The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1899-11-21
Mr.. K, NEW YORK
AStory Of Hypnotism.
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ton would just as certainly have been
vague and unsatisfactory.
1t was through Clarence that 1 met
Simcox. The two had been friends in
Ceylon, as 1 understood, though how
or why l never knew, and it always
seemed strange Clarences business in
Ceylon was coffee planting, and it
seemed that Simcox's was astral bod
les. The only natural thing about
their old acquaintance seemed to be
that Clarence always knew queer peo-
pie, and surely Simcox was queer.
"Why, how old do you take me to
be?' he asked me suddenly one day,
when l had said that something or
other had happened before his time.
And when l answered that he looked
to me to be about 40 he laughed quite
heartily.
1t so happened that this conversation
took place as we were walking to-
gether to Madison square, where we
were to visit an exhibition of paint
ings, old and modern.
When we had spent about half
hour ranging through the galleries,
Simcox and found ourselves standing
before a portrait of Spanish prince,
who, l believe, lived somewhere about
the time Of Queen Elizabeth. The
figure was dressed in armor, except for
the head, which was bare and showed
a fine head of dark chestnut hair.
"This is the picture l wanted you to
this settee and take it all in."
I could not remember that Simcox
had said anything to me about seeing
any picture in particular.
"Well, what do you think Of it?" Sim
cox asked me presently.
"Fine," l said.
81 suppose it is" said Simcox. 81 sup
pose it is fine. People have been saying
that about it for 800 years. l suppose
all the lords and ladies Of the Spanish
court said it was fine when they first
saw it. I wasn't there
You're not quite so old as all that? ?"
I interjected, thinking of the mystery
of his age.
NO." he said, smiling, mot quite so
old. And / wouldn't have been at the
court of Spain either. But there is one
criticism the lords and ladies might
have made, though never heard that
they did"
whats that?"
simply that it isn't true to life"
But you don't mean to say it isn't
lifelike?' 1 said in establishment.
what mean is that 1t isn'tas much
like the original as it might have been.
1t would have been just as easy for
Velasquez to have made it perfectly
true. don't see why he didn't never
did. On the whole, it doesn't fatter
his highness. His jaw was not nearly
such cruel looking square thing as
that. And yet the painter has taken
the trouble to curl and lengthen and
dandify the mustache almost out of
recognition"
"Why, Simcox," said, you talk as
If you knew the original in the fieshw
WELL" he said, 81 don't and / do.
You see, my dear fellow, to know a
mans astral body Is about the same
thing as knowing the man in what you
call the flesh You use the crude term
of wornout medieval philosophy. An
astral body may produce at times a
faint impression on the eye, but ii
stands to reason it must be exact"
1t occurred to me at this point that
Simcox needed fresh air l had never
before heard any one talk in this glib,
matter of fact way about astral bodies
Either Simcox was crazy or there was
something uncanny about him, in spite
of his brisk, happy, everyday manner.
"Oh, you're surprised, are your he
said, chuckling to himself. II might
have guessed that a man who talks
about knowing people in the flesh
would be. Let's have practical dem.
onstration."
Good heavensw l exclaimed. 'You
don't mean to tell me that you are go
ing to raise the ghost of this old Span.
iard?
Il don't raise ghosts" Simcox an
swered. with some impotence, 'or be-
lieve in them. But if you are going to
get fidgety. and as this is a public
place, let's go to my rooms.
Take one more good look at the pic
ture before you CO." he said, land pay
particular attention to the chin, mus.
tache and eyes. / want you to see il
I'm not right in my criticism"
When we got to his rooms and had
seated myself as comfortably as my
nervous state of mind would allow
Simcox busted himself rummaging In
the drawers of roll top writing desk
81 don't need any very elaborate ap-
paratus. you see," he said, "but there
is one thing somewhere in these draw
ers. If can only find it, that ought to
help good deal. All, here it isl
He produced what l at first took to
be a glass paperweight On closer In.
spection it turned out to be japanese
crystal ball, very clear and exquisitely
rounded, but not mounted on any cary
ed stand, like most of those I have
seen.
"Just hold this, will you?" he said.
took the crystal in my hand.
You had better sit here" he said
with your back TO the window.
want the light to come over your shout
der"
1 ought to say that in that window
frame there was no curtain of any
kind, only a brown holland window
blind, which was rolled up. In front
of me as | sat with my back to the
light was nothing but an open carpeted
space Indeed baroness was the most
obvious characteristic of Simcox's
room. 1t was more like lawyers of
fee than a private sitting room.
Now, l am going to stand behint
you, if you don't mind" he said ant
acted accordingly.
In obedience to his instructions
held the crystal in my lap with botf
hands and looked intently at 1t. Onc'
| could not resist the temptation tt
look behind me and see what he wa!
doing. He was standing with arms
extended, waving his hands about.
Never mind me-" he said. "Yoi
keep your eyes fixed on that crystal"
After that l kept my eyes on TIL
crystal constantly. Presently mis-
seemed to shut out the point of ligh
on which l was gazing. 1t was
white mist at first, but turned to
dark brown. Out of the mist present
" came the gray glimmer of armor
then above the armor l could max
out flesh tints; then the curling chest
nut hair, the peaked beard and tn
mustache. The face was more clearl,
defined than it was in the portrait
had been looking at.
Now" said Simcox, speaking iron