Read Online The Spirit Room by Marschel Paul - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marschel Paul
Tags: Fiction
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novels is bad for girls are right. Once we girls have visions of the world outside the home, we’re unwilling to stay put and happily perform our domestic duties.” Izzie gently untied the red and white ribbon, wrapped it around Clara’s wrist and tied it again. “We can’t go back. We’ve already read too many books. Julianna taught me to read. I taught you and Euphora to read. We’re corrupted.”
The plum runabout was on the move and caught Clara’s eye. Slapping his reins on the backs of his gray horses, the fancy man’s carriage began to climb Seneca Street. Clara waved at it.
“Goodbye. We don’t need you now. We’re the famous Benton Sisters,” she said and then she extended her hand to Izzie and they shook like gentlemen partners.
Izzie pushed up her dress sleeves. “This place is foul with dust. Let’s clean it up.”
Seven
CLARA WAS READY FOR THEIR FIRST SPIRIT CIRCLE. This was the most excited she had ever been in her entire life. As Papa drew the new muslin curtains across their three windows, she took her place opposite Izzie at one end of the heavy oak table in the center of the Spirit Room. The room was cozy, lit by a fire in the hearth, the dull glow from gas street lamps filtering in, the candle near Izzie, and two oil lamps on the mantel. Also on the mantel was the small mahogany clock that Clara had found left behind by the previous tenant of the room. It was broken, stuck at eleven o’clock. Dead silent, it added something mysterious to the Spirit Room so they kept it. Izzie’s face was buried from sight behind her small notebook. She was going over what she wrote down the night before, things Papa told her.
Papa’s friends were coming any minute. The spirit circle was going to be a rehearsal, the way actors do in the theater. A “dress rehearsal” Papa had called it.
“You girls have to practice what you learned from Mrs. Fielding before we can charge money,” he told them.
From Papa, she and Izzie now knew something about each of the men coming. He kept her and Izzie up half the night telling them personal things about the men, then making them repeat it back. Sam Weston was a canal contractor. Herbert Washburn owned three canal boats all himself, and John Payne was a barkeeper at Ramsey’s, Papa’s favorite saloon. Washburn and Payne were both married but Payne’s wife died several years ago.
Papa said that Payne being a widower was significant, and she and Izzie should look to fit the dead wife into their trances. Weston never married, but was engaged once. The woman went off with someone else at the last minute before the wedding. Papa had lots more about brothers and sisters and where they grew up, things like that, pieces of a life puzzle.
When Papa and Izzie worked out the plan for the séance, they had decided that Izzie was going to imitate a serious deep trance. She was the oldest, not to mention smartest, but Clara could try out a light trance or a little song about heaven if she felt inclined.
While Papa paced up and down in front of the fireplace, Izzie shuffled and shuffled through the pages of her notebook. What on earth was she looking for?
Trying to get rid of the twitters in her stomach, Clara sighed noisily. She decided to remember the most important things that Mrs. Fielding had taught them. The very most significant thing of all was making people think their loved ones on the other side, in Summerland, were happy as could be. That’s exactly how she said it. The spirits were spirits, not human, not suffering at all. These spirits loved their dear ones left behind and were looking forward to the day when their earthbound family members and friends died and came over to Summerland, although she and Izzie weren’t supposed to say outright that the spirits were eager for the loved ones to die. Lawky Lawk , so much to remember, thought Clara. She stared up at the fine cracks in the ceiling.
“Happy
The plum runabout was on the move and caught Clara’s eye. Slapping his reins on the backs of his gray horses, the fancy man’s carriage began to climb Seneca Street. Clara waved at it.
“Goodbye. We don’t need you now. We’re the famous Benton Sisters,” she said and then she extended her hand to Izzie and they shook like gentlemen partners.
Izzie pushed up her dress sleeves. “This place is foul with dust. Let’s clean it up.”
Seven
CLARA WAS READY FOR THEIR FIRST SPIRIT CIRCLE. This was the most excited she had ever been in her entire life. As Papa drew the new muslin curtains across their three windows, she took her place opposite Izzie at one end of the heavy oak table in the center of the Spirit Room. The room was cozy, lit by a fire in the hearth, the dull glow from gas street lamps filtering in, the candle near Izzie, and two oil lamps on the mantel. Also on the mantel was the small mahogany clock that Clara had found left behind by the previous tenant of the room. It was broken, stuck at eleven o’clock. Dead silent, it added something mysterious to the Spirit Room so they kept it. Izzie’s face was buried from sight behind her small notebook. She was going over what she wrote down the night before, things Papa told her.
Papa’s friends were coming any minute. The spirit circle was going to be a rehearsal, the way actors do in the theater. A “dress rehearsal” Papa had called it.
“You girls have to practice what you learned from Mrs. Fielding before we can charge money,” he told them.
From Papa, she and Izzie now knew something about each of the men coming. He kept her and Izzie up half the night telling them personal things about the men, then making them repeat it back. Sam Weston was a canal contractor. Herbert Washburn owned three canal boats all himself, and John Payne was a barkeeper at Ramsey’s, Papa’s favorite saloon. Washburn and Payne were both married but Payne’s wife died several years ago.
Papa said that Payne being a widower was significant, and she and Izzie should look to fit the dead wife into their trances. Weston never married, but was engaged once. The woman went off with someone else at the last minute before the wedding. Papa had lots more about brothers and sisters and where they grew up, things like that, pieces of a life puzzle.
When Papa and Izzie worked out the plan for the séance, they had decided that Izzie was going to imitate a serious deep trance. She was the oldest, not to mention smartest, but Clara could try out a light trance or a little song about heaven if she felt inclined.
While Papa paced up and down in front of the fireplace, Izzie shuffled and shuffled through the pages of her notebook. What on earth was she looking for?
Trying to get rid of the twitters in her stomach, Clara sighed noisily. She decided to remember the most important things that Mrs. Fielding had taught them. The very most significant thing of all was making people think their loved ones on the other side, in Summerland, were happy as could be. That’s exactly how she said it. The spirits were spirits, not human, not suffering at all. These spirits loved their dear ones left behind and were looking forward to the day when their earthbound family members and friends died and came over to Summerland, although she and Izzie weren’t supposed to say outright that the spirits were eager for the loved ones to die. Lawky Lawk , so much to remember, thought Clara. She stared up at the fine cracks in the ceiling.
“Happy
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