Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-02-23

PROFESSIONAL STRATEGY.

i
crowded audience. Then he thrus
bis left thumb into the armhole OF hi
waistcoat, and waving his right arm
in the air commenced to lecture.
He was not addicted to much pre-
amble, and he was quickly in thu
thick of his subject matter, which
was hypnotism. 1t was not given t
every man to perform such feats a.
he could show, he intimated. and tx
prove that he was no mere b0aster hi
casually offered a hundred pounds
to any man who could perform his
mesmeric experiment
"l'll take it up" shouted a slim.
looking young man from the rear Of
the hall.
The slim young man mounted the
platform at the close OF the entertain.
ment, and essayed the task of win
ming that hundred pounds. He was a
dismal failure. One or two Of the
subjects were placed in a condition OF
dreary inertness, but the rest after
pretending to submit to the magic
force of the mysterious passes made
over their faces, simply stood up and
laughed at the amateur for his pains,
Come off the stage, johnson"
yelled a voice from the audience,
you're no good agin the professor.
DON'T make fool of yourself before
all Wollabourne. !"
And amidst considerable chaff from
the professor who hoped his young
friend would go home and cut his
wisdom teeth, and then try again, the
mesmeric johnson descended.
He bore his unsuccess with becom-
ink meekness, but he had discovered
a factor in prof" Leonards meth
DDS. For the next few days he studied
not so much hypnotism as human ma
ture, and at the end of the week again
formed one of the audience at the eh-
tertainment. He was not so greatly
surprised to find that precisely the
same gentlemen were chosen as sub
iects from among a large number OF
volunteers as were selected on the
previous occasion; but he was unde-
terred, and responded to the invita-
ton for the f10O competition with
alacrity.
Hard cash. il you please" replied
the young gentleman, and set to work
on the row of grinning yokels who
were waiting to be hypnotized.
To the great surprise of everybody,
including the professor one by one
they succumbed to the mesmeric in
huence, and when every individual
had been put through his facings ac-
cording to tho exhibited pro
gramme," the youth quietly held out
his hand and said;
Perhaps you win be good enough
to count over that hundred pounds
you referred to just now.
The professor" knew better than
to refuse. The house was in a state
of the widest excitement. and the
popular current was distinctly in
Johnson's favor. Refusal to pa,
would have meant a riot, at least,
and a long farewell to mis- growing
reputation. He paid the money with
a bad grace, and with many NUT
tered execration against the group OF
Subjects" who had sold him. This
was what came of putting faith In
rustic innocence. and of omitting the
Formally of paying wages
when they were due However. a
chance might arise by which he
would get even.
That chance arose.
The next night there were two mes
merists showing in that little town.
A new professor had sprung into ex-
istence.
IT was the slim youth who had won
the hundred puonds. The ma iority OF
Prof Leonard's "subiec,s" mad 'verted
10 the opposition. The resi- had been
discharged Cnriously enough thev
we're the only "medlnms' who were
IN the slightest sense snhiec, TO fine
professors hypnotic innl noe but
neither of the "scientlsts" cored An
% bother with them Thr sham WAC
IN infinitely superior article. 50 much
more interesting from a show point
II view. and so little trouble com
The new show Caught on" ANN.
ngly, and the attendance increased in
proportion to the decrease at The On.
'osition hall. The local man was the
OF the hour. and glowing no.
ices and interviews appeared in the
sssn his q %' ,.. a"s s,o'''' over