Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1905-04-22
CHAPTER XIV.

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
ratives by remarks; any such must be
reserved until they were concluded
"Of all the vagabond specs l 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 1t, | thought
II was all humbug. | got hold OF sharp,
clever girl, who pretended to mesmerize
the accomplices / 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 Lext
night. l walked gloomily about the
town. Turning down a back street.
went into a public house. There vas
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 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 squald court, hid
eous looking place, and the home he led
me into was in keeping with its sur
roundings. l began to wish myself out
OF the adventure; with all my love OF
vagabondism. this was 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 a
scowling look OF disdain. which changed
to one OF establishment at the sight Of
/ welldressed 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
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
l get this girl to play the clairvoyant the
next night? | at once put it to her
father. Selling upon the dilemma in
which was placed. and which l 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 n chair facing us, listened eagerly to
my proposition
do you think you can do it?' said,
turning to her.
81 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 black velvet dress that
carried about with me. she had fol
more sybilline appearance than her pred
ecessor | had drilled her well into hei
task. Mt which found her wonderfully
apt: and. although l anticipated few
blunders, had every hope OF success.
although she had never faced an au
dience before. and we had n large one
that night. she was as fearless and self
possessed as though she had been useC
10 II for years.
zone of the principal points OF thu
performance was to select a man from
the crowd. bring him on to the platform
put him into a mesmeric sleep. and theI
cause him to answer any questions tia
} the clairvoyant might choose to put L
, him: added to which. he was made t,
promise to do certain things when h
awoke Hitherto we had used an nc
complice for the purpose. Whether sh,
was confused by the sight OF so man,
faces, or deceived by resemblance,
do not know but what was my disma,
} to see her select an entire stranger 10
the experiment! In sheer desperation.
tried to cover the blunder by saying IT, a
} the party selected was not fit sub
} ject. from certain similarity in tn
color Of the hair and eyes to those o
D the girl. The audience grew suspicious
D and insisted that there should be n
D change.
\ with the perspiratlon starting iron
, every pore waited for what | frnll
believed would be an ignominious expos
ure. Conceive my establishment then
when, after being submitted to the mes
: merle influence OF her eyes for tire
minutes. saw him grow rigid his eye
fixed, aud his whole body drawn irrcsist
;, IDLY towards her, just as | had so ofte
seen feigned by my assistants. Not onl
e that. but he answered every question pu
j TO him, some OF n very awkward natnr,
( with the air OF a man irresistibly com
l. PEELED against his will. She then d.
sired that as soon as she should take IN
q influence of him. he should go to tn
: chandelier In the middle OF the room
and burn his hat. And he did do il; m
| had to buy him new one; but villa
+ did care for that? l had discovere
: fortune,
0 At last | was half-inclined to belle
that she had planted some friend OF he
own TO humhug me. and raise the terms
but | was soon convinced that such su,
picions were groundless; and. indeeC
from the first, the whole thing was TO
, real TO be doubted.
S Everywhere our success was enormou
e crowded houses, no more accomplice
It all genuine. except the clarvoyance,
> which there was still a good deal {
Il hnmbug: but that humbug she and
could manage together without other al
i. sistance than that OF n pianist.
Never was such n change seen as
II wrought In less than a week in bot
father and daughter A good suit
clothes gave him quite an air OF respe,
liability. and taken away from old ass,
Citations, he became comparatively r.
e formed IN his habits. In the girl, III
IS change WAS still more remarkable. y
e one could possibly have recognized
n the neatly dressed. scrupulously clea
!, Sigpora Zenobia the ragged, slovenly j
= dith Stokes OF a few days back. For m
y nan | stood In awe Of those terrih