Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-01-27

ought to ~sympathize with each other
and bear no ill-will. l am suffering the
pangs Of hell. l love your sweetheart
with all my soul. l have loved her pas
sionately since the moment l first saw
her. l, too. am miserable. I walk the
streets In agony. know how ufeel,
and l sympathize with you"
Tears were in Bantinni's eyes. He
took the ~llstless hand of the artist and
pressed 1t. Gielow was too unhappy
to repulse him, and by and by itseemed
that he really liked the Italian.
Il deaden my pain of heart" said the
count. you know that l understand
the use of h%ypnotism; l apply 1t to my
self when / am most miserable. You
need rest; allow me to calm you. Its
very simple"
I'D rather not" said Gielow; but the
count had spoken soothingly, and then
why, that wal the last thing he could
remember excepting-yes, in front Of
the studio building 1t seemed that the
count had detained him and told him
some absurd story about his having
killed Caruthers. That must have been
adream, and yet-great God! the chains
and the celll Could he be in q dun.
geon for the murder Of Caruthersq
Gielow managed to rise to his feet and
began to grope about him. He touched
the wall behind him. 1t was uneven,
like the inside of a cavern. He felt all
round the room. In size it was about
ten feet long by six in width. One end
was Of bricks, and that end contained
an iron door. Gielow's intelligence told
him that he was not In prison, but it fur
nished no hint Of the truth.
The hours passed. Gielow went back
to his corner and lay down on the bed
OF straw. His knees shook and he was
very weak. Then the pangs OF hunger
and thirst awoke in him.
A m~omentlater he knew he was starv-
ing. Maddened by this realization, he
crawled to the door and beat upon it
with his handouts. He made a thun-
derous noise, but when the echoes had
died out the silence seemed even more
profound, more menacing than ever.
Again he beat upon the door till the
irons cut into his wrists.
Finally he was rewarded by noting a
dancing pencil of light pierce the gloom
through a crack over the door, and
then he heard footsteps outside. A
bunch Of heavy keys clanked, one wa.
fitted into a rusty lock and the door
swung open. In the light of a lantern
which he held appeared the crafty fea-
lures and glistening eyeglasses OF
Count Bantinni. A sinister smile was
on his sallow face.
Gielow shrank backward in bewilder-
ment.
"For Gods sake, tell me the meaning
Of thisl" he cried.
ut means that you'll never see the
light Of day again." said Bantinni,
harshly. "You had the cheek to tell me
in my rooms that she loves you. All!
W. shall see, my young idiot-she shall
love no one but me. Remember I have
said It,"
"You brought me here, then!" ex-
claimed Gielow, in wonder.
Certainly" was the counts reply.
He set his lantern down and leaned
/. against the closed door.
Where am I, in the name Of mercy?"
gasped Gielow.
"You will never know that" an
swered the count, with a satisfied smile.
would you believe that you have been
sleeping on that straw for three days
and three nights?"
THAT may be-" slowly replied the
artist, "for l am starving"
"Ah, yes, it is time for you to feel
that way" replied Bantinni. ut will
/ be hard from now on. I could let yol
sleep your life away without a mo-
ment's pain If I were to hypnotic you
again, but I shall not waste the time"
IT was under your influence, them
Completely"
"And for what reason"
The count laughed.
II don't mind telling you my plan.
It will give you something to think
about In your solitude. If you will re.
feet, you will remember that Caruthers
was the only barrier to any mans mar.
rying Miss Huntington and getting the
benefit OF her fortune. Well, Carutherf
Is non est; he has been murdered. On
the night the crime was discovered you
confessed to your servant in my pres
snoe that you had committed the deed;
then you packed your bag and fed"
Absurd" said Gielow, slowly, hi,
staring eyes hxed in horror on the face
Of the italian.
"You remember nothing about it, fol
you were hypnotized," said the count
"but, II you will believe an eye witness
you played the part most naturally
The papers Of New York have been full
Of you for the past three days."
The count paused and feasted on Gle
lows expression.
what have you to say to that?" h,
added, with q 1endish chuckle.
II simply don't believe it," said tn,
prisoner, slowly. you have cut me of
from information and intend to tortur,
my mind with your Satanic inventions.
"Oh, that's it, Ell? Well, how do 70,
like the looks Of that?"
Bantinni took from his pocket q fold
ed newspaper, and opening 1t held tn,
front page where the sullen rays Of tn,
lantern fell upon the head lines.
"That's plain enough to be read from
where you are" he said. There
your name at the top"
The big black letters seemed t.
stamp themselves o. the brain Of tn
artist. They drew him, as it were, b,
force to a sitting posture, then he GOV
cred his face with his hands and sanl
Il back on his pallet Of straw.
Bantinni drew nearer him and swun,