The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-01-05
cUApTER yyy.-tcoutIpucd.J

ulNuNN nAu u NNThUke lctiiuE. uAilhrA
amounting Ia n dread. OF being left alrne
with him: but | would not have men
toned Il for the world. Grandfather,
however. thinking that IL would please
me, gave n ready assent.
"ln the exhibition we met n very dis
agreeable looking old lady. who was In
troduccd to me ms airs. HUMPHREYS. and
who invited US home TO dine with her.
She was accompanied by n young lady.
with remarkably red hair. and strange
looking eyes. whom she called Judith.
I'VE went. Cousin John and !. home
with them 10 n large brick house In a
retired part Of the town. After dinner
Cousin John and the young lady. whom
he called Miss Porter. began 10 talk
about mesmcrism. I had never heard Of
Il before-did not know the meaning OF
the word. Suddenly she turned To- me.
and asked me how I should like To be
n.esmerized. answered that ] did not
know what Il was. oh. it's the strnns-
est sensation In the world said John.
This young lady Is very clever at It,
AFTER some little persuasion. ] con
scented. but very u~nwillinglv, Then they
took me into n dark room. Miss Porter
sat down In n chair. On the wall Mt the
back was hung n black curtain, and
around her shoulders was drapcd a black
cloth. Upon the table In front Of her
was a lamp. In which was fixed n pow
erful reflector. that threw n dazzling
light upon her face. She seated me OPP
posiie 90 her. and bnde me Fix my eyes
uron hers. did va. Never can | for
get the effect. was once taken To q
wild lTast show. The glare of her wide
ly distendcd eyes was exactly like that
which | had seen there in the tigers. IL
fastened upon mine, and held them fas-
cinnted. had no power 90 shift them;
and rs ! gazed. spcllbound, upon hers,
they gradually dilated until they seemed
20 be two enormous globes OF fire, sus-
pended In utter darkness. Then i lost
all recollection.
at appears that while in this condi
ton you are compelled Co answer truth
fully any question put to you. and 10
execute upon awaklns any net you may
have promised TO perform while In the
mesmeric sta &c. | believe that In my
trance they G, trac;cd ffom me every par
ticular OF ms unclc's viii.
"Whcn I awoke I found myself in the
dining room. lying upon n sofa, and Mrs.
Humphrics holding a vinaigrette TO my
nose. ! felt very weak. and strangely
dazed. Cousin John made very light Of
the mattcr-said that l had got fright
ened. and tainted away. and impress
ell upon me that / must he sure not TO
speak OF il to grandfather. And ! did
not.
IL cannot dwell upon the dreadful
story. After this be found ways aud
means 10 subject me again and again to
this terrible influence. l grew pale
and emaciatcd; my nerves were shat
tered. my memory was almost destroy
ed. and n kind OF s;upcfac,ion seized up
or my brain. Night nnd day, sleeping
or waking. those awfu! globbes OF IRE
glared ht me out Of the darkness. IL
was killing me, as slowly and surely IS
the dcadliest poison could have done. My
grandfather was In n troubled state OF
mind. Physicians were brought; they
pronounced my complaint 10 be a grad
ual Soficniug OF the brain.
"In the meantime. | was restrained
from divulging the truth by threats from
Cousin John-thrents not only against
myself. but against my dear g~randfnth.
or. What torture could have exceeded
what | then enduredy But ! could not
reason. l had not the power TO make
one effort 10 free myself from the hide
ous thraldom: aud at last | became ut
terly passive.
Zone day, / WIS seized with n resist
less impulse TO steal my grandfatheris
keys, 20 10 the cabinet. seek for the se-
cret drawer. take out the will and carry
It to Cousin John. Then | knew that
such an act had been imposed upon me
BY those terrible eyes In one OF my
frances. All day | fought against Il: but
an invisible power seemed driving me
on. Suddenly, the thought flashed upon
me that | would run nway-Hy from all.
everything. Tho instant Il occurred. /
acted upon Il. | ran up into my room.
opened my desk, took out all the money
had saved. aud while my grandfather
was taking his after dinner nap. stole
out OF the house-not thinking. In my
haste, even 10 put n hat on. IL was quite
dark, and no one observed me. I went
pn, taking no heed OF my whereabouts,
until l found myself In the streets Of
Bury.
IL had crept under the old Norman
gateway. where you saw me. I remcm-
bered that | had once CHANGED 10 see
the city road pointed out from n spot
very near 10 where ! stood. When you
eft me, I took that road. That night,
or. rather. towards morning. I slept In a
wood. For a long time I dared not In
1uire my way. nor. until | was half dead
with exhaustion, did ! venture to buy
food.
After terrible hardships. l reached
Ipswich. There | purchased new clothes
and took the train 60 the city. Although
l had still money In my pocket when |
arrived, ! began TO think Of how | should
get my living"
But did you not think Of writing 20
Tour grandfather-of telling him ali you
had sufferedg" | interrupted.
'Oh. no; ] dared not. In the FIRST
pl,.e. | felt what n wicked creature
th.g had made OF mellow I had be.
trayed his conldence-how | had almost
become n thief! and I knew that IL |
went back 10 him tomorrow. the same
thing would begin over again. For while
they knew my whereabouts, no earthly
power could protect me from the Inau-
tnce OF those awful eyes. Ny grand.
father would think me dead-my cousin
would inherit all his wealth, and | should