The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-01-17

OF this girls extraordinary power,
though l may be able to get on with
out it. I am coming to that presently.
The awkward thing about her is that
if I am able to throw her into the
clairvoyant trance at will, she may say
a great deal more than care to hear
besides giving me the information L
want; and she may also remember
things that Iprefer to have forgotten. "
"You have only to forbid that, "
said Van Tassel. d.
"What do you mean? Will she
obey me?" -
Certainly" was the anwer, with
smile. THAT is the simplest
form of hypnotic suggestion. Before
YOU awaken her from the trance, bid
her forget everything you don't wish
to have her remember. You may al
so suggest such ideas as you desire to
remain in her mind"
1.-THE deuce! That makes the whole
affair as easy as walk-over.
"Always provided you are able to
put her into the trance. A clairvoyant
such as she appears to be is often very
difficult to manage. The trance you
saw may have been quite independent
of any mesmeric power that you pos
sess, although your presence may
have affected her; and if so, she is
liable at any time to pass into what
we call the superior condition, in
which case she might read the whole
past history of any one present, and
you could not even silence. her. 1t IS
very desirable, for your own sake,
that you should gain all the power
over her that your strong tempera-
ment and will give you the oppor-
tunity to do"
While he listened, Clarence Stan
ley's countenance went through vari-
Gus changes of expression, from ami
mated, buoyant triumph to perplexity,
impatience and anger.
"Oh, confound i'll" he then ex-
claimed, as his companion came to the
end of his remarks. 'I don't under
stand half you are saying, and I don't
believe the other half; but if you are
speaking the truth, the senorita's
clairvoyant gift is likely to bring me
much more trouble than benefit"
"Notif you can gain control oft, in
terrupted Van Tassel, eagerly. Cant
you give me a chance to see her? I
have studied this subject deeply; it is
the one thing in the world that still
has power to interest me; and 7 think
I can detect the quality of any form OF
clairvoyance by the psychic atmos-
phere surrounding the subject. Give
me a chance to see this young lady
and Judge of her power"
"You may see her fast enough" !"
said Stanley, promptly. "Before we
part, I will give you money enough
to get yourself up respectfully; but
remember, there must be no back
sliding and making yourself a dis
grace to me if I introduce you to the
Hamilton family. How is it with you
now? Whisky or brandy or both?"
"Neither. Dp;Et has been worn
out with me lshg ago; nothing sup
plies tho necessary stimulus but
opiu.msS I have almost wholly lost my
wiV5ower, and with it, of course, my
tSwer to mesmerize. I abused the
gift, and it has left me. I only live,
now, under the influence of opium"
"Poor devil!" exclaimed Stanley, in
c tone of pitying contempt. 'By the
way, you used to be great on reading
ciphers and all manner of hero
glyphics. 1t was, as you would soy,
a gift. Have you lost that, too?"
While speaking, Stanley had un-
locked the drawer of the table beside
him, and now taking out the piece of
parchment and all the papers on which
he had been figuring and drawing, he
spread them out before Professor Van
Tassel.
There, Hal, old boy! Cast your
eye over that, and tell me if you have
still the power to read the secret of
it,
Again a CLEAN of interest and sud-
den fire lit up the haggard face of the
demoralized mesmerizer, and he bent
an eager gaze on the papers placed
before him.
II don't know if I can unlock the
mystery here" he said. ''The gift
you speak of was part of my other
gift, and may have gone from me with
the rest. But will try. I will try"
With trembling fingers, he began
sorting and arranging the scraps which
Stanley had so carefully cut out, and
his touch seemed to have q strange
magic in it, for the pieces appeared to
dovetail and fit into each other as if
suddenly endowed with independent
volition, and from the completed pic
ture emerged the figure of a tall and
slender Indian woman, in flowing
arapery, but in her lineaments,
though fine and delicate, and in her
long hair, ornamented with feathers
and beads, the unmistakable traces of
her race.
"By Jove" exclaimed Stanley, with
unusual excitement. ''The Indian
princess-our aboriginal arcestress.
This is interesting"
"There are letters-of the English
apparently-there are twelve
Of them, and twelve pieces to make up
the picture
eyes, I counted the pieces and tried
10 make out the meaning Of them, but
| hadn't got at it. Your arrival inter-
rupted me in the midst of it. But I
detected no letters"
They are plain enough, however
in with these fine lines that