The Final Thrilling Installment of
The Amazing Adventure
of Joe Scranton
By EFFIE W. FIFIELD
CHAPTER SIX
ONE night, after eating a hearty supper, I slipped out of the house, unobserved, and made my way to a sort of shallow cave I had found under an overhanging rock beside the sea. It was an ideal place in which to leave Jack Walsh's body.
I went straight to my own home. It was closed and dark. I searched every room. All were empty save one, which was occupied by the housekeeper. I went to the barn. The horses were there, and the coachman, who was also our chauffeur, slept soundly in his snug room overhead. The garage was locked. My car had not been used.
I returned to the house, and tried to find some scrap of paper-a forgotten note anything that might tell me what had happened, but in vain. I next went to the house occupied by Angeline's father, and there, in the room which had been hers as a girl, I saw my wife. The lamp burned dimly, and a nurse sat beside the bed.
I breathed a prayer of thankfulness that Angeline had been removed from the presence of my enemy, even though I realized that I might find it difficult to win her back again. It was evident that, womanlike, she had resented the treatment of her supposed husband, and gone home to mother.
But what had become of my body? I went to Helen's room. She lay quietly beside her husband, who had raised himself upon his elbow, and was earnestly studying her face. He appeared greatly perplexed. He spoke to her, but she made no reply. He shook her, but she did not awaken. I saw, at once, that she had astralized herself, and that Colonel Saunders had discovered that she was in an abnormal condition.
I did not doubt that Helen had astralized herself. Perhaps she had made an appointment with my enemy. As likely as not she was with him now. If so, she would at once understand the true condition of affairs, and she might help me out of my fearful predicament.
"What next?" I murmured. "Shall I try to find Helen, or would it be better for me to remain where I am and await her return?"
It was agony to believe that my body was somewhere, untenanted, and I did not know where. Oh, if I could only know its whereabouts! If only I could get to it before my enemy suspected my presence!
I finally decided to go to our most dearly loved haunts, hoping to find Helen. Anything was better than this state of inaction. As luck would have it, I had gone but a little distance from Helen's house, when I came face to face with the astral of my enemy.
"Where is my body?" I demanded.
"I will tell you that when I am ready to give it up," was his insolent reply.
I have since thought that the worst part of being without a body is one's inability stand up to a good square fight, and that is my only objection to being an angel when I die. Should I meet Jack Walsh in heaven, I know I'd whip him if I could.
"Bye-bye, Sonny," he said, with a leer. "Kiss Liz, for me, and mind you keep my body in good repair. I may want it some day."
He floated off, and I decided to follow him and take a chance on getting into my body first. If I failed, I should at least have the satisfaction of seeing it and knowing where to look for it another time. But Jack divined my thought, and immediately turned to me.
or not. I might as well be an astral for the rest of my life, anyhow, but you don't feel that way, so you'd best go away back and sit down."
"Old chap," he said, "you'll be sorry if you attempt that. I shall not go near your body as long as you follow me. If it dies I don't care. You have probably guessed that it makes little difference to me whether I ever see my old shell again, or not.
He had me in his power, and knew it. I turned away without another word, unwiling to do aught that would imperil my precious body. Without doubt, the existence of an astral was preferable to that led by Jack Walsh, but it was not more desirable than the life to which I had been accustomed.
I searched for Helen as long as I dared leave Jack's body. I searched in vain. There was nothing to do but return to the spot where I had hidden the body, and take up its horrible routine. This time it had not been molested. I crept into it, warmed it up, and wearily dragged it to the poverty-stricken home of Jack Walsh. The sun was just rising, when I entered the room, but the brisk Jane was already 'about her work.
"Good morning," said I.
"Humph!" was her reply. "Well, you certainly have not been on a spree this time! Going to work today!"
"Yes," I replied, knowing that it was the only chance I had to keep my borrowed body alive. It seemed to me that it required more food than three such bodies ought to need.
"Liz is in the next room. She sat up all night waiting for you, and has only just dropped asleep."
"Let her sleep. I'll work, and you may give her all I earn except just what is needed to buv food enough to keep me from starving, but I'll be blest if I ever want to see her again."
"Jack, what's got hold of you?"
"That is none of your business. Come, let's have breakfast, and be off as soon as possible."
"There were men here to see you last night. Did you expect them?"
"No."
"One was short and-"
"I don't care anything about them."
