Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-06-05
THE CONJURER'S BRIDE.

Professor George Sholbach was a
magician. He was not commonplace
conjurer with blocks and balls and canes
and trick tables. He appeared before
his audience with no stage trappings of
any kind, and, borrowing rings and
handkerchiefs, he amused the audience
with really wonderful feats. The Sec
ond part of his entertainment consisted
of mind reading" and it was with
that he most astonished and confound-
ed the minds of the Western and South
ern people among whom he performed.
He had circuit of towns, in each of
which he appeared at regular intervals.
He never went off his beaten track, and
yet he always had crowded houses, for
at each temperance he announced
some startling new illusion which
proved to be more astonishing than any
preceding one. Some of his tricks he
imported from foreign countries; quite
as many were of his own invention.
His personal appearance was of some
assistance to him, for he looked like a
magician. His hair was jet black, long
and wavy. His complexion was pale
and bloodless. His forehead was low,
and under his sharply marked black
brows burned pair of coal. black ewes,
brilliant as diamonds and restless as
fame.
In Montrose he was a great favorite
He had given his entertainments there Il
number of times, and was admired much
by the townspeople. He had never, how
ever, made any friends among them. He
was courteous to those who addressed
him, but he repelled all attempts at
intimacy.
Among those who constantly attended
his entertainments was Irene Washburne.
the daughter of the only editor in the
place. She was only nineteen years of
age and was remarkably handsome. Her
dark brown eyes and hair, coupled with
Q complexion in which the blood came
and went like waves on o summer sea,
her rosy lips and milk white teeth were
the loadstones that attracted many of
the village beaux to her fathers house
She was very intelligent girl, but was
given to too much reading Of the somber
tales of Poe and the weird fancies of
Shelley. Night after night she sat in
the town hall when Sholbach was giving
his performances, chained by strange
fascination which she could not explain.
She shuddered with horror when the
magician's keen, restless eye lighted
upon her, and when she found him gaz-
ing at her with strangely steady, burn
ing look, as he often did, she wanted to
cry out with horror, but could not.
After each entertainment she vowed that
she would never again visit the hall
when the professor was there, but when
his bills appeared in the town she found
herself irresistibly moved to go and see
him.
This had been the state of matters for
some time, when suddenly Sholbach
threw off his reserve and began to make
friends in Montrose. Twice, after per.
forming in the town, ne invited several
young men to his rooms at the hotel and
there opened bottles of wine and served
them with cigars until they vowed that
he was a royal good fellow. At last he
asked one of them, great friend of Ed.
itor Washburne's, to introduce him TO the
newspaper man. The introduction was
performed and Sholbach made such q
pleasant impression on the editor that
the latter invited the magician to visit
his house when again in town.
When Sholbach next performed in
Montrose the editor gave little recep.
ton to him after the entertainment.
Once in the house of Washburne, Shol.
bach appeared to have eyes only fol-
Irene. He devoted himself to her, and
attended to all her wants with grave
and tender courtesy that could not fail
to make an impression on her. But the
impression was not such as the magician
wanted. While he fascinated her, he
filed her with horror. He reminded hel
of a snake.
"Why do you shrink from me2" hi
asked her.
''Do l shrink from you3" she asked
timidly.
she was afraid to acknowledge it; she
would not have dared to acknowledgc
anything that might offend him, for he
mind was completely subservient to his
He could have mesmerized her withou
a perceptible effort, had he desired tC
do so.
eyes, you do shrink from me-" h,
said gravely.
They were alone on the piazza, where
the cold moonlight lent an addi
tional keenness to the glitter of Shol
bach's eyes.
"I-I-am sorry" she said, trying t.
drop her eyes, but finding them irress
tibly fastened to his.
''Do you KNOW" he continued, "tha
perform in this town oftener than il
any otherR"
'Ts that so2"
eyes. And why do you suppose I d
t~