The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-02-09
The Professors Daughter.

Among the sixty-three professors with
whom 1 am acquainted. it is natural
TO suppose a variety of religious beliefs
are to be found and il will not, there
fore appear surprising if he should be a
Buddhist or, as his Irish servant ex-
pressed il. "a blooming boodist. begorra,
of the bluest creed. This was Professor
Markham, professor of japanese htera-
ture, with whom circumstances threw me
into closest intimacy.
He was not man 10 thrust his convic-
tons on any one, but being saturated
with the theories of Oriental speculation
it came to the surface in innumerable ex-
pressions in every topic OF conversation
l see, now, the professor expressing MS
views. standing in his beautifully yet IN
extensively adorned parlor, his daughter
busy with some tasteful work by the
shaded light, and I comfortably lounging
in chair in the shadow.
THE mind, the thoughts, and all the
senses are subjects to the law Of life and
death. With knowledge of self and the
laws of birth and death, there is no
grasping and no sense perception. Know
ing ones self and knowing how the
senses act, there is no room for the idea
Of T. or the ground for framing it. The
thought of self gives rise 10 all sorrows.
binding the world as with letters; but
having found there is no II than can
be bound, then all these bonds are sew
cred"
What do you say to this. Fusa?"
The professor stamped his foot impa-
tiently.
"Fusa, how often must I warn you
against the danger of such meditation"
The girl rose and abruptly left the
room. suspected there were tears in
her eyes, and half guessed the painful
subject in dispute. The professor pres
emily enlightened me. Throwing himself
into chair, he said, with sigh:
I'VE are in a condition Of antagonism.
my daughter and l. 1 do not know how
it will end-or, rather, I know too well.
One life will be cut short-hers. The
relation of parent and child is one for
life; that of wife and husband, for two
lives; that of master and servant, for
three lives. If I lose her I shall save her
from a worse fate. What has happened?
There is a young man here, master me-
chanic he calls himself, metal worker,
but mechanic just the same, who wish
es to marry her, and Fusa is willing TO
yield herself to him
who is he?"
''Jarbraw. You know him."
Yes, l remember seeing him at the Ia
boratory. a steady, industrious fellow
enough"
THAT may be. 1t is likely he is, for
he is making his way. But what is his
way to the way 1 would have a child of
mine follow? Why couldn't he have found
one of his class to ask for in marriage?"
He is not bad-looking." I returned.
Not according to Western ideas of
beauty" replied Markham. But that
quality you admire, that evidence of force,
power, is most destestable to me-"
-s-l.T
Certainly, but not with such a brute
as Jarbraw will grow to be-as any man
absorbed in mechanical pursuits is sure
to become. l will save her at any cost
from the degradation she meditates Why
could she not have attracted q man of
whom 1 could approve?"
I thought he looked at me meaningly,
but took no notice of 1t.
II intend TO take away her life. Do not
shrink. She will live again. shall merely
what you call hypnotic her for awhile"
He rose to his feet. moving toward the
door Come, 1 wish you to witness my
act. You understand my motives wheth-
er you admit their business or not"
We passed. to" his daughters chamber.
Fusa was reclining upon the bed Her
father poured some liquid into a cup and
handed it to her
Drink, sleep and awake after a year,
when l or our friend here shall give the
word"
Fusa took the draft without other re-
sistance than an appealing glance at me.
Then her head fell back upon the pillow
and she lay rigid, motionless, with closed
eyes, as one dead.
Her death was announced in the usual
form and the funeral took place in the
regular way.
a few months later Professor Markham
gave up his position and went away, I
understood, to Japan, though after this
episode our intimacy was interrupted.
Jarbraw found another lady love, one of
the class to which he belonged-one who,
/ it seemed to me, was better fitted to be
! the wife of an artisan than Fusa would
! have been.
The months flowed on. At last, one
night the professor raped at my win
! dow.
"A year has passed Shall we awaken
/ Fusa?"
What answer shall give him?' I ask
| ed myself on rising
In telling this story I was accustomed
to pause here and look around the alb
! sorbed, listening circle with an express
! sion which hoped would imply my belief
| in some profound mystery. Sometimes
/ one of the audience would say to my
wife:
And so you were in a hypnotic sleep
for vear?"
/ To which the lady would reply demure-
/ ly, with a glance from half-closed lids
/ in my direction.
1T appears so from the narrative"
| And you did not know what transpired
| during all that timer
30. had fun possession of my senses
! heard all that was said in my presence
| The professor would give warning
cough and turn the conversation.
One day when We were alone, Fusa
said.
Il am tired OF that fairy tale. It
| seems to amuse you-you always did love
| d jest and to carry it to an extreme
! but do not. and I am going TO pu an end
! 10 it if you bring il up again"
! why, you do not mean to deny that
you vanished from human sight for a
year?'
"FIddIesticks."
THAT you died and were enclosed in a
/ tomb"
How do you escape the imputation Of
! conniving at a crime? Why did you not
| inform against my father? What I shall
say is this: I was a foolish girl, infatu-
! ated with q man whom il would have
/ brought me unhappiness 10 marry.
! would not be convinced by words. but
agreed 10 test his fathfulness by going
away for year He did not stand the
! test I should think you would be
be ashamed Of yourseIf-both Of you, And
! shall expose you # you 90 not stop
/ it."
/ We stopped IL But this only shows that
/ Fusa is quite unaware that she did lie
! for q year in a hypnotic sleep.-Wayerly.
The Cost of Drought.