No, maam; I wont go a dozen steps.
Extry! Extry! All about the Great Magic! Hanlon the Wonderful and his Big Stunt! Extry!
Oh, get a paper, Eunice, do, urged Aunt Abby from the depths of her fur coat. Ask that boy for one! I must have it to read after I get homeI cant look at it now, but get it! Here, youBoysay, Boy!
The newsboy came running to them and flung a paper into Eunices lap.
There yare, lady, he said, grinning; theres yer paper! Gimme a nickel, cant yer? I aint got time hangin on me hands!
His big black eyes stared at Eunice, as she made no move toward a purse, and he growled: Hurry up lady; I gotta sell some papers yet. Think nobuddy wants one but you?
Eunice flushed with annoyance.
Please pay him, Aunt Abby, she said, in a low voice; Ihavent any money.
Goodness gracious me! Havent five cents! Why, Eunice, you must have!
But I havent, I tell you! I cant see Alvord, and Gus is too far to call to. Go over there, boy, to that chauffeur with the leather coathell pay you.
No, thanky mum! Ive had that dodge tried afore! Pity a grand dame like you cant scare up a nickel! Want to work a poor newsie! Shame for ya, lady!
Hush your impudence, you little wretch! cried Aunt Abby. Here, Eunice, help me get my purse. Its in my inside coat pocketunder the rugthere, see if you can reach it now.
Aunt Abby tried to extricate herself from the motor rug that had been tucked all too securely about her, and failing in that, endeavored to reach into her pocket with her gloved hand, and became hopelessly entangled in a mass of fur, chiffon scarf and eyeglass chain.
I cant get at my purse, Eunice; theres no use trying, she wailed, despairingly. Let us have the paper, my boy, and come back here when the owner of this car comes and hell give you a quarter.
Yeshe will! shouted the lad, and hell give me a dimon pin an a gold watch! Id come back, willin enough, but me root lays the other way, an I must be scootin or Ill miss the hull show. Sorry! The boy, who had no trouble in finding customers for his papers, picked up the one he had laid on Eunices lap and made off.
Never mind, Auntie, she said, well get another. Its too provokingbut I havent a cent, and I dont blame the boy. Now, find your purseor, never mind; here comes Alvord.
Just fell over Mortimer! called out Hendricks as the two men came to the side of the car. I made him come and speak to you ladies, though I believe its holding up the whole performance. Let me present the god in the machine!
Not that, said Mr. Mortimer, smiling; only a small mechanical part of to-days doings. Ive a few minutes to spare, though but a few. How do you do, Miss Ames? Glad to see you again. And Mrs. Embury; this brings back childhood days!
Tell me about Hanlon, begged Miss Ames. Is he on the square?
So far as I know, and I know all there is to know, I think. I was present at a preliminary test this morning, and Ill tell you what he did. Mortimer looked at his watch and proceeded quickly. In at the Free Press office one of the men took a piece of chalk and drew a line from where we were to a distant room of the building. The line went up and down stairs, in and out of various rooms, over chairs and under desks, and finally wound up in a small closet in the city editors office. Welland I must jump away nowthat wizard, Hanlon, being securely blindfoldedI did it myselffollowed that line, almost without deviation, from start to finish. Through a building he had never seers before, and groping along in complete darkness.
How in the world could he do it? Aunt Abby asked, breathlessly.
The chap who drew the line was behind himbehind, mind youand he willed him where to go. Of course, he did his best, kept his mind on the job, and earnestly used his mentality to will Hanlon along. And did! There, thats all I know, until this afternoons stunt is pulled off. But what Ive told you, I do knowI saw it, and I, for one, am a complete convert to telepathy!
The busy man, hastily shaking hands, bustled away, and Hendricks told in glee how, through his acquaintance with Mortimer, he had secured a permit to drive his car among the front ones that were following the performance, which was to begin very soon now.
Gus returned, and they were about to start when Aunt Abby set up a plea for a copy of the paper that she wanted.
Good-natured Gus tried his best, Hendricks himself made endeavors, but all in vain. The papers were gone, the edition exhausted. Nor could any one whom they asked be induced to part with his copy even at a substantial premium.
Sorry, Miss Ames, said Hendricks, but we cant seem to nail one. Perhaps later we can get one. Now we must be starting or well soon lose our advantage.
The crowd was like a rolling sea by this time, and only the efficiency of the fine police work kept anything like order.
Cautiously the motor car edged along while the daring pedestrians seemed to scramble from beneath the very wheels.
And then a cheer arose which proclaimed the presence of Hanlon, the mysterious possessor of second sight, or the marvelous reader of anothers mindnobody knew exactly which he was.
Chapter III
The Stunt
Bowing in response to the mighty cheer that greeted his appearance, Hanlon stood, smiling at the crowd.
A young fellow he seemed to be, slender, well-knit and with a frank, winning face. But he evidently meant business, for he turned at once to Mr. Mortimer, and asked that the test be begun.
A few words from one of the staff of the newspaper that was backing the enterprise informed the audience that the day before there had been hidden in a distant part of the city a penknife, and that only the hider thereof and the Hon. Mr. Mortimer knew where the hiding place was.
Hanlon would now undertake to go, blindfolded, to the spot and find the knife, although the distance, as the speaker was willing to disclose, was more than a mile. The blindfolding was to be done by a committee of prominent citizens and was to be looked after so carefully that there could be no possibility of Hanlons seeing anything.
After that, Hanlon engaged to go to the hiding place and find the knife, on condition that Mr. Mortimer would follow him, and concentrate all his willpower on mentally guiding or rather directing Hanlons footsteps.
The blindfolding, which was done in full view of the front ranks of spectators, was an elaborate proceeding. A heavy silk handkerchief had been prepared by folding it in eight thicknesses, which were then stitched to prevent Clipping. This bandage was four inches wide and completely covered the mans eyes, but as an additional precaution pads of cotton wool were first placed over his closed eyelids and the bandage then tied over them.
Thus, completely blindfolded, Hanlon spoke earnestly to Mr. Mortimer.
I must ask of you, sir, that you do your very best to guide me aright. The success of this enterprise depends quite as much on you as on myself. I am merely receptive, you are the acting agent. I strive to keep my mind a blank, that your will may sway it in the right direction. I trust you, and I beg that you will keep your whole mind on the quest. Think of the hidden article, keep it in your mind, look toward it. Follow menot too closelyand mentally push me in the way I should go. If I go wrong, will me back to the right path, but in no case get near enough to touch me, and, of course, do not speak to me. This test is entirely that of the influence of your will upon mine. Call it telepathy, thought-transference, will-poweranything you choose, but grant my request that you devote all your attention to the work in hand. If your mind wanders, mine will; if your mind goes straight to the goal, mine will also be impelled there.