The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-04-18

II he had been galvanized.
"You have seen Celestine?" he re-
peated, and there was singular glad
ness in his aspect. "How-when-
where? Has Dolores, then, got this
great power?'
"You numbering fool!" said Stan
lev, with overwhelming contempt.
You great, credulous baby-it wasn't
at spirit-seance. I have seen Celes-
tine. and she was a mighty lively ghost
I'D rather have seen fifty airy spirits
in gossamer than her one material,
flesh -and-blood form, though she's
handsomer than ever"
II don't know what you mean," re-
turned Van Tassel with bitter disap-
pointmert in his voice. "Celestine,
DOOR girl, is dead-sunk in the quick
sand where found her little shoes,
and in them her farewell letter"
"Oh, yes, I know-well, l don't
know how she got out of the quick
sand, but her eyes are as sharp as
ever, and she recognized me at the
first glance" ..
"I thought she was dead, Carlos
Clarence-I swear to you did"
eyes, can see you were deceived,
Just as she was; but now we have met
again, and she means to give me
trouble" - -.
"But you shall do her justice, Carlos
you, shall. l loved my little sister,
you remember, and had she come to
me-had she not left me at all, l never
would have kept your secret"
"Well, you will keep it now," re-
turned Stanley, with a serene tran
guilty that never failed to overpower
his companion, "and thereis no occs-
sion for worry about your little Sis
ter. She has feathered her nest in
the downiest manner-she is the wife
of the most noble, the Baron Won
Helmholtz, and I couldn't marry her
over again now, to save all our lives.
On the contrary, l want to marryeome
one else-understand me, Van, I want
to marry this some one else; and now
do you see what is the matter?'
"You love herr" gasped Van Tassel.
"You want to marry Dolores Mendoza
because you love her, and you know
it and admit it?''
True as truth ITSELF have only,
just found it ou:, Van, tonight. I
may have had glimpses of it before,
but I didn't know what it meant, the
sensation was 80 new and delightful.
Oh, I tell you it is the real thing-I
tremble and choke at the sight of her
Il feel good and noble when I'm In
her presence. I would do anything,
everything, only to win an approving
smile from that girl" &s
"Iwarned you not to let her gain q
power over you," said Van Tassel, J;
gravely. ''She will never love you,
and now you have lost your only
chance of gaining anything from her. y:
"I tell you I will gain her. After
all I have learned from these mighty,
tomes"-and he waved his hand
toward the books brought to him at
various times by the professor-"shall
T not be able to mesmerize one slight
girl?"
s'No, not if she possesses over you
that power which is greater than all
other-the eternal magic of human
love. Let her alone, my boy, and
keep away from her, for she will never
return your love. She is too far above
you, and you can neither bring her
down to your level nor can you rise to
hers. Drop mesmerism and all be.
longing to it; you are playing with fire,
and will surely burn your hands. For
the sake of old times, and since Celes-
tine is alive and we'll and, perhaps,
happy, I will give you word of good
advice, though you have not deserved
it from me. Marry the pretty Miss
Polly, who loves you, and be good to
her, and give up the impossible.
Wretched, forlorn and broken-down
wretch as T am, I have known great
power, though I have lost it; but you
know nothing, Clarence. on the great
subject, and you never will. Neither
your mind nor your heart can grasp
it. It needs a pure and noble pur-
pose, mind above this lower world
and heart free from all passion
either for woman, gold or vengeance.
Only such can succeed; all others are
bound to fail"
Stanley burst into clear, ringing
laughter. s.
"Well done, Van. I set you on
your little hobby-horse, and you have
had nice little canter. So; 80! Now
come off and take rest"
He was already making the we'll
known and unresisted mesmeric
passes; and Van Tasscl, who had ex-
hausted the ftful energy bestowed on
him by the stimulus of opium, was
quickly under the power Of his mas
ter's will, and presently lay back in
his char, unconscious, the helpless
victim Of the strength that has no con-
science.
Stanley's face had become fend-
like in it's concentrated expression of
cold and cruel selfshness.
why have you not been here every
day: as I commanded you?" he asked.
Because I found that I could re-
s!st your will"
What gave you that power"
Il saw that your will was under the
influence of a higher will"
SIS it so now?"
"Not at this moment; the evil in
your nature is now predominant over
all other qualities, and it Is the strong
es: part of you; it controls NE through
the worst part Of me, which responds
to it,