The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1880-12-25
Weston, West Virginia, December IS, 1880.

Ej S'ScONt hbuiu VAIN us,
whispered the young people bacl
and forth among themselves.
When the lecture was finished
! Madame La Tintorette began til,
!. most interesting part Of the even
\ ing's performance.
c She invited any twenty youn,
5 men who desired to test her ability
e rs II mcsmerist to mount the plat
$ form, and speedily the bcncEe.
which had been placed there it
! waiting were filled with an expect
!. ant crowd.
Madame In Tintorette passed
before them; waving 6er hands uE
, and down,and they all became rapt
like somnambulists.
In the cxpectant stiffness an ur.
gent, clamorous peal sounded from
a distant bell.
It was the bell Of the old church
on the mountain. What could be
amiss? Wondering eyes looked
for n moment into other eyes, but
tho mesmerist went on with her
experiment, and the boil was for
gotten.
She went before each subject Il
second time, touching him slowly
on the forehead with the palm Of
her hand, and they all turned their
stony eyes upon her, ready to obey
her slightest signal.
* low moan,likc the rising wind,
smotc upGn the ears of the audience,
followed by dull crash like a dis
tant explosion.
The mesmerist suddenly paused
with car intent, while all her sub.
jects rose and bent toward her in
attitudes Of marble like submis.
sion.
Some few of the young men at
the door slipped quietly out
Madame LaTintorette continued
her passes before the mesmcrized
ones, but her eyes rovcd keenly over
the hall at the same time. SHE was
measuring the possible danger
without with the possible courage
within.
And now came u savage hissirg
and roaring, nearer and nearer,
while those who had gone out
rushed in with ashen faces, and
shouted:
"The flood the floodl It's
coming down like the sea!
Before one might stir from his
place at this awful announcement,
there was a shock like the battcring
rams ofan army against the north
| side Of the hall, and Il curdlcd wave
came ioaming in through the open
door.
Instantly all was confusion.
The women slirieked and sprang
upon the benches, while even the
brayest Of the young men lost all
presence of mind, und began to
Chamber upon the platform.
Madame LII Tintorctte raised the
blind ut the back of the platform,
and seeing a.bristling wave, house.
high, carcering where tree-tops had
been, she understood in u fash the
calamity. And that strength Of
mind which could make her good
tnesmerist stood her in good stead
now.
Swooping to the front she faced
the agitated throng and cried:
"Let there be silence |"
In half a second every car was
listening.
"Shut the door and stuff the.
cracks with shawls or handker-
chiefs, and do the same with every
Window! she shouted, and Il num-
ber of the young men llew to obey
her.
But alas too soon a tree torn up
BY the roots was whirlcd against
two of the windows, shattcring
them, and the black waves came
pouring in.
"Be calm, 4 wetting is nothing"
cried the mesmerist to the alright
ed girls. "As long as the founda-
tions stand We are safe, if we can
get upon the roof. Who can reach
that sky-light?"
A murmur Of despair ran
through the hall, and no wonder.
The walls and ceiling were smooth
" plastercd up to the roof.trce
without a break, excepting a sky
light, which had originally shed
light upon an entrance porch, and
which, upon the enlarging Of the
building, had for no known reason
been left.
Ii was their only nope now, now
ever, for the waters were steadily
creeping up, W, UP the walls, and
already the benches were floating,
and the throng submerged to the
waist.
Seeing that no volunlcer was
ready TO attempt tho sky-liglht, the
mesinerist determined 10 risk what
might be n fatal experiment, but
one which tic circumstances Ger
tainly demanded.
She threw all her subjects into q
yet deeper mcsmcric trance, and
then addressed them thus:
"You are harleeuins in In