The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-01-24

meric passes, but the professors
eyes continued closed, and the heavy
lids seemed glued together.
Stanley had grown quite pale, and
sense OF his unpleasant pre- d1ca
ment was beginning to make him very
uncomfortable.
"He isn't shammingr' he muttered.
"Can he be really dead? Perhaps ]
had better send for a doctor. It's
going to be deuced unpleasant-coro
ner's inquest, reporters, morning
papers and all the rest of it.
He bent over Van Tassel and raised
the lid of one eye, then of the other,
and in doing this his fingers uncon-
sciously pressed upon the eyeballs.
A slight quiver passed. over the
asten face, the lips parted and the
.5reath came through them in faint,
long drawn sigh.
"Halloa! He's coming tor said
Stanley. And he recommended the
upward passes with his fine, long white
hands, rapidly now, so that it seemed
as if wings'were waving over the pro.
fessor's face. And, with a supreme
effort of will, he said once more:
"Awake!"
The closed eyelids opened like
fash of light, so quick, so bright
was the returning intelligence that
flashed from them, and, raising his
head from the pillow against which ii
had been resting, Van Tassel sat up.
right with an alert and eager manner,
such as seldom characterized him in
the degenerate condition to which he
had fallen.
"I have seen her!" he said. "What
beautiful face! She is wonder-a
true clairvoyant of the highest type.
Beware how you trife with her,
Carlos, for hers is greater power
than you or I can ever hope for in
this lower world. Her pure spirit
scars to higher realms than we can
even dream Of"
What the mischief are you talk
ing about?" interrupted Stanley, I'm
patiently. "You are still asleep, ]
think. Whom have you seen?"
"The lady you call cousin, the
Senorita Mendoza, for moment only;
but for her you could never have re.
called me from the trance. l warned
you that it was dangerous, but
through your constant thought OF her
I was able to implore her aid. Oh,
Carlos, you have gained a great
power over me; but promise mel
implore you by all we have known of
each other in the past-promise me
to use this power for good"
Certainly" returned Stanley,
Aippantly. II use. all things for
good-my own good. But look here,
Van, quit calling me Carlos; you've
said it several times already, and
you'll get in the habit of it. You
know as we'll as 1 do that my name is
Clarence Stanley"
"Yes," returned the listener, ab-
jectly, ''the Honorable Clarence Stan
ley. I shall not forget"
"And now we had better part. This
seance has lasted long enough for one
evening. 1t is getting late. and I
am hungry. Here is money; help
yourself, and come to me for more
when you need it"
He unlocked a drawer in an escri-
toire in another part of the room, and
the eyes of the wretched professor
srarkled with delight at sight of the
gold and rolls of bank notes contained
in it; but he made no movement to
help himself as he had been invited to
do. Stanley, who, with an almost
insane passion for gold, was lavish in
his expenditure Of it, grasped full
hand of tue coins and notes and gave
them to Van Tassel.
"There, old fellow" he said, with
careless good nature, I" get yourself
in fesh, as the chap in the play says,
and also get yourself some decent
clothes, to pass for gentleman
against the next time you come
to see me. And, now, goodbye.
It is long past dinner time, and I am
hungry myself"
Van Tassel took the money eagerly
and crushed it into his pockets. His
manner was more than ever that of a
slave obeying q master; and yet there
was an unusual look of life and eager
ness about him, as if he had uncon-
sciously imbibed something of the
energy of the man who dominated
him.
clarence, he said, sI was never
mesmerized before tonight. When I
possessed the power, no one I ever
knew could overcome it, but always
felt that you could have the power if
you chose. T nm not sorry; it has done
me good; only, for PHYS sake. dear
boy, don't abuse it. Use your power
for good" .,.-..
TO BE CONTINUED.