The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1905-03-18
! s. Bound by a Spell ri
CHAPTER XIV.

He was never known. however, at sueh
times TO give any clue to his family or
connections. All the stories were con-
fined to his vagabond days. He never
allowed any person to interrupt MS mar
ratiyes by remarks; any such must De
reserved until they were concluded.
"Of all the vagabond specs L ever
launched into, none ever brought me III
So much cash as the mesmerlsm Dodge,
he began.
| started at those words, and from
that moment became an eager ana at
tentive listener.
when [ first started in it, l thought
1t was all humbug. l got hold OF sharp
clever girl, who pretended to mesmerlze
the accomplices carried about with me.
Well. one fine morning. this girl bolted
off with one of the accomplices. and l
was left in the lnrch, with my bills out,
announcing a performance for the Lext
night. walked gloomily about the
town Turning down back street, l
went into a public house. There vas
Only one other person in the room besides
myself-a scottish looking fellow. VINO
bore upon him the unmistakabie marks
of a follower Of st. Crispin. He was IN
clined to be laxative. At first | was
too moody to bestow upon him any reply.
But he was not to be snubbed; and, at
last. the low cunning, and coarse, hui
morous shrewdness of his remarks, be-
gan to amuse me. He invited me home
to dinner with him. | accepted his III
yitatiOn.
He lived in a squalid court, hid
fho a
me into was in keeping with It's sur
roundings. | began to wish myself out
of the adventure; with all my love of
vagabondism, this was little beyond
me. Crouching over handful Of fire
was girl about thirteen or fourteen
years of age, with fiery red hair and a
pale sullen face, every bone of her thin,
angular body showing through the rag
ged, scanty clothing that barely covered
hire. She rose from her seat with
scowling look of disdain, which CHANGED
to one of establishment at the sight of
a well-dressed stranger. She fixed her
eyes upon me with an inquiring stare.
There was something in those eyes that
strangely affected me.
Her father ordered her about with
threats, and would have used blows, l
believe, had | not been there. The girl
regarded him much in the manner Of a
Gagged tigress who would like to fasten
upon her keeper, but dare not. l kept
watching her as she moved about, and
suddenly strange idea struck me. Could
l get this girl to play the clairvoyant the
next night? | at once put it to her
father Selling upon the dilemma in
H., 7 nd ol, / had
somewhat incautiously laid bare to him,
he tried to drive an extortionate bargain.
While we were speaking. the girl stop
ped her work. and leaning over the back
of chair facing us. listened eagerly to
my proposition.
do you think you can do it?' said.
turning to her.
Il can do anything that you show me
and teach me-" she answered confidently.
THE night came. and when she was
clean, her hair dressed and she was
clothed in the black velvet dress that l
carried about with me. she had a for
more sybilline appearance than her pred
ecessor. | had drilled her well into her
task, at which l found her wonderfully
apt; and. although l anticipated few
blunders, | had every hope of success.
Although she had never faced an au-
dience before, and we had large one
that night, she was as fearless and self
possessed as though she had been used
to it for years.
Zone of the principal points of the
performance was to select man from
the crowd. bring him on to the platform.
put him into mesmeric sleep. and then
TO ~
the clairvoyant might choose to put to
him; added to which, he was made to
promise to do certain things when he
awoke. Hitherto we had used an ac-
complice for the purpose. Whether she
was confused by the sight of SO many
faces. or deceived by a resemblance.
do not know; but what was my dismay
to see her select an entire stranger for
the experiment! In sheer desperation. |
tried to cover the blunder by saying that
the party selected was not a fit SUBJ
tect, from a certain similarity in the
color of the hair and eyes to those of
the girl. The audience grew suspicious.
and insisted that there should be no
change.
with the perspiration starting from
every pore. l waited for what | firmly
believed would be an ignominious EXPOS
ure. Conceive my establishment. then.
when, after being submitted to the Mes
meric influence of her eyes for three
minutes. l saw him grow rigid, his ewes
fixed, and his whole body drawn irresist
IDLY towards her, just as l had so often
seen feigned by my assistants. Not only
that. but he answered every question nut
to him, some of a very awkward nature
with the air Of a man irresistihly com
PEELED against his will. She then do
sired that as soon as she should take tho
influence off him. he should 60 TO tho
chandelier in the middle of the room
and burn his hat. And he did do If. and
] had to buy him a new one: but what
did l care for that? l had discovered
Z fortune!
At last, | was half-inclined to bell, va
that she had planted some friend OF ber
own to humbug me. and raise the terms.
hut | was soon convinced that such sus-
picions were groundless: and, indeed
from the first, the whole thing was too
real to be doubted.
Everywhere our success was enormous
crowded houses, no more accomplires
all genuine, except the clairvoyance In
which there was still n cood d..l -