Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1920 — The Faker and the Flood [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Faker and the Flood

By FREDERICK HART

«©, 1910. by McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) Lou Alberts'had the ouija craze. Bill Blacklock was a nonbeliever. As her “psychic Investigations,” as she called them, became 'more Intense and etfrnest, his good-natured scoffing developed into ardent contempt and Anally reached the stage of Intolerance. “Leave that board alone or It will drive you Insane," he admonished. “Well, let me tell you, Bill Blacklock,” she said, “the stand you are taking simply shows you up as a narrow minded materialist You’re denouncing something you haven’t even tried. I dare you to put ouija to a test" She brought the board from its place In the corner and brandished it before him challengingly. Bill and Lou were to be married within six weeks, but he was unable to discuss the coming event with her owing to the “psychic Investigations.” It had come to the point where Lou had to give up either ouija or Bill. “I’ll tell you what,” he said. “We’ll test ouija, and if he fatls you must drop him and foreVer keep silence about him. If he meets the test I’ll accept him and there’ll be no more disagreements.” This seemed fair enough, and Lou agreed. They drew up chairs ‘and placed the board on their laps and their hands on the indicator. Bill asked Wis age and the board answered twenty-seven, which was correct. He questioned it regarding his vocation and ouija truthfully answered “Mining engineer.” He put other questions and the replies were accurate. “Now are you convinced?” Lou asked triumphantly, as they paused. “No,” he said. “The answers to all questions were known by one of us. Our subconscious personalities have been moving the indicator, that’s all. The whole thing’s a farce. You must abandon this crazy hobby.” Bill took the board and with a pencil 'wrote in big letters across the face of it, “Ouija Is a faker." The termination of the heated argument that ensued caused a definite break In relations, and Bill flounced

from the house with a diamond ring clutched in his fist and a grim, deter-

mined, desperate iooi on Ms countenance. 4 , Bill was stubborn, but no more so than Lou. He remained away, and she let him. ‘‘l can’t live in the same town with her,” Bill Bnally decided, and forthwith sent a letter of acceptance in regard to some work In the southwest. About the same time Lou’s father was ordered by his doctor to a different climate, and Mr. Alberts, his wife and two daughters shortly after started on a trip across the continent Bill did not know that Lou had left the city, and Lou was unaware of his departure. They loved each other, their souls cried out for each other, but both were too stubborn to surrender. If ouija Is a spirit of good he must have felt bad about the separation he had brought about. If he Is evil ,be grinned with benevolent satisfaction. Broad river was justifying its name. Spring torrents had swollen the stream to twdce its width, and the work of expansion, accompanied by a work of devastation, went on. It wrenched houses from their foundations, it obliterated abandoned mines and some that had not been abandoned. It ate Its way Into mountains and tore huge chunks from their sides. A shack standing against a mountain wall withstood all the greedy assaults of the torrent. The shack was marooned, with the mountain wall at its back and water on the other sides, but there was a plentiful supply of provisions and the three men who had their temporary abode there felt little uneasiness over their welfare. They knew they could leave should the occasion arise, for close by the cabin was a large and powerful motorboat which they could launch and make their way in the swollen river in spite of al! the currents that might assail the craft. However, the men were there fdr a purpose and had no intention of leaving until their object was accomplished. One day Bill was interrupted In a game of solitaire by one of his companions who stood before him holding a familiar looking board. “Here’s something queer,” said the man. “I found this thing washed up by the river. It’s a message for help, but It’s a strange one.” Bill seized the board with a feeling something akin to exasperation. He turned the board over and his eyes widned as he read a message that had been laboriously carved in the back with a knife. It read: “Help; out of provisions; water at cabin door; still rising; marooned on Pegg’s Point.” “There’s the message for help,” said the man who had brought the board, “but look at this.” And he reversed the board, and with a finger pointed out another message which had once been written with a pencil, although the water had washed off all traces of lead and left only a scrawling, depression in the wood. “Ouija is a faker,” were the words that were only faintly visible. Bill hurled the playing cards to the floor and upset the table. “Launch the boat,” he directed. He was leader of the party and the others obeyed without question. Soon the motorboat was plowing upstream. The current was strong, but the four-cylinder engine drove the craft along in spite of all resistance. Three miles they tvent, and a sheet fluttering from the roof of a cabin attracted the attention of the voyagers. They steered the boat toward this haj)itation, the lower part of which was immersed. The boat crept up beside the shack ancf Bill was the first to step from it into the cabin. In water up to his walgt he waded through the three lower rdoms and then mounted a ladder to the upper floor. A man, a woman and two girls were in a corner. “Thank God!” breathed the man fervently. “We’re saved?’ “Bill!" cried one of the girls. In a comer of the living room of a modest, comfortable dwelling iri an eastern city stands an ouija board. The board is never used, for Lou has recovered from her “craze.” But sometimes her husband takes it in his hands

aid pats it affectionately' and says softly; i “Ouija, you’re all right I take It back; you’re no faker after all.’’

Soon the Motorboat Was Plowing Upstream,