The Fort Worth gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-189?, 1891-05-07

! winch IN some countries covers the
cases of thefts and frauds committed under
| hypnotic suggestion. cannot as vet lay
down the law for cases where man has
been told to die and dies-from weakness
| OF the heart Ana Yet 1t is known. and well
known, that by hypnotic suggestion the
pulse can be made to fall to the lowest
mum Der of beatiugS consistent with life. and
that the temperature of the body can be
commanded beforehand TO stand at a GER
tain degree and fraction of 4 degree al a
certain hOur. high or low, as may DE de
sired. Let those who do not believe read
the accounts OF what is done from day to
day in the great European seats of learn
| ing, accounts OF which every one bears the
name OF some man speaking with authority
and responsible 70 the world of science for
every word he speaks, and doubly so for
every word he writes. 4 few believe III
! the antlquated doctrine of electric animal
currents. the vast majority are firm in the
belief that the influence is a moral oue-;lli
admit that whatever force or influence lies
al the root OF hypnOtism. the effects it can
produce are practically unlimited. terrible
in their comprcheuSivenesS and almost Ell
tireiy unprovided for IN the scheme of moi
ern criminal law
UnOrna was sure of herself ana of her
strength 10 perform what she contemplated.
There lay the dark beauty III the corner of
the sofa, where she had sat and talked 50
her liie-whicL was now TO end a few
determined words spoken III her ear.
pressure Of the hand upon the brow and the
heart and she would never wake again.
Sne would lie still until they found her
hour after hour, the pulse growing weaker
and weaker. the delicate hands colder. the
face more set. At the last there would De
a convulsive shiver of the queenly form and
that would be the end. The physicians ard
the authorities would come and would
speak of Il weakness of the healt, and there
would be masses sung for her soul and she
would rest III peace.
Her soul' In peace, Gnoma stood still
Was that 10 be all her vengeance upon the
woman who stood between her and happ-
ness Was there TO be nothing but that,
nothing but the painless passing of the pure
young spirit from earth to heaven Was no
one 10 suffer for all Unorna's pain? 1t was
not enough. There must be more than that
And Yet, what more. That was the Gues-
ton. What Imaginable wealth of agony
would be a just retribution for her exist
ence! Unona could lead her. as she had
led Israel kafka. through the life and
death of martyr through life of wretch
cdncSS and death of shame, but then, the
moment must come Al last, since this was
10 be death indeed. aud her spotlesS soul
would be beyond Cnorna's reach forever.
No. that WIS not enough. Since she could
not be allowed to live to be tormented. ven
reance must follow her beyond the end of
life
Unorna stood still. and an awful light Of
evil came into her face. \ thought of which
the enormity would have terrified a COIL
mon being had i entered her mind and
taken possession of it. Beatrice was in her
power. Beatrice should die i'll mortal sin,
and her soul would be lost forever
For long time she did not move, but
stood looking down at the calm and lovely
face OF her sleeping enemy, devising crime
In be imposed upon her for her eternal de-
struction. tnorna was very superstitious.
or the hideOuS scheme could never have
presented itself TO her. To her mind the
deed was everything, whatever it WAS to
be. ana the intention or the unconscious
ness in doing it could have nothing TO 90
with the consequences to the soul of the
dOer. She made no theological distinctions.
Beatrice should commit some terrible
crime, and should die in committing it.
Then she would be lost, and the devils
would do in hell the worst torment which
Uuorma could not do on earth. A crime-a
robbery, Il murder-it must be done in the
convent. UnOrna heSltatCd, bending her
browS and porting. in imagination over the
dark catalogue of all imaginable evil.
\ momentarY and vague terror cast its
shadow on her thoughts. BY some accident
OF connection between two ideas. her mind
Went back 4 month, and reviewed as in Il
fash of light. all that she had thought or
done since that day. She had greatly
changed since then. She could think calmly
now of deeds which even she would not
have dared then. She thought of the even
ing when she had cried aloud that she
would give her soul to know the Wanderer
safe. Of the quick answer that had followed
and the Kcyork Arabian's face. Was a
devil indeed. as she sometimes fancied, and
had there been i realty and binding mean
ing in that contract
keyork Arabian He, indeed, possessed
the key TO all evil. What would he have
done with Beatrice Would he made her
rob the church-murder the abbess in her
sleep, Bad, but not bad enough.
Unora started. \ deed suggested itself so
heliish so horrible in its enornity, so far
beyond all conceivable human sin. that for
one moment her brain reeled. She shud-
dCred again and again. and CROPPED for sup
port and leaned against the wall in a bodily
weakness of terror. For one moment she,
who feared nothing, was shaken by fear
from head TO foot. her face turned white,
her knees shook, her sight failed her. her
teeth chartered, her lips moved hysteri- |
cdlly.
But she was still strong The thing she |
had sought had come to her suddenly. She |
set her teeth. and thought of it again. and
again. till she could face the horror of it
without quaking- IS there any limit to the |
hardening of the human heart,
The distant bells rang out the call to mid |
night prayer. Unorna stopped and listened. |
She had not known how quickly time was |
passing. But il was better so. She was |
glad il was 50 late, and she said so 10 her. |
self, but tine evil smile that was sometimes
in her face was not there now. She had |
thought a thought that left mark on her \
forehead. Was there any reality i'll that |
testing contract with Keyork Arabian!
She must wait before she did the deed. |
The nuns would go down into the lighted |
church and kneel, and pray before the altar |
1t would last sometime-the midnight les
son, the psalms, the prayers-and she must |
be sure that all was quiet, for the deed |
could not be done in the room where Bea-
trice was sleeping.
She was conscious of the time now, and |
every minute seemed an hour, and every |
second was full of that one deed, done over |
and over again before her eyes, until every |
awful detail of the awful whole was stamped |
upon her brain. She had sat down |
now. and leaning forwards. was watching
the innocent woman, and wondering how |
size would look when she was doing it, But
she was calm now. as she felt that she mad |
never been in her life. Her breath came
evenly. her heart beat naturally she thought
of what she was about to do |
But tn slime seemed endless.
The distant clocks chimed the half hour.
three-quarters, past midnight. Still she
waited. At the stroke of one she rose from
her seat, and, standing beside Beatrice,
laid her hand upon the dark brow.
A few questions, few answers followed |