Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-05-30
WOODBURY. N. J, THURSDAY MAY 80, 1896

conversation became general, Mrs. Etn.4
slipped into the hall and beckoned to
her husband who Immediately Joined
her. Then she whispered in his ear:
"H-if-by any possibility he should
be able to hypnotic me, you will not let
him make me do anything ridicuIous:''
My dear Leona, how can you i'm
agine such a possibility? But if you have
any fear
''Fearl" echoed his wife scornfully
in stage whisper. you will see that
he cannot make the slightest impression
on me- . And she went back to the par
lor and found one of her guests climbing
the piano to escape an imaginary bear
that was pursuing him. A few passes
and he was restored to his normal CON
dition, looking very foolish.
There were some amusing and some
perplexing exhibitions Of the professors
power, then the company followed host
and hostess to the dining room, where a
generous spread awaited them Mrs
Darl was rather silent Her test would
be the next one, and she watched the
wiry hands of the young professor as if
his secret lay in them. But they were
harmlessly busy with the sandwiches
His face was quite noncommittal too
What was the power he held Of reducing
the will to a mere blank? She would
soon know.
Back in the parlor Mrs. Darl seated
herself under the brilliant chandelier.
''Not there, - said the professor, but
she did not intend to yield to any com
mand Of his and said quietly:
81 prefer to sit here. "
'Then | cannot hypnotize You. 7
"Oh, you acknowledge that it il only
under certain conditions that this great
power can be displayed?"
Certainly. there are conditions that
must be complied with l am positive,
and you are negative, but you are
very difficult subject because you are re-
sisting me with all your might -
Mrs. Darl looked reproachfully at her
husband and said in the dumb alphabet
Of the married, you have told him
He flashed b..gk in the same language,
II have not, and she moved iii accord
ance with the wish Of the professor and
sat with her back to the light Some of
the company We're removed to remote
parts Of the room, but few, including
Mr.. Darl, stood near.
\ Look into my eyes, said the pro
fessor. Permit me. y And he took her
hands and pressed the thumbs gently.
& 1t is like being in dentists chair, =
said Mrs. Darl, with little forced
laugh. Then she attempted to rise.
struggling slightly, but continued to
look into the eyes of the hypnotizer IN
| til in the place of two eyes she saw 20
Then she asserted her will and shook
herself free
''I-told-you-I-could-not be
hypnotized, = she said. Her voice sound
ed strange and far away How queer l
feel! Staring so long has made me
dizzy
Drink this, said Mr.. Darl, giving
his wife glass Of water.
She drank it, then rose to her feet
and said she felt as well as ever.
"Where is the professor" she asked.
II expect he has lost faith in his sci
ence 7
He was here "a moment ago, " said
her cousin Fanny anxiously. He
thought he had succeeded in hypnotic
ing You, Leona. Were you not uncon-
scious?'
mot for one moment = :,:d Mrs.
Darl triumphantly tie lcld my
thumbs until they were nui..5-why
where i-NedI'
"What il it, Leona?' he asked in sur
prise at her peculiar tone
Where are my diamondss'
There was startled exclamation from
every one present. Ms. Darl stood there
bereft of every jewel she posse sed Not
a single one Of her gems which had flash
ed on her fingers, at her threat, in her
ears, was now visible. Dazed, she hold
up her ringless hands and SAID;
Is this joke: What decs it mean?
Where are my diamonds?"
Where is the professor?"
Search the houser'
Send for the policer'
But the professor had left for parts
unknown, and with him went Mrs,
Darl's diamonds, and neither the police
nor the Darls ever saw or heard Of them
or him again. But one thing was in his
favor. Not only had he successfully hyp-
Noticed Mrs Darl, lut, as Mr.. Darl ad-
mitted, he must have hypnotized the
whole company in order to bring his
hypnotic scheme to such a climax
And Mrs. Darl is at last convert to
both the theory and practice Of the oc-
cult science and firm believer in the
power Of the hypnotic wilL-Mrs. M
L. Rayne in Free Press