Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-08-11

- u tyefy oon1o q u word. He told
- withCuf hssitatton all that be knew OF
~ circnmstAnce, which was little more
han ! Aad heard before.
WhAt kind Of 1 man was the gentis man
wee presented the draft o. the day Of the
so yoa mean for me L, describe his APP
pearanco2n
Certainly.
Well, he ID hard to describe. I think
hN must have been 60 years Of age, and
was dressed IN ! dark snit. He was rather
small, and don't think he Is ~ old as he
looks. He had blue eyes that looked much
younger than he did, and his face appeared
40 though it might be painted. am COM
vinced that he wore wig. While we were
talking about the draft which refused to
cash, he glarcd at me fiercely and gesticu-
lated wildly. and that is the last remem-
what was the first thing you did when
you became conscious?"
Il found myself standing with my face
to the wall with my finger on the head of a
tack
aWhere IL the tack2"
sticking in the wall there, with blue
circle around it"
Iexamined the circle, and concluded
that It had been made with blue pencil.
A close scrutiny Of the tack, which was an
ordinary large headed carpet-tack, showed
that Il was branded "B. h Co., (which we're
doubtless the initials of the names Of the
manufacturers. A new theory sprang into
my mind, a. asked:
Mr.. Watkins, were you ever mesmer-
ixed?n
mot that ann aware Of, was the reply.
Then, Shaping me on the shoulder, he al
most shouted: "By Jove! / believe
you are on the right track now"
After few more Undergraduates began
to conclude that Watkins had been the VIC
tim Of professional mesmerist, and the
more studied the matter the more GER
tain was that had found the key to the
mystery. But after all what would this
merist himself
At length decided to visit the other
banks that had been robbed, and, il possi-
BILE ascertain whether the same tactics had
been employed in relieving them Of their
cash. / went 10 Redwing first, as 1t was the
nearer. and was overjoyed to discover that
the cashier had been mesmerized and
robbed In precisely the same way, even to
the tack and blue circle, rs had been the
bank at Elm Grove. wrote my discovery
to my chief, and received his compliments,
and l determined to visit the bank at
Laughing Water.
It was only few miles out Of the way
from Laughing Water TO Blakesburg, SO
concluded TO visit Kate Putnam, my
charmer, for few hours. She gave me
royal welcome, and l proposed and was ac-
cepted. and 1t is needless TO say that was
supremely happy. detailed to Kate
part Of what had discovered, and she
listened with evident interest. In the
midst of our tefe-d-tefe lady friend
called, and Kate excused herself
for moment and left me alone
in the parlor. To while away the time
began to study the fine paintings with
which the parior was decorated.
In attempting to gain a better view Of q
new picture that I had not observed be-
fore, l knocked down pretty bracket and
broke it. was attempting to repair it
when Kate entered the room. told her in
some confusion what ] had done, and
offered to repair it if she would furnish
me hammer and some small nails to
fasten it together. She was gone few
moments and returned with the implements,
and / proceeded to repair the damage, re-
marking that feared il she undertook TO
drive q nail she would cripple her lovely
fingers.
adjusted the two pieces Of the bracket,
picked up the hammer and started TO drive
o tack.
Great heavens! What q coincidence
Dropping the hammer and bracket, nearly
swooned. There, standing out in bold re-
lief before me, was the brand "B. q Co."
on the head of the tack!
"Goodness!" Kate exclaimed. "What's
the matter with your"
"Only slight attack Of vertigo from
STOPPING" l explained, recovering my
cOmpoSure.
After finishing the Job I proposed to
Kate that we take walk down the lane, as
it would doubtless revive me.
Taking out my memorandum to record
an incident or two that ! had omitted, l
discovered that l had lost my pencil.
show provoking!" exclaimed. II want
to make little memorandum, but have
lost my pencil. Will you please lend me
yours, my dear?" had got to using sweet
tiles when speaking 10 Kate in private.
Giving me a tiny gold pencil. she said:
Il don't know whether this will
answer your purpose or not; 1t is blue,
fairly reelcd with establishment. Here
was another coincidence. To conceal nv
agitation I proposed that We rest bv seat
ing ourselves on log. Then after toying
with her gold bracelets few minutes l
said:
kate. have pair of bracelets in my
pocket for you, and guess you had better
try them on" So saying, had handouts
on her pretty wrists in twinkling.
Instantly her pretty features took on
one OF the most diabolical expressions that
ever saw on the face Of woman. She
raved and swore like drunken sailor
And /? What did I think?
My angel had become devil. She tried to
shoot me, but was too quick for her.
Finally she Gained down. admitted the
whole affair, and said she had the entire
$50.OO0 concealed, and that IL
would marry her as had promised,
We would live happily on the proceeds of
her crimes.
But was inexorable, and into prison
she went. She told me that she had
studied mesmerism in France, and was one
Of the best operators in the country. She
had travelled and lectured, and, although
she could not mesmerize more than one
man In ten, she could tell at glance who
were and who were not susceptible to
hypnotism or mesmerism. She found
three bank cashiers in six weeks travel
whom she could control. She was brazen
adventurous, and was sent to the peniten.
tiary for twenty years, but succeeded in
mesmerizing some of her keepers, and by
that means effected her escape. She is still
in France, and has fallen very low.
Well, the shock didn't kill me, but I am
o bachelor yet. l made $4,000
out Of the job, and am at work on
other cases that will doubtless pay me
$10,0
A Western Story from England.
It is possible that our own bartend-
ers, who are generally young ladies,