Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-08-30

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right in your suspicious And in re-
turn for the captains confidence relat-
ed the conversation / had accidentally
overheard
just the plea | thought he would
urge-dnty. Duty TO her child, proba-
bly,. The hypocrite He knows she
won't marry him for any other reason.
But what is the crowd doing over therew
and he pointed to the opposite side of
the cabin, ''Ah! / understand Isn't
that Johnson and Miss Whitel He ask
ed my permission this morning to dis
play her wonderful skill as q clairvoy-
ant. ] wantyou to see her in a trance"
am not superstitious, but there was
something uncanny III 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
nestly, and near her stood DR.. Johnson,
whose fixed magnetic gaze never left
, her for % single instant. As soon as
could distinguish what she said | dis
covered that she protested to be under
the control of Joe Morrison, and the cap
tain informed me that she initiated per-
fectly 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" size said, ''for | am q miserable
scoundrel, and not worth the tears you
shed. Yon are wrong, too, in neglecting
your duty to Willie the way you do.
He is our child, remember. and | want
you TO consider what will be the best
for his future, instead of mourning for
me any longer. You are altogether too
headstrong and suspicious, and won't
listen 30 the advice Of your friends
At this point her discourse was inter-
rupted by a sudden stir among the
crowd-Mrs. Morrison had tainted. The
captain and | carried her to a sofa and
sprlngied water in her face; but it was
some time before she regained conscious
ness, and not until after the clairvoyant
had come out of her apparent trance.
The next morning the boat reached
st. Louis, put up at the planters
as usual, and so did Dr. Johnson and his
friends. l had several business COM
missions to attend to, and did not see
any of them for several days. But one
evening, IS was going to my room, lit
tie VIII came running along the hall,
sobbing as if his heart would break
"What is the matter, Willie ?" said,
taking him up in my arms.
All could make out from his broken
speech was that somebody had hurried"
his mamma, and that she was crying
'dref'ul" hard and would not even
speak to him.
a sudden impulse came over me to Of
fer my friendship to Mrs. Morrison and
thwart the plans of Johnson, If possible
for felt convinced that he had occa-
stoned her tears. While was thinking
J how to do this without wounding her
delicacy, she came out in the hall look
ing for Willie. He ran up to her eager
ly, dragging me along, and was real
ly shocked at the change in her appear
ance. She was thinner and paler than
when had seen.he last, and there was
: alook in her eyes like that of ashnnted
J animal at bay
can't tell how it was that / gained
: her confidence 50 readily, but we hadn't
been talking ten minutes before she be-
gan to tell me Of her troubles. My
} white hair and venerable appearance
had something to do with it, probably 4;
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-
spair, to believe everything the clair
voyant said. The net had been subtly
laid. He had placed her under pecunl-
airy obligations that CALLED her woman
ly spirit, and made it harder to reject
his proposal. Then, too, he promised to
care for and educate Willie, and love of
her child pleaded strongly to the moth
er's heart.
Johnston was going to Chicago the
next day, and was coming to her in the
morning for final decision. If she re-
fused to accompany him thither as his
J wife, then all was to be at an end be.
tween them. But what was she to dc
in St. Louis, alone and penniless
did MT haoifata 10 m tho od vino 7