The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-05-06
CHAPTER XXY.-4Continuedl

me with him TO see the horticultural
show, at Bury. / did not wish to so.
always had a strange feeling. almost
amounting to a dread, OF being left alone
with him; but | would not have men
stoned Il for the world. Grandfather.
however. thinking that it would please
me. gave a ready assent.
''In the exhibition we met a very dis
agreeable looking old lady. who was in
troduced to me as Mrs. HUMPHREYS. and
who invited Us home TO dine with her.
She was accompanied by a young lady,
with remarkably red hair. and strange
looking eyes, whom she called Judith.
I'VE went, Cousin Johu and l. home
with them to a large brick house In
retired part OF the town. After dinner
Cousin John and the young lady, whom
be called Miss Porter. began to talk
about mesmerism. had never heard OF
&c befOre-did not know the meaning Of
the word. Suddenly she turned TO me.
and asked me how l should like to be
mesmerized. l answered that | did not
know what 1t was. oh. les the strsng-
est sensation in the world said John.
This young lady is very clever at It,
After some little persuasion. con
scented, but very unwilingly. Then they
took me into u dark room. Miss Porter
sat down in a chair. On the wall at the
back was hung a black curtain. and
around her shoulders was draped a black
cloth. Upon the table in front OF her
was a lamp, in which was fixed a pow
erful reflector, that threw a dazzling
light upon her face. She seated me OPP
posite to her. and bade me fix my eyes
upon hers. | did so. Never can | for
- -
wild beast show The glare OF her wide
ly distended eyes was exactly like that
which had seen there in the tigers. 1t
fastened upon mine, and held them fas-
cinated. l had no power to shift them:
and as l gaEed. spellbound. upon hers,
they gradually dilsted until they seemed
20 be two enormous globes OF FIRE, sus-
pended in utter darkness. Then l lost
all recollection.
1T appears that while in this condi-
ton you are compelled to answer truth
fully any question put to you, and to
execute upon awaking any act you may
have promised to perform while in the
mesmeric state. / believe that in my
trance they extracted from me every par
ticular Of my uncle's will.
when | awoke l found myself in the
dining room. lying upon a sofa, and Mrs
HUMPHREYS holding a vinaigrette 10 my
nose. l felt very weak, and strangely
dazed. Cousin John made very light OF
the natter-said that | had got fright
ened, and tainted away. and impress
ed upon me that | must be sure not to
speak OF it to grandfather. And l did
not.
Il cannot dwell upon the dreadful
story. After this he found ways and
means to subject me again and again 10
this terrible influence. grew pale
and emaciated: my nerves were shat
tered, my memory was almost destroy
ed, and a kind Of stupefaction seized up
or my BRAIN Night and day, sleeping
or waking, those awful globes Of fire
Rlared at me out Of the darkness. IL
was killing me- as slowly and surely as
the deadliest poison could have done. Ny
grandfather was in 4 troubled state OF
mind Physicians were brought. they
pronounced my complaint to be a grad
nal softening Of the brain.
I'm the meantime. | Was restrained
from divulging the truth By threats from
Cousin John-threats not only against
myself. but against my dear grandfath-
er. What torture could have excee,led
what / then enduredy But | could not
reason. | had not the power to make
one effort 10 free myself from the hide
Gus thraldom: and at last | became ut
terry passive.
zone day, | was seized with a resist
less impulse TO steal my grandfath er''
keys. go to the cabinet, seek for the Sc
eref drawer. take out the will and carry
Il to Cousin John. Then | knew that
such an act had been imposed upon me
by those terrible eyes in one OF ms
frances. AL day | fought against Il: but
an invisible power seemed driving m,
on Suddenly the thought flashed upor
me that | would run away-fy from all
everything. The instant 1t occurred.
acted upon il. | ran up into my room
opened my desk, took out all the moneJ
had saved, and while my Erandfathel
was taking his after dinner nap, stol,
out Of the house-not thinking. In M
haste, even to put a hat on. II was quit,
dark. and no one observed me. I weu
on. taking no heed Of my whereabouts
until | found myself in the streets o.
Bury.
Il had crept under the old Norman
gateway, where you saw me. | remem
bered that | had once CHANGED to SCI
the city road pointed out from a spo
very near to where l stood. When 20,
left me. took that road. That night
or. rather. towards morning. | slept in
wood. For long time | dared not in
quirs my way, nor. until / was half dea,
with exhaustion, did | venture to bu,
food.
After terrible hardships. rearbe,
Ipswich. There | purchased new clothe
and took the train to the city. Although
/ had still money In my pocket when
arrived. began TO think Of how shouI
get my living"
But did you not think OF writing I
your grandfather-of telling him all 20
bad sufferedr' | interrupted
"Oh. no; ! dared not. In the frs
place. / felt what = wicked creatur
they had made OF mellow I had be-
trayed his eonfdence-how ! had aiuos
become a theft and / knsw that II
went back to him tomorrow, the sam