New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-18

afther committin' some great action for the
pOrrpOse that I shOuld't lie starvin' in my
carin for want Of word of praise, which
is mate and dhrink and nurrishmint to the
soul. Marcus COr-rtuis, whom every moth
er's son of yes read of, jist set his horse at
a pit, no more nor less, and saved his coun-
three If there were a pit here my horse
should 90 after Marcus COr-rtuis' though
l haven't hOrse-bad luck to the picca-
reen if he wouldn't! So I'm list for tell
ing any gfntleman here, that if he wants to
lave a name to his descendants by invint-
ing an invintion thatll blow up the man
that first tries it, let him only spake the
word and I'm the man that'u be blown
up"
The Chelsea public laughed good ma
turedly, regarding this speech as a fitting
preface to the tumbling entertainment: and
one Of the mOuntebanks improved the Occa-
sion by going the round of the circle with
his hat. Patrick O'Featherhead continued
his speech, and added to its impressiveness:
but seeing at last that the laughter in no
way diminished, and being further re-
minded by the man with the pole that his
five minutes were up, with other five min
utes besides, he Opined, with some con-
tempt, that the inventive spirit must be alb
sent from Chelsea, and so withdrew from
the carpet to seek for a less benighted local
itY. He had scarcely, however, passed
through the ring of spectators, who made
way for him, smiling, to right and left, than
be was confronted by a curious man, dressed
in black, whom he had observed watching
him from a little distance.
Were you in earnest just now ?" asked
this individual, fixing on him pair of mys-
FERROUS and searching eyes.
You may file an affidivat to that iffect in
the Cart Of Queens Binch,7 answered Pat
rick positively, and stopping.
You mean to say that you are prepared
to sacrifice your life Immediately TO any
new and great invention ~
"I'll sacrifice it even if the Inventions
not new but an ould one, by st. Pathrick -
''Weu, then, follow me-"
'Where do you live ?" inquired the stran-
ger, after the two had got clear Of the more
frequented streets.
Patrick O'Featherhead told his name;
and, upon the stranger then inquiring for
an outline of his history, and Of the causes
which had brought him to plan suicide, |
Patrick furnished this, too, with no stint of |
details or philosophical reflections. He ex- |
patiated on his troubles, his batfed hopes, |
his love. He drew picture of Milly Wood, |
and cursed the base soul of Mark Quill, the |
clerk, from the heels of it to the head" |
Being next asked by the stranger whether
he knew anything of electricity or magnet !
ism, he replied that ne took an interest in
both, and had read that very morning, to
while away his time, book on phenomena:
'bY the same token that it made the hair
of me stand, added he.
The stranger stood still, and again exam
med Patrick with an air of great scrutiny,
81 am an inventor" he said at length
and as though hesitating. "But as my in
ventiOn can be tried as well in your lOdg-
ngs as in mine, and as your dead body, in
3ase of fatal result. would be an encum- |
Orance and danger to me, propose that
we go to your residence"
'And where is the invintion, thin ?" asked
Patrick, quite untrOubled.
''In my pocket" answered the man.
1t did not take long to reach Patrick's
Odgings; but on the way, an inexplicabIe
ensatiOn possessed him. 1t seemed of a
udden as though his smileless and sphinx
ike companion had obtained occult rule
Dver his powers Of thought and movement,
md thus numbed his brain, while depriv-
ng him of the ability to walk. He tOttered
md would have fallen, but that his com
DaniOn caught hold of him, and linked his
I'm within his. Then, though he tried to
Ombat the treaCherOus magic or magnet
SIN that was paralyzing him, he could re-
member no more till he found himself seat |
d Ia chair in his own room, and his com
aniOn looking at him tixedly from the
Their side OF the table.
Patrick faRcied that the deceiviHg stran-
er had taken an unfair advantage of him,
nd commenced the experiments without
Tarning He essayed to speak, but his
Jngue produced only inarticuIate sounds |
lie closed his eyes and threw himself back
l his seat Then this is what the stranger
Id and said: He produced a small copper
hahn, adapted to 20 around the neck, and
ON somewhere else a copper dial, rather
Ike a watch, and placed these two apart
t distant points of the tables then lie be-
an slowly:
These are my inventions they are the
Ork of a lifetime, but may, perhaps, de
roy life in an Instant that is what re- !
aims to be seen. This diaI.wilI give to the !
AN who uses it such power over his fellow !
zen that there would be nothing on earth,
I'VE health and strength to use it, left to :
ish for. But the dial can only serve in
'njunctiOn with the chain, which COM /
Gtes its force; and the combined might Of /
le two is so great that any man wearing )
lem linked together, without the amount
bodily electricity necessary to c0unteract l
elr effects On his own organization might G
? struck dead where he stood. l know [ ?
i've not the bodily electricity required. | $
Il Emphatic, and it is the man of nervous q
Id sangulne temperament that Is needed. a
ears have been spent by me in endeavOr- 5
G to find such a one who would consent to q
ldergO the experiment; but until fate c
rev me in your way to-day, met nobody n
18th courage or despair enough. You are l
III firmly resolved to brave death :" 0
Patrick, while conscious of the question S
1t that he had been by some process ,
Gated out of the power of opposing a 81
gatiye to it. He uttered a kind of moan ?
ID sought vainly to lift his hand to his W
es and open them; but his arms hung to o
sides like lead. 81
50 You say yes" remarked the stranger.
calm tone. We'll, in less than five 81
nutes you will tower as a king above L
IN, or be out Of your misery" P
He took the chain, and advancing to IL
lere Patrick sat, threw it over his neck W
trick shiyered from head to foot, as if In D.
ne. Three times the spasms REQUIRED to u
n in twice as many seconds, and seemed d
If they meant to wrench the life out of u
n. Then he became still again,
Now listen said the stranger, Selling W
right hand, and directing it toward the 81
Il. This dial fastened to the chain will 81
you are not killed by the shOck-cause ju
u to exercise magnetic and irresistible ca
cinatiOn over any human being toward sc
ION you point one of these needles. You az
there are two of them, as in a watch al
you employ the smaller one, you may e
npel any man to do or say the exact e
ltrary of what it was his disposition to W
or say; if you use the longer needle, you b;
" OblIge a man, for so long as its point is Ut
ned toward him, to speak the truth |
explain the former of these two powers, l.
j have only to recOllect that the human de
nd is debating assembly, where the II
ID and bad instincts, the wise and the &C
lish, the noble and the mean, deliberate W
On every act of a mans life. In the case til
an honest man, il is the rood instincts | ar