Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-11-01


of it?
But you can't know till you've tried,
my dear fellow" urged the captain, CON
ciliated at once by the change in Podgy's
manner and eager to make "a proselyte.
you have got an hour before you have TO
start, aud five minutes will be enough to
prove the truth or falsehood Of my theory.
Will you let me try to mesmerize you for
five minutes?"
"Ten Twenty, if you like" said Pod
gers desperately, 'if you will promise that
after tonight you viii leave me alone and
in peace"
To this the confident captain willingly
agreed. So as soon as the table was cleared
the victim delivered himself up TO his ty-
rant, and we all sat around and watched
the proceedings. Podgy sat in his chair,
with stolid look, such as have never
seen except in oxen, and Miles made
passes at him, and also faces of great
resolution and intensity For the first ten
minutes nothing happened, but gradually
land not at all to our surprise, for II must
have been weary work. Podgy fell into a
deep slumber.
Hes off," whispered the captain de-
lightedly; "he's falling into a mesmeric
him fall deeper and to keep him there.
Don't you overdo it, Miles," observed
the doctor warningly; II don't like that
rigidity of his limbs"
what rubbish; that's just as it ought
to be-" said Miles. Now let's try him
with the liquor tests" He tried him with
port and sherry and claret and whisky,
and when Miles said, rs not this port
bitter, old fellowf" poor Podgy said 1t was,
and on the other hand, at the professors
suggestion, pronounced the dry sherry as
sweet as strip. All this we had been &C
customed to; but when the patient held
out his arms at Miles bidding, and kept
them out for a time apparently beyond all
human endurance, we began to express our
admiration and the doctor his alarm.
"You are going too far, Miles," he said.
THE pulsations Of his heart-and he's not
good subject, mind you, as regards his
heart, there is very likely fatty degenera-
tion-are getting amiss. Take care. for
you may not be able TO awake him again"
stuff and nonsensel have only to re-
verse the passes" said the captain.
"Then all have to say in my medical
capacity" replied the doctor gravely, sis
that you had better do it,"
just a little alarmed perhaps by the doc.
tors words, the captain began to reverse
the passes, but he might as well have put
his thumb unto his nose" like the little
vulgar boy in the ballad, land spread his
fingers out, for any effect they had on the
patient, who remained In a state Of com
| plete Inconsistencies. We screamed at
him, we threw water on him, we stuck
! pins in his fat legs, but save for sterto-
rious breathing Itself. as the doctor re
marked, a very bad sign Podgers--for IL
was noticeable that we called him by his
nickname no longer-showed no signs Of
life
"He is in a state Of what we call com
plete suspension" observed the captain
| in hushed voice.
Eyes, and so will the man be whop put him
there II the case comes before a jury"
murmured the doctor.
| "Do you mean TO say he'll never get right
againW stammered the professor.
"lt looks to me uncommonly like it, an
swered the doctor. 1.-THE poor fellow has
got to go his rounds too"
"Ob, hang his roundsl IN take them for
| him." cried the captain: that's the least /
can do, he added remorsefully, land in
deed upon my life can't bear to see him
in this-this internal state. Do what you
can for me, DOCTOR" (his saying "for mel
showed the direction to which his thoughts
were tending), land do hope that when
come back | shall find him himself again"
Then off he went through the SNOW and
rain, with thoughts still more dismal than
his surroundings. Miles was, as have
said, a good fellow at bottom, and repented
his folly as well as its consequences; he
now confessed TO himself that. as an anna
teur, he had rushed in where even experts
might have feared to tread, and had raised
devil which he could not lay II Pod.
gers should not get round he might be
tried for manslaughter, or. at the best,
would have TO write to the poor fellows
mother to "break il" to her, which would
be a delicate job.
He was not good at epistolary CORE
spondence, and even in "Tbe Complete
Letter Writer" IL was probable he would
not find a parallel case. Never, even at
Eff, had there been such weather for visit.
ing the posts; but the captain hardly
knew that he had become a snow man and
was wet through from head TO foot. His
mind until he got back to barracks wa,
entirely occupied with the inquiry, had
the doctor pulled Podgers through
Fortunately he had To the great reliei
Of all our minds, the poor lad began &c
show signs OF returning life directly the
captain had left the room. The meeting
between the professor and his patient wa,
quite touching.
you shall never be troubled again By
me, my lad" said Miles effusively az d,
shook hands with him. 1--WE done will
mesmerism forever"
Nevertheless it was a most successful
experiment" observed the doctor.
"Well, / think it was" admitted th,
captain modestly.
Il am sure it was, )" said Podgers, which
we all thought very pretty of him.
On the night when, as have said, Podgl
was dining with Pryce, their conversation
turned, AS il often did, upon Miles, whom
the squire pronounced to be a most selhsl
and tyrannical fellow, as well as a charla
tan. Podgers, though he had much NOR
cause than his host TO be iil friends witt
the captain, defended him. They spoke o
the military duties imposed on the detach
ment by the Rebeccaites
I Al