The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1903-08-27
The Mechanical WOOing of Miss
Hardinge.. -. By AL Il Sep ! York MA 1ines

I not s~upposable that the mind of a
ism hat millions Of human beings
are not likely to acknowledge a faith
in which there is nc grain OF truth,
but also because 1t is a demonstrable
fact that mind affects mind in ways
that seem to us mysterious, and it is
not suposable hat the mind of a
multitude of people, whether express
ed through praying wheels or other-
wise, shall have no effect On the all
machine was all right. but how to APP
ply it to Ethel Hardinge?
Slowly the thought grew. | con-
structed a neat machine that turned
on a frame by means of a crank, and
on the side of it l painted in gilt let
tiers: This is to convey heart thrills
to Miss Ethel Hardinge only" But
it was not enough; | felt that, for as
yet / had invented an ancient idea
and prepared to give it a personal ap-
pllcation. My part must be to add
to the crude faith of the Orient the
scientific enlightenment of the Occi-
dent.
1t came like a fash-apply cleo
tricity to the machine. Why not?
Those mysterious vibrations which we
know as the electric currents are who
knows how closely akin to the vibra-
lions set in motion by the unseen force
We term mind. Let ms get both in
operation at once on Ethel, and I cal
culated that she would wilt and dis
cover how much she loved me. | con-
nected the powerful battery with the
machine, and so arranged that it
the crank. Then | bribed an cleo
trician who looked after Mr.. Har-
dinge's electric light to set IN iron
plate in the floor of Ethel's boudoir
and make the necessary connections
with my battery.
These arrangements completed, |
went to work, slowly and cautiously at
first, and advancing tentatively, for |
was anxious not to overdo the job.
The first petitions l used in my ma
chine were three in number and they
read as follows:
will you be mine?"
do you not love me?"
"Oh, say hat you dol"
Then / set my mind to sending
Thought thrills through the machine,
and / knew that the battery was work
ing at the same time. OF course, l
could o be sure that the latter al
ways was taking effect on Ethel, but as
| made it a point always to have 1t
in operation about her bed time, l
was confident hat she might have
some queer sensations. At the end
of three days / received from her a
note reading as follows:
Friend Alphonse: Perhaps l should
not say it, for | still feel that my re-
fusal of you was wise, but wish that
we might see each othre occasionally.
| have been surprised to find how
much your dear, brotherly presence
meant to me. | lie awake and think
VI you dllST L nave SOnc W Deu.
Doubtless it is better as it is, but if
you would permit me to be a sister
to you. Ever your friend, ETHEL.
/ had Rogers incidentally mention to
Miss Hardinge that l had gone out of
town for three or four days. Then l
added a little to the force of the bat
terry and changed the sentences in the
machine to the following:
You will be mine"
You cannot refuse"
"Oh, hesitate no longer"
:, l pleaded sickness to Ketcham &
Pullem as an excuse for staying away
from the Office, and for the next day
or two l devoted my time exclusively
affections. l kept the machine going
so continuously that | began to fear
ut would be destroyed by fire general
ed by friction. The only sleep | took
was between half-past 2 and half-past
s a.. M. the hours when / supposed
that my darling's little feet would be
least likely to come n contact with the
electrified plate. With the exception
of these few hours l worked con-
~stantly, and If Miss Hardinge exper-
fenced no peculiar thrills l could not
blame myself. l was becoming thin
under this constant regime, but what
would be a lack of flesh to the man
who should know the transport OF re-
deprecated love?
Thank heaven. my ~unwearying eff
fort was not In vain. AT the end
of four days l received the following
from Ethel:
MY Dear Alphonse: How can | tell
you how this strange silence and
weary separation are blithing my
life? | know that l am to blame, yet
as / sit in my boudoir Inc dream OF
you, the mos delightful thrills per-
wade my entire body at thought OF all
- - - A~I