Telegram-herald., 1890-11-27
UNDER THE SPELL
Strange Experience with a Mind
Readers CrGzod Daughter.


The wind howled around the gables
like \ mad witch OF the night, and the
occasional roar Of thunder made The
windows rattle. The spirit OF the storm
was abroad in the midnight land.
But at intervals, when the wind
seemed to die Of its own madness, and
the thunder lalled, or fed far down the
distant and afrighted horizon, there
came 70 me from the room above wall
ing as weird as that of the wind, echoes
Of pain and bitterest anguish.
The mind reader lay dying in that
room. lie that had heh converse with
death and made the spirits OF the de-
parted do his bidding was now entering
with painful steps the borders OF the
spirit land.
A knock at my door.
Mother asks you to come upstairs.
he is breathing his last"
/ followed the weeping girl into the
room where lay the dying man
His wife and children were taking
their last farewell Of him.
He fixed his stony eyes upon me as
entered.
"Helva,- he gasped, feebiy, notion
ing 70 the eldest daugh ter. woman for
whom had always had dislike, which
almost amounted TO haired. "Helva,
draw near; and you, my friend beckon-
ing me also to approach, come hither
and ioin hands with her."
/ involunssrily drew back, but the
I A.. l.
erted over other men did not leave him
in his dying hour. His eyes stared into
mine, and though he did not repeat the
command. was irresistibly compelled
10 do as be wished
"Join hands with her"
/ clssped the hand OF Helve, and SO
we stood
'Be to her husband; be to him
wife," he gasped. My spirit Is on
Helva, and let her spirit be on your
There came a startled cry from dark
corner OF the room. The swimming
eyes Of Laura, the daughter Of this man
tho young, the besutiful-whom l
loved so well, were fixed upon me, and
then she fell 10 the floor.
Then there came deafening peal Of
thunder; D vivid fash, roar Of the
wind, and the spirit OF tho mind reader
went out into tho night and storm.
mean to be brief in this narrative, so
shall not dwell upon the scene which
followed. But it was one which l shall
never forget. The wailing Of the
women, all save Helva. whose cold,
white face and stony. passionless eyes
never betrayed an emotion; the agonized
countenance Of Laura; the wild stare in
the glazed eyes Of the dead; the dark
ness within and the darkness without
A horror seemed 20 seize me heard
the sound Of invisible footsteps in the
room; fancied I saw the spirits he bad
conjured in life bending over him and
glaring at him, dead; and then
| rushed from the room and locked
myself within my own.
did not attend the funeral OF the
mind reader next day. left note for
Laura, telling her that bad changed
my lodging 70 smother part Of the city,
and that would see her soon again, aud
So quit the house forever
A week passed, and bad heard moth
ing from the nind-reader's family
nothing from Laura.
II was night; had retired 20 ny room
in the hotel. and was reading. ~hea
was aroused by 6rm knock on tho
door. ! opened is and-ssoOd face TO
face with Heiva
~ nat do yoa wsnt7- 7 cried, almost
fsrcely Why did you come hereT
II came for yOu.- she said. and stood
notionless
What yOu mass be mad 20 enter this
building 81 this time Of night What "a
your missionT
Have you forgotten cur contrsct?~
she said. ia her cold. bard soaes- And
do yoa tainx - escape m.s There is a
work tor both Of "a - do. and you must
fulsu yosv prosnise % sae desdf-
"YoH are rad I cried Yes uuss
leave hsre-yos must return % yoar
home.
The looks - shs woman really alarmed
ne. for shere vAs thss Look In her eyes
which seemed - Belong - AadEess
only feared saS hs-ea he-
Gomez | cried, ss<iag sp nT hsa
.rYoz -,.ss i-a~e h>-e f-zsazsiy TwfIi
summon scsrriAxe and ses Toa sAfely
bere~
I suited tae acsion ~ she -ord We
v~-~ soon In tas ssreeE q Asck w>s
called. whica ~ entered togsther. aad
we're ariven rscidlY - her DWELLING.
s-Co--e tn she sid "sLaHra s e.
wculd you see herT'
Tnu,inafai - ths lasea~ss - sas ho-ur
1t ~as p.st slevar o'slook--E entered
she house.. tcr ne nsrae - Laurs rss .
sssss-.an I eczA aot rasiss