall never repeat it to any my one A week passes during which time time- Eva and Mrs Airs Rhodes did not chance chance- to meet but received Eva received a letter from Mr Air Wilkins asking her to call can at his office She went to the office and was surprised to find Mrs Airs Rhodes and her husband there Quickly di divIning divining divining di- di vining the meaning of her summons summon she hastily saluted them them then turning to Mr Wilkins she asked Well Wen Mr Will what did you want of me He Ile looked steadily at her for a moment moment mo moment mo- mo ment and then said Miss Eva if you cannot prove the truth of the- the story you told Mrs Airs Rhodes last week I shall make trouble for y you u. u Eva not not a bit abashed by his s se se- said I hardly understand what you mean Mrs Rhodes faithfully faithfully faith faith- fully promised never to repeat the the- story I told her Mrs Rhodes turned crimson and in in- her confusion stammered Why Why I Why I I II I 1 You you you-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 before before be be- fore I told the story With some and stammering hesitating hesitating hesitating ing Mrs Rhodes repeated what had i. i been said up to the time of telling the the- story Then Eva said I never told you it was true I I merely asked if you had ever heard such a story about Mr Wilkins You You- admitted after I told it that you never had neither had I and I-and and I made It up up- to prove to you the truth of my belief belief be be- lief that we are too foo 00 willing to believe believe- any story about our friends if it is- is well told There was no harm In the the- story I told you if you had kept your your- promise I shall shaH surely turn my attention attention at at- to writing if you who know i Vr vr i I 1 I l u R Well Mr Will what did you want of me J that I revel in hi fiction can swallow such an outrageous story about a a. J friend If my iny stories are accepted by publishers as readily as by you my my fortune is made and I thank you for- for it Turning to Mr Air Wilkins she said it itI a aI I beg your pardon Mr Will and 1 hope you will forgive me for having drawn you Into this for I surely meant no harm but wished merely to i prove my theory that a bit It of gossip is always relished |