The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1905-02-23

powerlessly from their hold. and | fel
d The reality. l awoke-not with
start. but | slowly rose up into a sit
: ting posture, as though an iron lev er
e worked by some hiddenu power. haC
pressed me upwards l could feel thai
I my eyes were wide open and staring
my whole body locked and rigid.
Upon the desk at the foot OF the bed
stood a lamp. the light OF which was
strongly intensified by a reflector. Its
glare fell full upon a woman's face. In
an instant l recognized Judith Porter.
She was attired in a dress OF black vel
vet. made high up to her throat; draped
behind her head was a curtain OF black
velvet. upon which was. as II were.
thrown in powerful relief her pale coun-
tensnce and red hair. Her eyes were
~unnaturally dilated and fixed. They
seemed drawing my soul out OF my body.
and absorbing II in themselves.
My next sensation was that l was
speaking-answ ering questions. OF what
nature l could not tell. for the answers
were made without any volition on my
part: they seemed drawn by come occult
influence from the most secret recesses
OF my memory.
By and by all consciousness deserted
me, and became motionless. When l
awoke l was lying just as | had thrown
myself. half dressed. upon the bed. The
dull light of a lowering sky. out OF which
the rain was descending IN torrents, was
upon Inc. My ~visitant had left no trace
behind her: every article was precisely
in the same condition. as far as l could
remember. as when | retired TO rest.
l got of the bed and bathed my head
and face with cold water. This revived
me; but there was a dullness about the
brain that | could not clear away. As
my faculties resumed their functions. |
became conscious OF sensations yet more
strange. There was a feeling of void
ness, as though some vital principle had
been drawn from me; but, above all.
there was an intense longing to be again
within the influence OF those eyes-yet l
shuddered at the thought. There was a
spell upon me-a spell that drew me
irresistibly towards Judith Porter.
MI. Porter's threat was no idle one.
Body and soul was. through his daush-
ter. utterly subdued to his will. Out
Of her presence. l felt that l could not
exist. / followed her about like a
cAfa4AC4 dOk@ Il nao ' " az
her gaze; a few seconds beneath its in
fuence reduced me to a trance-like state,
in which my soul seemed to pass from
my keeping into hers My sleep-when
l could sleep. which was seldom-was
haunted by the widest fantasies. My
health soon began to suffer: my cheeks
became hollow. my looks emaeiated. 1t
was as though a vampire was preying
ra. EFa u-aa not Loco eIar 4
she inspired me with. but a fearful fasci-
while l lay at her feet, passion
ately imploring her to take pity upon me,
to give me her love. to become my wife,
| would have given the world to rave
possessed the power to fly from her to
the furthermost extremity of the earth.
was her slave-bound TO her by chains
stronger than were ever forged by ku-
man hands.
And she was merciless in her power.
She hated me, loathed me. despised me-,
She did not tell me so. but my instincts.
low pr~eternaturally sensitive, needed no
words to divine her thoughts. While a
rec agent, l had refused. shrunk from
N alliance with her. and she was now
her vengeance.
You should have taken me when 1
vas offered to you" she said. mocking-
y. now it is too latef"
/ knew she did not mean the latter
of her sentence. | knew that after
he had glutted herself with my torture. &,
he would become my wife. / could read
as plainly as though her mind had
cen a printed book open before me. :
l still went through the form Of super |
the boys. but | was very little ]
Sc in this pitiable condition, and Mr.. @
'orter himself was oftener in the school
,om than / had ever known him before. r
Ie treated me the same as usual, but he !,
ever regarded me without a cunning =
er of triumph. Except during the
.hool hours | was never suffered to :
tier the kitchen. or to exchange a g
ord with Martha. / afterwards learn 4
that she made several attempts to get Il
me, but all these efforts were baked II
the vigilance of her master or mis- >,
ess.
As for me. I made no effort to see Der,
ither had / any desire; | was alienated
Dm every object in life save one. One u
ght. as | was going to bed, | found ii
r standing close against the wall Upon :,
e first landing. She laid her hand "
my arm, and said, in a whisper, u
What are they doing to you, Master eI
Iasf What has so awfully changed tu
u? You don't look like a creature Of XII
$ world. Can / do anything for you? or
can't do anything for me, Mar s1
Thank you for your Offer" / said.
.ssing her hand.
rs it true that you are going to mar at
Mis- JUDITH on
Il hope So" I answered: and yet ! IL
as / spoke. pa
Poor boy, Whatever can II be that loi
you? / do believe that woman has WI
you" th,
Before / could answer, the sound OF 20,
tsteps in the passage warned rs that a.
es we're at hand. / blew out my
die and crept upstairs; and Martha
appeared In another direction. reg
)ne evening. several Of the principal va
nbers Of the congregation Of Little col
were invited to tea. I was %
sent. and Was seated next to Judith, Co
was kind and almost afectionate in In,
derneanor towards me.
When the meal was over, we went
sat together at the window, she q
wing her chair close to mine, now oar
then laying her hand upon my shout -.
suffering her long hair to brush
inst my cheek as she pointed out mar
e object in the garden. and now and wa
in oaoffuD a furff-o Ofop1o frcr. - mn