The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-05-01


 again, hut this time very weak. whin- ing. Sickly sort of voice only
 Please, it's spirit
 What. old whisky and water asain2' inquired Tompkins pleasantly
 "I don't know what you mean. an Swered the spirit apologetically who ~ whisky and water?
 Him as was here just now said TompkinS guess you won't be him colonel
 No. I've only just come responded the spirit please will you let me % now2>
 What, are you playm the same tune? said TompkinS Il aint your boss. stranger; how can stop you from going if you wish it
 Please. it's your will-power that s keeping ne. responded the spirit and can't get away if want to
 Suddenly light flashed across 'romp- kins mind Look here old sonny. he said in conciiatorv way; 1 don { quite understand this a,.N hizne>s Tell u~ all about it will yer?
 "l will if you promise to let me ga when rve done, replied the spirit
 All right said Tompkins. I'll let yer 90 And now lets hear the varn
 It was long time before Tompkiu> fully grasped the facts of the matter, and l will not weary the reader hY rc- latiug the conversation iu fu)k but will tel as shortly aS can the si>t ot the spirit communication
 Hi, will power. Tompkin> was in- formed was of such extraordinary de vclopment that by merely bringing Il to bear upon persons who were sufficiently near to come under his influence. he could, i'll nearly every casc, hold their will in d sort of mc~mcrie spell. cspe- cially if they Were at all lacking in force of icharaetcr. Spirits being such ethereal beings were particularly susceptible to this will-controlling power, and any which happened to come within reach of his influence were as irresistihlv drawn toward him as i> a moth to a can dle Luckily for them, he had not up to the present. been aware eff the capa- hilities he possessed. so after a very short time, they Were able to make their escape again The unfortunate spirit who had first entered into communion tion with him would not have spoken had it not been that Tompkins had rX- pressed with such force and energy his wish to know what wa, troubling him a~ to amount to positive command which the Will-enthralled spirit was unable to resist. being d shade particularly lack ing in will power. Ilad Tompl>in> or- dcred the spirits to speak to him before. they would have been obliged to do SO but although he had often wondered what the strange haunting sensation was and had used very bad language on tine subject. hc had never expressed him self in way that had the force of an in= junction or d eommand and eonSc- quentlv they had not felt bound to cu- tighten him It was of course quite agailis, their interests tn hotray the power that Tompkins held over them to that gentleman himself aS discm- bodied souls have great love of liberty. and strongly object to being cnthrallcd by the force of a mortal will
 After the spirit had put Tompkins in l,ossr,-ion of the facts of the ease a9 r,- lated above. he asked that he might be released from the will bondage which held him, a~ he was anxious to get away again.
 "Oh, there's plenty of time stranger said Tompkin~ "what's your hurry =
 I've got something l want to do, SO please don't keep me any longer sup ] plicatcd the spirit
 And what Is il you want to do SO par tcular important my buck asked TompkinS if you will excuse my curi- ositv
 I'd rather not say. said h~ visitor
 oh, but you Il havcto sdy remarked Tompkins, who wa, just beginning to re- alizc his powers, " else l II tighten up this here wiIl-biznes~. and keep ye here. till you squeak
 Nou'rc nasty. untrutht,h man . ] howled the captive spirit il only an essay on Jones razor strops Mir Jones has offered prize of q hundred pounds for the best essay on razor ~trops and we've been trying who could write the best and l want to get back and read mine to the other spirits because know it'll beat the lot.
 l should lik" to hear that essay said Tompkins a- Tn particularly in- 1 terested in th" razor strop business. ] Suppose you was to tell me it, just to pass the time away like Don h, too 1 quick, as I should like to write it down
 don't want to- yelled the -pirit. You said you'd let me go when l told you all about the will
 Are you going to tell u- that essay or shall tighten up the will-power and fix you here till next Christmas? said i Tompkins in ali uncompromising voice,
 Thus abiurcd, the unfortunate spirit related the essay, word by word his captor writing ii down as he went along
 You can go now said Tompkin- when it was finished that real good essay, that is slick up. and no mi-tak" Good mornin, I'm going to put in for ! that thar hundred pounds and kinder guess that essay'll take th" prize
 You're a mean. false, lying drceitfu! scoundrel! You're A raganutfin and q 1 black guard You re marauding 1 cuckoo that, what you are' howled the infuriated spirit quoting the words used of Mir Bright by Lord