Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-05-24

hiii' WhilS neF words clearly lnulcateu
that she was not in her normally in
teliigent state of mind.
''She is mine," he said to himself,
with sudden thrill, "all mine. My
will predominateS and she will do what
/ say, and-and hypnotized people
never remember what happens"
The JOY of ii made his blood Jingle,
but still he was cautious. He moved
, to diyan on the other side of the
room, and said: "Come here TO me,
Martha.
She went to him without a word.
''Sit down beside me-" he said.
She sat down.
Give me your hand"
She gave it TO him.
And she doesn't know a thing about
it," he said to himself. "Oh, but this
! is easy"
1t took him two or three minutes
to get up his nerve for the next move.
but he finally did it.
Rest your head on my shoulder"
he commanded at last, although not
without some hesitation, and as she
did It his arm stole round her waist.
Talk about rapture!" he muttered.
His heart was beating like a trip-ham-
mer. but for ten minutes he sat there
without moving. Then he heaved
deep, happy sigh and asked himself:
What would the world do without
hypnotism?" Suddenly. however. a
doubt came TO disturb him. Would he
be able TO bring her out of this hyp-
motto state without calling in the fam
lily? Instantly he was in a cold per-
spiration. aud he resolved TO end the
seance right there, if possible, but
| Well, kiss certainly would not com
plicate matters any more. He got il.
Then he set himself TO the task of
breaking the hypnotic spell. After
ward he had occasion to recall how
easily IL was done. but at the
time his relief was too great to per-
init him to think of the extraordinary
nature of the fact that he did il on
his first trial He merely snapped his
fingers before her eyes. and she slow
ly turned them on him with a wonder
ing. questioning gaze
What happened 10 me?" she asked
at length.
lie blushed
Don't you know?" he inquired.
No" she answered.
He didn't tell her-tbat is. he didn't
tell her all. He simply said that he had
unintentionally hypnotized her, but
close observer must have noticed that
when he left the house that night he
stepped as IL he was walking on air.
And he called again the next evening.
He usually let a day or two intervene
between his calls, but on this occasion
hefailed TO do so. He wanted TO make
another experiment, he said. He had
been looking the matter up and had
discovered that he had overlooked
most important test. The experiment
was more protracted on this occasion.
but II failed TO bring him any nearer
the goal Of his desires-and hers. To
have hypnotized girl was decided
luxury in its way, but il did not give
him the courage he needed when she
was in her right consciousness.
The third evening she protested.
What do you do when | am under
the influence of your will?" she de-
manded.
why, THAT is, don't do any
thing" he answered. "but if ever
falsehood showed in mans face II
did in his when he said: IL simply
make you do various things to demon
strate my control over your will and
actions"
I'D like TO know what they are. !" she
insisted. suppose you just pretend
/ am hypnotized and tell me what 70
do. I'll promise to do it Just as | would
in my irresponsible state. want TO
learn the nature of your experiments.
"But-but that wouldn't demon
strate anything" he argued
Foolish man! 1t would have demon
strated more than all his hypnotic ex-
periments combined.
"Oh, we'll" she said, resipnedlv "if
1t is of any intellectual or other advan-
tage TO you, go ahead. But really 7 |
think 1t would be ever so much better
II l were conscious Of what was hap
pening. don't you?"
He WINGED, and his face fairly burned
In fact, he was so disconcerted that he
failed to notice the CLEAN of triumpb
in her eyes as he began his usual exner-
iment. If he had possibly he womb
have been better prepared for what
happened when it was over. He had /
scarcely, as he thought, removed the
spell, when she suddenly exclaimed: |
why, what's that on your coat?" A
moment later. after a hasty and inter
ested inspection, she added: .Wbv
why, it's face powder; and there's |
some on your mustache, too. Percy /
Wallingford / demand to know what
you make me do when am thus placed
In your power! 1t is my right. sir and /
l demand an explanation. What adj
vantage have you taken of my poor.
weak will?"
What could he say? What could he
do? Clearly nothing but make clean
breast of the whole affair. He hesitat-
ed and stammered, grew red and then
white, and finally, driven to despera-
ton, olurted out: Forgive me. Mar
ha hut L -