The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1894-06-09
LIGHLY'S SUCCESS.

How he Combined Hypnotism and
Literature, but Overshot the
Mark.
When I went into the club the other
night, 1 found Lightly turning over the
pages Of a Christmas number Of All
the World. His face would have at
forded a fine study for a picture Of
ccntentment, and my first thought was
that he must have an Article or story in
the magazine. For Lightly is some
thing Of writer, and whenever he gets
anything published-which is not very
often-he hores us all for weeks after
ward, telling how it happened.
AS soon as he caught sight of me, he
beckoned me to his table, and thought
that was in for at least a half-hour's
punishment. But it turned out for once
that I was interested in his talk.
Have you seen it?'' he asked, tap
ping the cover Of the magazine and Civ
ing a little eager laugh as he spoke,
which confirmed my impression that
he must be in luck.
mo" | answered; 'have you any
thing in it,"
"Anything?" he almost shouted.
''Why, man, I wrote the whole num-
ber''
At this I began to wonder if his
brain-never too stronghold not sud-
denly given way. AS you well know,
All the World is one of the most con-
servative periodicals-as I will admit
that have found to my sorrow in the
past-and it was preposterous that it
should make up the whole number, and
Christmas number at that, from the
work Of one man. And it was clear to
been that one man, in any event.
While trying to think of something
quieting to say, I took the magazine
and glanced over the table Of contents.
1t was one Of Lightly's fancies-which
did him no good in a literary way-to
have a dozen or more pen names. He
used these Unfortunately, as the hui
NOR moved him, and it happened that I
knew most of them. So you may judge
of my surprise when I tell you that
every poem, story, article, and essay in
the entire magazine was signed by
some one of the many names that l
knew he used. The first was Christ
mas poem, signed G. O. Lightly Then
a Christmas story, signed T. S. Weaver
this, he had once explained to me,
stood for The Story Weaver) Then an
article on Observation-Disclosures Hun
dred Years Ago." "Christmas-Past and
Present." and the usual run of such
material as editors have fallen into
the habit of serving up for the holi-
day issue. None of the topics We're
new, nor, so far as could discover in
a hasty glance, were they treated with
much brilliancy. The signatures were
all composed upon the same puerile
plan as the one have given.
Poor as much of the stuff probably
was, still could not believe that Light
ly had written all, much less secured
its publication in a single number Of
All the World. turned to him for an
explanation.
DRAW up a CHAIR he said, with
what I thought an air Of some condo
scension. II can afford to fly high to-
night. SO let us have bird and a bottle
quietly in this corner, while I tell you
all about it.
"Of course" he said, as soon as we
were fairly settled, 'this is all on the
quiet I should not tell even you, if
you were not one Of my best friends,
and if I did not mean presently to ask
q favor of you. You know" he con-
tinued, ''how people have been talking
about the science Of hypnotisn for
months past:"
I nodded my assent, and he went on
with an uninterrupted flow Of words:
WELL he said, Il Glanced some time
ago to be thrown in contact with an
adept in this art, or science, or what
Id 10
ognized at once the value that a knovl-
edge Of it might be to me in making fc-
ticn, and I asked the fellow to give me
some insight into it. This he did, for a
consideration, and to such good pur-
the science to some extent T present
ly found that it was not difficult for 1ue
to gain a hypnotic influence over any
man of less robust physique than my
self, but I rarely attempted to use the
power.
when I finally did, it was wholly
without generalization, and it happened
IN this way. A few weeks ago-in fact,
just as they were making up the Christ
mas NUMBER happened into the office
of All the World, and while there offer
ed ADDISON this poem," Lightly put his
finger on the printed page as he spoke
but went on without pause.
"Aldescn put me off with some stock
remark about being full Of material, OF
having more than he could handle, and
did not even look at the poem. This
nettled me considerably, and it sudden
~ occurred to me that Aldeson was .
smaller man than myself, and that
ought to give him a good thrashing fo]
his impudence. Then it came to me al
at once that could hypnotic him ani
make him accept my poem. asked
him to send his assistant away, as
wanted to speak to him privately
When we were alone, at once began
the effort to make him subject to m,
will. In less time than T am telling
you, had him completely under m,
influence, and he had accepted tn
poem and promised it the initial plac
in the number.
''Then the thought came to me tr TT,
my power little further. Calling
messenger, T sent to my rooms for
bundle If manuscript, and sorted GU
from it everything that would do fog
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