Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-02-13
8 Bound by a Spell Ri

| their grasp of the boughs. my feet slid
powerlessly from their hold. and | fell
The reality. awoke-not with n
start, but | slowly rose up into a sit
| ting posture, as though an iron lev er,
worked by some hiddenu power. had
pressed me upwards. ! 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 a woman's face. In
an instant | recognized Judith Porter
She was attired in a dress Of black vel
vet. made high up to her thront; draped
behind her head was curtain of black
velvet, upon which was. as it were,
| thrown in powerful relief her pale coun-
tcnance and red hair. Her eyes We're
unnaturaly dilated and fixed. They
seemed drawing my soul out of my body,
and absorbing it in themselves.
NY next sensation was that l was
speaking-answ 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 l
awoEe was lying just as l had thrown
myself. half dressed, upon the bed. The
dull light of lowering sky. out of which
the rain was descending IN torrents, was
/ upon me. My visitant had left no trace
behind her: every article was precisely
,,, = bo Pow I
remember, as when l retired to rest.
I got off the bed and bathed my head
and face with cold water. This revived
me; but there was dulness about the
brain that l could not clear away. AS
my faculties resumed their functions. l
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.
Mr.. POrter's threat was no idle one.
Body and soul was. through his daush-
ter utterly subdued to his will Out
Of her presence, | felt that | could not
exist. followed her about like a
spaniel dog | was ever trying to catch
her gaze; few seconds beneath its in
tuence reduced me to a trance-like state,
in which my soul seemed to pass from
my keeping into hers. Ny sleep-when
| could sleep. which was seldom-was
heunted by the widest fantasies. My
health soon began to suffer; my cheeks
became hollow. my looks emaciated. 1t
was as though a vampire was proving
upon my life. 1t was not love that
she inspired me with, but fearful fasci
nation; while | 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
the furthermost extremity Of the earth.
| was her slave-bound to her by chains
stronger than were ever forged by Eu-
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.
now preternaturally sensitive, needed no
words to divine her thoughts. While a
free agent, | had refused, shrunk from
an alliance with her. and she was now
enjoying her vengeance.
You should have taken me when I
was offered to you" she said, mocking
ly "now it is too late"
knew she did not mean the latter
part Of her sentence | knew that after
! she had glutted herself with my torture
she would become my wife. l could read
it as plainly as though her mind had
been a printed book open before me.
| still went through the form of super
intending the boys. but l was very little
use in this pitiahle condition. and Mr.
Porter himself was oftener in the school
room than | had ever known him before
He treated me the same as usual. but he
never regarded me without cunning
eer of triumph. Except during the
school hours was never suffered to
enter the kitchen, or to exchange Il
| word with Martha. | afterwards learn
ed that she made several attempts to get
| to me, but all these efforts were baked
by the vigilance of her master or mis-
| tress.
| As for me- made no effort to see Der,
neither had | any desire; vas alenated
from every object in life save one. One
night, as l was going to bed, found
| her standing close against the wall upon
the first landing. She laid her hand
upon my arm. and said. in a whisper,
What are they doing to you. Master
Silasf What has so awfully changed
you? You don't look like n creature of
this world Can l do anything for YOU
"You can't do anything for me, Mar
tina. Thank you for your Offer" l said,
pressing her hand.
SIS it true that you are going to mar
ry Mis- JUDITH
81 hope So" answered.; and yet l
shuddered as | spoke.
Poor boy! Whatever can it be that
nils you? l do believe that woman has
bewitched you"
Before l could answer, the sound Of
footsteps in tho passage warned is that
spies were at hand. | blew out my
candle and crept upstairs; and Martha
disappeared In another direction.
One evening several Of the principal
members OF the congregation Of Little
bethlehem were invited to tea. | was
present. and WAS seated next to Judith,
who was kind and almost affectionate in
her demeanor towards me.
When the meal was over, we went
and sat together at the window. she
drawing her chair close to NINE now
and then laying her hand upon my rhoul-
der suffering her long hair to brush