Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-03-20
Bound by a Spell
CHAPTER XIV.

lie was never known, however at SGch
times to give any clue TO his family or
connections All the stories were con
fined to his vagabond days. lie never
allowed any person to interrupt his mar
rntives by remarks; any such must be
reserved until they were concluded.
"Of all the vagabond specs | ever
launched into. none ever brought me IN
so much cash as the mesmerism dodge,
he began.
| started at those words. and from
that moment became an eager and at
tentive listener.
When | first started in it, l thought
II was all humbug. got hold OF sharp.
clever girl. who pretended to mesmfrlze
the accompices | carried about with me-
Well, one fine morning, this girl bolted
off with one OF the accomplces. and l
was left in the lurch. with my bills ont.
announcing a performance for the hext
night. | walked g!oomily about the
town. Turning down back street,
went into public house. There vas
Only one other person in the room besides
myself-a scottish looking fellow, who
bore upon him the unmistakable marks
of 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 in
vitation.
He lived in s1ualid court, hid
eous looking place, and the home he led
me into was in keeping with its sur
roundings. | began to wish myself out
OF the adventure; with all my love OF
vagabondism. this WAS little beyond
me. Crouching over a handful of hire
was girl about thirteen or fourteen
years of age, with fiery red hair and Il
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
scowing look OF disdain. which CHANGED
to one Of astonishment at the sight OF
a wel-dressed stranger. She fixed her
eyes upon me with an inquirng stare.
There was something in those eyes that
strangely affected me.
Her father ordered her about with
threats, and would have used blows, |
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. | kept
watching her as she moved about and
suddenly strange idea struck me- Could
! get this girl to play the clairvoyant the
next night? ! at once put it to her
father. Selling upon the dilemma in
which I was placed. and which had
someN hat incautiously laid bare to Kim,
he tried to drive an eXtortionate bargain.
While we were speaking. the girl stop
ped her work. and leaning over the back
of a chair facing us, listened eagerly to
my proposition.
"Do you think you can do it?" | said,
turning to her
II 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 block velvet dress that |
carried about with me, she had for
more sybilline appearance than her pred
eCessor. | had drilled her we'll into her
task, at which | found her wonderfully
apt; and. although | anticipated a few
blunders. had every hope Of success.
"Although she had never fnced an au-
dlence before. and we had a large one
that night she was as fearless and self
possessed as though she had been uyed
to it for years.
"One of the principal points OF the
performance was to select man from
the crowd, bring him on to the platform.
put Tim into a mesmeric sleep. and then
cause him to answer any questions that
the clairvOyant might choose to put to
him; added to which, he was made to
promise to do certain things when he
nwoke Hitherto we had used an ac-
compice 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 dismny
to see her select an entire stranger for
the experiment. In sheer desperation. |
tried to cover the hlunder by saving that
the party selected was not fit sub
ject, from a certain similarity in the
color of the hair and eyes to those Of
the girl. The audience grew suspicious
aud insisted that there should be no
change.
with the perspiration starting from
every pore. | waited for what firmly
believed would he an ignomnious expos
ure. Conceive my astonishmcnt, then.
when. after being submitted to the mes
merle influence Of her eyes for three
minutes | saw him grow rigid, his eyes
fixed. and his whole body drawn irrcsist-
IDLY towards her. just as | had so often
seen feigncd by my assistants. Not only
that. but he answered every question put
to him, some of very awk ward nature.
with the mir Of a man irresstibly com
PEELED against his will She then de-
sired that MS soon as she should take the
Influence off him. he should go to the
chandelier in the middle of the room.
and burn his hat. And he did do it; md
! had to buy him a new one: but what
did | care for that? | had discovered
q fortune.
At last, | was half-inclined to bell, We
that she had planted some friend OF her
own to humhug me. and raise the terms;
but | 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 accomplices
all genuine, except the clairvoyance, In
which there was still a good deal Of
humbug: but that humbug she and
could manage together without other as
sstance than that of a pianist.
Never was such a change seen as
oh In. t,s~ l. -