The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1905-03-30
CHAPTEH ~


fined to his vagabond days. He neve
allowed any person to interrupt his mar
ratives by remarks; any such must b'
reserved until they were concluded.
''Of all the vagabond specs | eve
launched into. none ever brought me il
so much cash as the meSinerism dodge,
he began.
l started at those words. aud frcn
that moment became an eager and at
tentive listener.
when | FIRST started in it. l thought
# was all humbug. | got hold OF sharp
clever girl. who pretended to mesmerize
the accomplices | carried about with me-
Well. one tine morning. this girl bolted
OFF with one OF the accomplices. and
was left in the lurch. with my bills cut,
announcing a performance for the Lext
night l walked gloomily about the
town. Turning down a back street.
went into a public house. There y as
OILY 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 talkatiye. At first | was
too moody to bestow upon MIN any reply.
But he was not to be snubbed; and, nj
last. the low cunning. and coarse. hui
morous shrewdness of his remarks, be
gan 10 amuse me. He invited me home
to dinner with him. | accepted his IN
vitation.
He lived in a slualid 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 Il handful Of ire
was a girl about thirteen or fourteen
years of age. with fiery red hair and
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 a
scowling look of disdain. which CHANGED
to one of establishment at the sight of
a well-dressed stranger. She fixed her
eyes upon me with an inquiring 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 /
csged tigress. who would like to fasten |
upon her keeper. but dare not | kept |
watching her as she moved about, and I
suddenly a strange idea struck me. Could 4
get this girl TO play the clairvoyant the /
next night; | at once put it to her
father. Selling upon the dilemma in
which l was placed, and which | had
somewhat 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 chair facing US, listened eagerly 10
my proposition
s.Do you think you can do it:'' said,
turning to her.
Il can do anything that you show me
and teach me-" she answered confidently.
1.-THE night came. and when she was
clean, her hair dressed and she was
clothed in the black velvet dress that
carried about with me, she had a for
more sybilIine appes rance than her pred
ecessor had drilled her well into her
task. at which | found her wonderfully
apt: and. although I anticipated a few
blunders. had every hope Of success
Although she had never faced an au
dienee before. and we had a large one
that night. she was as fearless and self ,
possessed as though she had been used
to it for years
Zone Of the principal points of the
performance was to select man from )
the crowd. bring him on to the platform. :
put him 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
awoke. Hitherto we had used an &C
complete 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 dismay :
TO see her select an entire stranger for
the experiment. In sheer desperation. :
tried to cover the blunder by saying that !.
the party selected was not a fit srb-
ect. from a certain similarity in the y
.olor of the hair and eyes to those OF y
he girl. The audience grew suspicious. :.
md insisted that there should be no =
.hange. y
with the Precipitation starting from =,
very pore. | waited for what firmly =,
relieved would be an ignominious expos :,
ire. Conceive my establishment. then o.
vhen. after being submitted to the mes
neric influence of her eyes for three 81,
minutes, | saw him grow rigid. his eyes -,
xed and his whole body drawn irresist- ~
bly, towards her, just as had so often M
cen feigned by my assistants. Not only he
nat. but he answered every question put 70
, him, some Of a very awkward nature. 70
18th the air OF man irresistIbly com sw
elled against his will. She then de-
red that as soon as she should take The to-
'fuence off him. he should go to the We
in the middle Of the room. do
nd burn his hat. And he did do il: and M,
had to buy him a new one: but what ev,
d care for that? | had discovered to
fortune, sti
At last, was half-inclined to believe fec
at she had planted some friend OF her ev,
yn to humbug me. and raise the terms; to
It l was soon convinced that such sus- nat
cions were grogndIess: and, indeed. $
om the first the whole thing was too to
al to be doubted. fee
Everywhere our success was enormous am
houses. no more accomplices, our
genuine, except the clairvoyance, in diff
lich there was still a good deal OF hot
mbug; but that humbug she and | pri
1ld manage together without other as der
lance than that of pianist. tina
Never was such a change seen as / hal
ought in less than a week in both "
ther and daughter. A good suit Of the
fhaa oave him nuffe an mir NJ reat,ec-1 80