The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1904-11-09
CHAPTER XIV.

~~mnnections. All the stories were con
sSz=ed to his vagabond days. He neve
zgEowed any person to interrupt his nar
wMfIves by remarks; any such must b
zEeNcrved until they were concluded.
~Of all the vagabond specs | eve
ahanlched into, none ever brought me il
500 much cash as the mesmerism dodge,
lse began.
D started at those words. aud frcn
sazf moment became an eager and at
arntIve listener.
When / first started in it, ! thought
a. was all humbug. ! got hold OF a sharp
vsaever girl, who pretended to mesmerizc
ssss a~ccomplices i carried about with me
We'll, n fine morning, this girl bolted
x& with one Of the accomplices, and ]
WAS left in the lurch. with my bills out.
sGtnouncing n performance for the LeXt
wsght- / walked gloomily about the
1gsWn. Turning down a back street, |
~Swnt into a public house. There vas
rwJy one other person in the room besides
x1yself-a scottish looking fellow, who
zsgre upon him the unmistakable marks
Mf n follower Of st. Crispin. He was in
1Elned to be talkatiye. At first | was
st0s moody to bestow upon him any reply.
Ra1f he was not to be snubbed; and, at
aast, the low cunning, and coarse, hui
xrDnrous shrewdness of his remarks, be-
EEzn to amuse me. He invited me home
IA dinner with him. | accepted his in
watafion.
~He lived in a squalid court. a hid
sss1ts looking place, and the home he led
rnae into was in keeping with its sur
wvundings. i began 10 wish myself out
sT the adventure; with all my love of
N~sgabondism, this was a little beyond
zyzsr- Crouching over Il handful of fire
vsas a girl about thirteen or fourteen
years of age, with fiery red hair and a
aalc, sullen face, every bone of her thin,
Singular body showing through the rag
xs1d, scanty clothing that barely covered
Awe. She rose from her seat with n
sscowling look of disdain, which changed
40 n Of establishment at the sight of
a well-dressed stranger. She fixed her
usEes upon me with an inquiring stare.
SNsere was something in those eyes that
strangely affected me.
@Her father ordered her about with
s~IIreats, and would have used blows, /
had / not been there. The girl
-egarded him much in the manner OF a
rRged tigress, who would like to fasten
her keeper, but dare not. ! kept
watching her as she moved about, and
Suddenly a strange idea struck me. Could
| get this girl to play the c~lairvoyant the
aext night? l at once put it to her
Selling upon the dilemma in
which | was placed, and which L had
incautiously laid bare to him,
tried to drive an extortionate bargain.
While we were speaking, the girl stop
ped her work, and leaning over the back
VI n chair facing us, listened eagerly to
ny proposition.
"Do you think you can do it," / said,
to her.
II can do anything that you show me
md teach me-" she answered confidently.
s'The night came, and when she was
.iean, her hair dressed and she was
in the black velvet dress that /
:arried about with me, she had a for
norc sybilline appearance than her pred
scessor. l had drilled her well into her
ask, at which L found her wonderfully
lpt; and, although l anticipated a few
,iunders, l had every hope of success.
Although she had never faced an au-
hence before, and we had a large one
night, she was as fearless and self
,osSessed as though she had been used
IL for years.
Zone of the principal points of the
performance was to select a man from
he crowd, bring him on to the platform,
INT him into a mesmeric sleep, and then
ause him to answer any questions that
clairvoyant might choose to put to
i'm: added to which, he was made to
to do certain things when he
Hitherto we had used an ac-
cmplice for the purpose. Whether she
sas confused by the sight OF so many
aces, or deceived by a resemblance, /
not know; but what was my dismay
o see her select an entire stranger for
he experiment! In sheer desperation, /
ried to cover the blunder by saying that
he party selected was not n fit sub
ect, from a certsin similarity in the
dior OF the hair and eyes to those of
he girl. The audience grew suspicious,
insisted that there should be no
with the perspiration starting from
;-r-y pore, waited FOR what firmly
"ouiu uc an iSionihiouS
Conceive my establishment. then.
after being subnitted to the mes
nerir influence Of her eyes for three
l saw him grow rigid, his eyes
Ixed. and his whole body drawn i~rrcsist-
bly, towards her. just as / had so often
zen feigned by my assistants. Not only
hat, but he answered every question put
0 him, some OF a very awkward nature,
Fith the air OF a man irrcsistibly COM
against his will. She then de-
fred that as soon as she should take the
.niluence on him, he should go to the
handeIier in tho middle Of the room.
nd burn his hat. And be did do it; and
had to buy him a new one; but what
lid / care for that? | had discovered
fortuneI
.-f u.,. Aolfs.nc1fo~I - f.t.. 49, L