The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-25

binding lightning flash that seemed to
wrap us all three in glare of fire. / fell
backward with loud cry and crashing
deafening peal OF thunder reverberated
among the rocks.
When / opened my eyes my first
thought was for Freddy.
He was standing unframed by my side,
his face ashen, and tears flowing down
his cheeks.
THANK heaven l muttered fervently,
you are not hurt. Freddyp
''No, uncle" he sobbed 'only you did
brighten me so when you gave me that
nasty push. | almost fell, only I'd got
hold of those two little bits of rock tight
with my hands, and they saved me. Then,
when thattiash came, scrambled up here
again. Lookp' he added, pointing to the
right OF me, poor auntie's tumbled
down."
looked and gave a cry of horror
Inez had been struck by the lightning.
She was dead. | realized the truth in a
moment. She was wearing a bright steel
waistband. 1t had acted as conductor.
She had been killed simultaneously.
threw myself down by her side and
wept long and bitterly, unheeding the
rain which now came down in torrents,
and remembering nothing but that my
beautiful wife would never look at or
speak to me again. / had idolized her
worshiped her. And nowshe was dead
dead l waited until the violence of the
storm had passed. / carried her dead
body to the cave; and then, taking
Freddy's hand, we began the descent to
the shore and made for home, seeking
help.
1t was two months later. Ny mother
and Baby" were still with me, and doing
their utmost torouse me from the state of
| apathy into which had fallen since the
death of my wife. / was sitting in the
curtained recess of q side bay window in
| the drawing-room one afternoon when
Baby entered, followed by my mother. !
| could see them, and, of course, hear all
they said. Baby was holding manuscript
| book in her hard. Opening this, she pro-
! ceeded to read from it.
"You know, mother" she said by way
| of preliminary, 81 always said she was
wicked, and would lead him on to bad
| things, and now I'm going TO prove it to
| you. Here is her diary, and I'll read you
a part of it.
Whose diary? ] wondered. However,
l might as we'll sit where l WAS and listen.
''Now listen mother" continued Baby.
She then very clearly and distinctly read
as follows:
81 am accomplishing my object almost
beyond by most ardent hopes. / did not
think 1 possessed such complete power
over him. l can and do rule him COM
pletely. I compel him to obey me. When
he is under my magnetic influence he is
like child in my hands. l have not
studied and studied, and practiced my
| powers on him all for no purpose. l
| I -
! powerful nature. 1t is born in me, and
he is 4 wonderfully good subject to work
upon. Under my influence he can
and does do things he would never
dream of doing by himself. When
my godmother first found out my
! powers, and herself gave me the first in
struction in using them, she little thought
| to what ultimate purpose l should put
them. | have set my heart on being
mistress of Linsfarne. Those estates shall
be ours within another month. That child
that obstacle-shall come here. He
| shall never go home alive. / will compel
ny husband to be the means of causing
| his death. / must think out some plan.
1t will require a great deal of plotting,
| perhaps-but it shall be done. | have
| found out | can make my thoughts be-
come his thoughts. II l will with all my
power he shall do thing, he does it. He
cannot help himself. He is a tool in my
hands. He shall himself clear for me the
| way to Linsfarne. Love Pshawi Would
! have married him had there been no
| Linsfarne in the distance? No thousand
times no knew directly saw him could
rule him completely. Ny ewes shall make
my fortune-my eyes and my indomitable
will combined. / will be mistress of
Linsfarne, even if I commit murder my
self for it. But there will be no need for
that Bert shall clear little Freddy from
my path.
1 had been listening intently for some
moments before the truth dawned upon
me.
This was the diary of my wife.
Inez had written what Baby was read
ing. l listened, and the perspiration came
out in great beads on my brow. What
did it all mean? All, how plainly could
see now how she had influenced me, how
that day in the cave it had seemed to me
it was she who was rousing those horrible
thoughts in my mind with regard to
Freddy az he sat there on the edge of the
rock in front OF us. | was competed by
her superior power of will and her mag
netic force to obey her when she willed |
should touch that boy.
! waited to hear no more, but came out
from behind the curtain and took posses
sion of the diary. Baby had found it
among some other books in a box and
triumphantly asserted she had read it all
through. l afterward searched the box,
| and found among its contents several alb
struse works on magnetism. My wife had
evidently studied to make use to the full
of the mysterious powers with which
nature had endowed her.
| When, some few months later, chance
led me into the neighborhood where her
godmother resided, l called on the old
lady, and, in the course of the converse
ton, stated my belief that my wife had
magnetic powers of great force.
"You are quite right" was her reply,
"Inez was very strange. To tell the truth
was afraid of her, and that was really
why refused to have her back to live
with me. l admit that at one time we
studied magnetism together but found
il soon wisest to give it up. The little I'M
pIeasantness which rose between us was
due solely to her insisting on practicing
her arts on a servant / then had in the
house. She would send this girl to sleep
in the midst of her work and cause her to
do such outrageous things that began TO
think she might some day try her powers
on me. l did not relish the idea of that
at all. Her father was a peculiar man,
much given to studying occult sciences.
| Inez, undoubtedly had inherited her
| nOwer and her STRANGE tastes from him