The farmers' union., 1894-02-15

| thought, indeed. He thought of the
prayer of a certain good man: Take
my life, but, great heaven, spare my
reason.
After all, his best and only known
adviser was the Doctor. But as he
turned his face that way the strange
idea came to him that if madness it
fort out of this sudden and incOmpre-
hensible loss OF reason. He would turn
back, make his way around to the sit
ting room window and take one more
look at that lovely vision, which, pray
Gcd, had not flown. No: there sat the
angelic visitant to his humble home,
the soft light still resting upon her
brown hair, her fair hands pursuing
their silent labor just as he had seen
her through the half-opened door few
moments before. Here he stood for a
long while. 50 it seemed to him, drink
ing in the lovely vision, like the freed
captive drinks in the air. the sunshine
and the soft breeze SO long unfelt by
his brow. Suddenly turning away
Plumley broke almost into a run along
the path leading to DR.. Winters. but
the cool night air strengthens and
steadies him. He turns back. He
cannot bring himself to leave the house
which shelters that head SO dear to
him. even if it only he a vision.
Around and around The Laurels" he
wanders. but every time he comes cp-
posite to the window of the sitting
room some strange influence keeps him
from approaching it again. His feet
seem nailed to the ground every time
he attempts to step out of the Path.
This new and mysterious sensation,
apparently the result of some hypnotic
influence, again turns his thought, to
the. bla k-bearded and sEectacled Ger
man. whose muttled cultural tones ring
in his ears, and whose nervous, eX-
| plOsive manner comes vividly back to
him.
WAS not this German professor an
| adept in the hypnotic art? Has he not
a spell upon me: Am not a subject
of his, moved by his will. swayed by
his thought, influenced by his mind:"
Such We're the questions which Plum
ley now prOpounded to himself. At
last he seemed to have hit upon the
explanation of the mystery. But, any
way. sleep was impossible. and besides
he had locked himself out of his
house. He wOuld return to DR.. Win
ter's and consult him.
As he turned again toward the path
leading to Winters hou-e. the tall
clock, real or phantom. standing in his
hallway chimed the hour of ) in silver
tones. Plumley uttered an eXc|ama-
! tion of horror and broke into a run.
\ deep sense of reicf came over him
as he caught glimpse through the
trees of a light in Dr.. Winters sitting
room. OF all persons on the earth 8
surface doctors are the most careless
of their own health, though so full of
good advice and prudence for ether
! people: even the German. after his
fourteenth pipe. had gone to be /: but
| the Doctor was still smoking and read
| ing work upon the digestive organs
with an appendix against tobacco.
At the curate's gentle tap on the
pane he opened the door.
What, you back. Plumley: what is
the matter with you?" His trained
eye at once perceived that the others
visit had a personal object. In as few
words as possible tho curate gasped
out what had occurred. "My impress
sion is, " he ended, that have lost my
wits, Winter"
Il have heard a good many people
say that of you, was the others quiet
reply. "A man who gives all his goods
to feed the poor, and never thinks of
himself has, of course, they say. a
screw loose somewhere. It's natural
enough. Still"-seeing how the poor
curate's face fell-"that is not my opin-
ion. You are only monomaniac, my
dear fellow. And a to what has so
disturbed you, l can explain it in two
minutes. The very leople who say
these things of you have a very great
respect for your character. and almost
the whole parish have clubbed together
to show it. The Laurels' have been
newly furnished for you by general
subscription. They thought it would
be nice surprise for you to get the
things put in while you were from
home, and as their only chance Of this
was my little dinner tonight, they took
ised to keep you here till midnight
but our metaphysical friend retalLel
you two hours later"
But. Doctor" ga ped Plumlcy. "you
:. have II told me aIl-or rather I've
not I'd you all-the vision
is a vision at all, my dear Plum
. ley" remarked DR.. Winter. calmly.
but gcnui reality. Tha. lady seated
in your work room is Jane Copcutt
come back to you after all thes, years
, to undo the wrong she "roaght ST
down and let me tell you all about it.
: P:umlcy attempted to obey. but n,
dropped tcavi into the easy chai1
;. which DR.. Winter had drawn up fol
; him. He had tainted Winter knew
!, that this was The best thing for him t
do, and lei-urely applied some restora
tive. Then. Is the curate came to him
:, self. he hand "a him glass of wine.
; Come. come" said Winter. in
kindly tone. there's nothing to CT,
! about ut"-for Plumley was now sobbin.
like a child. lane never married
Hargrcaves. She fell i'll, very i'll. AM
, her life was saved by some powe
stronger than medicine. The physi
! elan in charge then assured her fathe
J, that her health would never again b.
= robust, and that to consumm tie tn
! marriage would simply mean her death
= Meantime Copcutt's business affair
took turn for the better but as it wa
: necessary to take lane tn the south q