Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1896-01-10
HYPNOTIZED LOVE.

Speaking Of bridal presents, " said Mrs.
Palmer, "did ever tell you tho story Of
the diamond necklace?
81 was in Milan for the carnival, having
Rcne early in order to secure comfortable
quarters at tho Hotel Cavour, and the first
day at table d'hoto dinner 1 was seated
next to the prottiest girl ever saw. No;
am not going to describe her. We all
have our ideal Of beauty, 1 suppose, and
she simply realized mine, that Is all The
man sitting by her on the other side was
her brother, discovered from their talk,
and there was anyhow striking likeness
between them; SO it goes without saying
that he was too good to look at. AT first
noticed nobody else, hardly ate any din
ner-in fact, so absorbed was L in stealing
chances at these two beautiful young crea-
tures-but toward tho close of the meal l
heard the girl say, in a sweet, well bred
voice, which had vibrant ring to 1t, stir
ring some dormant emotion in me, max
ing me yearn over her with the instinct OF
motherhood, SUPPOSE heard her say to
her brother Do you think the count will
come this evening, Jack"
Certainly, the young fellow answered
gayly. THE stars have so ordained it, and
there is no resisting ones destiny
Il don't know what caused me to look
up Just then, but glanced across the table
and saw sitting directly opposite the youhg
girl an oldwoman, so yellow and withered,
and at the same time SO Enthusiastically
dressed, that wondered had not noticed
her before She wore pale lavender
gown, profuscly trimmed with ribbon and
lace, and her black hair, thickly streaked
with gray, was bound back from her fore
head by broad velvet ribbon and twisted
in loose knot low on her neck. Her gray
eyes, which had strange catlike CLEAN of
yellow in them, were riveted upon the face
of the girl and presently felt tho latter
stir little unGasily, as though that basi-
lisll glare disturbed her,
"Tho next evening 1 found my seat
taken by good looking, bronzed individ-
ual, whom the girl addressed as Count
Won Rosonburg, but who was known to
the brother as Ludwig. l had in tho
meantime made certain inquiries about
my old lady of the eyes and had learned
that she was an American named Hard
ing, very eccentric and very, very rich.
She was in her usual place, and every time
l looked at her l saw her eyes fastened
with tho same intense expression upon the
beautiful face opposite her. She is fas-
cinated by tho girls beauty and has no
foolish quulms about showing it,
thought and gave my attention wholly to
my dinner, for had tramped about good
deal that day and was healthily hungry.
From stray scraps of conversation which
foated to me now and then 1 learned that
the girl-by the way, her name was Claire
Elliston-had never met the count before,
but the two young men had travelled to-
gether in Russia and were close friends.
1--WE all sat for awhile after dinner in
the salon, and 1 saw Mrs. Harding take a
book, and, with this as screen, scat her
self in the darkest and most obscure corner
of the room to watch the movements Of
her prey. When they left the room, she,
too, disappeared.
Il came upon my young people at the
Brera next morning and, would you To-
lieve it, that old woman was again in at
tendance, saying nothing, but staringS
II began to feel as if there was some
thing uncanny about her, and if we had
been back in old Salem days l, for one,
should have been ready to hang her as q
witch. l could near that the two young
men were beginning to tease Claire about
the impression she had made, but she
laughingly protested that the count was
the attraction quite as much as she was.
Later in the day l was lingering in tho
dim old refeotory of Santa Maria della
Grazie, where the gloom is somewhat
lightened by that wonderful Last Supper
of Leonardo da Vinci, when l heard
faint scream and saw Claire running down
a corridor alone.
" 1t is that old womanl' she cried
rather breathlessly as her brother joined
her L met her in that dark passage, and
her eyes frightened NO. He led her away
into the sunshine, laughing at her and rs