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

ing man, and an lnsuperaDle op!ection
exists to my getting hold of million
in that way. Still, had about made
up nv mind to take the plunge. And
since there seemed no way of getting
old Hamilton's money without his
daughter also, I had determined to
marry pretty Polly, when, 10 and be-
hold, fabulous fortune, that is mine
by right, has almost dropped into my
hands! I am on the track OF the
hidden treasures of the Mendoza
family; and as and one other are, so
far as I know, the only living de-
scendants of the man who concealed
these treasures. and, consequently,
their only legitimate heirs, there is a
reasonable hope that may be able to
get along without Miss Polly if 1
choose. Now, listen, Harry, and give
me the use of all The mind you've got.
Is there really such thing as clair
yoyance, or is it all stuff and nonsense
that you professors talk on that sub
iect-a clever trick to gull stupid
public?"
'Such thing as clairvoyance" ex:-
claimed Van Tassel. His sunken eyes
cleaned, and flush lit up his gaunt
face with momentary fire. ask me
if such a thing as light exists, if elec-
tricity is real, if sound travels through
vibrations of the air. Every small
schoolboy knows these things now, and
can tell you about them better, per
haps, than I can. But I know that
clairvoyance is as real as any of these
things; and no one but fools and con-
ceited prigs, who know so much they
will never truly know anything, think
of questioning the fact OF genuine
clairvoysnce."
Stanley laughed provokingly. He
had expected some such outburst and
was amused by it.
"All right, Harry" he said. "1
am only asking for information. 1
don't want to dispute your facts. I
don't know much about these things.
The truth is, they bother me; and
when try to understand them, they
make my head ache. But it makes a
lot of difference to me just now to
know if they are genuine or hum
bug"
s'Of course, there are oceans of
humbug mixed up with the real
thing" said Van Tassel, eagerly, "but
the great men of science all over the
world, nowadays, are investigating
these wonderful truths, aud, before
the end of the century, we shall under
stand the mystery of the various de-
grees of the secondary consciousness
and of the sub -liminal self"
'Stop! Stopr' exclaimed Stanley,
with gesture of comic despair. 81
don't want to hear lecture on psy-
chology. My dear fellow, you should
hire hall. Haven't told you 1
can't understand these things? They
make my head spin. see you are
in earnest. I always knew you
were. And what I want to learn
of you is the modus oper-
andi-how to work this clairvoyant
and mesmeric racket when you hap
pened to have the necessary magnsts.
ism to produce it, .ss
"That's easy enough" VsQ Tassel
said, with long sigh,>is mo-
mentary enthusiasaseefc him and he
dropped ag-:I 1sto the submissive,
deis.se2 manner that had become his
Ssssd{nary condition. '"The operator
must possess certain mental condi-
tions as we'll as a peculiar physical
temperament, great concentration of
will-stronger than that possessed by
the subject, and the peculiar magnet
ism which you have more strongly de-
veloped than I have ever known in the
case of any other person. That being
given, the process is purely mechani-
cal and consists simply of q certain
number of slow, even passes made by
the hands over the person to be mes
merized-downward passes to induce
the trance, and upward to dispel it.
You know the passes we'll enough"
eyes; and glad enough I was to
remember them couple of evenings
ago. And that's what I want your
advice about" And briefly but
clearly Stanley related the singular
effect of his presence upon Dolores
Mendoza when first introduced to her.
Professor Van Tassel sat up, alert
and interested; so much 80, that for a
moment the dazed, lost look left his
face and once more he seemed to have
distinct individuality.
''What you tell me is extremely in
teresting. From your description of
the young lady, should guess that
she possesses the gift of clairvoyance
in its Highest and rarest form, and If
her power should ever be developed
she might be of great benefit to the
world"
'I'm not troubling myself about
that" Stanley interrupted fippantly.
81 only want her power exercised for
my particular benefit-and hers, too,
perhaps. I've no particular objection
to making it partnership affair."
''She said that she had g visitor?"
asked Van Tassel, musingly.
Eyes; but she didn't seem to re-
member what it had been when she
returned to consciousness, although it
had evidently been unpleasant
"And can you guess at the nature |
of it?'' asked the professor OF mes
merism, with peculiar look TO which |
Stanley responded defantly:
eyes; and it is in order to learn
how to gain control OF this mysterious
gift apparently possessed by this girl
that I am now talking with you,
Harry. Between you and me there
need be no DISCUSSES and no mystiica-