Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-03-09
STRATEGY Y.

offered any man in the audience E100 IL
| he would perform his mesmerio expert.
ments. A young man named johnson took
him up, went on to tho stage and male
a dismal failure
| He bore his unsucccss with becoming
mcekncss, but he had discovered a fac
tor in professor" Leonard methods
For the next fcw days he studied not so
much hypnotism as human nature and
at the end Of the wccl; again formed ono
of the audience ut the entertainment. He
wa, not SO greatly surprised to find that
| precisely the same gentlemen were chosen
MS subjects from among large number
| Of volunteers rs were selected on the pre-
vious occasion, but he was undcterred
and responded to the invitation for the
&l0O competition with alacrity.
Hard cash, if you please" replied tho
young gentleman and set TO work on tho
row Of grinning yokcls who were waiting
to be hypnotizod.
To the great surprise of everybody, in.
Guiding the professor" one by ono they
succumbcd to the mcsmoric influence,
and when every individual had been pub
through his facinRs according to the OK
hibitcd programme the youth quietly held
out his hand and said
Perhaps you will be good enough to
count over that 600 you referred to just
now"
The professor" knew better than to
refuse The house was in state of the
widest excitement, and the popular cur
rent was distinctly in Johnson's favor.
Refusal to pay would have meant Il riot ut
Beast and long farewell TO his growing
reputation. He paid the money with a
bad grace and with many a muttered exc
ho If sub;
who had sold him This was what camo
of putting faith in rustic innocence and
Of emitting the triflng Formally Of pay
ing wages when they were due. How
ever. a charge might arise by which he
would vet get even.
That chance arose.
The next night there wcrc two mesmer-
lists showing in that little town. \ new
professor had sprung into existence.
1t was the slim youth who had won tho
goo. The majority Of Professor
Lconards' "subjects' had 'vcrted to tho
opposition The rest had been discharged
Curously enough, they were the only
"mcdiums' who were in the slichte<5
sense subject to the professor IS" hypnotic
influence but neither of the scientists
cared TO be bothered with them Tho
sham was an infinitely superior article. 50
much more interesting from q show point
of view, and so little trouble compare
lively.
The new show caught on" amazingly,
and the attendance increased in prcpor-
ton 20 the decrease at the opposition ma.
The local man was the celebrity Of the
hour. and glowing notices and interviews
appeared in the Wollahourne Slasher.
Leonards tore his hair and brooded over
some scheme Of vengeance.
.s.,l,+ -, g
night to all Vollabournians. occurred tho
downfall of Professor" Johnson For
the last two nights he had been conduct
ing some marvellous experiments upon n
particularly susceptible subject whom 10
had unexpectedly discovered The rcco-;l
of this man feats while in hypnotic
condition had attracted ovcrfowins
houses, and people fought IN the street
to get in.
But upon this occasion tbe young pro-
fessor," having put the medium through
the usual antics, to the great delight If
the audience, failed utterly. in restoring
the man to consciousness. IIe Tipped his
fingers in the subject face, dashed water
over him, ran needles into his flesh, but
all to no purpose. As last resource
some one sent for doctor, and when he
arrived people breathed freely for time.
The professor objected TO the inter-
ference of the medical man, but public
opinion overruled the objection and the
doctor set to work In less than five mir
utcs he had given up the task as hopeless.
The man was dying, he said and unless
he were brought round another hour
would see him a corpse.
The scene in the hall when this an
nouncement was made battles description.
Some Kissed the professor, others
limited at lynching; all We're agreed that
the government ought to step in and stop
such entertainments Suddenly a littls
man jumped upon stool and cried out:
What about the other professor
The idea was acted upon at once, and
small crowd hurried of TO the other hall
to fetch LeOnards
When he entered the hall, the din and
the uproar were terrific. No dead man
even of any self respect could have lain
upor that platform without rising TO en-
ter IA protest against the disturbance, let
alone an individual merely hypnotizcd.
Yet this subject slept on through it all, as
though he had settled down steadily ID
crack tho record of the seven sleepors.
Il shall want to be romunerated for my
services, " said Leonards.
Name your price and set to work ar
once" returned johnson. The crowd
won't stand it any longer"
My price is 600" coolly replied
Leonards
What" said the other.
"Ono hundred pounds, and cheap at
that, It's the price l paid you for my
, littlo downfall the other night" he
whispered.
Curse it! Take it, them said John
son You We played a kcencr game than
mine and deserve to lose for being 50
easily gullcd. Tell your man to stop his
informal fooling and lets get ont of this. -
professor Lconards made few trans
verse passes over the mans face, ana with
a dazed look in his eyes the man returned
to his senses
Loud and long was the cheer that
greeted this successful exposition of the
marvellous power Of hypnotism rs demon
stratcd by the elder professor, and after
a counter demonstration of groans for tho
unlucky Johnson the crowd departed.
The man who was hypnoti2ed remained
behind for moment or two. When IN
departed, he was in high spirits, tina
richer by 80 note, Leonards and john
son were left together. The innocent
young man broke silence
You played your game We'll he said.
"Ill give YOU credit for the way You
trumpcd my trick. But, chummy, we'vo
both made money ont of the business.
What do You say to working the gag in
other towns
81 hadn't tbourht Of that rpti,rDc1