The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-30


ed. ! don't remember a single word he
said. Only feel so sad and sorry she
cried, with sudden sob. Il had
thought we would be so happy to-
gether,"
why, Elsie. What is this?"
She flung her arms about me-for
the first time in her life. l dropped
the reins, the horse first walked, then
stopped short.
She kissed me--my betrothed-upon
both eyelids. Il owe it to them," she
said: they have been so abused to-
night, through me: and they will shed
so many, many tears before another
Halloween"
: .
The next morning l was early at her
door, She met me dressed in black.
nor could l prevail upon her to make
any change.
Il must wear mourning for our love,
she said. Il shall be dressed in white
only too SOON"
Her race was wan. and all her eX-
uberance lost; she was perfectly ra-
tional, except on this one point-that
she would die before the year had
past. Nothing that | or anyone else
could say had any effect upon this
conviction. She knew that she must
die; 1t was useless to deceive ones
self. How she knew, she could not
say, but she knew it absolutely. If we
would wait we would see. That Rune
stane had anything 10 do with it she
nothing, she said. She Just knew.
This we did not believe, but we were
thoroughly frightened. Such delusionG
are all too likely to .fGlhll themselves.
| told her later the whole story, and
that afternoon we drove hastily over
to the professors headquarters. 1t
was as | feared. He had already de-
parted, and we could learn nothing of
his whereabouts.
Things went from bad to worse. The
doctors were helpless. for there was To
organic disease. My beloved simply
sank in a gradual decline, the victim
of Il fixed idea which nothing could
reach-unless, perhaps. the voice of the
hypnotist who had imposed it.
] had now come To regard him as a
murderer-a very fiend. At last, hope
less of any other means of cure. | left
| the town and spent several months in
blind and feVerish efforts to find him.
1t was vain search; no clew could
| be discovered.
The fatal year had almost passed
and another Halloween was approach
ing, when | was recalled by the news
that Elsie was failing fast and CON
stantly asked to see me. | arrived. but
Just IN time; and in my arms she sank
! into what seemed a gentle slumber-
only there was no awakening.
| 1t was long before ] could believer
her dead. For days she lay in mar
| bic beauty in the chamber of mourn.
ing; but her heart was still, and nc
breath ever clouded the mirror thai
we so often held to her lips. Finally
it was felt that there could be no more
delay. The day Of the funeral was
set; it was Halloween.
| AS | stood, with feelings that no per
can portray, before the open grave into
which the casket enshrining all that
loved had just been lowered. | saw
among the sad faces gathered there one
had it risen from the earth? Was il
another Illusion? 1t was the face OF
| Runestane. At any other moment
should have sprung at his throat.
He was STOPPING, and as he rose he
cast little clod of earth upon the cof.
fin. Hands We're Outstretched to check
him, voices were raised in protest; but
his rang loud above them all.
The girl is not dead" he cried
Raise up the casket!"
They shrunk back; they thought hin
mad.
Il tell you she is not dead" he shout.
ed. "Be quick; already she is waiin.
from her trance His face was livid
do not make me q murderer" he cried
and pressed forward.
a sudden recollection surged through
my brain. i spranS to his aid. and to-
gether we lifted uD the casket
You must open it," he said. "Sh,
| must see you first"
Others were helping now, with shak
ing hands, and the lid was soon off.
bent over my loved one: her fac,
showed color. and her lips We're parted
Her eyelids tluttered: then they opened
| wide. She saw me-kneW me.
We did not wait for her to realize hel
grewsome surroundings. Lifted in lov.
ing hands. she was quickly borne t,
Il quiet chamber. where, as the full It'd,
| of life and consciousness came gradu
ally back, l watched beside her--ant
| with me was Runestane. Only once
| however, did he speak to her, and tina
was before she seemed fully aroused
The spell is ended" he said, in tha
slow. droning voice that | so well re-
membered. THE spell is ended live
and be happy.
And may God forgive me-" he added
''for this rash and criminal experi
ment.'
Runestane remained only Ionj
enough to make certain of Elsie's safet,
and sanity. This is no place for me-
he said. Il shall remember it alway
with remorse and horror. l could no
blame you if you sought my life. Ye
you must know that j am no Graz
charlatan, but a deep student of thes
obscure phenomena of hypnotism an
suggestion. My true name is wei
known to the world. but / dare no
tell it. Like the medieval student o
forbidden magic / was lured on by tn
fascination of these unwarrantable ex
periments, until I was almost ready t
stultify my soul to satisfy my thirst 70
further knowledge. l shall brave sue
risks as this no more.
You wonder, doubtless, why I di
not come to your aid before such des
perate pass was reached. The truth is
i dared not. To enable you fully to un
destand the matter a long course O
abstruse study would be necessary
but i'm brief, had made an impression
in the unconscious substratum of he
mind so deep and of such a nature tina
neither l nor any other could reach
until its term was run. 1t was hor
rible experiment-nothing less than
species of psychological vivisectior
Thank God that her life is not upo
my soul. Had you interrupted me, tina
night, by entering the room one mo
ment sooner, the impression woul
have been left incomplete: and in tina
case there would have been no possibl
awaking. 1t would have been deati
!, indeed.
Il cannot ask you to forgive me-" h
concluded. "but my shadow shall neye