Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1905-04-21
CHAPTRR 80

he was never known, however, at such
times to give any clue to his family or
connections. All the stories were con-
fined to his vagabond days. He never
allowed any person to interrupt his mar
Fatives by remarks; any such must be
reserved until they were concluded
"Of all the vagabond specs ever
launched into, none ever brought me in
20 much cash as the mesmerism dodge"
he began.
| started at those words. and from
that moment became an eager and at
tentiye listener.
y When j first started in it, | thought
Il was all humbug. got hold OF sharp,
clever girl, who pretended to mesmerize
the aecomplices carried about with me.
Well. one fine morning, this girl bolted
off with one Of the accomplices, and /
was left In the lurch, with my bills out,
announcing a performance for the Lpxt
night. walked gloomily about the
town. Turning down a back street, I
went into a public house. There was
orly 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 bestowe 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. lie invited me home
to dinner with him. / accepted his in
vitatiOn.
He lived in a squalid court, a hid
eous looking place, and the home he led
me into was in keeping with it's sur
roundings. / began to wish myself out
Of the adventure; with all my love of
yagabondism, this was a little beyond
me. Crouching over a handful Of fire
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
scowling look Of disdain, which changed
to one OF astonishment at the sight OF
well-dressed stranger, She fixed her
eyes upon me with an mquiring 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
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 night3 at once put it to her
father. Selling upon the dilemma in
which was placed, and which / had
somewhat incautiously laid bare to him,
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 to
my proposition.
do you think you can do it2" / said, |
turning to her
Il can do anything that you show me
and teach me, she answered confidently |
ssrhe 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 sybilline appearance than her pred |
ecessor. had drilled her well into her
task, at which | found her wonderfully |
apt; and although anticipated few
plumbers, had every hope Of success.
Although she had never faced an au-
dience before, and we had a large one
that night, she was as fearless and self |
as though she had been used
to It for years.
Zone Of the principal points OF the |
was to select a man from |
the crowd bring him on to the platform, |
put him into a mesmeric sleep, and then |
cause hipi 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 ac-
complice for the purpose. Whether she
was confused by the sight OF so many |
faces, or deceived by 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 fit sub
jeet, from a certain similarity in the /
color of the hair and eyes to those of |
the girl. The audience grew suspicious, |
and insisted that there should be no
change.
with the perspiration starting from |
every pore, / waited for what l firmly |
believed would be an ignominious expos |
nre. Conceive my Rstonishment, then, |
when, after being submitted to the mes
merle influence of her eyes for three
| saw him grow rigid. his eyes
fixed, and his whole body drawn irresist-
IDLY towards her, just as l had so often
seen feigned by my assistants. Not only
that, but he answered every question put /
10 him. some Of very awkward nature,
with the air OF a man irresistibly COM
PEELED against his will She then de-
lires that as soon as she should take the
Influence on him, he should so to the
chandelier in the middle OF the room,
1nd burn his hat. And he did do it: and
. had to buy him new one: but what
lid care for that1 had discovered
/ fortunel
At last, was half-inclined to believe
that she had planted some friend OF her