Evening journal., 1891-12-04
SUGGESTION.

the prisoners counsel.
The physician, celebrated specialist and
authority on mental diseases, shook his
head grayely in a noncommittal sort Of
way
''You followed up the clew gave youg
persisted the lawyer
Yes"
And you thinkn--
81 shall examine him again today" re.
piled the doctor II have seen several ex.
perts in the new science, and they all agree
that poor Julian is an impressionable sub
ject, ready made victim to any one who
might have wished this deed done by
proxy; but the motives Probably some
lovers quarrel, some revenge; they say the
girl WAS pretty and coquettish. There
s something battling about the affair.""
added the doctor with slight relaxation
Of his professional caution. while have
never had too much confidence In this idea
Of suggestion am not prepared to say
there is nothing in it,"
LET me go with you today, doctor.
will slip in without speaking, listen to the
story he relates, and one Of us may chance
on some word or idea to give us the indica-
tion we seek"
So it was agreed.
"How do you feel todayP" asked the doc
tor kindly, as they entered the prisoners
cell
The man was lying on his hard bed, star
ing IN front Of him. with hollow. vacant
eyes
my thoughts" he replied, "autterabout
aimlessly; sad, oh, sad, as long snow GOV
cred plains under the light Of the moon.
have worn myself out with walking TO and
fro My limbs ache as II | had been beaten.
I feel very cold, but the palms Of my hands
are burning with fever, and have a dull
pain At the base Of my brain"
The physician nodded gravely and said a
few soothing words then requested the pa
tient 70 relate all he could remember about
the crime.
"But, DOCTOR" objected Julian, II have
already told you twenty times or more. 1t
will be monotonous to 90 over all that
again, though, to be sure, there is nothing
better to do here Well then, place your
self there, opposite to me, so that you will
aide that white wall; it looks to me like a
canvas on which is painted that unfading
/ image; the Golfer with the head upon It'll
| When you 20 away my terror will return,
| II they would only soil that wall little;
| it seems to me the slightest stain would
obviate this fancy / tried TO soil it, and
the jailer scolded me as If had been q
| schoolboy."
Go on with your story" said the doctor
quietly.
II was walking along aimlessly, when
from "A long, dark, narrow street emerged
on the thoroughfare. Lights were shining
here and there under the trees like great
flowers Of flame. The yelling Of showmen
1 af . . Ii
the trumpets aud drums, hurdy gurdy'
and squeaking playthings Of the children
made a most horrible din, for the annua
festival was in full tide.
"Cornered by group Of curious people
was crowded and crushed, raised off my
feet and carried along before a booth
Above the door | read the word, 'Metem
psychosis.'
"a fat man was selling tickets; he wa
pitted by smallpox and had one eye smalle
than the other.
"Inside it was very, almost quite, dark
Before us a square Of light opened il
the canvas which was stretched at th
farther end OF the booth. Within thi
frame appeared a table with gauze scree
separating it from the spectators.
"The fat man passed around q pasteboar
head such as millners use for bonnets
When it had gone from hand to hand an
was acknowledged TO be truly what it az
peared to be- he placed 1t on the table an
fastened the gauze screen. The ligh
frightened; by transitions impossible I
catch, without anything seeming to move
as the man announced transformatio
the pasteboard head turned into a vase ful
OF flowers, then into a cage full Of bird,
after that into deaths head which b'
came the mask Of celebrated statues repr,
senting successively Venus Juno, Cles
patra, Anne OF Austria, Marie Antoinett'
and 50 on and on, until the Snowman saiC
Instead Of pastebosrd and stucco you sha
now see living flesh
( Slowly the face dislocated, the feature
became hazy, confused, to form again Ii
tie by little and appear distinct, animate,
humanized
7, "'An ingenious trick, Thought; i don
I even care TO know If it is accomplished
the aid OF mirrors
"rhe head Of young girl, sweet an
fair, had formed behind the gauze. 81
y opened her great blaak eyes, which, wit
out definite expression, followed me wit
the strange hxity OF portrait, while aero
her face fitted the rather silly smile Of Il
antique staenes.
y "This steady stare seemed to turn me
II stone. My limbs grew rigid. felt vei
strangely, though it was neither fatigI
nor pain, and there was something odd
familiar about the head Where ! cou
& have seen it before under different circur
stances and in different attire | can
more remember now than ! could then
~ "When the crowd Of spectators left
remained. The Snowman seemed su
k, prised, but sold me another ticket
n. Il remained through another represe
le tation. When the young girl appeared
Il the last act l experienced the same sing
u. lar sensation Of torpor, and could not mo
ld hand OF foot until she vanished from q
square.
IA "The Snowman walked toward the do
ry and followed him.
i'll "Why,' asked, did you write metel