Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-09-03

{; ly, but ] am inclined to think you ar,
. right in your suspicious" And in re
| turn tor the captains confidence relat
e ed the conversation ] had accidental,
g overheard.
Just the plea ] thought he woult
urge-duty. Duty to her child. proba
bly,. The hypocrite' He knows SD.
won't marry him for any other reason
But what IS the crowd doing over therei'
and ne pointed to the opposite side o.
the cabin, "Ah! l understand. ISM
that Johnson and Miss White? He ask.
ed my permission this morning to dis
play her wonderful skill as o clairvoy.
ant. want you to see her in trance
am not superstitious, but there was
something uncanny in the air that morn.
ing, and thrill Of actual dread ran over
me as we approached the clairvoyant.
Her eyes were open, but rolled back in
her head, and there was CHASTITY ex.
preston to her face shall never FORGET.
She was talking and gesticulating ear
nestiy, and near her stood DR.. johnson.
whose liked magnetic gaze never left
her for q single instant. As soon as |
could distinguish what she said I dis
covered that she protested to be under
the control Of Joe Morrison, and the cap-
tam informed me that she initiated per-
tectly his tricks of voice and manner
What made this more remarkable was
the fact that she had never seen him.
There is no use, Lucy, in crying any
more, " she said, ''for ! am a miserable
scoundrel, and not worth the tears YOU
shed. You are wrong, too, in neglecting
your duty to Willie the way you do.
He is orr child, remember. and want
You to consider what will be the best
Tor his future, instead Of mourning for
me any longer. You are altogether too
headstrong and suspicious, and won't
listen to the advice of your friends"
At this point her discourse was inter.
rupted by d sudden stir among the
crowd-Mrs. Morrison mad tainted. The
captain and | carried her to sofa and
spr'nsled water in her face but it was
some time before she regained conscious
hess, and not until after the clairvoyapt
had come out Of hex apparent trance.
The next morning the boat reached
st. Louis, put up at the splantersr
as usual, and SO did DR.. johnson and mis-
trends had several business com
missions to attend to- and did not see
any Of them for several days. But one
evening, as / was going TO my room, lit
tie Willie came running along the hall.
sobbfng as If his heart would break.
WHAT'S the matter, Willie ?" said.
IaklhS MN up ~ my arms.
All could make out from his broken
speech was that somebody had "hurted,
his mamma, aud that she was CRYING
'dretful'' hard and would not even
speak TO him.
: snGden impulse came over me TO OF. |
ter my friendship 10 Mrs Morrison and
thWart the plans Of Johnson, II possible (:
tor felt convinced that he had occa-
stoned her tears While | was thinking
how TO do this without wonndinc her
dehcacy, she came ont in the hall look
ing for Willie. He ran up TO her eager |
~, dragging me along, and | was real-
ly shocked at the change in her appear
ance. She was thinner and paler than
when had seen..her last. and there was
a look in her eyes like that of limited
animal at bay.
i can't tell how it was that | gained
her confidence 50 readily, but we hadn't
been talking ten minutes before she be-
gan 10 tell me Of her troubles. Nv
white hair and venerable appearance
had something to do with it. probably:
and then. too, her need Of a friend was
urgent and imperative.
She could not get the slightest clue to
her husband, it seemed, in st. Louis.
and She was almost ready, in her de-
'pair, TO believe everything the clair
'oyant said The net had been subtly
aid. He had placed her under pecum-
Try obligations that CALLED her woman
y spirit, and made it harder TO reject
lis proposal. Then, too, he promised to
,are for and educate Willie, and love of
Ter child pleaded strongly to the moth
RS heart.
Johnston was going to Chicago the
lext day, and was coming to her in the !
morning for final decision. If she re-
used to accompany him thither as his
wife, then all was to be at an end be- {
ween them. But what was she to do
L ST. Louis, alone and penniless {