Troy weekly news. (Troy, Idaho) 1897-1933, 1905-03-10
B Bound by a Spell


it once before. She was waiting for me
We were going to fly together, whittier
know not | had begun my descent. and
was rapidly nearing the bottom, When
my steps were suddenly arrested. Just
on a level with my head. writing and
twisting its coils round one of the pro
tuberant branches of the pear tree, was
a red snake; but although its body was
a mass of moving coils, its head was
perfectly motionless and out of it glared
pair of codl, stony eyes that held mine
pair of cold, stony eyes that held mine
take away my gaze from them, but they
held me with resistless power. All
strength deserted me; my hands relaxed
their grasp of the boughs. my feet slid
powerlessly from their hold, and | fell
The reality. l awoke-not with n
start, but l slowly rose up into sit
ting posture, as though an iron lev er.
worked by some hiddenu power, had
pressed me upwards. l could feel that
my eyes were wide open and staring
my whole body locked and rigid.
Upon the desk at the foot of the bed
stood lamp, the light of which was
strongly intensified by reflector Its
glare fell full upon womans face. In
an instant | recognized Judith Porter
She was attired in a dress of black vel
vet. made high up to her throat; draped
behind her head was curtain of black
velvet, upon which was. as it WERE
thrown in powerful relief her pale coun-
tenance and red hair. Her eyes were
unnaturally dilated and fixed They
seemed drawing my soul out of my body,
and absorbing it in themselves.
My next sensation was that | was
speaking-ansN ering questions. of what
nature | 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 |
awoLe l was lying just as l had thrown
myself, half dressed, upon the bed The
dull light of lowering sky, ont of which
the rain was descending IN torrents was
upon me. My yisitant had left no trace
behind her; every article was precisely
in the same condition, as far as | could
re remember, as when l retired to rest.
got off 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 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 |
shuddered at the thought There was a
spell upon me-a spell that drew me
irresistibly towards Judith Porter
Mr.. Porter's threat was no idle one.
Body and soul was, through his daush-
ter, utterly subdued to his will. Ont
Of her presence. l felt that | could not
exist. l followed her about like a
spaniel dog. | was ever trying to catch
her gaze; a few seconds beneath its in
huence reduced me to a trance-like state,
in which my soul seemed to pass from
my keeping into hers. My sleep-when
| could sleep, which was seldom-,yas
heunted by the widest fantasies. Nv
health soon began to suffer; my cheeks
became hollow, my looks emaciated. IT
was as though a vampire was proving
she inspired me with, but a fearful fosci- |
nation; 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 have |
possessed the power to fly from her TO |
he furthermost extremity of the earth. |
was her slave-bound to her by chains /
stronger than were ever forged by In
nan hands.
And she was merciless in her power.
She hated me, loathed me, despised mel
She did not tell me so, but my instincts
low preternaturally sensitive, needed no
words to divine her thoughts. While
rec agent, l had refused. shrunk from
in alliance with her. and she was now
her vengeance.
You should have taken me when
vas offered to you." she said. mocLino-
y NOW it is too lateI'
knew she did not mean the latter
,art or her sentence. l knew that after
ne mad glutted herself with my torture.
ne would become my wife. l could read
as plainly as though her mind had
zen a printed book open before me
sun went through the form of suner-
Intending the boys, but l was very IiftIa
Sc IN this pitiable condition, and Mr..
,orter himself was oftener in the school
DOM than l had ever known him before
lie treated me the same as usual, but he
ever regarded me without a cunning
ger or triumph. Except during the
chooi hours | was never suffered TO
n'er tne Kitchen, or to exchange a
ora with Martha. l afterwards learn
mat she made several attempts to get
me- but all these efforts were baked
the vigilance Of her master or mis-
'ess. i1is-
AS Tor me, 1 made no effort to see her
either had l any desire; l was alienated
ON every object in life save one. Ono
ght, as l was going to bed. | found
er standing close against the wall mon {
lie nrst landing. She laid ber ri .