San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-09-01

1 arose without awakening haywood |
and raised the trapdOOr a little
1t was Nine Lafarge walking to and fro |
in the kitchen. She was talking to herself |
and apparently in great anguish of mind.
Perhaps she is i'll" thought /, and was
on the point of descending to her assistance
when | caught glimpse of her face in the
moonlight.
1t was the most CHASTITY sight have ever
seen. The woman was evidently a SOM
nambulist. Her great black eyes were
wide open and staring blankly before her
as she stalked along.
At first she muttered so indistinctly that
| could not tell what she was talking
about, except that once or twice caught
the name Of Marie
Presently she paused in her walk, be-
came more excited and spoke loudly
She seemed to he addressing some i'm
aginary nearer
Come back, for the love of heaven, come
away! Don't make her do it. | tell you
it's murder just as much rs if you pushed
her over with your own hands. Yes, am
fond of gold, but much as I've loved it,
never murdered a fellow creature for it."
She paused breathless for a moment.
"The girl was murdered, then" |
thought; land she saw it done, but who
did it?''
Spare her-spare her!'' implored the
woman in an agony of supplication. think
what you do. She is your fathers own
child. Only spare her and | will find you
a richer and handsomer husband than
Max and IL save AID save and save till
you are as rich IS ne is. shan't live
long YoU won't have to wait for the
money Don't, for the love of heaven and
yorr own soul, dOu'C murder the girl.
Annette you are thousand times more
beautiful than she is; only wait and ! will
take you TO Paris, where some great noble
is sure to fall in love with you. My child,
do not stain your soul with crime for the
| sake of-Oh, my God, she's gonev'
listened with IA horror | can scarcely
| describe
Haywood had awakened and Joined me.
| He, too. had heard the awful story of this
| demon who had compassed the destruction
| of her sister and was now, alasl exercising
| the same fatal power over Haywood him
| self
surely, now you know the truth about
| Annette, you will leave this accursed place
at once" said eagerly.
To my unutterable horror he replied:
"Pray to God to help me. lean do moth,
| ing. am at the mercy of that fiend as
completely as ever Marie Iafarge was.
What she wills must do"
felt desperate. Reasoning would avail
| nothing, | knew, against that fearful in
| fuenCe.
Stay! \ medical friend of mine, who
| was great student 9: hypHotism, had
often told me he thought | possessed hyp
| motto power in no common degree | had
| never cared to test the matter hitherto
| Now determined to try my utmost to save
| my friend.
He ga2ai Il. me almost like one dis
| traught. There seemed to he a terrible
| struggle going on in his mind. Evidently
| my power affected him.
| For momeut | thought had tri
| umphed. The next moment he said in a
| low, broken voice, as of one in despair:
| mo. no: ! cannot. | must stay. She
| wills it,"
For moment was utterly aghast. Then
| new idea occurred to me.
must try to gain the mastery over An
| nette. Bat what if failed and fell under
| the influence of that baleful power.
| shuddered to think of it, TO be at the
mercy of demon, not only physically,
| but morally; to be bound to her hateful
| bidding even though she counseled me to
| crime. But, come what might, | deter
| mined to risk all.
Nine. Lafarge had by this time gone
| back to her room.
| hurried down to the chamber of An
| nette and knocked at her door. She opened
| it.
"Ficnd that you ara, have found out
| your secret" said | G"rcoly, and looking
| boldly into those fearful eyes, which seem
| ed stranger than ever in the light of the
| moon.
will that Haywood shall leave this
| place at once. VIII it. | command you"
Heaven only knows what suffered dur
| ing the silent, terrible battle of will that
| followed.
For fall four minutes Annette stood fac
| ing nc, uuaLrnkng as II tiend, her eyes
| fixed fearl"ss!y on mHe, and every nerve
! braced TO met and .aa@,er ny will.
If failed knew that and my friend
were utterly lost. 1t would he better to
| lie dead among the mountains with poor
| Marie Ialarge than to fall into the power
| of this creature ali"C.
strove with all my might against the
terrible impulse to yield, which came to
me again and "gaiu.
At length began to be conscious of my
own strength | felt that her will was
gv.ng way. Finally she yielded. Her
eyes fell Her head bent on her breast.
| She fell back into her room utterly pros.
trated
went triumphuntly to Haywood.
He was lying on the bed nsensble.
succeeded in recalling him to conscious.
ness, but to my horror found that his
mind was wandering.
My victory had been gained, but at what
a cost! Perhaps at the loss of my friends
reason.