The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-09-22
JUST IN TINE.

NCH OT4CdIlS 10 t5ts AOulc 4HC AlS
was oppressively warm, and | had gon
out on deck for a breath of fresh ali
There were only two other persons there
a man and woman, who we're walkln
back and forth, conversing together i
low voices. As | passed them hear
her say
s'Do you want to drive me crazy!
tell you can't forget him and it's NJ
use talking to me about my duty.
don't believe word that wicked womal
says He isn't married again-he ism
dead. He's alive, and true to me; In
sure of it.
The words were low, but intense ant
passionate, and stopped involuntarily
''Don't get excited and unreasonable
my dear woman. Look at the facts o.
the case. You haven't heard from you
husband in nearly two years; he lef
you with scarcely a weeks provisions
on hand, and SO in money; if it hadn't
been for me you and your child would
have starved. Yet you talk as if it was
your duty to remain faithful TO the
memory of such man and that, too,
in spite of the proof you have received
by direct revelation from Heaven, as
it were, that he not only deserted you,
but married another woman and lived
with her as his wife for three months
before he died"
can't tell why it was, but there was
something in the smooth, insinuating
voice of the speaker that sounded to me
like the hiss of serpent, and inspired
me with feeling of adherence that |
could not overcome.
The next morning | scanned the faces
of the passengers to discover the speak
er. He was seated at the breakfast
table; long-haired, thin-visaged, with
thin lips and light blue eyes that looked
hard and cruel, but with a general air
of sanctimoniousness pervading his
whole aspect.
A little pale-faced woman sat on his
right hand, whom recognized at once
as his companion of the night before.
She held in her lap child two or three
years old, and was rather pretty than
otherwise, although her eyes were red
as if from continual weeping.
But the face that chiefly attracted my
attention was that of the woman on his
left hand Her face, in its unearthly
pallor, resembled that of corpse; her
lips were livid, and her eyes, deep
sunken and with dark circles about
them, were dull and expressionless. 1t
was a face that at the same time re-
pulsed and fascinated you. She, too,
as well as the other woman, seemed to
be under the control of the man whom
| have described.
l noticed great many curious glances
directed toward these persons during
breakfast. Afterward | learned who
they were from the Captain. The man,
it appeared, was celebrated spiritual
ist, with wonderful gift of healing in
his hands, who subscribed himself S. S.
johnson, NJ. ID. The woman with a
corpse-like face was a clairvoyant, who
always travelled with him, and went into
frances for his benefit whenever he de-
sired. The two together were said to
be very successful as healing mediums.
81 don't know what to think of it, j"
said the Captain. There is something
remarkable about this clairvoyance. |
am convinced that johnson is an i'm
poster; but as to this woman-Why, I'd
take my oath that she isn't conscious of
what she says and does in those frances.
johnson has a curious kind of power
over her, and | believe his will actually
forces her into semi-comatose state,
and puts the words into her mouth that
she is to say.
"But who is the little paie-faced crea-
ture that accompanies him p inquired.
''Is she clairvoyant, too p
"Oh, no! but her husband left her
nearly two years ago, and this johnson
has befriended her, for reasons of his
own, no doubt. There's a mystery
about it, somehow. was well acquint-
ed with her husband. He was asteady,
hard-working man; but times were
very poor, and he thought he could
better his fortune by trip to the noun
tains. So he went, leaving his wife
and child rather scantily provided for,
but it was the best he could do. He
hoped that before their money and pro-
visions were exhausted he would be able
to send them more. This DIR. johnson
was his principal adviser in the step he
took. and promised to see that his
family didn't come to want. From that
day to this, however, no direct eommu-
nication has been received from Joe
Morrison. 1t is known that he arrived
in ST. Louis safely, that be embarked
there for the mountains, and that is all.
His wife is weak, helpless, little erea-
ture, strong only in devotion to her
husband, and would have sunk under
the blow if it hadn't been for the child.
The Captain stopped as if be had
finished his story; but / turned to him
eagerly, for the conversation of the night
before REQUIRED I'd to my memory.
'Isn't there some rumor about Nor
rison's being dead or married again
And what about this johnson? Has he
kept the promise he made her husband.
The Captain did not not seem inclined
at first to say anything more, but was
finally persuaded to tell me the rest of
the story, together with his own suspi-
eions as to the relations between john
son and Mrs Morrison.
.'I can't denya he said, s'that johnson
has befriended her, but he is man |
wouldn't trust, and believe he has done
it for purposes of his own. As to what
those pusposes are / have my suspicious.
After Morrison had been gone over a
year johnson advised her to consult
Sarah White, his clairvoyant friend.
Lucy, that is Mrs. Morrison, yielded to
the proposal readily, as relief from the
doubts and fears that distracted her.
But imagine her horror when informed
by Miss White that her husband was
alive, and well and married to another
woman She wouldn't belive it, and
refused at first to have anything more
to do with claivoyance But the COM
munication had its effect, undoubtedly,
on her weak and credulous nature, for
when months passed on and there was
no word or tidings, she again consulted
Miss White. This time she received a
direct message from her husband him
self. who had been killed in a melee
among some miners, according to his
own assertion, and was thus enabled
through spiritual mediumship to console
his wife personally. He confirmed the